Narration

Tips

• Try to work in pairs – it’s always great to have a second set of ears to pick up on mistakes. It also helps you keep a natural tone.
• Read the text before you record it – it helps to know what you’re reading. If you’re a wonderfully expressive reader who conveys the text well, you’ll also convey your confusion whenever you’re lost. Some folks will read over a page, record it, pause the recorder or save (safer), read over the next page, record that one, and so on.
• Allow pauses between sentences and paragraphs; take your time.
• A relaxed steady pace helps you to form the full sounds of the words.
• Try for a steady volume level by speaking up, as if your listener is sitting across a table from you, and keeping a steady distance from your mic (not closer, farther, closer).
• Modulate your voice — give it life! But don’t over-modulate your voice — give it truth! .
• Test first – make sure you’re not too close or too far from the microphone. Every time you record, say a couple sentences and check how it sounds.
• Put your microphone at an angle to your mouth, so your breath doesn’t hit the mic full on (making p-p-p-plosives).
• Turn off your phone, and shut your door — enjoy!
• When you make a mistake, pause a moment, and start again at the beginning of the sentence/paragraph — edit the mistake out later, after recording.
• Beware of having your headphones too loud as it may cause you to lower your voice.

* Most items adapted from Librivox