Audio Studio Trainee

Penguin Books UK; City Of London; On-site; GBP 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading publishing company in the UK is offering a six-month traineeship in audiobook production. Candidates will gain skills in audio editing and book publishing while working with a dedicated team. The role is designed for individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds, with no degree required, and comes with a salary of £25,500 per annum. Eligible candidates must be over 18 and have the right to work in the UK.

Benefits

Travel bursary for commuting from outside London

Qualifications

• Must be over 18 years old.
• Need to have a pre-existing right to work in the UK.
• Identify as from a lower socio-economic background.

Responsibilities

• Assist with script preparation ahead of recordings.
• Learn the basics of engineering sessions.
• Shadow recordings and assist in studio hospitality.

Skills

Audio editing skills

Audiobook publishing understanding

Attention to detail

Teamwork in a fast-paced environment

Job description

The Scheme is for voices we want to hear more of in publishing. Could yours be one of them?

Make your mark by spending six months between January – July 2026 working with the best at the number one publisher in the UK. You’ll immerse yourself within one of our key business areas, learning the ropes, taking ownership of projects and contributing to our mission to make books for everyone.

Whatever team you’re placed with, you’ll gain universally applicable skills that will equip you for wherever you go next. We’ll teach you about all publishing and Penguin, and support you to make the next steps in your career journey.

The Scheme is for people from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. If you meet this eligibility criteria but perhaps you’re changing careers, don’t have a degree, or haven’t often seen yourself reflected in publishing, we’d love you to apply! Whatever your gender, background, or community, we want to hear your story.

All trainees are paid £25,500 per annum (equivalent to £12,750 for the six months of the traineeship). We also offer a travel bursary for those commuting from outside of London.

Penguin is the UK’s leading publisher of audiobooks. We bring together our amazing authors and the world’s very best acting talent to create exceptional listening experiences; from the finest stories and ideas for adults to entertainment and education for children and families. Whether we’re working with Gary Stevenson on The Trading Game, recording our Ladybird Audio Originals with specially‑commissioned sound effects and music, or working with iconic authors like Malorie Blackman, Zadie Smith and Jacqueline Wilson, we’re always looking for new ways to create audio editions which are simultaneously faithful to the book and unique experiences in their own right.

As a trainee in the Audio Studio team

You’ll have the unique opportunity to learn about audiobook production with Penguin’s dedicated in‑house team. You’ll gain exposure to the studio environment and learn about key elements of the audiobook production process, from pre‑production through to post‑production.

You’ll be involved in assisting with script preparation ahead of recordings, learning the basics of engineering sessions, shadowing recordings, recording credits, cutting marketing clips, invoice coding, studio hospitality and learning the values that underpin our work with authors and actors.

Knowledge and skills you’ll gain:

• An understanding of audiobook publishing
• Basic audio editing skills
• Audio proofreading skills
• Developing an eye and ear for detail
• Author and actor care
• Learning industry standards
• How to work as part of a fast‑paced team

If you’re interested in audio production and audiobooks more generally, this could be the role for you.

Eligibility criteria

You’ll need to have a pre‑existing right to work in the UK for the duration of the traineeship as unfortunately we are not able to offer visa sponsorship. You don’t need a degree, you just need to be over 18.

To achieve our mission to make books for everyone because a book can change anyone, we are seeking out new voices. To apply, you’ll need to identify as from a lower socio‑economic background.

We use parental occupation at age 14 to measure this as the Social Mobility Commission suggests it to be the most accurate measure available to assess socio‑economic background, as well as being accessible to those from all nationalities.

To apply for The Scheme, at age 14 your highest‑earning parent/guardian was not in management and was employed in one of the following categories:

• Technical and craft occupations such as motor mechanic, plumber, printer, electrician, gardener, train driver
• Routine, semi‑routine manual and service occupations such as postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, sales assistant, HGV driver, cleaner, porter, packer, labourer, waiter or waitress, bar staff
• Unemployed (claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance or earlier unemployment benefit for more than a year)

We recognise these are broad categories that may not fully reflect the many hundreds of jobs out there, or exactly fit your family situation. Please use your judgement when self‑identifying.