How to create a sample for ACX when you dont have any of your own
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
- Hey Guys! In today's video, I'll show you want to do if you are a new narrator and need to create some samples for your ACX profile.
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I'm just dipping my toes into audiobook narrating on ACX and this was very helpful. Thank you!
I just started uploading my auditions as samples. As I got better, I replaced old auditions with newer ones.
Did u start on your phone? With a mic? In a closet?
@@necieboo7766 I started with an Audio Technical AT2020 USB mic for about $120 I think. I recorded in my office with a few heavy blankets draped over furniture. It was good enough for my first two books on ACX which were royalty share only. Then I bought a new mic and built a booth out of PVC pipes and heavy blankets that are made for absorbing sound. I agree with those who say clothes closets are the best place to start because they absorb sound so well and are usually small with no windows.
I’ll tell you that the treated environment is more important than the mic. My old, cheap AT2020 USB mic sounds GREAT when I record from inside my booth!
You provided us with incredible information. I have been listening to audio books for a few years and decided just recently on becoming a narrator and you showed (me) important needs. Thank you so much Angela. Wow!
You are really informational and don’t make any judge mental remarks like some other CZcamsrs teaching about this ACX narration. Thank you for your videos!!
As soon as she started her narration I immediately recognized that voice! 😮
That's so cool!!
So helpful, thank you! 🙏🧡🎤💜
Your videos are so helpful! Thank you💕
Thank you so much! Your videos are extremely helpful!
Thank you Angela ☺️
This was extremely helpful. Thank you Angela :)
Thank you so much for sharing all this!
Dear Angela, how lucky and blessed am I to accidentally come across your CZcams channel! Amazing, and well presented. Clear. Structured well ❤️🩹! Bless you and many sincere "thank yous"))) best wishes and kindest regards, Andrew
Thanks for sharing. You do a fantastic job!
Fantastic video! Great information. I appreciate it.
This was incredible easy to understand!
Thank you 👍 I truly appreciate your channel... Just what I needed ❤️
Thank you for the very detailed straightforward explanation. Well done!
Great information. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Very inspiring and informative
Very helpful!!
this was so very helpful thank you so much :)
Most helpful video I have seen on this subject. Thank you so much, really appreciate it.
thank you, very helpful.
What a great voice !! Thank you to share it with us 🎖🌷⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌷
I absolutely love your channel!!
Thank you!!!❤
Thanks so much Angela!!! I always know who to come back to for the helpful tips😊You're the best❤
Thank you, this was very helpful:-)
44 100hz 16bit mono and wav. But mp3 for the final edit. That's the info I was looking for 🙂
I know it's been up for two years, but thank you for posting this with such detail. Even if I never manage to get any work, I already appreciate audiobook narration more from seeing how the sausage is made.
Thank you so much for showing the process of recording and editing. I am pretty computer savvy, but trying to get started and this really simplified and helped me know how to prep my auditions.
Thank you for your precise information, presented well! Getting started in voiceover...there is so much to learn in this exciting craft!
Great info, especially on the technical side.
What a nice n kind way of guiding the beginners - stay blessed ❤
Thank you SO much for this! I've been watching tutorial vids for 6 weeks now, and even submitted some auditions as well as posted my samples and this is the first time I've seen parameters and how to set them. Thank you!
Great video. Thank you so much for showing how to actually meet ACX standards.
Thank you so much for making this video. I just signed up for ACX today and this was a great video for me to see what I need to do to get picked.
Thanks continue
So informative, kind, clear and helpful. One of the best videos I've seen on this topic. Love your no nonsense, no judgement style. All the best to you and thank you for sharing your gifts.
Hi Angela thank you so much for this video it has help me alot ,my mind was blank thanks to you I know what to do now 🥰kisses
Thanks for the help from a beginner at audio Narration I knew you would have an awesome talent once I heard your voice in the beginning of the video Thank you for your help Keep up the good the good work!
Thank you!!
Thank you for your videos! You are very informative, and extremely helpful, in the necessary navigational tips and tools, to become successful in this industry. I am so glad that I found you, and thank you again!
