How audiobooks are recorded
An audiobook narrator explains her process - and reads our writing.
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To investigate how audiobooks are made, we sat down with a professional audiobook narrator, Suzy Jackson, to break down her work. And to make the audiobook recording process even more apparent, Vox's Phil Edwards wrote one for her. According to Suzy Jackson, the hardest part of recording an audiobook isn't acting as different characters, it's the long hours. And random esophageal noises.
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Vox so when can I get the book 'You are Generic '? Even if it's a short story I want to hear the whole thing.
Please do more videos on books and literature!
Could you please do a video about "how to publish a book"? 📚
This is something I'd love to do; does she have any tips on how to get into the industry?
I've heard book narrators are treated like Hollywood stars in Germany. Vox should do a video about that.
The only acceptable video to be sponsored by audible and it's not...
iona +
ikr 😂
iona only acceptable video? I don't think you've seen alot audible sponsorships
LMFAOO
It already has Audible logo in it 0:45
She's too humble. This is legit voice-over acting
Why humble? I don't see why book narrator would have a "lower status" than voice over acting
Bob Slartibarti if u like audio books check out nick podel he is a god
Yeah it’s literally a one man show. Well I guess in this case a one woman show. It’s literally like a play that’s acted by one person.
It's not voicing over anything. Is any recorded speech VO?
@@wheedler What? Yes lol. Plenty of people do voice-overs...
I always wondered how they could read for hours on end without messing up a single time
Snatched. They don’t have to make it perfect in one go. They make mistakes, and then they read that section over again, and then the sound engineer edits it together.
@@joshuawatson1902 Yep. Almost all songs (that aren't live recordings) are this way too. You're rarely hearing just one take. You're just hearing the best of all the takes spliced together.
I was wondering that same exact thing. That's how I landed on this video. I don't hear them breathing either.
The only more impressive thing is reading a book live in front of a big crowd.
@@moneybags999 she used mic filter or pop filter? which reduces unnecessary dissonance. pretty cool, film makers who use boom mic has it equipped on the mic sensor. sometimes minor noises are captured, which can be reduced through post editing by the sound engineer.
That book low key sounds interesting.
I thought it was a real book and tried to look it up until I watched it again and paid more attention XD
ash asmr ikr
Ikr
frr i wanna read it lol
@@natalie2405. good luck
Vox has the answers to things we never knew we wanted to know
GrimR34per I've always wanted to know lol
GrimR34per Haha.
*How Kethup bottling changed the Grocery Industry*
Yes!
Geniusly put!!
She's very charismatic.
Hashik Donthineni ikr
Hashik Donthineni she reminds me of Leslie Knope
In Poland there was a situation in which an audiobook narrator said something like "Im going to puke" while ending reading a chapter of 50 shades of Grey... It wasnt noticed by sound editors, so... it got published like this.
Can't blame him
That’s insane!
Is there an audio recording of him saying that somewhere? Can’t find anything
@@Nina-ko5tc kzhead.info/sun/pahvlJumrp2jnWw/bejne.html I found it xD Its almost at the end - 1:01
lmao crazy
She's very good.
Triple M after 100 who wouldn't.
1000th like
but her "s" is too sharp haha i'm too picky
G-cell at Work now that you mention it, it won’t stop bothering me. My s’s are like that to and I hate it.
She's a pro! (Arrested Development reference)
A Reese Whiterspoon kind of voice.
looks like her too
I get Amy Poehler.
I guess vocal fry has become the norm. I don't think I could take listening to it for hours. She sounds like she needs some cough syrup
Christopher Dunne She sounds amazing to me. The lilt in her voice is soothing.
@@christopherdunne4048 No she sounds amazing!
Seeing how much time and effort are put in these ....i want a audiobook so bad now
Alicia Mn why do I see you commenting on every video I watch?
You can usually get them for free - from your local library - on your phone or other device. Check out your city's library website!
yeah, theyre awesome. definitely fun to collect.
