How to become an audiobook narrator

Audiobook narrators are voice actors who run their own businesses and work for a variety of publishers. It’s not a 9 to 5 job — like any freelance role, it’s a hustle. There’s a lot to learn, and it takes time, patience and grit. Nobody becomes an audiobook narrator for money or fame. The door only opens to those with a genuine passion for storytelling. So, if you’re absolutely in love with audiobooks and desperate to be a player in this magical storytelling art, read on!

How to get started in audiobook narration

The job of an audiobook narrator is cloaked in mystery…even though I have a BFA in Acting, I was never taught about career paths for voice actors. Audiobook narrators have colorful backgrounds – many were actors; but some were police officers, software developers, and airline pilots. All of them probably met someone like me on a dog walk or at a dinner party and had this conversation —

“So what do you do for a living?”
“I’m an audiobook narrator.”
“Oh my gosh! I never knew that was a job! I would love to do that! How did you get into it?”

We usually point newcomers to the Narrators Roadmap; it consolidates an overwhelming amount of valuable signposts, gathered by the brilliant “share-rator” Karen Commins.

This post keeps it simple by shining a light on the path I took.

The recipe for becoming an audiobook narrator requires 3 ingredients:

• the skills and equipment to produce an audiobook
• a collection of audio samples to showcase your ability
• the tenacity to audition, network, and relentlessly develop your skills

What skills and equipment do you need to produce an audiobook?

• Acting skills – the ability to connect emotionally to the story and play a range of characters
• Tech skills – the proficient use of audio editing software
• Quiet space – like most narrators, I began in a closet, with blankets for sound proofing.
• Hardware and software – I started with a Focusrite bundle, a Macbook Pro and Reaper.

How to make an audiobook demo

You should have at least three 2-3 minute mastered samples of your work that showcase:

• Genres you want to narrate
• Dialogue, include male and female characters
• Accents that you can do well
• Different ages to show your versatility

In order to sell your services, you need to create profiles on websites where audiobook narrators are found and upload your samples. Most narrators start on ACX, the creation platform that connects authors to producers. (As a narrator working on ACX, you are a “producer”, because you will be contracted to deliver audio that meets the requirements for distribution on Audible. This is where your audio engineering skills come in.)

Once you are confident that you can consistently produce high quality audio, you can start reaching out by email to publishers. I recommend you record your first 10 books on ACX, so you can ensure that your process is smooth first. Frankly, after 10 books, you’ll know what help you need and you might wait even longer.

How can I learn audio engineering skills?

After you’ve chosen the software you will use (Reaper, Pro Tools, Adobe Audition, or one of the others), you can hire a coach to teach you to use it and/or watch lots of YouTube videos.

Some DAWs (like Adobe Audition) require an ongoing subscription or a higher cost, other DAWs (like Audacity) are cheaper, but lack features that are handy for narrators (like the ability to edit in a “non-destructive” way.) You can research all of that, or you can just follow the path I took — become a Reaper user (buy it once at a low cost and use it forever.) Reaper has everything you need and is used by many of the biggest narrators in the industry.

After you’ve set up Reaper with Mike and started using it, you’ll want to join the Reaper Voiceover Users Group on Facebook. Spend a few hours reading posts in that group before you jump in with questions — you can gain huge insight from other people’s experiences. Plus, it’s just polite. Reaper wizards have spent years giving their advice for free in this forum, so the least we can do is read it, and use the search function when we have a question.

Once you’ve learned to use Reaper, stop by ACX University and learn how to produce audio that meets the audio submission requirements. Then you won’t be intimidated when you hear that your mp3s must have a noise floor that is less than -60dB RMS, peak levels less than -3dB, and volume between -23dB and -18dB RMS.

How to record an audiobook

First, you need the rights to produce the audiobook. If you’ve written the book yourself and you haven’t sold the rights to a publisher, you can record it and choose a distributor to make it available to retailers. (Example: You can upload it to ACX directly and make it available on Amazon and iTunes.)

If you’re not the writer and you are hoping to narrate someone else’s book, you can:

Audition on ACX (and keep auditioning) until you are chosen. If you are willing and able to narrate on a “Royalty Share” contract, there will be less competition. (Royalty Share pays you nothing but royalties – the narrator gets 20% of every audiobook sold over 7 years. In most cases, you would be lucky to earn as much as a minimum wage job…with that wage being spread over 7 years.) Royalty Share projects are a fantastic training ground and I highly recommend starting there. Pick a short book (1-3 hours) and give yourself at least a month to produce it. Expect a steep learning curve!