Great video! I am just getting started in Voiceover, and it has been suggested to me that starting with ACX projects is a great way for this newbie to get my feet wet and get some projects under my belt. I'm going to watch and study your ACX videos. Thank you for the great content and advice! 🙂
Yay^^ I was 1K likes ^^ glad to be here ^^ thanks for all the great info!!
Thank you so much!!❤❤
Great video, I needed that fix for RMS. Had no idea that just fixing those three items would effect that number so much. Thanks and Merry Christmas.
Absolutely! You're welcome, and Happy Holidays to you!
Hi Angela. I’m really enjoying your videos and the information you’re giving. Once I finish working on a current audiobook, I’m going to work on getting eLearning jobs. Thanks for all the info.
Thants awesome! Thank YOU for watching!
It was amazing to watch you doing it... It teaches a lot! I speak English but it isn't my mother tongue so I have an idea of how I could do it. Thanks
Thank you for this. Now I see there's so much more into this audible producing, like software. Not just my speaker on my computer. This is my side Hussle and I'm studying for my real estate license. But, have been told often I have a good speaking voice and I love reading books to groups. If I could replace my income weekly and be able to be home and with my children more, it would be life CHANGING!!
Thank you for this amazing video. I'm just about to build a small studio in my garden to record my own book "For the love of murder: A miscarriage of justice." Your Video was very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you! Getting started with this and, though I love to read aloud, the tech bit and where to starts are a little unnerving. So again, thank you!
I’m new to this channel and voice over in general. This is super helpful information. Maybe I’m imagining this, but I think Angela’s voice sounds like Siri 😊
I hear that alot :)
Thank you so much, am very much interested in voice overs
This is INCREDIBLY helpful and INCREDIBLY overwhelming. I chuckle because on another platform, people tout the 'ease of having a side gig by recording books' - and there is A L O T of information to ingest/learn/navigate! Not as easy as read/save/submit. I'm leaning into this learning curve - voice-over/audiobooks have been a dream of mine... Can you share (and if you have, I'm new here) the baby steps you took? How did you even begin this journey? I look forward to hearing back. HUGS - Kimberly
Exactly how I'm feeling. I watch this video, and then feel I need to find other videos that show me how to master the software itself.
@@foxlovealways Angela suggests to start with LibriVox to volunteer for narration. I started doing this a couple of days ago. Not as easy as I thought but learning how to navigate Audacity. Hopefully this prepares me for acx.
Care to share any progress you have made since this post?
@@soniamoraleschemistry How is your Audacity learning going? I started to learn it yesterday for my start into Voice Over work.
Off topic but I'm digging the night before Christmas art lol. That's a nice little fireplace mantle.
Santa? My nephew made it for me, lol. But I do have Jack Skellington somewhere in there....
Thank you so much for this, Angela! Just started audio narrating for LibriVox as you suggested in one video. Not as easy as it seems but did complete two sections of a short story. Just need four more sections to go. I separated the work by sections to make it easier. After this, I will try a few more short stories and then do a sample for acx. Really enjoy this plus being unemployed I want to see if I can make some money doing this. Even if I get a per finished hour rate, I will be happy to have a stream of income.
Awesome! Yes, it does take some time to get the hang of it, especially the technical aspect, but it is alot of fun. Keep going!!
@@VoiceOverAngela Time for sure. I hope to buy more equipment and software as soon as I am able. Especially that Adobe Audition software that works wonders as you show in video.
Just found your channel and subscribed. Thank you so much for these videos and all of this information! VO/VA has been a dream of mine for many years. My husband pursuing his writing has nudged me to work towards turning my dream into a goal. I had no idea there was so much involved! It's quite overwhelming, but I'm determined to learn. The few videos of yours that I've seen so far have been so helpful and informative. I've crammed about as much new information into my brain as it can handle for tonight, but I will definitely be watching more (probably all) in the near future. Thanks!
Thank you for watching! Go for it!
