Audiobook

[Draculus-del-Viafat]

Okay, so I've been trying to catch my inspiration's tail for the last few days, but instead I've caught a cold.
And an idea of an audiobook.
To say the truth, I've thought about it before, but have never been sure of it enough to develop the idea itself, or to start recording audio, or anything. But now I think an audiobook of Masquerade of Souls could probably expand my audience, given that some people prefer listening to books instead of reading them due to the lack of free time. The problem I'll get if I start recording an audiobook is my afwul voice and the fact that I can't read slowly. And even though I've got a friend who is willing to help me with recording, she has a British English accent with a slight hint of Cockney (Mockney, she calls it) which may make her speech a bit difficult to understand. At the same time, if I was ever to start recording an audiobook, I'd rather find different people with different voices in order to make the book sound lively by separating the roles, but this task seems to be too difficult when you don't live among native English speakers.
So, please, help me decide what to do, or maybe suggest yourself as a volunteer for recording the MoS audiobook)) If it is ever to appear, it'll be nonprofit and free to listen for everybody. I think.

 

[Shadow_Tempest]

I could try. I've been listening to audiobooks since a long time and wanted to try once myself actually.

 

[Maple-Leaf]

I wish you good luck!

 

[Draculus-del-Viafat]

I could try. I've been listening to audiobooks since a long time and wanted to try once myself actually.

I think this would be wonderful! You could send me an audio with you reading a moment from MoS, any moment you'll choose, so that we can discuss the details and everything)

 

[RepresentingCaution]

The entire internet is an audiobook for me since I use a tts plugin for my browser ?

 

[Shadow_Tempest]

I'll send it in a few more, say 4-5 hours, is that alright?

@Draculus-del-Viafat , uhm, I'm sorry...I have a lot of school work so I can't do it. Hope you find someone else.

 

[Draculus-del-Viafat]

@Draculus-del-Viafat , uhm, I'm sorry...I have a lot of school work so I can't do it. Hope you find someone else.

Sure, no problem) Good luck with school and thanks for the initiative)

 

[TheHelpfulFawn]

Audiobooks are cool

 

[Draculus-del-Viafat]

Continuing the topic of audiobooks, I'd like to ask those who are interested in this thing, what good and free websites or apps do you know that allow users to upload their audiobooks and make them free to listen for everyone?

 

[yansusustories]

Continuing the topic of audiobooks, I'd like to ask those who are interested in this thing, what good and free websites or apps do you know that allow users to upload their audiobooks and make them free to listen for everyone?

I don't know much about this but I've seen some audiobooks on YouTube. They're uploaded with either background pictures or (more often, I think) with the text being displayed so people could read along.
If you have a website of your own with enough storage space included (I think even free ones should have a little at least), then you could upload the files there as well.

 

[yansusustories]

Btw, there's some things I wanted to say to this but forgot the other day:

The problem I'll get if I start recording an audiobook is my afwul voice and the fact that I can't read slowly.

Reading slowly actually isn't bad. In fact, it's a good thing. Many people have the problem of being too fast which makes it more difficult for people to follow and also cause some smaller words or syllables to be swallowed. As a guideline, you should likely not read more than about 100 words per minute. At the very least, that's what's being suggested for doing presentations and I'd guess audiobooks should be about the same. Maybe you could just do a trial read fo a chapter or two (some practice might be necessary anyway) and then count out how slow you actually are?

As for accents, while that might be difficult, having the text as well might mitigate that problem but that is likely not what you'd want to go for if you want an audiobook since most people will either read themselves or just listen. Most people that do have an accent can go a bit more standard if they focus on it though so maybe you could just have a discussion on that, also do a trial read, and then have some other people listen to it? Basically, just give it a try and see if people are able to understand.

One thing I'd like to add since it wasn't brought up yet but I think it is very important is the equipment.
If you want to do a good audiobook, then reading is only one part of the equation. You also need a good microphone with the additional stuff to make sure the plosives don't make people go deaf (sorry, forgot the word for the thingies, but basically the ones you have in front of the microphone?). Without that, while you do have an audiobook, it'll sound shit and be a chore to listen to. Same goes for doing the recording in a set-up that allows for minimal background noise unless you have a very well-attuned microphone that doesn't pick up on that in the first place.
While that might sound like overkill, I think that this is really one of the things you need to consider. I am regularly doing voice recordings (not for audiobooks but for myself since I have to use voice-to-text for writing) and I do lack the necessary equipment for nice ones. I can really not recommend doing that. They sound awful. With some sentences, even if I listen to them three times, I have trouble understanding what I was saying. It's certainly partly because of my own speech pattern but the bad equipment does its part as well. The microphone picks up way too much shit and I can hear it every fucking time when I take a slightly deeper breath. It's more than just a little annoying to listen to.
You could probably mitigate some of that if you cut the recordings (I'd assume you know your way around a program for that already or have somebody on hand who'll do that) but the equipment is something you should probably think about beforehand.
Also, if you want other people to help, the same would go for them which would make this much more difficult. There could also be the situation that some people have nice equipment + more experience with recording for something like this and will do a much better job while the 'new' ones will not so the final product would be a hot mess with differing audio qualities.
Another note in regard to that: You really need to know how to put all of those recordings together, have the volumes stay about the same etc. Otherwise, this will make people rage quit after the first chapter.

