Rob -- long time author here. People have been telling me for years that I have a great voice and that I should record my books. I just ordered a Blue Snowball USB mic and pop filter. It'll be here tomorrow. (I already have a MacBook Pro and Garage Band.) So looking forward to this, thanks to your help!
You're welcome Maria! Good luck! And as you can see from the comments on this video and my post, if you have questions along the way, don't hesitate to shoot me an email. - Rob
Good video. But one point, Rob, after you cut out the loud breaths, you should replace them with "room noise". It can be jarring to the listener to hear absolute silence between the words. To get "room noise", just turn the microphone and recording software on and leave the room for a few minutes. Then you can copy and paste half a second or whatever of that track you need to into the gaps.
Yes! Thanks for the tip! (I'd add though that if your setup is like mine, I actually have a noise gate plugin activated, so when there is no speaking, there is NO background noise. I can cut breaths and such without a jarring empty space between. On my first audiobook, this was far from perfect, but for my next two books and my podcast, I've got it working really well. (listentothesignal.com if you're interested!) So just another option, it saves me a lot of cutting/pasting time, and I like the result.)
ACX specifically asks people not to gate for this very reason. I'm surprised you didn't get this kicked back. How did you ensure you hit the -18 RMS specification as well?
Wow, I had never seen that note from ACX, thanks for the heads up. From now on, I'll experiment with and try to perfect using room noise instead. You rock. And to anyone else reading these comments, I'd suggest reading up/watching more on the room noise issue, too. On the RMS spec, I've just played with Garageband plugins (Gain, Limiter, Noise Gate, etc.) a lot to try to get the right sound and volume. If you're interested, you can download my blank Garageband file with my setup... bit.ly/1Gxrvd0. Thanks again for helping me and the folks reading the comments out, dude!
thanks, Rob. Just found this video in 2024. A lot more "can do" than the one other video I just watched; where the lady in the video basically said, "It's too hard, hire a producer!" Thanks - MIKE
Thank you so much! I have no equitment and just started as a Librivox volunteer reader. I had the idea to do so a couple of weeks ago when my grandfather (who is in heart failure) fell suddenly and broke several bones and broke his nose. He listens to Librivox daily and loves long phone calls to hear my voice. since we live so far apart and because of quarantine I can’t make trips out to see him and read to him so I decided to start recording and posting my recordings to his favorite audio book platform. I will start recording ASAP!
I’m just about to begin recording my uncles books to audio book and I’m gathering equipment and ideas and this was a very resourceful watch. I’ve got everything I need now.
Your voice sounds so great on that microphone! I like how you touch on the fact that garageband and programs like that are simple to use, don't cost a lot, and work really well. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much for making this video. I'm still in the writing phase for my novel, but I'm already doing research for when its finished. Most of the videos that I've watched on creating audio books have been fairly useless with the vloggers realizing during their own videos that they didn't know how to do things. Though I'm not completely sure I'm secure enough with reading my own book for recording, especially dialogue with male/female banter, my husband and I watched your video with great interest. He's a musician, so he already has a bunch of audio equipment, and I can tell he's seeing this as a good reason to buy more... self serving, but it works. We also went over to Amazon and listened to a clip of your book. Now, I think we're both intrigued with your book. ... I think you had us at the words "Nikola Tesla."
I'm interested in producing an audio book and thought I'd look for some 'how to' on youtube - was pleasantly surprised when my first hit was Rob Dircks! Loved his reading of Where the Hell is Tesla - very well done! Thanks for the tips!
This is exactly what I was looking for! Just published my first book and I was looking to record my own audiobook. Can't wait to try to do it. Thank again! J. R.
Wow! Thank you SO much for this! I'm using a recording studio for my first audio book but I know there will be more! Can't thank you enough for this guidance!! You rock!!!
Hey Rob, Thank you so much for sharing this. I am recording the audiobook to my first book, "The Ink of My Soul and the Fire In My Bones" and it sounds so crisp because of your template!
Thanks for this! Today I started my profile and am eager to get started and try this but the whole idea of a studio and editing was getting me a bit discouraged before even starting so I thank you for showing me that this is possible from home. I have never used Garageband at all! I thought I'd have to pay $200 and more just to get started. I know this wasn't a full tutorial but this really helped. great vid! liked and subscribed, cheers! =)
My "producer" hasn't been very diligent in trying to produce my book. As a former opera singer with a supposedly "good voice," I'm playing with the idea of doing the audio for my book. I found this how-to video extremely useful. Now I just wish I had a MAC instead of a PC to make things a little easier. Thanks for posting, Rob!