Lady you just have a natural and native gift and very talent voice and the way you narrate. I was just searching for some income through the internet but I must admit that this does not suite me. The narrator voice is something that you cannot learn it is just a natural gift and talent from the time one was born.
Thanks for the video helps a lot. I noticed when I record a audio there's a green line with squares how do you remove that ?
I recognize that voice!
Hi,
Boy are you incredibly giving. Thank You! I take in information verryy slowly---and I'm okay with that. With audacity, I've noticed that simply plugging a singer's dynamic 3/4" plug microphone into my laptop(with an adapter to standard mini-plug), I can record without an interface. Drawbacks?
Thanks
you have such a soothing voice. I am glad i found your channel. what type of mic do you use? thank you
Thank you for watching! I use a Sennheiser 416 MKH.
Hi there.. I think your voice is so soothing and very nice to listen to.. also your hair looks great🤗 My question is how do you know if you have a voice that would be good or nice for narrating? I wouldn’t say I have a smooth voice, but I am really interested in trying to record my voice for audiobooks. Thank you for your help
Craig
This is very exciting! You are very good at explaining every step. My question is, What would you recommend for an Audio starter kit to get started? Microphone? or any other gadgets that are helpful. Where to purchase as well. Thank-you!
Hey Angela thanks for such an informative video. I have a few questions:
Does ACX work in the UK?
And Please also guide us what equipments are the best(for example in terms of mic/ filters and laptop you use for recording and editing) as a beginner and which also give pro results.
And lastly do we get paid directly into our accounts?
Looking forward to your reply … thanks.
You sound like Siri, I love it
Hey Angela! thank you for sharing such great knowledge for us! i have question about the plugins you have, do you have any tutorial on how to set it up? or maybe how to get that?
thank you
I have a few videos in which I talk about the plugins, creating presets and the like. Those are in my audiobook narration Playlist. 🙂
Trying to find in one of your vidoes what magic program you used to drag and drop your audio file into before you started editing? I think it was called equalized or something.
Thanks for your content and your help!
Hello, which of the two is better to reject plusive, Rode SM6 , Rode SMR Shockmount ? Metal or regular ?
Plosives are best reduced, in my opinion, by mic placement off axis ( to the side of your mouth instead of directly in front) and a pop filter.
Thank you so much for these tips! One quick question on ACX and not sure if you can answer it or not (and if not I totally understand) but during payment on an audiobook do they withhold taxes, will we have to pay taxes on our royalties/flat rates during tax season?
This is super helpful! I'm dreading the software part, it looks overwhelming, but I'm sure it's something you get used to 🙈 Does the sample piece need to have the opening and closing bits (where you state the title, subtitles, author, narrator etc)
Absolutely, you do get used to it. Your sample should not include anything other than your narration. The title or any other information can be included in the name / title of the sample.
@@VoiceOverAngela thank you so much! 😁
Angela dear wish you were using Audacity as I love your style of explaining but unfortunately it's for Adobe Audition which I don't use.
Have you found any videos using audacity that you would recommend
Hey there I just paid monthly membership and I am excited. How long does it typically take to get email so that I can access the workshop?
Welcome! Please contact me through my website so I can walk you through your access.
What is the name of the app you use for recording? By the way i love your job and the way you explain everything
I use Adobe Audition to record myself. Thanks for watching!
Wow- this is a lot of work to record and edit. Your voice is so soothing sounding. If it’s a long book, this would take many hours to complete a project.
I have most of the equipment and even the software to get started (due to being an Indie Musician).
My concern is living in an Apartment in Phoenix, there’s so much noise. I am a great reader with a pleasant voice so I think I could do this.
I am just concerned I would do so much time consuming work with little compensation.
Also- aren’t there more voice over artists compared to jobs? I assume it’s very competitive to get work through ACX.
It is alot of work, but it's a passion. I also love in a similar situation and have to just take a pause while recording of there's noise. Some record early in the morning or late at night in these situations to ensure a bit of quiet. All voices and perspectives are unique, so it's not really completion, its a wide selection. There are lots of narrators on ACX, but a good portion of people never stuck with it. I'd say, if this is your passion, go for it.