Search KZhead sometimes there are particular audiobooks videos here for free
I love audiobooks. It feels like an adventure in every book. If I’m driving or doing something, I would listen to my audiobook instead of music.
I can't even read in the class room without messing up
That's what being nervous does to you.
no one can even in college, whenever anyone has to read for the class they sound like a fourth grader reading a Shakespeare play
@@TechnologicallyTechnical Eh, try music major. You're expected to SING or play an instrument in front of the class all the time.
such crisp clean microphone quality
Wow this is mesmerizing, I might actually go buy an audiobook now...
Me too!
Not everyone is as good as seen in this video, always preview before buying-some voices are robotic and totally void of any emotion.
Synamox Noted, thanks for the heads up!
I don't like audio books to be honest. It's faster to read it yourself, you can start and stop and skip around wherever you want much more easily, change pace at will as suits you and the passage. Never mind that most people listen to audio books when they really shouldn't be, like while driving.
seigeengine, what's wrong with listening while driving?
I always struggle with audio in my videos. This sounds phenomenal.
Your audio could be worked on a little, but goddamn your editing is remarkable my dude!
What Mic are you using? Are you doing any mixing of the audio?
Tell me about it...
Sounds really good to me:)
Noice!
The way she describes prepping the book and having to be in the present to emote, but always hae one eye slightly ahead -- that's music. Even if we've rehearsed for weeks on end (when we are usually only given a few days notice for the sheet music, sometimes much less than that), we always have to be in the moment, feeling the music, but keep a part of our mind on the next few measures so we (literally) don't miss a beat.
I love this comment! "That's music."
Absolutely! Especially for a harpist 😅
Her voice is so smooth 😩
Major props to VO artists, I find it hard enough to get through a sentence in my own scripts, let alone paragraphs of someone elses novel.
VARIOUS videos vo stands for voice over?
Salish Yep, although I'm probably using the wrong term. I guess I was trying to describe all aspects of Voice Acting to be admirable.
VARIOUS 500th like and 500th person to agree. Many of the VO's are taken for granted and underpaid. Rest in Piece Lu Bu.
Voice acting is really underrated. Some really impressive talent behind the screens.
How does your voice maintain the consistent bubbly/crispness even when you're doing this all day? My voice starts off hoarse in the morning and then get progressively scratchier.
Probably vocal excercises and plenty of hydration, pretty much
didn't you see her esophagus made weird noises in the shoot, they just stop and pickup
Not sponsored by Audible?!
It is audible
@@AGC4 rwoosh
See has a lovely voice when reading. Guess that’s why she got the job lol.
Yeah, so generic..
vartriiness I
I think it's more like she has quite stable and consistent voice. The one behind the sound of Siri also has that kind of voice. I don't know why they don't hire someone who sounds like the Kardashians or other valley girls to narrate the story. LOL.
Book narrator: Bookarrator
John Bicycle That's just awful. Just say book narrator then.
Bookorator
Book character?
Bukakerator.
John Bicycle naratook
The whole time I was listening to her I was like "why is her voice so familiar...why does her voice remind me of like 4 different books" and then it hit me. Most of the audiobooks I get have been her narrating the story and I absolutely love her narrations! Great job Suzy! Official a fan!
I am envious of how clearly she speaks, how she is able to enunciate every word. How does someone get to have a speaking voice like that?
Nice touch of adding the meaning of Vox in there, had not yet realised that was where the name came from :)
well "vox" means "voice" in Latin, as in "vox populi" - the voice of the people
How is it pronounced?
@Orbrun In Latin, "v" is pronounced like a "w", so it would have been pronounced "wokes". Vox as in Vox Media is pronounced with a "v" sound though.
I'm pretty sure the "v" in Latin is pronounced the same way we pronounce it. I study Latin and that's what I've been taught at least. How would you pronounce "habitavit"? Like habita-wit? That just sounds wrong.
