How can you manage your time when recording an audiobook voice-over?

When I recorded my 10 part audiobook entitled, "Hire Me and You'll see What True Excellence is," I kept to a strict daily schedule. Since my voice is a few octaves lower in the morning, I planned my sessions for the hour after awakening from sleep. To really ensure I maintained that authoritative low voice, I made sure my phone was turned off and I refrained from looking at any news articles. It took me 6 years to complete but I think the result speaks for itself.

Make sure your studio space is dead. Even narrating into a closet jammed with winter coats is better than an open room. Invest in a decent microphone and interface (I use the Scarlett Solo). Minimize interruptions. Turn off your phone and all notifications. Pick a time of day when other people are at work or asleep and there is little road traffic. Sit up straight or stand. Rehearse. Read your script aloud first, note any potential tricky spots and highlight them. As you narrate, tell a story, don't read from a list. +/- 1000 words in, stop. Save your file and listen to it for any problems before continuing. Final tip: if you can afford it, hire an experienced audio engineer to clean up your raw material and add music intro and outros.

Eric, this is brilliant and very timely as I’m about embark on a mission to complete the audio version of my book ZERORISK. Huge thank you for the tips and skills 👍

Preparing the script can be time consuming, I have learnt that it helps to create a schedule that helps you break the tasks into manageable sessions. Dedicate time to Mark chapters, note difficult words, and decide your tone... which helps in how you structure the script itself.

One mistake many audiobook narrators make is in burying themselves in one book and becoming deaf to any other voice projects. Pacing is the key and rarely is great work done at 8 hour stretches on the same script. You need a break, mentally, physically and time to decompress. Take an hour to do some marketing, look over a chapter or two of an upcoming narration and then go back to the main project.

Start by allocating specific time blocks for recording and understanding how long it typically takes to record a certain amount of text. It's essential to consider breaks and potential re-takes due to errors or performance issues. For instance, a professional voice-over artist may schedule 2 hours of recording for every finished hour of audio, knowing that it often requires multiple takes and rest periods to maintain a high-quality performance.

It is very important for a professional to think and plan your final product as realistically as possible. If the ideas can not be portrayed in their true sense then it is of no use. Then comes the scheduling process which requires a lot of attention. If you do not schedule it properly then all the efforts can get wasted. Clients and offices tend to keep things real

Recording in batches can significantly streamline the process. Instead of attempting to record the entire book in one or a few long sessions, breaking the work into shorter, manageable recording sessions can improve focus and energy levels, ultimately enhancing the quality of the recording. For example, an experienced narrator may choose to record chapters or even subsections in separate batches, allowing for consistent energy and characterization throughout the audiobook.

This is my favourite cheat sheet when creating content. This way you are able to capture enough content to last for days when you are not feeling your best. Recording an audiobook is no different, setting realistic expectations and timelines will help in your planning process. What is also important is that you don't try to cram too much into your batch recording. Be strategic so you don't compromise your quality. 1. Prepare a batch recording schedule and have your producer monitor the process. 2. Set clear objectives on what you hope to achieve in this session (I want to record, the introduction, chapters 1-2) 3. Listen and critique the recording before you wrap, so as to ensure the tone is at the desired quality.

I agree, but also make sure those batches are in big enough chunks (like ‘by chapter’ for example) so that the difference in the sonics of a voice isn’t as noticeable in the end product. “Chunk it” by segment or sections. If it’s an audiobook with several different voices, like ‘character actors’, maximize the time spent with each actor. Prepare a version of the script that’s easy enough to jump to all the parts quickly; this may even be as simple as color coding lines. Also in my experience always do a few takes of each, with different intonations( and sometimes different pronunciations) so that the voice actor doesn’t necessarily need to come back to re-voice. Sometimes this is unavoidable, but this technique can help out.

Editing as you go is crucial however just as crucial is your balance point - don't over edit as you go. Editing errors out of each segment such as incorrect diction, mispronounced or incorrect words or incorrect inflections is beneficial but there's not much point in applying compression, eq, or other plugins/effects as you go when you're going to apply said effects to the overall product. Keep your workload simple and productive yet effective

Feedbacks are necessary when you are producing content. Creators can easily get caught up in their work and think that it is perfect, I am guilty of this. However, and independent mind and a fresh pair of eyes can spot things that you might have missed. Therefore, getting feedback on every areas of your production is important. You have to also be objective and know the areas where you need improvements. Be willing to make adjustments after recieving constructive feedbacks. I don't think every feedback should be actioned, and that is where honesty comes in. Look at feedbacks as test for your audiobook. This is a good way to gauge your production.

Having recorded an audiobook, I’ll advise setting your mind on a goal and determining not to exceed it, because an audiobook can be done in a month or a year, if you let it. Also, allot a time in your day to have a recording session no matter what, especially if you’re working on a project for a flexible client so you don’t find yourself romancing chapter one for days on a romance book.