 

[Draculus-del-Viafat]

Btw, there's some things I wanted to say to this but forgot the other day:

Reading slowly actually isn't bad. In fact, it's a good thing. Many people have the problem of being too fast which makes it more difficult for people to follow and also cause some smaller words or syllables to be swallowed. As a guideline, you should likely not read more than about 100 words per minute. At the very least, that's what's being suggested for doing presentations and I'd guess audiobooks should be about the same. Maybe you could just do a trial read fo a chapter or two (some practice might be necessary anyway) and then count out how slow you actually are?

As for accents, while that might be difficult, having the text as well might mitigate that problem but that is likely not what you'd want to go for if you want an audiobook since most people will either read themselves or just listen. Most people that do have an accent can go a bit more standard if they focus on it though so maybe you could just have a discussion on that, also do a trial read, and then have some other people listen to it? Basically, just give it a try and see if people are able to understand.

One thing I'd like to add since it wasn't brought up yet but I think it is very important is the equipment.
If you want to do a good audiobook, then reading is only one part of the equation. You also need a good microphone with the additional stuff to make sure the plosives don't make people go deaf (sorry, forgot the word for the thingies, but basically the ones you have in front of the microphone?). Without that, while you do have an audiobook, it'll sound shit and be a chore to listen to. Same goes for doing the recording in a set-up that allows for minimal background noise unless you have a very well-attuned microphone that doesn't pick up on that in the first place.
While that might sound like overkill, I think that this is really one of the things you need to consider. I am regularly doing voice recordings (not for audiobooks but for myself since I have to use voice-to-text for writing) and I do lack the necessary equipment for nice ones. I can really not recommend doing that. They sound awful. With some sentences, even if I listen to them three times, I have trouble understanding what I was saying. It's certainly partly because of my own speech pattern but the bad equipment does its part as well. The microphone picks up way too much shit and I can hear it every fucking time when I take a slightly deeper breath. It's more than just a little annoying to listen to.
You could probably mitigate some of that if you cut the recordings (I'd assume you know your way around a program for that already or have somebody on hand who'll do that) but the equipment is something you should probably think about beforehand.
Also, if you want other people to help, the same would go for them which would make this much more difficult. There could also be the situation that some people have nice equipment + more experience with recording for something like this and will do a much better job while the 'new' ones will not so the final product would be a hot mess with differing audio qualities.
Another note in regard to that: You really need to know how to put all of those recordings together, have the volumes stay about the same etc. Otherwise, this will make people rage quit after the first chapter.

Yeah, I'll definitely try to find fine equipment for this purpose, because recording on my phone wasn't any good when I was making some school videos I know how annoying it may be when a person breathes into the microphone while reading, and the background noise is probably what drives me even crazier, so I don't want this for my readers/listeners. Thanks for a piece of advice! I hope I'll get to the audiobook faster than I think

 

[Draculus-del-Viafat]

I don't know much about this but I've seen some audiobooks on YouTube. They're uploaded with either background pictures or (more often, I think) with the text being displayed so people could read along.
If you have a website of your own with enough storage space included (I think even free ones should have a little at least), then you could upload the files there as well.

Hmmm, Youtube is a nice option, but only if you have a premium or are okay with leaving your Youtube on for the time of listening to an audiobook. I thought of Librivox but, as far as I could get in understanding the way it works, you can't upload new or unknown books there... Which is quite sad. And speaking of my own website... I kinda have got one, made with the help of Wix, but I'm too stingy to pay for the domen so it works like a website and not like a piece of crap

 

[yansusustories]

Yeah, I'll definitely try to find fine equipment for this purpose, because recording on my phone wasn't any good when I was making some school videos I know how annoying it may be when a person breathes into the microphone while reading, and the background noise is probably what drives me even crazier, so I don't want this for my readers/listeners. Thanks for a piece of advice! I hope I'll get to the audiobook faster than I think

I wish you lots of luck with this! I'm sure you'll be able to do it even if it takes a while and some trying.
Btw, I just remembered: Wasn't there that person the other day that started a YouTube channel (mentioned it in a post on the forums here)? Maybe they would have some idea as well. YouTubers have to pay attention to that type of thing as well, after all.

Hmmm, Youtube is a nice option, but only if you have a premium or are okay with leaving your Youtube on for the time of listening to an audiobook. I thought of Librivox but, as far as I could get in understanding the way it works, you can't upload new or unknown books there... Which is quite sad. And speaking of my own website... I kinda have got one, made with the help of Wix, but I'm too stingy to pay for the domen so it works like a website and not like a piece of crap

God, I just looked at Wix and that's steep I have wordpress and I think I'm paying less than that for more space and no advertisment save for the logo in the footer?
Anyway, I'm afraid I don't know any other sites you could give a try. I hope somebody else can come up with something!

 

[Draculus-del-Viafat]

I wish you lots of luck with this! I'm sure you'll be able to do it even if it takes a while and some trying.
Btw, I just remembered: Wasn't there that person the other day that started a YouTube channel (mentioned it in a post on the forums here)? Maybe they would have some idea as well. YouTubers have to pay attention to that type of thing as well, after all.

Thanks for reminding me of that thread, I've also seen it a couple of days ago but for whatever reason didn't pay much attention. I'll look for it.

God, I just looked at Wix and that's steep I have wordpress and I think I'm paying less than that for more space and no advertisment save for the logo in the footer?
Anyway, I'm afraid I don't know any other sites you could give a try. I hope somebody else can come up with something!

Huh, yeah, Wix is quite big-headed about their service, but they still got many nice features (that I'm not going to pay for, anyway), so maybe I'll try to find another option. I only know Wix, Ucoz and Skillshare, but, with my memory, it's impossible to remember which one is better.