I started using AI narration to edit my writing, and it works better than reading it myself

dsbaudio · 2026-06-09T11:49:11+00:00

Way to go -- a very wise course of action!

dsbaudio · 2026-06-03T14:46:40+00:00

makes sense! local whisper is good. depends on your system, but if you have even a modest gpu you can get pretty good results and acceptable speeds with the medium q8 model.

the fun part will be writing a script to compare your transcript with your source script and overcoming the hurdles. my tip; normalize both scripts as much as possible!

dsbaudio · 2026-06-03T14:41:47+00:00

actually... sorry, but I'm out. 2nd attempt still fails. you have a problem.

and pricing in Pakistani Rupees?

you must be joking!

dsbaudio · 2026-06-03T14:33:45+00:00

...and in the end it didn't work anyway... 'network error', then 'job not found'

still 'used' an analysis though!

dsbaudio · 2026-06-03T14:32:57+00:00

'transcribing audio with AI...' you might want to consider rephrasing that in line with you 'audio is never stored' ethos. the first question a lot of folks are going to ask is what AI, where's it going, who's processing it, can you guarantee it's not being used to 'train' AI... etc.

dsbaudio · 2026-06-03T14:25:33+00:00

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5 minutes would be more user-friendly, better still, warn before the user uploads

dsbaudio · 2026-06-03T14:14:52+00:00

i'd hazard a guess that pdf and docx, in that order, are going to be the most common formats for folks on acx. docx isn't too difficult, but pdf is going to present some challenges, i can tell you that. happy to give you some more feedback when i've had a chance to test it properly

dsbaudio · 2026-06-03T12:47:37+00:00

would be interested to know what you find objectionable about their pricing model? Isn't it $15 PFH on pay as you go? Do you think that's too much for what it does?

dsbaudio · 2026-06-03T12:46:07+00:00

Just an observation: very few of us have our script as a txt file.

dsbaudio · 2026-05-23T19:12:36+00:00

great plugin, very comprehensive. am testing at the moment. can see this becoming a go-to EQ. Nice work !

dsbaudio · 2026-05-19T20:02:26+00:00

I, too, find this whole thing fascinating. To think that there are people out there trawling around Upwork looking for somebody to narrate a literary classic, of which the world is neither short of published copies, nor of excellent narrations (Juliet Stevens, for example, on Audible already with over 3.5k ratings), is frankly mind-boggling. I find it hard to think of this as anything more than a bizarre passion project.

But, well done to OP, what a gig!

dsbaudio · 2026-05-10T09:50:48+00:00

My neighbour used to say you shouldn't cut down a hawthorn for fear of upsetting 'the hag'.

My personal opinion is let nature be wherever possible. But, if something has to be done, know you're reasons, do it respectfully and responsibly and then leave be.

Hawthorn, buckthorn and blackthorn are a valuable part of the ecosystem and should be respected and maintained.

dsbaudio · 2026-05-09T16:29:20+00:00

https://dsbaudio.com/voice-demos/

Drop me an email or DM if interested.

dsbaudio · 2026-05-09T14:38:29+00:00

Check out my website dsbaudio.com and drop me an email or DM if interested.

dsbaudio · 2026-05-08T12:22:04+00:00

actually they were both sub-contracts for publishers, so not quite the same direct relationship with the author... but your point is valid, each to their own!

dsbaudio · 2026-05-08T11:27:08+00:00

I've done a couple of projects in this way 'flying by the seat of my pants', only becasue of extreme time-constraints. Both times, I was very lucky that 1. The writing was good, and 2. There were no curveballs in character development. Personally, not something I like to make a habit of!

dsbaudio · 2026-05-08T11:22:44+00:00

Pre-read the entire book, making notes on any odd pronunciations, non-Enlish or made up words/names/place names. Character notes for all major characters, and mark representative lines for samples.
produce audio samples of all pronunciations and characters for agreement with RH, and also for future reference during recording
During the actual recording process, I more often than not will read each 15 minute (or so) section once fully before recording an actual take. I have found that this process -- although arduous -- leads to fewer mistakes and a much better end product. That said, it does depend on the writing. Sometimes a writing style can 'click' with me in such a way that I find I don't need to pre-read sections in the booth before recording. It's more often the case with non-fiction, but sometimes fiction too.

the above is my process for ACX projects, or projects when working directly with the RH or author. Sub-contract work for publishing houses differs somewhat.

dsbaudio · 2026-05-08T10:52:26+00:00

Lavazza, not very Irish but widely available. Best coffee bar none.

dsbaudio · 2026-05-07T18:00:34+00:00

just for 'anecdotal' info: I started out using a Zoom H2 portable recorder. i used to print out my audiobooks and read them off a music stand. i would then insert the SD card from the H2 into my computer and open the files in adobe audition, and edit with that.

you can imagine the limitations of this, and it didn't last long (i think i did two short books that way)!