I'm an IT person and I commend you for such great explanations on using the software and the tips for recording auditions. My question: I was born and raised in Texas and spent about 15 years in Virginia. My accent is definitely southern. Are there markets for voices like mine when the accent is that distinctive?
Yes, there is. There is a market for every voice. :) Thank you for the kudos, I'm glad my videos help in any way. ❤
Good video with good info. Just a question, will Audacity work as a good file for uploading for Audio books?
Yes, I know many narrators who use Audacity for audiobooks.
Hi Angela, Kimberly Brown - 8 months ago ( below ) : A HUGE DITTO from me. regards Anthony.
Thanks for the great video, Angela! I did have one question though; Some of the books on Amazon allow customers to read a free sample of the book before purchasing it so do you think that using the text from a free sample would still fall under copyright?
If you are using it as an audition for that book, no. Although if you are using it as a sample for ACX, ACX does say that you can do that, and if the RH has an issue with it, they will remove it. I wouldn't use it for anything else other than ACX though.
When we do samples or the audition do we state the title, author, and who's narrating or is that only when you get the job?
I am just about to get started into this field. I got some equipment and have downloaded audacity for recording. I don't think I can afford Adobe Audition yet. Any advice for those using Audacity?
Hello, which is better vocal blanket or vocal foam
I think either will do the trick for reducing reflection. I would depend on your space and if you're dealing with any other sound issues as well. But the blankets cover more area for less.
@@VoiceOverAngela thanks for the reply
Thank you for this video! This may be a naive question, but can I not use an excerpt from a book I own and have in my home library? As long as I name the author and don’t use it for anything other than voice sample?
Thank you for watching! ACX used to state on their website that they allow you to use an excerpt from a book off of your own shelf for a sample. I do see that that now they say to consider using books in the public domain. You can find these on Gutenberg.org.
Once you do have a couple books you have done for pay, what is the legality of using a sample from those books for your portfolio?
Can you use a voice over reel from other work, or should it be a sample book reading? Thank you so much for all of your videos! I am learning so much. Been in the radio industry mostly for 20+ years, some video VO work, and looking at my next thing as my kids are getting older.
Thanks for watching! For ACX, or audiobook demo, it should be audiobook narration.
@@VoiceOverAngela good to know! Thank you for the quick reply! I might reach out to you from your website! A whole VO world is opening up before my eyes…
Hi Angela. I am wondering if Sag /Aftra perfomers are able to record and narrate ?
Yes! Be sure to check the union member info on ACX and GVAA for rates.
Good Tuesday everyone! I recorded a few scripts but I think I sound like an idiot when I play it back.
Are you familiar with audacity? How do I check these standards in audacity to see if my audio file fits their standards?
I'm trying to learn to do this it's a dream of mine... I have a public speaking and communications degree but the computer/tech side of it is so scary for me...
I get it, it's overwhelming. But the only way to start learning it is to take that step forward and do it. :)
where do you purchase the plug-ins you mentioned using in the Audiobook 2 preset; 'isotope', I think is what I heard you say?
Izotope is where I bought my plugins :) There are also some great plugins to be found on waves.com
@@VoiceOverAngela thank you! and since you mentioned Gutenberg, does that mean you can't read from your personal bookshelf because they are most likely still under copyright?
@@lilliangonzales8893 for ACX samples, ACX did you can use a book from your shelf. I always take extra precautions and just used books in the public domain.
@@VoiceOverAngela Do you offer courses in audio editing? I was trying to view the workshop area on your site, but wasn't able to click the links. thanks!
@@lilliangonzales8893 hi! No, I do not have any courses specifically on audio editing, but we do discuss editing techniques in my Platinum group meetings as well as in one on one meetings via zoom with me.
Hi Angela, i know you recommend using the Adobe Auditions for everyone but do you know if it will be as good through using garage band? Have you had any one ask this or any Luck with this yourself? Also I freaking love these videos thank you so much!
Thank you! I haven't used garage band, but from what I've heard, you're better off using Audacity for free or moving to a paid DAW, like Adobe Audition or Reaper.
