Audiobook: What is it, Who Creates it, How It Works

Audiobooks in truth, have been around for a while. However, it was only during the last couple of years that it gained extraordinary popularity. Similar to podcasts, audiobooks became popular for people on-the-go who didn’t have enough time to sit and read. They also became a popular resource for people who cannot read or do not enjoy reading.

Don’t know what podcasts are? Check out Jony Studios blog Podcast: What is It, How It Works, Who Creates It to know more.

WHAT IS AN AUDIOBOOK?

They are voice recordings of books/novels that you can listen to rather than read. They are replicas of the written text in an MP3 format.

Customers are usually given an option to purchase and download audiobooks similar to digital music and video. There are many audiobooks available for free as well on Audible. Even apps such as Spotify now carry audiobooks.

Audiobooks give you a different reading experience for situations in which reading is not possible. It doesn’t matter whether you’re driving, walking, at the gym or working, audiobooks give you a chance to catch up with your reading without actually having to read!

And if you are a picky reader who doesn’t like to read books that are long, some audiobooks come in an abridged and unabridged version. Audiobooks that are marked as abridged are shorter and modified versions of the book made to better the listening experience. Unabridged audiobooks, on the other hand, are recorded word to word and are exact replicas of the printed book.

WHO CREATES IT?

Audiobooks are created by the author or publishing house. Audiobooks are usually made to reach a wider audience and to give audiences a version other than printed and e-text.

Curious to learn more about audiobook recording and who they are made for? Check out Jony Studios blog Benefits And Tips For Recording An Audiobook For Your Novel to learn more.

Many authors provide a free sample of the audiobook on their website for audiences to judge for themselves whether or not they wish to buy that version or not.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Audiobooks come in a format similar to a digital song. They are available in MP3 formats and more and are supported by every mobile device. You can listen to audiobooks on smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, speakers or even in your car using the car entertainment system. 

You can either download the audiobook or stream it online. Streaming means to “download” the audiobook on the go as you’re listening. It doesn’t take up any additional space on your device but streaming does, however, take up a lot of data. It is recommended to download your audiobook over WiFi for a better listening experience. And although downloading the audiobook will take up a lot of space on your device, you have the option of deleting it from your device without losing your purchase. Audiobooks, like ebooks, are always available on a ‘cloud library’ thus ensuring you never lose your purchase.

Now you might be wondering who records an audiobook?

Audiobooks are usually recorded by professional narrators who tend to be actors and vocal specialists. It is, however, very common for the author to record the audiobook themselves as well.

Are you an author looking to record an audiobook for your book? Jony Studios offers audio production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Contact us here to get started.

Conclusion

Audiobooks are a great way of catching up to your reading while on-the-go. There are thousands of audiobooks to choose from and many different genres to choose from as well. 

There are audiobooks made especially for children, seniors, teenagers, adults, romance lovers, fiction lovers, etc. And they are so easy to listen to and browse through that even the most non-tech savvy person can learn how to use it.

Here are some of Jony Studios’ favourite audiobooks to get you started:

1. The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

2. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

3. Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

4. The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer

5. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

6. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Did you find one you liked? Let us know below!

- By Neha Agarwala

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If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer audiobook production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Learn more here and listen to some of our audiobook samples.

Benefits And Tips For Recording An Audiobook For Your Novel

After ebooks, audiobooks are now the next big thing. Sales in audiobooks have increased drastically over the past few years.

Audiobooks are extremely easy to access and listen to. With audiobooks being the next big thing in publishing, writers often ask themselves: how do I turn my book into an audiobook?

The points below will help you guide through creating an audiobook. It contains tips and lists the benefits of creating an audiobook.

Benefits of Recording an Audiobook:

Build your subscriber list

Recording an audiobook has many benefits that can be monetary and non-monetary.

They are the perfect resource for you to use to build up your email subscriber list. By providing an audiobook on your website for consumers to download after providing their email, your email list will increase drastically.

EARN MORE MONEY

Audiobooks are another source of income for you from a single piece of work. 

With the increase in the audiobook market, turning your novel into an audiobook also captures a wider audience. It will help you garner the attention of the audiobook lovers.

And lastly, profits from audiobooks are higher since the cost of production and distribution is low.

IT NEVER SELLS OUT

Unlike printed books, audiobooks don’t have a specific quantity that can be released. They are more like ebooks in this distinction and always stay in stock.

There are many different platforms to sell, market and record your ebooks as well.

IT’S FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO LISTEN ON THE GO

For the people who are always on the run, audiobooks are a godsend.

It’s difficult for people who don’t have enough time in their days to sit down and enjoy a good book. That’s where having an audiobook version of a book comes in handy. Like mentioned before, these audiobooks will help capture this kind of audience.

IT’S FOR all types of readers

People tend to read a book at different paces. Some read them within a span of a few hours while others take years to finish a book. 