You are a Teacher - TY - a gifted teacher - I get it at my unexperienced level - I do appreciate this summation - I have been looking two days to grasp an overview and you brought me peace in that search, the Hope I can do this and detailed budget options to strive for.
Excellent guide. Downloaded GarageBand to my MacBook Pro, set it up as you suggested and really benefitted from all the shortcuts you gave. Many thanks.
If you want to distribute audiobooks through ACX (Audible/Amazon/iTunes), then yes, you'll need a book published in Amazon's database, and that's typically done through Kindle Direct Publishing.
omg thank you ! I will try this. My book is published but would love to have an audible. You totally made me have confidence that I can do this. I have a Mac book pro, we'll see how it goes.
Thank you so much for this, Rob!!! I'm both a voiceover artist (when gigs happen! LOL) and a writer. So, this is perfect for me. I have done a few audiobooks in the past (on ACX/Audible), but sure wish I'd watched this video first. I see now how much I overcomplicated things. Thank so much, again! Cheers!
Hi Rob, Thanks for taking the time to do this. I truly appreciate it as well as the resources you provided. I'll go grab a copy of your book as a thank you! Best of luck with everything! (My disclaimer, I had no idea who the heck Rob was until I found this. But the 'Where the Hell is Tesla' book looks interesting!) A quick edit, I also read a great tip that I needed to follow. Keep your laptop power cord away from your mic cord. I was hearing a low humming noise in my recording and found this tip and it fixed my problem.
Thanks for the great video! Im an author....but im also an on air personality...so after a few years, lol, i have de ided to begin narrating my own books using my radio personality training and editing skills. Ill have to work on my voice a bit more. More enunciation, slow down my talking. Kind of like how i read the obits, bit with more dramatic inflection than i would use on them. So basically a mix between my live on air personality....and my clear concise speaking while imparting solemn news like the obits. Anyhoo,it makes sense in my head. So thanks so much for the vids. Will be following more of your vids!!! I use adobe audition at the radio station. :)
Thanks for an awesome video! I have been wanting to create an audiobook for some time, but the cost of it put me off. Hopefully, with some practice, I can do it this way.
Just published a business book, so this is the right video at the right time! Two novels already published too ... so l long time for n the studio ahead. Many thanks for this clear guide
Thank you for your AMAZING video on Garageband narration. I'm following your instructions but I have a problem with "solo the track and export." Garageband will export the track but will add time to the end of the track for the duration of the longest track/chapter. So if chapter 19 is 28 minutes long, all exported tracks (chapters 1-19) export also as 28 minutes each. How did you export each track so it was only the duration of that track/chapter?
Hi Taylor, First, congrats on recording your own audiobook! Okay, this one’s an easy fix. 1. Turn on “Cycle” (it the little yellow button, I sent you a pick in email); 2. Drag the yellow band out to the length of the track you’re exporting; 3. Then, when you export, click the checkbox that says “export cycle area”. Boom!
This was a good video! I’m a self-published author and I desire to record audio books for all of my books. I just recently got an IPad Pro 12.9. So I am going to see if the recording will work on it. I’m excited to try! I will email you if I have questions trust me haha! Thank you!
Hey man, thanks for this! Been go through all the how to vids and info and your name kept popping up. I listening to your book and was laughing the whole time! Great performance, well written, just all around fun story. Then I found this video! Perfect! I was gonna go to a studio but then Covid hit and the world shut down.. I will be recording at home now. This video made me feel confident it's the right move. Best of luck to you homey!
I have a PC, (I use audacity -its free- and it has a noise cutting option) but I also have Magix music maker and I have the iRig mic studio with a thick foam box. works awesome!