"Habita-wit" is the correct pronunciation: www.thebookmarkshop.com/latin/latinpronunciation.htm In addition there was no "J" in Latin, so "Julius" would have been pronounced like "You-lius". It was also spelled like "Iulius".
and they were roommates
aftab iniassuh oh my god, they were roommates
I dont know why but this is funny even tho its not relevant
Josue Palomares it is relevant
The Real Richard Goranski how is this relevant?
Oh my god they were roomates...
This lady's voice is pure honey to the ears
fan of audio books - what I like is that it sorta adds a different perspective from the narrator plus very useful when stuck in traffic
Reading aloud for an hour and my jaw already hurts. (I took breaks within that time) This is why I admire the professionals. Just amazing!
is your jaw made of fairy floss?
Damn I thought at least one job must be easy
AD plays rip
No job is easy, even blow jobs can be hard.
Not that soon
Văn-Hiếu Võ Siri uses recorded human voice
FRISHR That's what he said.
let’s be honest 'nobody searched for it'. It just appeared exactly when I wanted to sleep!
Let’s be honest nobody likes these comments
I searched
This is actually one of my dream jobs! I remembered when I stumbled upon Librivox, I even bought a cheap mic and downloaded Audacity just to volunteer narrating an audiobook. But sadly I could never find a quiet enough place to record as crisp and clear as possible. I grew up reading aloud, and up to now i still do. Comics especially makes making up voices even more fun.
More of this please, more and more, just this
Chapter 1 : The Boy Who Lived
Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
I get the Harry Potter reference, but I don't get what it has to do with this? Other than it was a pretty good audiobook series.
I loved Stephen Fry 's narration. Especially impression of Voldemort. The cold high voice he does is just great.
macuss87 it’s probably the most listened to audiobook.... or close to.
I liked uk and us both
For someone who listens to 20+ hours a week of audio books I have always wondered this 😄
This is interesting but maybe you should have called it "how a voice actor records an audiobook" because I came here interested in the technical side of things, like the sound engineer's job. As a sound engineer myself but in the post production field, I could imagine how much work goes into mixing an audiobook! I would have liked to see that process. Do they cut every breath? Clean every mouth sound? It can be a nightmare to treat a voice for a 30s commercial. How is it for a 14 hour book? I wanna know more.
me too. Did you find anything further that you could share?
That sounds incredibly boring. This video is clearly tailored to a wider audience. Seems like the vast majority of people enjoyed it.
working with trained talent and great gear helps a lot. there are a lot of plugin's to help so after all of that it's just down to polishing the final mix.
@J H Audiobooks can be 14 hours or longer, even though she doesn't read it all in one sitting! OP here was talking about editing the final result, which would be very tedious work if the final product is going to be 14 hours!
@@addibro4284 I’ve listened to audiobooks over 50 hours long, narrated by two people. Can’t even imagine the headache trying to edit all that.
2:18 Adelaide chattering the entire time *BURPP*
Read that right when it happened
Voice actors/actress.......respect to you guys....
All audio narrators are wonderful and good, but there's a hierarchy of ideal narration experiences: #1 - Narrated by the original author, with full cast of actors; Rare, and probably the most expensive for production in more ways than just cash, but offers distinct personalities to each character, while maximizing authorial intent in every little character inflection. See the 'Redwall' series by Brian Jacques for example. #2 - Narrated by the Author; If the author can, they should always narrate their own work. This offers the most perfect translation of their work from text to speech for every moment of the piece, even if that author isn't a professional voice over actor, though books written and narrated by actors are a clever win-win. 'See Vacation Land' by John Hodgman']. #3 - Narrated by Professional Voice Over Actor; Most common in commercial audiobooks and typically exceptional in terms of base narration quality. Some authorial intent can be lost though is usually made up for in speech quality and the ability to listen for hours and hours more on end, which isn't always true when coming from the original author. Respecting the story, as Suzy Jackson brilliantly concludes, is precisely the biggest and also the most challenging aspect of the narration (besides the stamina needed to keep up the same level of quality over hours and hours of recording sessions.) See 'Fear: Trump In The White House', by Bob Woodward. #4 - Volunteer Audio Recordings; Often associated with some quality issues, these are never the less the works of angels incarnate. To volunteer one's time reading to those who may not be otherwise able too, even if for the self interested purposes of building a portfolio, or just practicing narration is still an act worthy of praise and deep appreciation on part of the listening audience. These are critical to expanding the total auditory library and bringing literature to all, a truely Promethean act.
truly (sp). Not an audible matter, but since you're using the word Promethean, maybe you care.
