*This post may contain affiliate links. Please read the full disclosure here.
There is no special skill required to become an audiobook narrator, other than having a pleasant-sounding voice.
As a parent, how many times have you gone deep into your kids storybook characters and lent creative voices for the characters?
A lot of us do this, right?
But if you were to polish those skills and provide a voice for audiobooks, you can certainly earn some money from home.
If you have been complemented by the sound of your voice, you know this career might just be the right one for you.
Job boards like Upwork and Flexjobs are good places to keep an eye out for voice acting jobs. But to help you further, at the end of this post are a list of voice-over companies that offer voice acting jobs for those aspiring to get into this field.
**This post may contain affiliate links. Please read disclosure.
What is an audiobook narrator?
We have all gone from reading paperback books to ebooks and now listen to audiobooks. With the increase in the trend of audiobooks, there are many readers that enjoy the convenience of listening to a book rather than reading it.
As an audiobook narrator, you will be converting the text into audio files.
Lending your voice for audiobook narration is not the only option for voice artists.
Here are some other areas where you can lend your voice:
- Phone recordings
- Transport announcements
- Store Announcements
- Films
- Dubbed films
- Animation
- Podcasts
- e-Learning videos
- TV commercials
- Documentaries
- Storyteller
- Online instructor
Audiobook narrator salary
Wondering how much do audiobook narrators make?
I am sure that is the most important question when it comes to starting a new career. To see if the side hustle is worth the money, and the short answer is – yes. According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a Voice Actor Job in the US is $76,297 a year.
Voice artists get paid by the hour, and longer hours allow you to set your own rates accordingly.
How to set up your home office
To get started you will need some basic equipment. You don’t need a top-of-the-range home recording studio to start. A few simple types of equipment will do the job.
- A reliable Computer
- Fast internet connection
- A microphone
- A pop filter
- Audio software, the most common being Audacity
- Finally, and most importantly – a very quiet place to work.
Audiobook narrator jobs
Many online freelance job sites offer voice acting jobs from. Below are some places that specifically hire voice actors all year round. Save this list, so you can check back to apply when you are ready to begin working as an audiobook narrator.
Audiobook Narrator Training
While there are many voice-over trainings available, the one by Julie Eickhoff’s is notably the best.
Julie has been working from home doing voice overs since 2011. She has narrated and produced around 100 audiobooks and is an Audible Approved Producer. Her voice has been used by Samsung, Best Western, GE, ING, Prentice-Hall, Pearson Learning, Nextiva and Goodwill of the Great Plains.
Join Julie’s free mini-course here to learn how you can work from home as an audiobook narrator.
If you are a captivating narrator and can keep the listeners engaged with your voice, it’s time you become an audiobook narrator with your skill!