Produce a book that’s in the public domain – it’s legal to produce and sell (or give away) books published in the 1920s and before. In 2025, classic titles entering the public domain include Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own and William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. Many narrators continue to produce classics throughout their career, both to earn money and to sharpen their skills with the best books ever written. Once you produce the book, get in touch with Spoken Realms; they can help you distribute it widely, to everywhere audiobooks are sold.

How much do audiobook narrators make

Virtually all narrators work nights and weekends for years before they are confident enough to quit their day job. Many professional narrators continue to have other jobs to supplement their income. A handful of narrators pick just the right books to produce on Royalty Share contracts — books that sell well and pay their mortgage every month. And some full-time narrators eventually make enough to pay their bills, but honestly – money is never the greatest reward; we do this because there’s nothing in the world we would rather do.

Most contracts with publishers pay “per finished hour” (PFH). If you earn $250 for every hour of recorded audio, you have spent between 3-5 hours preparing that hour of audio. Plus there are myriad other tasks that demand your time when you’re running your own business.

How can I learn more about the audiobook industry

Audiobook narrators are often touted as the kindest people in show business. Although it’s one of the most isolating jobs I can think of (you work alone in your booth), we are a globally connected community of artists. It’s growing exponentially every year, but it still feels like the Cheers bar, where “everybody knows your name”. You can get a feel for the community by listening to podcasts and videos made by other narrators. I’ve spent countless hours listening to these:

The Narrators Cup of Joe – Narrator Daniela Acitelli interviews narrators, coaches, producers and sometimes authors in this YouTube video series. You can join live to ask questions (only quirky questions are allowed – nothing Google-able). Daniella makes guests feel comfortable and extracts fascinating personal information you won’t get anywhere else.

Ask Us Anything – Every episode of this YouTube series features a different guest in conversation with audio engineering coach Don Baarns and performance coach and narrator Johnny Heller. You can join live to ask questions of the producers, coaches and narrators in the hot seat. Johnny and Don are funny, engaging, straight-talking provocateurs – they get the answers we all want and deliver the advice we all need.

The Narrator Roundtable – Like listening to friends chat over coffee, each podcast episode dives deep into narrator perspectives on challenges we face. This podcast cracks open new topics and doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations. Made by narrators Deanna Anthony, Lindsey Dorcus, Kirt Graves, André Santana, Gail Shalan and featuring guests from around the industry.

The Audiobook Speakeasy – 100 episodes feature key personalities you need to meet. Made by narrator Rich Miller between 2017 and 2021. You’ll be charmed by the warm environment Rich creates as well as his vast knowledge of cocktails.

The Narrator Roadmap Pitstop – Discover the other jobs that narrators have beyond narration – this podcast is hosted by veteran narrators Karen Commins and Anne Flosnik, and features a different guest in each episode. Made in 2023. Karen and Anne also host together on the Narrator Uplift on Clubhouse.

Tanya Eby’s Substack – Author, Narrator and Casting Director Tanya Eby writes prolifically about the audiobook industry and has even consolidated some of the best lessons into The Narrators Handbook. Start by reading her posts on the journey of 100+ other audiobook narrators. Then, subscribe!

How to continue growing an audiobook career

If you’ve done all the things I’ve listed above, you won’t need to read this paragraph. Coaches like Carol Monda (and others) will show you where you need to grow your performance skills, tell you where to audition (besides ACX) and help you make your first approach to publishers. You’ll discover many other coaches who are experts in business growth and marketing. You’ll join organisations like the APA and PANA, as well as supportive networks like the Narrator Alliance and Narrator Life. You’ll attend conferences like APAC, and events like the New England Narrators Retreat. There are myriad opportunities to learn from other narrators, and that’s basically the only way we grow. Keep listening to audiobooks and admiring your peers (tell them how great they are)! Figure out what they’re doing to draw you closer to the story. Do that thing. Keep getting better than you were yesterday. Forgive the actor of yesterday that didn’t have the skills you have today. Just keep growing.