Legal
Terms of Service
Last updated: 25 September 2026
These terms apply to professional services provided by Vales Audio, an independent audiobook editing and post-production service operated by a sole trader in the United Kingdom.
Vales Audio works with authors, narrators, publishers, producers and other clients acting in connection with their professional or business activities.
Booking and scope
Sending an enquiry does not create a booking.
A project is considered booked when Vales Audio and the client have agreed the scope of work, price and relevant project details in writing, including by email.
Work will be carried out according to the agreed service and materials supplied by the client. Any substantial change to the scope after booking may require a revised quote or delivery schedule, which will be agreed before additional work is undertaken.
Client materials
The client is responsible for supplying the files, scripts, manuscripts, notes and other materials reasonably required to complete the agreed work.
The client confirms that they have the necessary rights or permission to provide those materials to Vales Audio for the purposes of carrying out the service.
Delays in receiving required materials, responses or approvals may affect the agreed delivery date.
Turnaround and delivery
Expected turnaround will be agreed when the project is booked.
Vales Audio will make reasonable efforts to meet agreed deadlines. Where a delay becomes likely, the client will be informed as soon as reasonably practicable.
Rush turnaround may be available by prior agreement and may carry an additional fee.
Revisions
Unless otherwise agreed, the quoted price includes one reasonable round of revisions relating to the originally agreed scope of work.
Corrections required because of an error by Vales Audio will be addressed without additional charge.
Additional revisions, replacement recordings, substantial changes to supplied material, or work outside the original scope may be quoted separately before the additional work is carried out.
Payment
No upfront payment is normally required unless otherwise agreed for a particular project.
Invoices are payable within 30 days of the invoice date, unless different payment terms have been agreed in writing.
Where an invoice becomes overdue, Vales Audio may pause current work or decline to begin further booked work until the outstanding amount has been resolved.
Vales Audio reserves any rights available under applicable UK law in relation to overdue commercial payments.
Cancellation
A client may cancel a booked project before work begins without charge.
If a project is cancelled after work has begun, the client will be invoiced only for work reasonably completed up to the point of cancellation.
Where possible, Vales Audio will provide the client with any usable work completed up to that point once amounts due for that work have been paid.
Pausing or ending work
Vales Audio may pause or end an engagement where there is a material reason to do so, including persistent non-payment, serious or repeated abusive or threatening behaviour, or circumstances that make it unreasonable to continue the working relationship.
Where reasonably possible, the client will be informed before work is paused or ended and will be invoiced only for work properly completed up to that point.
Confidentiality and project materials
Client manuscripts, recordings and other project materials will be treated as confidential and used only as reasonably necessary to provide the agreed services, unless the client has given permission for another use.
Samples of completed work will not be used publicly by Vales Audio without appropriate permission.
Information and project materials are handled in accordance with the Vales Audio Privacy Policy.
Intellectual property
The client retains ownership of the manuscripts, recordings and other materials they provide.
Editing and post-production by Vales Audio does not transfer ownership of the client's underlying work to Vales Audio.
Once the relevant invoice has been paid, the client may use the completed deliverables for the purposes for which the work was commissioned.
Nature of the service
Audio editing and post-production involve professional judgement, particularly in areas such as pacing, performance, noise reduction and dialogue treatment.
Vales Audio will provide the agreed services with reasonable care and skill and in accordance with the scope agreed with the client.
Liability
Vales Audio is not responsible for delays, losses or problems caused by inaccurate, incomplete, corrupted or late materials supplied by the client, or by circumstances outside Vales Audio's reasonable control.
Nothing in these terms excludes or restricts liability where doing so would be unlawful.
Governing law
These terms and any agreement for services with Vales Audio are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Contact
Questions about these terms or a project can be sent to: