The most successful audiobook narrators are invested in perfecting their performance and are able to bring the characters to life for the listener.Īs an audiobook narrator you have to be prepared to keep up and maintain the same accents/dialects, voices and energy throughout hours of reading. Acting, by definition, implies that the actor is putting on a character temporarily, whereas a performance should be more about realistically portraying the thoughts, feelings and emotions of the character you are narrating and to create an engaging listening experience. The distinction here should be made between acting ability and performance ability. Audiobooks can range in length from 1 hour to several hours so the narrator of the audiobook must be one that is captivating. It is also about being able to carry a story.
Being an audiobook narrator means finding your voice and the style of narration that suits you.īecoming a good audiobook narrator is not just about having a great voice. It is one thing to be able to voice pieces that take 30 seconds to read, but to voice a form of long-narration, there are certain skills you will need to perfect. 3 Skills of a Successful Audiobook Narratorīecoming a skilled and captivating audiobook narrator (like Allyson Briggs or Jim Dale) requires a lot of practice and attention to detail. Once you have the voices nailed down and have decided what each character should sound like, there are three key skills that you should work on perfecting to secure more audiobook narrator gigs. for each animal and then created a little personality for each one,” she says. “I played around and tried to find the right balance of age, gender, quirks etc.
Harry potter audiobook narrator trial#
The first few days I spent nailing down the characters, reviewing their descriptions and images from the author, and reading some of their dialogue to see how they spoke and behaved,” she continues.įor Allyson, finding the appropriate character voice for each persona in the audiobook, meant studying their motivations and really understanding the personality traits of the characters – it is with that understanding, that comes the insight to give the character the correct voice that will resonate with the listeners – this often involves a lot of trial and error. “I had to really stay on my toes while recording to ensure I knew whose line was coming up,” Allyson says. These types of audiobooks are meant to be fun and engaging, but it can be a challenge keeping track of all those characters so you have to have a surefire way to keep all of the characters in order. In his mind, every character that speaks needs a distinctive voice that sets them apart from one another in order for the listener to be able to keep track of all of the different characters.Īllyson Briggs, a voice actor who has recently voiced a multi-character audiobook called “ The Chameleon ” has a similar stance on audiobooks that feature multiple characters (she voiced all 16 characters!).
Harry potter audiobook narrator series#
Watch as Jim Dale discusses his role as the narrator in the Harry Potter series and how he picked up the voices for Dobby and Professor McGonagall: If you pay attention to the sounds of people’s voices, whether that be a stranger’s voice or the voice of someone you know, you will begin to pick up intonations and inflections of others and they may be the source of inspiration for your next character. His biggest tip to creating original character voices is to listen to others around you.
Jim Dale, the famous audiobook narrator of the Harry Potter series, has voiced over 300 characters, giving a fully-voiced style of narration. Let’s take a look at one of the world’s most beloved narrators – Jim Dale. Listening to the ways that other audiobook narrators tell a story, can help inspire you and teach you what to listen for when trying your hand at narration. When looking to perfect the art of becoming a successful audiobook narrator, it often helps to be an avid audiobook listener yourself.
How Audiobook Narrators Found Their Character Voices Whether you are new to the audiobook narration industry and want to dabble in reading more long form narration, or a seasoned audiobook narrator, these tips can help you establish and maintain yourself as a well-sought after audiobook narrator. You have to bear in mind many factors to keep the listeners engaged – such as how your voice should sound, the pace at which you are reading the story and how many character voices you should put on – if any. Being an audiobook narrator takes skill and practice.
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