Thank you for the great video. Just for your PC viewers. I have a PC and audacity is free and has a lot of great plugins to be a free software. Very user friendly because I was nervous lol
Thank you, Rob! I like your voice to start with. I use a MacBook (and iPhone)on which I use iMovie to edit and upload my TH-cams. I don't have a book of my own (yet?) but have uploaded a couple of short stories (out of copyright DH Lawrence) to one of my channels. My laptop is a 2014 Retina and I can't see Garageband on it. Maybe I can get it as a free download for Macs. I'll check. Anyhow, I've been reading another out-of-copyright (RL Stevenson's 'Travels With A Donkey In The Cevennes') into my Zoom H100 recording microphone. During lockdown at night is a perfect time since the vehicles passing are extremely few. I use a Lavalier clip-on microphone plugged into the Zoom. Seems to work a treat. I get exactly what you mean about editing out gaps and the like. Several ties I have had to cut the odd swear word after I have fluffed my lines! I read aloud through each chapter once to make sense of it so I can put the emphasis in the correct places, prepare any accent needed and practise my French. But, and here's the tricky part, I have imported the chapters so far (I'm more than half-way) into iMovie. Was that a big mistake? iMovie enables me to cut out gaps that are too long and drop the volume but that hasn't been an issue since I was careful setting up the Zoom's input volume. What I had in mind, using TH-cam, was perhaps having a relevant few images appear as the person listens, perhaps even a rippling stream, or crackling campfire, sound in the background to make a production of it. I dread to think how long it will take uploading 3 hours to TH-cam - I may have to hit 'Publish' then go on holiday for a week! Thanks for your advice and demonstration of Garageband. I'll have a look for it. Best wishes (from Scotland) for your success.
Rob, you helped me so much. I'm now almost ready to hit the closet! Wondering if I can do ACX AND Findaway Voices. I like the 40% but not the exclusivity. Can I do both or gotta be one or the other?
As far as I know, you can go with Findaway Voices, and they'll include ACX (Audible/Amazon/iTunes) in their distribution, at the non-exclusive royalty rate.
Thanks Rob! This is really helpful and very well explained. You have a nice voice for this type of thing too. I would like to record my audiobook since I know what inflections etc I'd like but I do have a bit of a lisp. It's not super noticeable in person, but definitely more pronounced when I do any audio recordings. Any tips to do this with a lisp? Or should I just hire someone without any speech impediments? I don't want my voice to be distracting to listeners.
Hi Candace, hard to tell without hearing an actual sample, but if you can hear it, I think your average listener will hear it too, and if you're afraid it'll be distracting, then look for a pro narrator to help you. That said, if you're not too self-conscious about it, and the content is engaging, go for it! Listeners can be very forgiving of things if they're hooked and being taken for a great ride. Good luck!
pros) great visuals, didn't talk fast, made voice and equipment suggestions. Cons) slow down when clicking the buttons I cant where you clicked ex. the share button. Thx
Great video! Thank! However, not sure if it's just my voice or the BlueYeti microphone I am using, but using your garage band profile seems super bass-heavy. Any easy changes to tweak that a bit?
Hi Zach - yes, in the EQ settings, bring down the lowest setting. (I increase the bass on mine as I like how it fills out the sound.) Just double click on the EQ plugin, and on the left-most part of the arc, pull the highest spot down until you like the level. Good luck! - Rob
Hi Rob! Really enjoyed your video- it was so helpful! I do have a question-- maybe a dumb one. Did you set those smart controls for things like limiter and noise gate *before* recording or apply them to the file after recording? Thanks for your help!
Hey Rob. You are now my go-to guy. Thanks for all your help. Would you recommend converting each finished chapter immediately into an mp3 or wait till the end to send it to ACX? I am ready to start again and do not wish to make this another long mistake. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
You can do it however you want, I tend to batch work, so I'll record it all, then edit it all, then export it all, then upload it all to ACX. But if you're uncertain about getting past ACX's quality control, I would definitely do one chapter, upload it, test it in their audiolab tool (www.acx.com/audiolab) and make sure your setting are good before recording/editing/exporting/uploading the whole thing.
@@RobDircks Perfect. Just what I needed. You just saved me months of futility and wasted time. Thank you Rob. You are a true friend to the new writers club. and I might add a Godsend. Wishing you much and continued succes.
Thank you, very helpful even today six years later! Please can you advise on 'RMS', as in the ACX RMS requirement range of -18dB and -23dB RMS? Thank you.