And although audiobooks cater to both types of readers, the high consumers love them more as it allows them to finish the book faster.

Another advantage of an audiobook is that it encourages slow readers to read more as it’s easier to finish a book when someone else is reading to you.

IT’S FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TROUBLE READING/DON’T LIKE READING

Books are not enjoyed by everyone and that’s a fact. Reading a book can put them to sleep.

But, with audiobooks now available, these people have the option of someone reading the book to them. This opens up a wider audience for writers to capture.

Apart from people who don’t enjoy reading, some people cannot read due to disabilities. So for people who want to read but cannot due to blindness or dyslexia, audiobooks are a great solution.

NOT SO FIERCE COMPETITION

The audiobook market is fairly new. This reduces the amount of competition for you.

So what does that mean?: It’s easier to get your book noticed in an audiobook format.

Situations In Which You Shouldn’t Record An Audiobook:

AMOUNT OF DIALOGUES

If your book contains a lot of dialogues such as “he said” or “she said”, it could be off-putting to hear it again and again. Repetition of some dialogues or words could become annoying to listeners.

TYPE OF BOOK

Type of book means an instructional book or a novel. You should think to yourself if your book is more of a guide, cookbook or manual, and how it will sound to someone as an audiobook. An instructional book could be awkward as it lacks a flow necessary for an audiobook.

Recording Your Audiobook:

RECORDING it YOURSELF

Recording your audiobook yourself can be very cost-effective. It will also give you complete control over the final product, giving you a chance to make your vision come true as you see fit.

However, recording your own audiobook without any experience can make your final product seem unprofessional. You need time and equipment such as microphones, recording software, etc. to record your own audiobook as well. 

Check out Jony Studios blog Best Podcast Microphone to find the perfect professional microphone for you. Or checkout the Best External Microphones for Your iPhone to find a microphone you can attach to your smartphone!

Lastly, you will also need to learn how to record an audiobook. You will need to learn when to pause, how to use the software, etc.

If you are thinking about recording it yourself, you will be able to save a lot time and headaches by recording your audiobook with a reputable recording studio that has a wide range of experience. Also if you already have the recording they can help get the sound to a professional standard using mixing, mastering and other advanced audio techniques.

HIRING SOMEONE TO RECORD

By hiring someone else to record your audiobook, you won’t have to do the hard stuff yourself. Any professional you hire will know about creating an audiobook, have the time to create it and have the equipment and space to record it. All you’ll have to do is hire them.

But hiring a narrator can be expensive. Without knowing how much your audiobook will earn in sales, the cost of hiring someone could be scary.

If you do decide to hire someone to record your audiobook, you’ll be able to find someone on ACX. You can either pay the narrator upfront or share royalties that you earn from sales.

Recording Duration:

The time it takes to record an audiobook depends on your project. The length of your book, the narrator you employ/time you take to record your book yourself, duration of editing, all factor into the time it takes to complete your project.

ACX estimates that most narrators can read approximately 9,300 words per hour. A 65,000-word book may turn into seven hours of narration.

After you finish your recording and editing, it takes time to go over your final product as well.

Conclusion:

There are many benefits to recording an audiobook for your book. This blog gives you a few additional tips you might need to make your audiobook a success.

Did you find these benefits and tips helpful?

- By Neha Agarwala

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If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer audiobook production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Learn more here and listen to some of our audiobook samples.

Websites to Promote Your Audiobook for Free

If you’re looking for places to promote your audiobook for free, here’s a great list of websites and forums that you could use to your benefit!

Reddit Audiobook Threads

If you have a great book that you want to promote, you can try posting on different audiobook threads on Reddit. This could bring great attention to your audiobook if you have something great to sell.

Audio Jukebox

Audio Jukebox will host audiobooks on their website for free! Reviewers will be able to check out your audiobook and give you promotions through their reviews. You can even upload multiple books at once. You just need to fill out a form in order to submit your books for reviewing.

LinkedIn Audiobook Listeners Group

This LinkedIn Group is for those who love books, and use audiobooks as a way of simplifying the ways they consume them. It is a private group that you need to request to join, but once you are in you are free to promote your book to the group.

Goodreads Audiobook Group

This is another website for those who love audiobooks, promote your book here and you could get some great reviews and attention!

Facebook

There are many public facebook groups for audiobook consumers, including free audiobook giveaways, everything audiobook, and audiobook promos. Promoting your audiobook on these groups may be a great way to get it some free attention, and some free reviews.

Conclusion

These are just a few free options that are out there to promote your audiobook to a wider group of people. You can even try all of them together to give your book the most attention possible!

If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer audiobook production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Learn more here and listen to some of our audiobook samples.

So did you try using any of these sites? How did things go? Let us know!

- By Julianna Martinek