I wanted to create an audiobook I could give away or offer at the lowest possible price, so I decided to try creating it myself. (I have always loved DIY projects, though these days I only like the kind I can do with my fingers on the computer keys and the mouse under my palm.)
I experimented with uploading the text to a couple of services that convert words to speech (lots of effort expended to find the right digital “voice”, then upload text and listen to the result.) I didn’t like it–the voices were great but the speed was too fast and the digital narrators don’t always pronounce or emphasize words correctly.
So, hey, I thought, why not make my own recording?
This project required learning to use GarageBand, a free app on my Mac. Fortunately there are lots of helpful videos I can watch over and over again.
The result of my recording was not great. I have a good microphone but not a soundproof room, and my voice is rather scratchy.
Fortunately again, the online service ElevenLabs had a workaround. I could upload the audio files I’d recorded and use one of their digital voices. Not only was the sound quality better, I could choose a younger-sounding voice! I chose “Jessica.”
The process was not as quick and easy as advertised. There’s a limit to the number of characters that can be uploaded to ElevenLabs at one time, so each of the sixteen chapters had to be recorded in 4 or 5 parts. Then I had to download and put the parts together in GarageBand. Altogether, this was a long process with quite a few mistakes made by yours truly.
In the end, I was satisfied with the result. However, I learned that currently there are few channels for distributing audio that was even partly created using a digital narrator (A.I.). My only options at present are Google Play Books, where my audiobook is now available for $1.99, and YouTube, where it is FREE!
I hope you’ll check it out. I have become a fan of audiobooks, and I often use one (with earbuds) to put myself back to sleep when I wake in the middle of the night! Try it with your tablet or phone–and because it’s YouTube, you can put it on your TV, too.
Thanks for reading.