@@VoiceOverAngela ok fine I’ll suck it up and get adobe audition! Hahaha
Thanks again for being amazing
Very new to the platform of VO but would my paid Adobe membership come with those plug ins available or would this be separate.
@@btkapproved7994 Adobe has some great effects already included. You may not even need to buy Additional plug ins, you should only buy them if you need them.
Hi. I'm trying to get into this line of work, and I was wondering if I could use examples of my own writing for audio samples.
Absolutely!
@@VoiceOverAngela Thank you so much for the prompt reply!
Is this system you are using on ACX?
Is ACX even worth trying? I was gonna invest in a mic but i fear it’s oversaturated and there won’t be a place for me.
what do you do if the peak amplitude is -3.01?
That's fine, you just can't eclipse-3. That is the peak. You can be slightly under. :)
Are there books that you should not choose for samples?
I would choose genres you'd like to narrate. Stay away from accents or voices you cannot sustain yet. Thanks for watching!
Hello Angela, I am one of your subscribers. Quick question for you. So I went into my walk-in closet that is full of clothing and there was nothing on in the house and it was super super super quiet and I hit record on my Daw and did not make a peep and there was no one in the house but me and lo and behold my noise floor is -37DB. I don’t understand that. What is it picking up? There is absolutely no noise to be heard in that walk-in closet full of clothes.
What should the noise floor be in complete silence like that?
It could be your mic or interface cables, vibration from whatever the mic is sitting on, computer fan, electronic noise or hvac noise... it could be a number of things, unfortunately.
I found the issue! My microphone input level was simply to high at 90%. I cut it down to 65% and my noise floor is fine now. Thank you for getting back that’s awesome! Keep up the great work :-)
@@stihlsawrepairs7955 oh good! Even easier than what I was thinking! That's awesome!
I always see sitting in these dark rooms or tiny padded closets. Do you do that for hours every day?
Yes, all day, just about every day. :)
hi, I'm actually a mixing engineer and ran into a video about Acx on CZcams. If I have no experience butwant to start doing this plus have all the equipment. Should I say that I'm a beginner on my profile? or would that get me no gigs? I'm interested in auditioning for a few authors, but I'm confused on how to fill out my profile with no experience in narrating.
You have more experience than most of us at the beginning! What it comes down to is how well you tell the story... Do not mention that you are new, that inadvertently tells anyone who sees your profile that you don't know what you're doing... and they may not even give you an opportunity.
@@VoiceOverAngela ok cool I actually put I'm new to it on my profile. But I'm definitely going to change that loll appreciate the advice. If you ever need a new eq setting i can help you out if you need help. Thanks for responding I appreciate it. And good luck on your journey I will update you when I get my first gig lol
I'm fairly new with Audacity. I could be wrong, but I don't think Audacity has that nice preset.
Hi Angella,
I hope you're doing well.
Can you please guide me related to an issue I am facing and I'm worried because I found no solution on internet.
Issue:
I have an audiobook of my client each chapter is almost 15 mins, what my client wants to add 40 sec pause after each phrase, (to make chapter 1H & add mild soothing background music) after adding pauses, RMS fails, When I try to adjust RMS level Peak level fails & when peak level adjusted RMS fails again (I have tried with putting multiple values but still doesn't work. (This issue was resolved after adding background music all ACX pass but not in all chapters just in a few after the music)
My question may not sound professional as I am new in this field, I hope you don't mind.
Thank you.
(Software: Audacity)
You are only allowed up to a 5 second pause in an audiobook, so this is not possible. Audiobook retail pricing is based on the length of the book, so they are trying to get a larger price point. If they would like a longer book, they will need to write more words, it cannot be done with pauses.
@@VoiceOverAngela that's what i told to my client but he said just add background music and make 15 mint story to 1H by adding 40 sec pause, I don'nt know how audible will accept this
@@arsalanjutt4243 sounds like this publisher is NOT reputable. I would move on to a different book or something. It is sad, but there are some out there. You may have to chalk that one up as a learning experience.