Are you a voracious reader?
Have you tried reading out loud and thought you have a lovely voice?
Will you be interested if you can get paid to use that nice voice of yours to read out loud?
Audiobooks are popular among those who dislike reading, or simply do not have the time to do so.
People usually listen to them while working, or driving for hours.
Hence authors and publishers need to list their books on iTunes and Audible.
A voice talent that you probably are can get paid to read these books out loud.
It takes a lot more than a pleasant voice and a love of audiobooks to become a successful audiobook narrator.
It’s not just about reading words. It’s about bringing a book to life for the listener.
In essence, you’re a storyteller who takes on the roles of many characters. So it’s critical to be able to accomplish that.
Additionally, you must be able to distinguish between various voices, accents, and dialects.
Why do you need research skills if you’re just narrating a book?
This is because you may come across a word, a person’s name, a place, or something else that you are unfamiliar with.
Doing your homework ahead of time can dramatically boost your storytelling skills.
So before embarking on a career as an audiobook narrator, it’s best to do the following:
1. Practice – After you’ve determined that you have the required talents to get started, how do you go about honing them? Practice, practice, practice.
The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
Pick a book at random and narrate it.
Then take out your smartphone and record your voice, so you can listen to it and provide feedback, or ask someone else — a friend perhaps — to critique your narration.
2. Listen to a professional narrator – You can improve and learn a lot from experts in the industry, just like you can with anything else.
3. As an audiobook narrator, you’ll want to prepare yourself and have the resources that will set you up for success and make you sound more professional when delivering demos to potential clients.
You should have the following:
- Microphone
- Headphones
- Audio editing software
- A quiet location for recording
You can get started with this freelance gig even as a beginner.
You can charge $10 for 1,000 words using platforms like Fiverr, People Per Hour, and Upwork while honing your skills and building a portfolio.
This post provides a list of the best sites to get paid to read books out loud, regardless of where you are in the world.
1. Voices
Voices is a company that links you, as a voice artist, to brands looking for such talent.
Clients use the website in search of a skilled voice-over artist, often known as off-stage commentary.
Discovery Channels, Microsoft, The History Channels, GoDaddy, are just some of its big clients.
These clients usually have a budget of $1,000 or more for just a single project.
Voices.com is completely free to use, and anyone can sign up regardless of where they reside or what language they speak.
To start working with Voices, you must first create an account and a profile.
Make sure you accurately fill out your profile because it is what clients will be looking for.
Upload demos and samples from your area of expertise.
Demos are the most crucial because they showcase your versatility and ability to handle a variety of tasks.
Once your samples are complete, you can begin auditioning for jobs.
Generally, charges range from $100 to $2,000 per project. However, depending on the scope of the project, you can always charge more.
The pay is heavily dependent on the project type and duration of the recording, among other things.
A one-hour audiobook, for example, costs around $1,250.
On the other hand, a two-minute project will get you around $100.
You can see the complete rates here.
Voices acts as a go-between between you and the client, so do note that Voices receives 20% of your pricing quote.
2. Bunny Studio
Voices has narrators for audiobooks in more than 160 countries and 221 languages.
Bunny Studio connects businesses with leading freelancers in order to give the best voiceovers, audio commercials, translations, and video services in the shortest time possible.
Customers can submit work requests.
They might look through artist portfolios first to see who would be a good fit for their project.
To get started with Bunny Studio, you should be prepared to produce only high-quality audios and have professional voiceover equipment.
You can choose your fees based on your degree of competence.
If you’re just starting out, your rates will most likely be lower than seasoned voiceover talents.
A beginner can expect to earn around $50 every completed hour, whilst expert narrators can charge up to $200 per completed hour.
Jobs that might be a good match for your talent are sent straight to your email, making it easier for you to land a project.
3. ACX
Audio Creative Exchange is a website for book publishers and audiobook narrators.
Authors can have their novels recorded, and narrators may audition for open projects.
Writers’ books will be displayed, and narrators will be able to filter them based on payment method, fixed pricing cost, length, gender, language, age, and other factors.
If you have no prior experience in book narration, ACX can be a great place to start.
