Mistakes to Avoid When Making an Audiobook
Making an audiobook can be a fun and rewarding experience, but there are a few things to avoid if you want to make the process as smooth as possible. Here are some most common mistakes to avoid when making an audiobook!
1) Not Following Technical Requirements
This is probably the most obvious mistake one can make, but it’s pretty important. For example, if you’re self-publishing your audiobook and distributing on Audible or iTunes, they have certain requirements that need to be met in order for the audio files to be accepted into their distribution system. They vary depending on how long your book is, but the general requirements are usually something like this: chapters should be in mp3 format, chapters shouldn’t be longer than 120 minutes, the sound intensity should be between 18-23 dB, there shouldn’t be any unwanted noises, etc. However, you should always check how to record an audiobook for your specific platform before beginning. You can find these requirements online and try to find step-by-step instructions on how to get your audiobook approved.
2) Not Being Familiar With The Right Pronunciation
This can be a tricky one. For example, there are certain names or places that have their own pronunciation and you’d probably want people to say them the way you intended it. If not, at least you should know what these words mean. Let’s take a look at an example: If your book is about the United States, you don’t want to have someone incorrectly say “Washington” or “Colorado.” Not being familiar with these place names can lead to hilarious results. No matter how funny it is, it’s not exactly what you want.
3) Reading Too Fast Or Too Slow
Now, this is something that you probably won’t notice until people start commenting on it. The way to avoid this mistake is simply through practice. If you’re not sure how fast or slow you should read, grab a book and try reading it out loud! If it sounds normal, then you might be in the clear. Also, make sure to look out for any pauses between words or phrases. If it sounds unnatural, you probably need to slow down a bit.
4) Having A Bad Microphone Or Recording Interface
If you’re making the audiobook on your own, then you’re definitely going to need a microphone. However, it’s not exactly as simple as that. You’re going to want a good-quality microphone that isn’t too expensive but still gives you the clarity and volume you need for your audiobook. When buying a microphone, make sure to check reviews on Amazon or other similar websites to help you decide which microphone is the best for your needs. As for recording interfaces, they ensure that your microphone is able to send an audio signal to your PC or device without any degradation in quality. Tape-based recording interfaces usually pick up more background noise than USB-based recording interfaces, but they’re usually cheaper and it’s much easier to connect a tape-based interface to an external device such as speakers.
5) Setting For A Tone And Not Acting For It
This is another common mistake. When you’re preparing to record, it’s important that you’re aware of the tone you want your book to have. Is it serious? Comical? You can even modify your tone depending on how different characters sound in your audiobook! If you want the listener to feel angry while listening, then try putting yourself in a frustrated mood to help you really get into the zone. However, it’s important that you don’t just imitate what you think the tone should be! In other words, “acting” will sound forced and unnatural. You want to have your listener feel the emotions coming from your voice naturally.
6) Recording In A Noisy Environment
This is one of the most important things to avoid. If there’s any sort of background noise, it will definitely come through your microphone and be recorded in your audio file. If this happens, you’re going to have to edit the sound manually which is obviously more time-consuming than just recording somewhere quiet! It’s important that you find a recording studio with a quiet environment to ensure that you’re getting the best quality of audio at all times. Alternatively, if you have your own recording studio in your home, just make sure that no one is making noise when you record!
7) Not Doing Any Editing
If you want your finished product to sound good, then you’re going to need to do some editing. Even if you don’t use any special audio editing software, there are still things that you can do to your audio file such as normalizing (making all parts of your audio file the same volume), limiting (preventing frequencies from peaking and distorting), and compressing so that the overall sound is more “full” and rich. Sometimes, background noise can be too low for the human ear to pick up but still comes through your microphone.
8) Publishing Without Listening To It First
This is something that a lot of people do when they finish making an audiobook. After spending so long working on the audio file, there’s a natural urge to just upload it and release your masterpiece! However, it’s important that you listen to the finished product and make sure that no mistakes were made during editing. This will reduce the amount of time spent having to upload a fixed file and will save your listeners from hearing any mistakes you made. Also, if you’re releasing your audiobook on YouTube, it’s important to remember that the video file is public so be sure to check before uploading!
Audiobooks can be a lot of fun to make and are a great way to get your story out there. However, there are a few things to avoid if you want the process to go smoothly. In this article, we’ve outlined some of the most common mistakes people make when making an audiobook. By avoiding these mistakes, you’ll have a higher quality product and will save yourself time and hassle in the editing process! We hope you found this article helpful, and good luck on your audiobook-making journey!