I've listened to a number of audiobooks in "The Expanse" series, narrated/performed by Jefferson Mays. He's done a great job voicing the characters and bringing them to life.
I only started listening audiobooks few months ago. They are soooo awesome. Their talents deserve so much praise.
There are few things more satisfying than watching a true professional working their craft. Love this!
Haven’t watched the video yet but I’m half expecting it to say "sponsored by audible" at the end
Well it said audible on the wall, good enough.
I guess there aren't many places that they could go to watch her or someone like her work
Audible hopes you have enjoyed this video.
_"Go to __Audible.com__ and use promo-code VOX and get yourself a free audiobook today!"_
usaid alfatih, that one I missed.
I wish they had audiobooks where different people voice each character.
They do have full cast audiobooks.
They do......I searched from dramatic reading and I found
That's called an ensemble cast I'm pretty sure
Uhh when i was a kid all I listened to were full on audio books on cd/ cassette with “real” sound like voices, background noise and music
Her voice is amazing. I have went to sleep hearing her voice many times. That's a compliment too. Thank You!
She sounds like the narrator in *Gone Home* or *Edith Finch*
At 0:27 she reminds me of emma watson idk why
Instantly reminded me of Edith Finch too
Hemang Chauhan Gone Home was literally what I was thinking
Sounds a bit like Amy Poehler to me.
omg yai heard amy also lol
I'm an audiobook proofreader and proofing/editing is a huge part of the process. I'm not surprised Vox left that out though. In the industry, the talent is treated like royalty. But somebody has to be there to catch and clean up Suzy's burps, which sometimes are in the hundreds per book. Just FYI
Finally someone mentions it! It takes 6 hours of editing (before and after proofing) for every finished hour of audio. The reading is the good bit. The rest, not so much! Ha!
How do you get into the field of proofreading for Audible or any other audiobook program?
That was the part I was the most curious about. When something has to be re-recorded because of a mispronounced word, or hearing the spit in someone's mouth. At work we have to silence every break and take out breaths, awkward mouth noises, and do multiple re-records of certain sentences.
You could have made your point without sounding bitter... and yeah, listening through audio recordings sounds easier than recording them. I'm more interested in the people recording them. *shrug*
Sarah Thompson They didn’t sound bitter at all. Just understanding of why a less sensational part of the audi-book making process was left out.
I'm an avid listener of the audiobooks and was always intrigued by the processes behind the production. This clip filled the void especially on how you add the sentiment and dramatics to the story. Kudos and thanks for publishing this educating video. Please consider producing a longer video covering it in greater detail and depth.
This was great. I listen to hundreds of hours of audiobooks each year. I have a much greater appreciation for work that goes into providing a great narration. Thank you!
i never thought about how hard and interesting this job is... thanks vox the best channel on youtube
I so love audiobooks. My best friends when I'm ill or have a migraine, but constant companions during drives and chores. And my eventual goal. My books need to be worthy of the media. I'm going to be so annoying, wanting to poke around as much as possible, because I'm so into audiobooks! I loved this little glimpse behind the curtain of sound!
This editing and cinematography is so beautiful
This episode was brought to you by Audible.
Jim72 27 was it though ? Lol
Home of the best audiobooks from different genres for kids, teens, and adults. : )
Fascinating. I sometimes choose to listen to a book only cause I like the narrator. Amazingly talented people.
Her voice is so soothing.
Amazing talent!! I know from experience how hard narration can be. Loved this feature!
Thank you for producing this video, Vox. I'm a "Master" listening level Audible listener and I've always wondered how these were made. Got a feeling those beautiful animated graphics will stick in my mind for a long time.