RMS stands for "Root Mean Square," which I've understood basically as the average volume of a chapter file. In Garageband, there isn't (that I know of) a way to specifically target those dB levels, so I use the color levels to gauge, keeping the average volume to the high end of green, hitting into the yellow for louder parts, and avoiding red. After you export your MP3s, there are a couple of ways you can check the RMS: 1) I found this great tool (and it’s free!) called AudioLeak. You can download it here: www.channld.com/audioleak/ Just drop a sample MP3 export on it, and make sure you’re viewing the graph, and it’ll show you where your peaks are and where your average volume is (RMS), to make sure it’s within ACX’s limits. or. 2) Use ACX's audiolab feature (www.acx.com/audiolab). Once you have a project set up, you can upload individual MP3s (you can start with one to make sure you're all set), and the tool will return the thumbs up or thumbs down. Good luck! - Rob
Awesome video! So helpful. A few questions: What text do you need to say before and after the book? Do you need to say "Chapter 1" in the audio before chapter one? Do you need to add any other sounds?
Yes, if you're using ACX to publish, you'll need to announce "Chapter 1," etc. The opening credits minimum requirements: "[title of audiobook]", "(subtitle if applicable)", Written by [name of author], Narrated by [name of narrator]. Your closing credits minimum requirement is a separate file that reads: "The End" Here's a link to ACX's full requirements: help.acx.com/s/article/acx-audio-submission-requirements
Okay, this one's a little tricky on Garageband, because there isn't a monitor in there that i know of that can show you. So here's what I do: in the master track, I turn on a Limiter, increasing the gain to +2dB and limiting the output level to -3dB. If you'd like to play with the settings, you can download the garageband file from the post on this (robdircks.com/yes-you-can-record-your-own-audiobook-heres-how/)
This has helped me in recording my audiobooks more than anything else! Thank you so much!!
i realize it's quite randomly asking but do anyone know of a good place to stream new tv shows online?
@@idrislangston882 09999
Just finished recording my audiobook thanks to you!
Congratulations!
Rob -- long time author here. People have been telling me for years that I have a great voice and that I should record my books. I just ordered a Blue Snowball USB mic and pop filter. It'll be here tomorrow. (I already have a MacBook Pro and Garage Band.) So looking forward to this, thanks to your help!
You're welcome Maria! Good luck! And as you can see from the comments on this video and my post, if you have questions along the way, don't hesitate to shoot me an email. - Rob
Good video. But one point, Rob, after you cut out the loud breaths, you should replace them with "room noise". It can be jarring to the listener to hear absolute silence between the words. To get "room noise", just turn the microphone and recording software on and leave the room for a few minutes. Then you can copy and paste half a second or whatever of that track you need to into the gaps.
Yes! Thanks for the tip! (I'd add though that if your setup is like mine, I actually have a noise gate plugin activated, so when there is no speaking, there is NO background noise. I can cut breaths and such without a jarring empty space between. On my first audiobook, this was far from perfect, but for my next two books and my podcast, I've got it working really well. (listentothesignal.com if you're interested!) So just another option, it saves me a lot of cutting/pasting time, and I like the result.)
ACX specifically asks people not to gate for this very reason. I'm surprised you didn't get this kicked back. How did you ensure you hit the -18 RMS specification as well?
Wow, I had never seen that note from ACX, thanks for the heads up. From now on, I'll experiment with and try to perfect using room noise instead. You rock. And to anyone else reading these comments, I'd suggest reading up/watching more on the room noise issue, too. On the RMS spec, I've just played with Garageband plugins (Gain, Limiter, Noise Gate, etc.) a lot to try to get the right sound and volume. If you're interested, you can download my blank Garageband file with my setup... bit.ly/1Gxrvd0. Thanks again for helping me and the folks reading the comments out, dude!
I actually agree with this, I was thinking when you did it that it created "dead sound" and was wondering what you would do to it.
Rob Dircks did you ever find a way to have it automatically add room noise instead of dead silence when the noise threshold is below a certain amount?
Oh,great!
So I now just have to write a book...
be volunteer at LibriVox
I have a book I have 10 on Amazon
I have a stupid one called the corn dog chronicles: battle of pickle hill if you want me to legally give it to you lol
@@aidanemanuel5855 lmao that sounds iconic dude
LOL!
I don't normally subscribe. But when anyone delivers something that contains so much value. That the least I can do! Thank you!!
thanks, Rob. Just found this video in 2024. A lot more "can do" than the one other video I just watched; where the lady in the video basically said, "It's too hard, hire a producer!" Thanks - MIKE
@Rob Dircks I’m seeing this 5 years later and it has been very valuable information. I needed this. Thank you.