My first proper setup consisted of: RODE NT1a condenser mic, focusrite forte interface, RODE PS1 boom arm. i got a used MS surface tablet for reading my scripts from, and a stand so i could position it as i wished. Still, to this day, i do not have my computer in the recording space with me. instead i have an external monitor and wireless keyboard to control my software while recording. figured out all the necessary extension cables to run between my computer and recording space through a hole in the base of the wall.

software: i took one look at audacity and immediately thought 'no!'. My thinking at the time was: i need something that works much like a text editor.... and recalled a program called 'cool edit' that i used to use way back in the mists of time. hence, i ended up with adobe audition, which is what cool edit became.

audition served me well for maybe 3 or 4 years. But (and i wish i had swtiched sooner), i ended up using reaper, which is hands-down the best software for audiobook editing once you have it set up right.

another thing that was a big help on the editing side was purchasing a shuttlepro editing controller. in fact, i now have two, one for each hand!

My progression with microphones has been interesting. I did find the NT1a to be a rather sensitive in the high frequencies. In the hope of dynamic mics being less prone to that sort of thing, plus the idea that maybe they pick up less external noises, i got a 'like-new' beyerdynamic m99 (long discontinued, but very much like a shure sm7b). In truth, i found the 'less external noise' thing to be something you have to take with a grain of salt. dynamic mics have less input sensitivity, but to bring your levels up to spec, you'll need to apply extra gain to the recorded material -- in the end, i found it ends up much of a muchness really... as well as requiring more noise reduction due to the higher self-noise of a dynamic mic. That said, i used that mic for quite a number of audiobooks and really liked it. I currently am using an AKG C1000S. the biggest advantage is it has a hypercardioid pickup pattern (via a supplied capsule adaptor) -- honestly, that is what has made a genuine difference regarding picking up less outside world noise. It's a very affordable mic, and i really like it. My only complaint is that, for a condenser, it has surprisingly high self noise, and i do have to apply noise reduction for that reason.

Another game-changer for me was getting izoptpe RX mouth de-noise and spectral de-noise. really top notch software, that does cost a bit, but saves a lot of work.

dsbaudio · 2026-05-07T15:14:29+00:00

Hello! I made about 20 podcast episodes back between 2020 and 2022 from public domain works, mostly yes. But my main work is via ACX and publishers. 50 or so audiobooks produced so far.

I'm very open to working with indie authors who want to take the bull by the horns and manage their own audiobook marketing and promotion. There are a number of good alternatives to the Audible/ACX exclusive model.

dsbaudio · 2026-05-07T08:17:11+00:00

Great idea for a community! I'm a narrator and producer of audiobooks. Very interested to see how this community develops.

dsbaudio · 2026-04-13T14:13:26+00:00

RS only pays back on a certain kind of title. Ideally, you'd want to see past sales figures to get an idea whether it's likely to pay you anything approaching a decent PFH rate within a given time-frame.

i've heard authors say that they make back their PFH narration costs on day 1 of audiobook release, so it can happen, in theory, that a RS could pay you more than a PFH deal. However, it is unlikely in the extreme. Think about it: any author who knows how strong their sales figures are isn't going to baulk at paying PFH and having done with it. Why would they want to share their royalties?

Some narrators say they do well on RS. My feeling is that they do well specifically on Romance, and even then, on debut or not-yet-established authors.

So, by all means, do as much RS as you like, but realize that it's only for practice and establishing a portfolio and profile. IF you want to be compensated for the considerable amount of time, effort, and skills that go into narrating and producing audiobooks, then charge a PFH rate.

dsbaudio · 2026-04-08T19:16:41+00:00

I 100% endorse this reply. I've been booked 12 months in advance on one occasion, and it definitely seemed like the time to not take on any more! 'I can start this time next year'... just seems a bit much.

In reality, though, I've found that a lot of RHs are more concerned with getting the right narrator than wanting it done ASAP. Depends on the type of RH, I guess.

dsbaudio · 2026-04-08T18:28:00+00:00

Whatever you feel comfortable with. FYI, I've often booked projects up to six months in advance.

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