ACX is owned by Amazon. That gives the platform a certain level of trustworthiness.
ACX has a lot of books to audition for. You are not restricted to a set number of titles, which is excellent because it means you can read whatever book you choose.
How much do narrators earn on the ACX platform?
The answer, as always, is it depends.
There are three ways to get compensated for narration work:
- Flat-rate payment for the entire book
- Royalty share – royalties are split with the author and rights holder
- Royalty share plus – a combination of 1 and 2
To get started with ACX, you need to create a narrator profile, and upload 1 to 3 audio samples.
When that is done, you can start auditioning for available projects.
4. The Voice Realm
The Voice Realm seeks to provide its clients with top-notch voice actor services.
You can sign up here to get started earning money by reading books.
This company is looking to hire talents with the following:
- Voiceover quality
- Turnaround time
- Good track record
- Ability to continue working with the existing voice talent roster
The pay at The Voice Realm is very reasonable.
Because the costs are set, you won’t have to worry about being undercut by other candidates who are willing to provide a cheaper service in order to get the job.
5. Voice 123
Voice 123 is a great site for professional voice actors worldwide.
This website contains customers such as Coca-Cola, NBC, and The New York Times. Over 250,000 jobs were submitted since 2003.
Upon registering for the site, you must answer a series of questions so that they can evaluate your service and experience.
There are no fees or agent commissions collected, and the client will pay you directly.
Here’s how it works.
Aside from narration jobs, they have other projects available such as voiceovers for commercials, cartoons, movies, radio, and video games.
Get onboard and audition for Voice 123 here.
6. Mandy Voices
This website claims to be the world’s largest marketplace for voiceover professionals looking for employment and organizations eager to hire top talent from across the world.
You get to sign up for free.
As a free member, you get to access some job opportunities in the directory.
However, only premium members get to access all voiceover projects.
7. Voice Jungle
Another website to show off your skills is Voice Jungle, where you may read books out loud.
On this website, you can choose from various categories like podcasts, e-learning, commercials, phone messaging, explainer videos, and more.
There’s no listing fee and there’s no audition to join Voice Jungle.
The requirements are the following:
- Talents should have access to a home studio, and the demos generated should meet quality criteria.
- After receiving a request, talents should be able to complete projects within 24 hours.
To join, just fill out their form and upload an mp3 demo.
8. Bodalgo
More than ten thousand voice actors work for Bodalgo, a German corporation that has voiceover talents in more than 80 languages.
More than 12,000 loyal customers, including famous brands such as Gucci, IBM and Microsoft, are part of Bodalgo.
This site has speakers for audiobook narration, international commercials, podcasts, e-learning, and other categories.
Create a website profile, post your samples, and start auditioning for narration projects.
9. Fiverr
Fiverr is a fantastic marketplace for both new and experienced freelancers.
Because of the low admission requirements, it’s an excellent place to start looking for jobs where you can get paid to read books.
You will find opportunities here if you are willing to learn and grow, or if you have the ability to be a storyteller.
The good thing about Fiverr is you can charge whatever you want.
You can certainly start with a cheaper rate as a novice while building your reputation.
However, as you receive more favorable feedback, you can raise your prices.
10. Upwork
Audiobook narrators on Upwork earn on average $25 to $55 per hour.
Upwork is a well-known freelancing platform that connects freelancers and consumers all around the world.
You may obtain valuable experience without cold-calling customers.
However, the site is inundated with freelancers looking for low-paying work.
You don’t always have to be the cheapest to get a job.
Simply make an effort to stand out among the crowd.
So set up your profile properly, treat your resume professionally, and submit a few demonstrations.
After you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you may begin looking for customers and a business that pays you to read books out loud.
11. People Per Hour
People Per Hour is a freelancing platform similar to Fiverr.
Hence this is an excellent resource for finding e-book narration jobs.
You can set up an e-book narration gig and charge what you like.
Using artificial intelligence, clients are matched to freelancers who meet their criteria.
To get chosen and introduced in front of clients, your profile must be complete with your specific skills.
IMAGE CREDIT: Freepik