Thanks for the note! :)
Thank you so much! I have no equitment and just started as a Librivox volunteer reader. I had the idea to do so a couple of weeks ago when my grandfather (who is in heart failure) fell suddenly and broke several bones and broke his nose. He listens to Librivox daily and loves long phone calls to hear my voice. since we live so far apart and because of quarantine I can’t make trips out to see him and read to him so I decided to start recording and posting my recordings to his favorite audio book platform.
I will start recording ASAP!
Awesome! Good luck!
I’m just about to begin recording my uncles books to audio book and I’m gathering equipment and ideas and this was a very resourceful watch. I’ve got everything I need now.
Your voice sounds so great on that microphone! I like how you touch on the fact that garageband and programs like that are simple to use, don't cost a lot, and work really well. Thanks for sharing!
Very simple instructions. Very elegant. It will come in handy as I explore my audio book options for my first novel "British Raj Thillana- the finale"
This is a marvelous overview of the audiobook self-recording process for the indie author/publisher. Clear, concise, and helpful. Thank you, Rob!
You're welcome dude!
Thank you very much for making this video. I'm still in the writing phase for my novel, but I'm already doing research for when its finished. Most of the videos that I've watched on creating audio books have been fairly useless with the vloggers realizing during their own videos that they didn't know how to do things. Though I'm not completely sure I'm secure enough with reading my own book for recording, especially dialogue with male/female banter, my husband and I watched your video with great interest. He's a musician, so he already has a bunch of audio equipment, and I can tell he's seeing this as a good reason to buy more... self serving, but it works. We also went over to Amazon and listened to a clip of your book. Now, I think we're both intrigued with your book. ... I think you had us at the words "Nikola Tesla."
Thank you for your generous tutorial on recording audiobooks. I found your presentation clear and precise.
A thorough and thoughtful explanation. Thanks for taking the time out to make this video and informing people (us included).
You're welcome!
I'm interested in producing an audio book and thought I'd look for some 'how to' on youtube - was pleasantly surprised when my first hit was Rob Dircks! Loved his reading of Where the Hell is Tesla - very well done! Thanks for the tips!
And I was pleasantly surprised by your comment Kurt! Thanks dude!
This is exactly what I was looking for! Just published my first book and I was looking to record my own audiobook. Can't wait to try to do it. Thank again! J. R.
Good luck J.R.!
Wow! Thank you SO much for this! I'm using a recording studio for my first audio book but I know there will be more! Can't thank you enough for this guidance!! You rock!!!
You rock too Gillian - good luck!
Hey Rob,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am recording the audiobook to my first book, "The Ink of My Soul and the Fire In My Bones" and it sounds so crisp because of your template!
Love to hear that! Good luck as you continue and launch!
Thanks for this! Today I started my profile and am eager to get started and try this but the whole idea of a studio and editing was getting me a bit discouraged before even starting so I thank you for showing me that this is possible from home. I have never used Garageband at all! I thought I'd have to pay $200 and more just to get started. I know this wasn't a full tutorial but this really helped. great vid! liked and subscribed, cheers! =)
My "producer" hasn't been very diligent in trying to produce my book. As a former opera singer with a supposedly "good voice," I'm playing with the idea of doing the audio for my book. I found this how-to video extremely useful. Now I just wish I had a MAC instead of a PC to make things a little easier. Thanks for posting, Rob!
You are a Teacher - TY - a gifted teacher - I get it at my unexperienced level - I do appreciate this summation - I have been looking two days to grasp an overview and you brought me peace in that search, the Hope I can do this and detailed budget options to strive for.
Thanks and good luck Joy!
Wonderful Piece of Work Rob, thanks for this!
Great stuff. I am really keen to create Audio books for my existing books and also my current book. This shows it’s very achievable
Excellent guide. Downloaded GarageBand to my MacBook Pro, set it up as you suggested and really benefitted from all the shortcuts you gave. Many thanks.
My pleasure!
Rob Dircks
I’m working on some books. Do I have to use Amazon Kindle to publish them?
If you want to distribute audiobooks through ACX (Audible/Amazon/iTunes), then yes, you'll need a book published in Amazon's database, and that's typically done through Kindle Direct Publishing.
omg thank you ! I will try this. My book is published but would love to have an audible. You totally made me have confidence that I can do this. I have a Mac book pro, we'll see how it goes.
What a great “find” you are, Rob. THANK YOU
Thanks, Rob you kept it very simple here and I applaud you for that!
