I've narrated just under 100 audiobooks over the last 10 years, and also averaged around 10 commercial voice over gigs per week in that same 10 years. The ACX news is very depressing to me. I'm fortunate in that I don't need to make my living with voice over or narration. It's something I've always done because I love doing it, and its been a very nice supplemental income as well. I think the AI boom has hit voiceover harder than any other industry. To give you an example, last year I did over $35k in commercial voice over work. This year I've done less than $5k. ACX's decision to go down the AI path is a big sign to me that the audiobook narration industry is changing and will never be the same. The race to the bottom is nearing its conclusion. And the quality is suffering.
Oof! Thanks for sharing your experience. That is a HUGE dip. I don’t know why authors who already use human narrators would want to switch to digital narration. New authors? I could understand why. So are your previous clients not staying with you? Or is it a case that they’re producing less books? I’d be curious to know their perspective. ACX already asks for way too much with a 60% distribution fee and that’s for being exclusive. At 25% for non-exclusive, authors are really eating it. I’m just not 100% in favor of digital narration. It’s just not quite what I like. The temptation is there but I ultimately think about what I’d enjoy as a listener.
@@selfpubwithdale For now the audiobook narration business is still there, and I do have a lot of repeat business mainly narrating male parts in the romance genre. But I can see it going they way my commercial voice over business has gone. Although I do have the occasional big client in commercial voice over, most of my work over the years was for small businesses, and those guys have all but dried up. I can see narration going the same way now, where the big mainstream authors will use the big time narrators. Guys like Scott Brick or Dion Graham will be just fine. But breaking into the narration business is going to be even tougher because most of the self published books will go to AI. And I can see Amazon pricing it so the AI option is even better for an author than a royalty share with a human.
@@selfpubwithdale Btw Dale, I just had a thought. When you did a video about Bookbrush what was the other platform you did before that in which is good for designing front-covers on a budget? I forgot which one and I did try to find past TH-cam videos but had no luck. 😓
I would say the deterrent to creating audiobooks isn't just the price, but the small royalties authors receive from places like ACX. With payments like that we cannot recoup our costs and therefore creation of audiobooks is out of budget. In my opinion, ACX should concentrate on fair payments instead of doubling-down on AI.
Hey Dale, when is the next season of BOOK RESCUE? If it's delayed, can we get a "Re-visit video" with the people already helped to see how they are doing?
It'll be in 2025, for sure. My twelve-book project ate up a LOT of time over the last two years. I want to line up a few sponsors for it to make Book Rescue bigger and better. As for following up with them, let me see what I can do. No promises, because I'm still having the issue with time. That's why 2025 is going to be more doable.
@@selfpubwithdale Thanks for the info. BOOK RESCUE was a great video series. Something to look forward too. Fingers crossed on the update with the 3 rescued authours.
haha I can't blame you if you missed it or forgot it. I'm getting to the point now that I'm forgetting a LOT of what I produce. When I last checked, I have 1,600 videos between two channels. Who did all that?! hahaha
I mean, to be fair, there are some people who are so anti-AI they wouldn't even except an AI that can listen to someone speaking and generate sign language for someone on a video phone call who couldn't afford a translator themselves. I've met some of those people online. But they are rare, but though rare, they are very very very very very very annoyingly loud in their opinions that are soaked in bigotry and ablism. I think it is perfectly acceptable for NaNoWriMo to make some topics banned from their platform. At the end of the day freedom of speech protects you from the government not civilians and private businesses, so it is not only perfectly legal but fully ethical for brands to ban topics and have censored words. And, I say that as a legal editor.
