Audiobook Narrators

Furthermore, according to the Audio Publishers Association, children’s audiobooks have risen in popularity with 53% of parents saying their kids listen to them as well. The key benefit, they explain, is that it gives their children a break by having less screen time in front of devices. This is an example of an unintentional but positive result for listeners and the growth of the audiobook industry. 

Last year 52% of adults listened to about 7 titles and 38% listened to at least one. Recently, Audible, the best-known audiobook producer, has made its entire catalog available on Amazon Music eclipsing its competitor Spotify. The most popular genre people enjoy listening to is fiction although self-help, biographies, and memoirs are growing genres too. People enjoy getting lost in the top notch narration provided by professional audiobook voiceover narrators. 

Trends in Audiobook listening and Why You Need a Professional Narrator

As audiobooks have gained popularity over the past ten years, their quality has improved. Maybe you remember checking out a “book on tape” from your public library and having to switch between 8-10 different cassette tapes to make it through the story?

Between professional producers and talent raising the bar for high quality audio, listeners expect a well-produced story. With advances in technology, audiobooks are more accessible and convenient. Hundreds of thousands of tiles are available through smart devices. Thanks to algorithms, audiobook platforms provide curated recommendations creating a more personalized experience.

As audiobooks progress in how they tell stories through sound, listeners can enjoy immersive experiences with sound effects, music cues, and some can choose their own ending. 

Each genre can require a different skill from a voice actor. A talent who is skilled in video game or animation narration will have the skills to transform into unique characters as a children’s audiobook narrator. If your audiobook’s topic leans more towards medical research then a voiceover talent skilled in medical narration will be able to handle the technical language. 

You may be wondering how an audio drama is different from an audiobook?  Normally an audio drama is a scripted story that generally has multiple actors portraying specific characters. Whereas an audiobook is the audio adaptation of a written book by an author and typically has one narrator though that’s not a rule.

Reasons to Hire a Professional Voice Over Talent as your Audiobook Narrator

What’s the difference between hiring someone to read a book into a microphone versus a professional voice over audiobook narrator? A professional voice over talent’s skill set can includes training wherein they’ve honed their voice to convey nuances and tone to build the world of a story to a listener. And, they’re actors! Acting and telling a story comes across much differently than someone just reading aloud.

Do you need someone who has an authentic Southern accent or is bilingual and can speak Spanish? Blue Wave Voiceover’s multi-talented roster are trained professionals who understand how to tell a story behind the microphone.

Finding the right voice over talent for an audiobook can also help the book’s brand. Often the voice over talent can become so synonymous with a series that the audience looks forward to the next audiobook release so they can hear that same narrator’s voice. Sometimes an audiobook can become more popular than the physical book because listeners love the narrator! 

Celebrity narrators have also helped drive the popularity of audiobooks but not everyone can afford Meryl Streep or Nicole Kidman. If you’re looking to hire a voice over talent that sounds like Emma Stone or Ryan Reynolds, Blue Wave Voiceover can help. It’s important to know that it’s not about finding the perfect soundalike, voice match, or celebrity impersonation, but rather choosing a voice actor from our roster that captures texture, impact, timber, and flow of casual and conversational delivery. Note: Blue Wave Voiceover does not provide celebrity impressionists, tribute acts, spot-on voice matches, or synthetic copies of celebrity voices.

When looking to hire an audiobook narrator for the first time, it’s important to know if you need a narrator who can deliver final files for publication. Depending on your budget, some can deliver raw files for your engineer and editor or some voice over actors provide the full service of editing and polishing for final delivery. 

Find Your Audiobook Narrator at Blue Wave Voiceover

Our roster at Blue Wave Voiceover has the professionalism, audiobook experience, and talent to deliver your project on time and on budget! We can help guide you to a voice over talent who can engage your listeners and elevate your audiobook to life. Whether delivering polished audio files or otherwise, our talents are happy to serve your needs and work with your budget. Our professional audiobook narrators have experience in many genres such as fiction, fantasy, history, memoirs, biographies, or children’s books. We can help guide you to find your audiobook narrator or you can browse our talent below and contact them directly for a quote.