Thank you very much for sharing this. I just published my first children's' book and was wondering how to do this. This is going to be very helpful!
Thank you so much for this, Rob!!! I'm both a voiceover artist (when gigs happen! LOL) and a writer. So, this is perfect for me. I have done a few audiobooks in the past (on ACX/Audible), but sure wish I'd watched this video first. I see now how much I overcomplicated things. Thank so much, again! Cheers!
Cheers Lindy!
Thanks so much for a great tutorial. Can't wait to get started recording my book!
Thank you so much. This is exactly the information I was looking for. So kind of you to share!
starting my first Audio Book recording and i have found your video perfect to get started. Thank you very much!!
You're very welcome! Good luck!
Thank you so much for this. It'll be a big help later this week when I start recording my book! Gulp!
I appreciate the video Others I've looked at have been too large, complex, and daunting. I'm really considering this.
Rob, this is brilliantly helpful - thank you so much!
Simple, pure, yet very impressive. Hats off sir.
Thank you for this. So helpful and you are articulate: plain and simple!
Just found this today. Learning how to do this as we speak
Well done! Direct and to the point. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for this video…great starting point and I feel confident enough to attempt it on my own.
Thank you so much! Will start recording my book tomorrow.
Thank you. You are a tremendous amount of help for me. You made all this seem less overwhelming and very much doable.
You're welcome! Good luck when you dive in!
Thanks Rob. Great rundown.
Hi Rob, Thanks for taking the time to do this. I truly appreciate it as well as the resources you provided. I'll go grab a copy of your book as a thank you! Best of luck with everything! (My disclaimer, I had no idea who the heck Rob was until I found this. But the 'Where the Hell is Tesla' book looks interesting!)
A quick edit, I also read a great tip that I needed to follow. Keep your laptop power cord away from your mic cord. I was hearing a low humming noise in my recording and found this tip and it fixed my problem.
Thank you Steve!
Follow up reply, your Where The Hell is Telsa book is awesome!
Thanks for the great video! Im an author....but im also an on air personality...so after a few years, lol, i have de ided to begin narrating my own books using my radio personality training and editing skills. Ill have to work on my voice a bit more. More enunciation, slow down my talking. Kind of like how i read the obits, bit with more dramatic inflection than i would use on them. So basically a mix between my live on air personality....and my clear concise speaking while imparting solemn news like the obits. Anyhoo,it makes sense in my head. So thanks so much for the vids. Will be following more of your vids!!!
I use adobe audition at the radio station. :)
He talk good for an audiobook . Come back please 💯
Thank you for prsenting the info in a clear and to the point manner. Very , very helpful.
This is an amazing voice on overview. Thank you
Thanks for an awesome video! I have been wanting to create an audiobook for some time, but the cost of it put me off. Hopefully, with some practice, I can do it this way.
I'm really thinking about trying this out so thank you!
Just published a business book, so this is the right video at the right time! Two novels already published too ... so l long time for n the studio ahead. Many thanks for this clear guide
Great! Good luck Murray!
Very helpful stuff here. Much appreciated!
Thank you for your AMAZING video on Garageband narration. I'm following your instructions but I have a problem with "solo the track and export." Garageband will export the track but will add time to the end of the track for the duration of the longest track/chapter. So if chapter 19 is 28 minutes long, all exported tracks (chapters 1-19) export also as 28 minutes each. How did you export each track so it was only the duration of that track/chapter?
Hi Taylor, First, congrats on recording your own audiobook! Okay, this one’s an easy fix. 1. Turn on “Cycle” (it the little yellow button, I sent you a pick in email); 2. Drag the yellow band out to the length of the track you’re exporting; 3. Then, when you export, click the checkbox that says “export cycle area”. Boom!
Thanks for the great tutorial Rob.
Thank you very much for all the help!
Great and simple explanation! thank you!
This is a great guide, thanks Rob!
You're welcome Emma!
Thank yo ufor this video! I just published my first book and have been gearing up for my recordings. Very helpful!
You're welcome dude!
This was a good video! I’m a self-published author and I desire to record audio books for all of my books. I just recently got an IPad Pro 12.9. So I am going to see if the recording will work on it. I’m excited to try! I will email you if I have questions trust me haha! Thank you!