![ไลฟ์สุ่ม iPhone 295 บาท... โกงมั้ย?[ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.97 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gdstHEE4UUE/mqdefault.jpg)
I've narrated just under 100 audiobooks over the last 10 years, and also averaged around 10 commercial voice over gigs per week in that same 10 years. The ACX news is very depressing to me. I'm fortunate in that I don't need to make my living with voice over or narration. It's something I've always done because I love doing it, and its been a very nice supplemental income as well. I think the AI boom has hit voiceover harder than any other industry. To give you an example, last year I did over $35k in commercial voice over work. This year I've done less than $5k. ACX's decision to go down the AI path is a big sign to me that the audiobook narration industry is changing and will never be the same. The race to the bottom is nearing its conclusion. And the quality is suffering.
Oof! Thanks for sharing your experience. That is a HUGE dip. I don’t know why authors who already use human narrators would want to switch to digital narration. New authors? I could understand why. So are your previous clients not staying with you? Or is it a case that they’re producing less books? I’d be curious to know their perspective. ACX already asks for way too much with a 60% distribution fee and that’s for being exclusive. At 25% for non-exclusive, authors are really eating it. I’m just not 100% in favor of digital narration. It’s just not quite what I like. The temptation is there but I ultimately think about what I’d enjoy as a listener.
@@selfpubwithdale For now the audiobook narration business is still there, and I do have a lot of repeat business mainly narrating male parts in the romance genre. But I can see it going they way my commercial voice over business has gone. Although I do have the occasional big client in commercial voice over, most of my work over the years was for small businesses, and those guys have all but dried up. I can see narration going the same way now, where the big mainstream authors will use the big time narrators. Guys like Scott Brick or Dion Graham will be just fine. But breaking into the narration business is going to be even tougher because most of the self published books will go to AI. And I can see Amazon pricing it so the AI option is even better for an author than a royalty share with a human.
Thank you for the video Dale that is great information. 💕
Glad it was helpful!
@@selfpubwithdale Btw Dale, I just had a thought. When you did a video about Bookbrush what was the other platform you did before that in which is good for designing front-covers on a budget? I forgot which one and I did try to find past TH-cam videos but had no luck. 😓
@@guillaumemaurice3503 Hmmm, I'm not sure. Was it GetCovers? They cost $10 for an ebook cover. Real good service!
I would say the deterrent to creating audiobooks isn't just the price, but the small royalties authors receive from places like ACX. With payments like that we cannot recoup our costs and therefore creation of audiobooks is out of budget. In my opinion, ACX should concentrate on fair payments instead of doubling-down on AI.
Yes, please, and thank you! Couldn't have said it any better.
Thanks for passing along the info.
You bet! Always great hearing from you, Mike.
Hey Dale, when is the next season of BOOK RESCUE? If it's delayed, can we get a "Re-visit video" with the people already helped to see how they are doing?
It'll be in 2025, for sure. My twelve-book project ate up a LOT of time over the last two years. I want to line up a few sponsors for it to make Book Rescue bigger and better. As for following up with them, let me see what I can do. No promises, because I'm still having the issue with time. That's why 2025 is going to be more doable.
@@selfpubwithdale Thanks for the info. BOOK RESCUE was a great video series. Something to look forward too. Fingers crossed on the update with the 3 rescued authours.
With regards to book award pro, can that be used no matter how are you published? Traditional and published?
Correct. Either path is fine, they work with all authors.
Another great video!
Thanks!
Ok, maybe I did see this one about the NaNo :)
haha I can't blame you if you missed it or forgot it. I'm getting to the point now that I'm forgetting a LOT of what I produce. When I last checked, I have 1,600 videos between two channels. Who did all that?! hahaha
@selfpubwithdale lmao
I mean, to be fair, there are some people who are so anti-AI they wouldn't even except an AI that can listen to someone speaking and generate sign language for someone on a video phone call who couldn't afford a translator themselves. I've met some of those people online. But they are rare, but though rare, they are very very very very very very annoyingly loud in their opinions that are soaked in bigotry and ablism.
I think it is perfectly acceptable for NaNoWriMo to make some topics banned from their platform. At the end of the day freedom of speech protects you from the government not civilians and private businesses, so it is not only perfectly legal but fully ethical for brands to ban topics and have censored words. And, I say that as a legal editor.
No argument here.