How to Start Recording Your Own Audio
An Intro to the 5 Essentials writers need to know to record podcasts and audiobooks
So you write a book or a newsletter and want to add audio, either an audiobook or a podcast, or just read your posts aloud for listeners not just for readers.
But your not a voice pro and want to know how to get started.
I’m glad you’re here.
My Name is Todd, Narrator Todd at Todd Eflin Narrates. I love voice acting audiobooks of authors, and I can probably record for you too. I have the talent and the know-how, but sometimes, and perhaps for you, it’s YOUR voice that’s right for your projects.
Maybe for audiobooks, but most likely for podcasts and newsletters. It adds a human touch and a personal element that reaches your readers no other way.
A quick side note, PLEASE do not use audio AI for your recordings. They aren’t great and it’s pretty obvious it’s not you. You don’t write with AI, so don’t use audio AI. The human voice adds subtle nuances and emotions that AI can’t (not yet thankfully).
This includes the text-to-speech playback feature using the Substack app.
Keep it real. And don’t let your audio sound bad! Bad audio drives away a listener and a subscriber.
Now, I love DIY...with a twist. You probably like doing things yourself, whether it’s a car repair, computer fix or hobby, but do you learn it all by yourself?
There are three ways to learn to narrate audiobooks or make podcasts:
One will cost you time, to DIY and learn through trial and error;
another will cost a little cash, and you will gain a little knowledge;
a third will cost you more cash to be taught, but save you lots of time.
If you enjoy the learning process--that is research, discovery, trial and error, and have the time (or don’t have the cash) then go the DIY route. You will find lots of free advice, some good and not-so-good, contradictory and maddening, and some that are a gem that solves your problem. This method will cost your time and take the longest to start, produce and complete your first audiobook project. If you are not in a hurry to get them to market (for sale), then spend the time and save the money.
Or you can find relatively inexpensive video courses than show you the basics and get you started. They usually will last one to several hours and allow you to re-watch them as needed. Beware though, that a growing number of these folks have produced only a few books and now want to sell courses on how they did it. That doesn’t make them bad, just not really experts. It’s probably best to take two or three of these and mix and match their approach to find what would suit you best.
Then there is the approach that will take the least time, teach the best material, give the best advise, and is tailored to your needs, but will cost the most cash. That is, get a coach, a pro, an expert who will teach you one-on-one everything you need to know and do, show you how to do it, and be available for questions and help avoid problems. Use this plug and play method if you want to get your books to market more quickly, or take a shortcut to learning.
The more money you spend the less time you spend getting your project started and finished.
Either learn on your own or be taught by an expert, coach or trainer. Think of it like a tour guide on a vacation excursion.
There are five things you need to learn to narrate an audiobook:
Time, Terms, Tech, Space, Sound
How much time does a narrator spend on the project? How long will the process take? When will my audiobook be ready? How long will it take me to learn to do all this? How long is my audiobook?
Speaking the audiobook language: What are all these new terms? There are book terms, producing terms, audio terms, etc.
What equipment do I need? Which mic is best? What about the computer, the software, the headphones, etc? How much does it cost? Where do I get it, and how do I use it? Editing audio, saving file types, etc.
Where should my recording space be? What can I do to make it quiet? How can I treat the room so it sounds good? Does my room echo, is the noise-floor too loud, will it pass standards?
How fast should I talk? How do I position the mic? What about breaths, mouth noise? Just what is pacing, pauses, heads and tails, equalization and processing?
We go over a lot of that, enough to get you started on your own if that’s what you prefer. But we have a whole personal approach, one-to-one coaching available. Message me to get started
In the meantime, feel free to access our Article Directory. This is a table of contents page to make navigating the topics you want more easily. Please explore!
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I can’t wait to hear👂you,
Todd
very helpful. Like how you said "Think of it like a tour guide on a vacation excursion."