Shaun Toole's Turn-Key Audiobooks

19/12/2024

Here are some suggestions for identifying AI-narrated audiobooks. They are designed for "...offering clarity for consumers, allowing for informed choice and ensuring continued trust in our audio products."

I wonder whether knowing an audiobook was narrated by a synthetic voice will matter to a potential buyer. What do you think?

AI NARRATION NAMING Guidelines for audiobooks Developed by the industry, the Audio Publishers Association, the Audio Publishers Group (part of the UK Publishers Association), October 2024INTRODUCTIONWith the proliferation of AI narration tools, the aim of these guidelines is to establish best-practi...

11/12/2024

27/09/2024

It's been a helluva busy week. Before I put my feet up for the weekend, I'll recap all the fires I put out:

- Tracked down a problem that caused a client to believe they needed to re-record an entire audiobook. Turned out their computer had a playback problem. Their recordings were error-free.

- Eliminated a nasty buzz from a recording caused by a faulty AC adapter in the narrator's booth. The narrator feared they would need to re-record at least one chapter of an audiobook. Izotope RX Spectral Denoise to the rescue!

- Learned that the buzzy chapter had been reviewed by a proofer who had accidentally turned on "spatial enhancement" in their audio playback settings. This effect had masked the buzz!

- Created this cool-looking picture. It's a screenshot of the RX spectral display of the chapter that had the buzz. Those horizontal lines are the frequencies in the buzz. They went away after Spectral Denoise. RX earned it's keep!

15/01/2024

Audible lays off 5% of workforce.

Amazon Audible is another division hit with layoffs in January, leaked email shows.

13/11/2023

I got a note from talented actress and audiobook narrator Hollis McCarthy today. I did the postproduction on audiobooks from her late mom's series, "The Magic of Larlion."

Hollis wrote, "If you have any friends who like fantasy, the first 3 books of my mom's series are on sale thru Friday. Book 1 is free, and 2 & 3 are $.99. She'd be chuffed that book 1 is already #41 on the free bestseller lists!"

Nice deal!

Visit Amazon's The Magic of Larlion Page and shop for all The Magic of Larlion books. Check out pictures, author information, and reviews of The Magic of Larlion

30/10/2023

Anne Marie Lewis has been a client of Shaun Toole's Turn-Key Audiobooks for several years, and I am very proud to see our recent project nominated for a SOVAS award! I am grateful to have worked with several other narrators nominated for awards this year. All of you deserve the recognition!

15/04/2023

"I hear dead people." - A.I. uses old recordings to transform audiobooks (MSNBC)

Writer and narrator Tanya Eby is interviewed. A.I. is not helping her business... or any human narrator!

Edward Herrmann was a popular actor seen on “Gilmore Girls” and “Nixon,” now he is lending his voice to new audiobooks, even after his death nine years ago. NBC’s Steven Romo has more on how A.I. is behind this new audio narration technology.