Hey man, thanks for this! Been go through all the how to vids and info and your name kept popping up. I listening to your book and was laughing the whole time! Great performance, well written, just all around fun story. Then I found this video! Perfect! I was gonna go to a studio but then Covid hit and the world shut down.. I will be recording at home now. This video made me feel confident it's the right move. Best of luck to you homey!
Thanks for the feedback and getting the book (and enjoying it!) - and best of luck to you on your narration!
I have a PC, (I use audacity -its free- and it has a noise cutting option) but I also have Magix music maker and I have the iRig mic studio with a thick foam box. works awesome!
Thank you very much Rob; This is very useful advice for me and will end up saving me a lot of time and money!
Good luck Gabriel!
This is really really helpful! Thank you so much!!!
Thank you sir. Great tutorial!
Thank you so much for this video! One of my goals this year is to create an audio of my book! You might hear from me as I get started! :)
Excellent. I found your video very useful to get started. Keep it up!
Hervé Da Costa
Nice
This video was very helpful, thank you!
Thank you for the great video. Just for your PC viewers. I have a PC and audacity is free and has a lot of great plugins to be a free software. Very user friendly because I was nervous lol
I appreciate this information. Thank you!
Thank you for such a fantastic video!
Every time he starts to say "Where the hell is Tesla?" I forget for a moment that's the name of his book and think he's lost something.😂
Thank you, Rob! I like your voice to start with. I use a MacBook (and iPhone)on which I use iMovie to edit and upload my TH-cams. I don't have a book of my own (yet?) but have uploaded a couple of short stories (out of copyright DH Lawrence) to one of my channels. My laptop is a 2014 Retina and I can't see Garageband on it. Maybe I can get it as a free download for Macs. I'll check. Anyhow, I've been reading another out-of-copyright (RL Stevenson's 'Travels With A Donkey In The Cevennes') into my Zoom H100 recording microphone. During lockdown at night is a perfect time since the vehicles passing are extremely few. I use a Lavalier clip-on microphone plugged into the Zoom. Seems to work a treat. I get exactly what you mean about editing out gaps and the like. Several ties I have had to cut the odd swear word after I have fluffed my lines! I read aloud through each chapter once to make sense of it so I can put the emphasis in the correct places, prepare any accent needed and practise my French. But, and here's the tricky part, I have imported the chapters so far (I'm more than half-way) into iMovie. Was that a big mistake? iMovie enables me to cut out gaps that are too long and drop the volume but that hasn't been an issue since I was careful setting up the Zoom's input volume. What I had in mind, using TH-cam, was perhaps having a relevant few images appear as the person listens, perhaps even a rippling stream, or crackling campfire, sound in the background to make a production of it. I dread to think how long it will take uploading 3 hours to TH-cam - I may have to hit 'Publish' then go on holiday for a week! Thanks for your advice and demonstration of Garageband. I'll have a look for it. Best wishes (from Scotland) for your success.
Great story dude! Glad you're having fun! Keep rocking it out.
Thanks for the video, I'm learning but have a long way to go.
Thanks for the video, recording mine today
Thanks for the information! BTW You have a very nice voice! Perfect for audio!
Aww shucks :)
@@RobDircks 😂
Rob, you helped me so much. I'm now almost ready to hit the closet!
Wondering if I can do ACX AND Findaway Voices. I like the 40% but not the exclusivity.
Can I do both or gotta be one or the other?
As far as I know, you can go with Findaway Voices, and they'll include ACX (Audible/Amazon/iTunes) in their distribution, at the non-exclusive royalty rate.
Excellent video. Thank you!
I saw the thumbnail and was like 'is Paul Hollywood going into audiobooks?'
/very informative but simple, Thanks a lot .. This has helped me more than anything else . please make more like this
extremely helpful - thank you
Thanks very much from the Epic Adventures Of Mr FlannelFoot in the UK now soon to be an audible 😍
Good luck with the book launch!
Thanks Rob! This is really helpful and very well explained. You have a nice voice for this type of thing too.
I would like to record my audiobook since I know what inflections etc I'd like but I do have a bit of a lisp. It's not super noticeable in person, but definitely more pronounced when I do any audio recordings.
Any tips to do this with a lisp? Or should I just hire someone without any speech impediments? I don't want my voice to be distracting to listeners.