What did you learn from this video? She sits in front of the mic and reads the book out loud - not really much to it.
What a cool job. I always thought anything in the voice acting/voiceover area would be interesting. I want to listen to an audiobook now.
I appreciate audiobook even more now, especially the efforts they put
I love her voice acting! So inspired by the characters being brought to life.
I LOVE IT, IT'S MY DREAM JOB, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING THIS
I want to listen to a book narrated by her.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
@@goldennuke2 really? Sanderson is my favorite author! I really gotta check out the audio book!
Sure. : )
This is one of the best youtube videos I've seen so far.Really enjoyed it !
This is great! I listen to audiobooks all the time and loved seeing this.
Voice actors/actresses are amazing! 😍💖 How did they manage not stuttering?
1min Audible ad before....
Lately I have started listening to audiobooks. It is pleasant to watch how they work in the background 👍🏻
OH MY GOODNESS YASS! I’ve always been wondering how they make audiobooks. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH VOX. You are the best!
From KZhead channels classically sneaking in Audible advertisments, to an entire video about Audiable
literally, i am impressed by the voice actress and editing. I know vox is like an established channel but they way they edit really keeps an ADHD like me engaged. only the short tasty ones do that for me
Yes! As some with ADHD audiobooks help me read.
I LIVE for videos like this. I have such a curious spirit and I’m love learning about how things work
Again, Vox has given me knowledge I didn't know I needed. Thank you.
i thought about this a week ago and Vox makes a video about it
Her voice reminds me of leslie knope/amy poehler
I have an all new respect for most of my favourite narrators its great to see how much effort they put in just so we can listen to our favourite books. :)
I didn't know that such an amazing channel existed. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Shes so skilled, i can max read like two sentences before i choke up...
Wow, she has a fantastic voice, and she's an excellent narrator :) AND I am now invested in the story and characters, any chance you'll release the full text for us to read? :D either way, fascinating video, I've never actually tried audio books ... which ultimately means I read less than I'd like, because I am a bit of a slow reader and I feel like I need to make special mental space and physical space arrangements so that I could actually read ... makes me feel like I should try/consider it. And having a look behind the scenes was pretty cool :) it was a neat breakdown of the process and what goes into it. Once again, Vox, teaching me cool stuff I never knew I wanted to know about :D
mythirdchannel I’m trying to figure out which book this is!
thank you for doing gods work in recording your voice for my books to go jog with.
Her narration is so pleasant to listen.
I can't be to only one who was staring at the thumbnail because the wall and her face line up so well.
thanks to people like her
I’ve always wondered this! Also her voice is so nice. It would be so easy to listen to her talk for hours and hours
Cool topic! I totally love audio books. A narrator can make or break a book and some of them are beyond amazing. Thank you.
Ngl, low key wanna hear the rest of the that book
What book is this I wanna read it
Hard to see it, but I am standing and applauding, such great advice, thank you for sharing it and be blessed...
god I love her voice! it’s so peaceful and lovely
how are there so many people in the comments that never listened to an audiobook before?? they’re awesome!
I like to be able to turn the pages to fully invest myself in the story, my thoughts tend to slip away when Im listening to audio books...
I love all the past video references in here. Kilroy from the WWII meme video, generics water from the Siri voice video, and generic ice cream from the hidden war over grocery store shelf space. Could anyone else recognize these references right away?
ikr
I love audible and I have a lot of respect for the narrators that bring the book to life in their own, unique ways.
Vox, I'm so glad I subscribed to you! Quality content, always.
Well, she's an artist. How lucky must her kids be!
And a very talented one at that!
Who wants an audiobook after watching this?🙌🏻🙌🏻
I cannot express how much I love this omg
Arduous and beautiful work.
But what do I enter while signing up on audible to get my first audiobook free?
i think by singing up at audible.com/connor you can get a free 30-day trial
ok but publish the book she was reading. it sounded really interesting
I love audiobooks! Helps me get reading done while doing other stuff.. feel super productive.
I could listen to her read all day ❤