With the growing popularity of audiobooks, you may need to hire a professional audiobook narrator. Blue Wave has a roster of professional audiobook voice over talent who know how to make listeners engage with your story.
Generating over $2 billion in sales, every year more and more people listen to audiobooks. Access has grown via Audible making its entire catalog available on Amazon Music or, most recently, Spotify’s launch of Audiobooks+. With more ways to access audiobooks, the industry continues growing and so does the need for professional audiobook narrators!
A Voice Over Actor for Every Audiobook Genre
Whether your book is a popular genre like self-help, biography, or a memoir, each genre requires a different skill from a voice actor. A talent who is skilled in video game or animation can transform into unique characters as a children’s audiobook narrator. If your topic leans more towards medical research then a voiceover talent skilled in medical narration can handle the technical language. Don’t forget that a voice actor familiar with True Crime may be a great fit for your bone-chilling story.
Top 3 Things to Keep In Mind When Hiring an Audiobook Narrator
One of Blue Wave’s professional audiobook narrators is André Santana, an Audie, Earphone & SOVAS winner. He says, “Authors and producers are sometimes looking for the voice in their heads, but other times we’re cast because they’re pulled in by strong and unique choices the narrator makes.”
1. Keeping an Open Mind Opens More Possibilities
When casting your next audiobook voice over actor, the tone of the book’s subject and its genre are important elements to keep in mind when casting. Yet as André points out, sometimes listening to an actor can change what you originally had in mind – this can be a good thing! Begin with a breakdown of gender, tone, and age for a narrator but be open to what a great voice talent can offer.
2. Authentic Voices Give Credibility
Another important element to consider is whether you need a narrator who can authentically tell a particular story? For example, Carolina Hoyos won an Audiofile Earphones Award for her narration of “The Disappeared” set during Argentina’s Dirty War. Thanks to her ability to change accents and her “nimble” use of English and Spanish, Carolina was the perfect choice to narrate this emotional historical fiction story. Reviews said that “Hoyos convincingly conveys anxiety, panic, and fear, captivating listeners.” Depending on your story, you may need a voice actor that credibly represents Black, LGBTQIA+, Asian, Southern accents, or more mature female or male voices.
3. Find an Audiobook Narrator Who is a Natural Storyteller
Additionally, Carolina Hoyos’ narration of a non-fiction book called “Native Nations” is a great example of a narrator acting more as a storyteller than just reciting historical facts. And her own native heritage helped to make her a great choice to tell the indigenous history of the United States.
An experienced voice actor does more than just read words but instead they can transport the listener through a character’s emotional journey in a genre like fiction or truly engage listeners in genre like non-fiction.
Blue Wave Voiceover Audiobook Narrators
Blue Wave Voice Talent Tom Test says, “Sometimes the work is challenging, when I have to learn unfamiliar concepts and terminology so that I can explain them adequately. I find it rewarding when I learn new things as I have recently in the fields of investing and tax strategies. I do research on Google and YouTube to familiarize myself with the subject matter before recording.” Tom’s relatable and authoritative voice also makes complex financial terminology easier to understand.
Depending on the project, a voice talent like Tom may work independently without a producer and only need to send the audio files to an editor. Sometimes he needs to self-direct but, as he says, “I like a good challenge.” Either way a professional voice over actor like Tom understands that preparation is key to getting familiar with the material before he dives into the recording booth.
For a different kind of project like bilingual audiobooks, Spanish and English voice talent Carolina Hoyas says, ”I’m often hired for my facility with accents and languages. I map out phonetic pronunciations after the author and director provide a list of words to prepare. I make sure I hear myself say the words out loud before the session so I’m not spending time figuring it out while I’m narrating.”
Furthermore, a passionate and dynamic voice talent like André Santana explains that narrators like himself want to build “a relationship to texts that allows us to deliver great performances wherever we go: across genre, audience, and character. Sometimes a book is absolutely unexpected – a phenomenal writing voice, a breaking of form, an absolutely original book, and when I’m in the booth with something like that I have to be engaged with every sentence. Those are my absolute favorite audiobooks to record.”
Ready to Hire Your Next Audiobook Narrator?
A trusted partner like Blue Wave Voiceover can help you hire a professional audiobook narrator who is ready to embolden progressive stories that challenge extreme conservative views or authentically represent groups like LGBTQIA+, Native and Indigenous, Black, Latinx, non-binary, or Asian, Our talent can also quickly deliver from their broadcast quality home studios. Contact us today for more information, or better yet, check out our roster and hire your next audiobook narrator!