Hi Candace, hard to tell without hearing an actual sample, but if you can hear it, I think your average listener will hear it too, and if you're afraid it'll be distracting, then look for a pro narrator to help you. That said, if you're not too self-conscious about it, and the content is engaging, go for it! Listeners can be very forgiving of things if they're hooked and being taken for a great ride. Good luck!
pros) great visuals, didn't talk fast, made voice and equipment suggestions. Cons) slow down when clicking the buttons I cant where you clicked ex. the share button. Thx
Awesome - Thanks Rob! Guess I'm gonna have to go pick up WTHIT, now! :)
Cha-CHING! :)
Audacity is awesome! I've used it recording cds
Thank you so much! Very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you, feeling ready to start my recording. What do you think of a car as a studio, in a quiet space?
Great video! Thank! However, not sure if it's just my voice or the BlueYeti microphone I am using, but using your garage band profile seems super bass-heavy. Any easy changes to tweak that a bit?
Hi Zach - yes, in the EQ settings, bring down the lowest setting. (I increase the bass on mine as I like how it fills out the sound.) Just double click on the EQ plugin, and on the left-most part of the arc, pull the highest spot down until you like the level. Good luck! - Rob
Awesome information, thank you very much!
You're welcome!
Hi Rob! Really enjoyed your video- it was so helpful! I do have a question-- maybe a dumb one. Did you set those smart controls for things like limiter and noise gate *before* recording or apply them to the file after recording? Thanks for your help!
Set them up before, so you can monitor the effect. (But you can apply them after.)
Wow. Thank you for this info. 👍
You're welcome Spring!
Hey Rob. You are now my go-to guy. Thanks for all your help. Would you recommend converting each finished chapter immediately into an mp3 or wait till the end to send it to ACX? I am ready to start again and do not wish to make this another long mistake. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
You can do it however you want, I tend to batch work, so I'll record it all, then edit it all, then export it all, then upload it all to ACX. But if you're uncertain about getting past ACX's quality control, I would definitely do one chapter, upload it, test it in their audiolab tool (www.acx.com/audiolab) and make sure your setting are good before recording/editing/exporting/uploading the whole thing.
@@RobDircks Perfect. Just what I needed. You just saved me months of futility and wasted time. Thank you Rob. You are a true friend to the new writers club. and I might add a Godsend. Wishing you much and continued succes.
Thank you, very helpful even today six years later! Please can you advise on 'RMS', as in the ACX RMS requirement range of -18dB and -23dB RMS? Thank you.
RMS stands for "Root Mean Square," which I've understood basically as the average volume of a chapter file. In Garageband, there isn't (that I know of) a way to specifically target those dB levels, so I use the color levels to gauge, keeping the average volume to the high end of green, hitting into the yellow for louder parts, and avoiding red. After you export your MP3s, there are a couple of ways you can check the RMS: 1) I found this great tool (and it’s free!) called AudioLeak. You can download it here: www.channld.com/audioleak/ Just drop a sample MP3 export on it, and make sure you’re viewing the graph, and it’ll show you where your peaks are and where your average volume is (RMS), to make sure it’s within ACX’s limits. or. 2) Use ACX's audiolab feature (www.acx.com/audiolab). Once you have a project set up, you can upload individual MP3s (you can start with one to make sure you're all set), and the tool will return the thumbs up or thumbs down. Good luck! - Rob
Awesome video! So helpful. A few questions: What text do you need to say before and after the book? Do you need to say "Chapter 1" in the audio before chapter one? Do you need to add any other sounds?
Yes, if you're using ACX to publish, you'll need to announce "Chapter 1," etc. The opening credits minimum requirements: "[title of audiobook]", "(subtitle if applicable)", Written by [name of author], Narrated by [name of narrator]. Your closing credits minimum requirement is a separate file that reads: "The End" Here's a link to ACX's full requirements: help.acx.com/s/article/acx-audio-submission-requirements
superb. very helpful.thank you
Great video, I am publishing soon and I will come back to this! ❤️
Thanks!
awesome info
Thank you, Rob, so much. One of the best videos available on the subject! How can I check my range of -23dB's to -18dB's as required by ACX?
Okay, this one's a little tricky on Garageband, because there isn't a monitor in there that i know of that can show you. So here's what I do: in the master track, I turn on a Limiter, increasing the gain to +2dB and limiting the output level to -3dB. If you'd like to play with the settings, you can download the garageband file from the post on this (robdircks.com/yes-you-can-record-your-own-audiobook-heres-how/)
Yes! Thank you sooooooooo much!