How to Choose the Perfect Narrator for Your Audiobook (Tips for Publishers & Authors)
Introduction
You’ve finished your manuscript. The cover is ready. The publishing plan is in place. Now there’s one final decision that could make or break the success of your audiobook:
Who should narrate it?
Whether you’re an author considering narrating your own book or a publisher casting talent for a large catalogue, selecting the right narrator is about more than just a good voice. It’s about tone, pace, stamina, consistency, and how well they connect with the audience — even when the listener can’t see them.
This guide covers everything authors and publishers need to know when casting the perfect voice for an audiobook, from technical considerations to creative decisions.
Should You Narrate Your Book Yourself?
If you're the author, this might seem like a natural choice — after all, no one knows your material better than you.
Self-narration works well when:
The book is deeply personal (e.g. memoirs, self-help, or journals)
You have performance or voiceover experience
You can maintain tone and energy across long recording sessions
The tone benefits from authenticity rather than polish
But even with the right delivery, recording an audiobook yourself takes more than a mic and a quiet room. It involves sustained vocal stamina, mic technique, and often multiple sessions across several days — plus post-production and editing.
If you’re unsure, most studios (including Kore Sounds) will let you record a short audition section. This lets you (and the engineer) hear how your voice sounds when recorded professionally.
When to Hire a Professional Narrator
Hiring a trained narrator is usually the best option when:
The book is fiction with multiple characters, accents, or tone shifts
It’s a corporate, educational, or technical title that needs clarity and pace
You want a neutral narrator to let the content take centre stage
You’re a publisher working with multiple authors or releases
A professional narrator brings not just vocal quality, but consistency. They’ll know how to manage energy across long sessions, handle pickups and corrections smoothly, and deliver a final product that flows — no matter how dense the content.
Traits of a Great Audiobook Narrator
When evaluating potential narrators (or deciding if you're the right fit), here are the key qualities to look for:
1. Voice Quality and Character
This is the obvious one, but it’s more than sounding “nice.” The voice must match the tone and pace of the material.
Warm and friendly for self-help
Confident and neutral for non-fiction
Energetic and dynamic for young adult or fantasy fiction
Calm and clear for educational material
2. Clarity and Pacing
Great narration isn’t fast or flashy — it’s measured, clear, and easy to follow. Narrators should know how to pause for emphasis, vary tone, and never rush through content.
3. Stamina and Consistency
Audiobooks often require multiple days of recording, with long sessions. Narrators need to maintain a consistent sound, tone, and pacing from chapter to chapter, especially when recording over several days or weeks.
4. Acting Skill (for Fiction)
In fiction and narrative-driven non-fiction, your narrator may need to switch between voices, emotions, or accents without sounding forced. Subtle acting makes characters feel alive without becoming cartoonish.
5. Technical Experience
Experienced narrators understand how to work with a mic, adjust delivery on the fly, and minimise editing time with clean takes and good pacing.
Male or Female Narrator?
It depends entirely on the content and audience.
Fiction: Match the dominant POV character — if it's a female lead, consider a female narrator. For multiple POVs, you may need dual narration.
Non-fiction: Choose based on audience relatability, tone, and subject matter. A book on business leadership might suit a confident male or female narrator equally — depending on delivery style.
What matters more than gender is how the voice embodies the spirit of the content.
Where to Find Narrators
Professional audiobook studios often have established relationships with vetted voice talent. That includes both local and remote narrators who specialise in different genres.
At Kore Sounds, we help clients:
Cast from a pool of professional voice actors
Audition multiple voices based on sample scripts
Handle recording, editing, and mastering in one place
Offer remote direction via Source Connect or Zoom if needed
This streamlines the process and ensures the final product hits the right emotional and technical notes.
Should You Use AI Voices?
AI narration is becoming more common — but it still has serious limitations. While it might be acceptable for short or internal content, for public releases and commercial audiobooks, human narration is still essential.
AI lacks:
Emotional nuance
Dynamic pacing
Character variation
Authentic tone
For now, publishers and platforms like Audible still prioritise human-voiced content for premium releases.
Final Tips for Authors & Publishers
Listen to samples before making a decision — even a few minutes can reveal a lot
Test read your own content aloud before committing to self-narration
Match the voice to the message — don't just go for novelty or trends
Ask your studio if you’re unsure — they’ll guide you based on experience across genres
Choosing the right voice is one of the most powerful tools you have to bring your book to life. Whether that’s your own voice or someone else’s depends on the story, the audience, and the outcome you’re after.