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Google accelerates audiobook production exponentially

Allan Tépper

In March 2022, I published Google’s Aloud auto-dubs your English video in Castilian or Portuguese, free. Now, Google is doing a similar quantum leap for audiobook production. In fact, I already converted and published one of my own books as an audiobook successfully using Google’s semi-automatic voices. Ahead, I’ll explain how Google’s process can convert the manuscript into a presentable audiobook in a few hours instead of over a month of work, using one of Google’s automated voices which are available for different languages and regions. Google even allows its audiobook production to be sold on other platforms as long as Google is not undercut.  I’ll also explain why this semi-automatic approach isn’t appropriate for all book titles and how I plan to use a different service from a different company to convert the English version of the same book into an audiobook.

In this article:

 

Required source manuscript format for auto-conversion

The required source manuscript format is ePub (also written as EPUB), with the extension .epub. This format is the most popular one for ebooks if we exclude Amazon Kindle’s proprietary ones. Of course, if the ebook version of the book you desire to convert to an audiobook is already on sale via Google Books (as is the case with the book I converted) no re-uploading of the ePub file is required, since Google already has it. In that case, a single click is required to convert an existing ebook (which is already on sale via Google Books) to initiate the process. Either way, the proper ePub file already has the Front Matter and the separated chapters. In case you are unfamiliar, Front Matter can include sections like half title, frontispiece, title page, copyright page, dedication page, epigraph, table of contents, foreword, preface, acknowledgements, introduction and prologue. Some of these are automatically “muted” by Google, but we are free to “unmute” and edit any of these pages, as well as the individual chapters, as to be covered ahead in this article. In any case, it’s important to know that this editing does not affect the ebook version, which remains unaffected by these changes. It should be noted that many audiobooks include a credit to the narrator, as did the one I recently produced, La conspiración del castellano.

Prepare your unique audiobook cover, with its unique aspect ratio

Unlike printed books (which are usually rectangular and usually include a spine and a back cover) and ebooks (which are usually rectangular and do not include any spine or back cover), audiobooks are generally square in shape, just like the cover art for audio podcasts, CD covers and vinyl albums.

Audiobook covers should be square, like podcast art, CD covers and vinyl LP albums.

 

For the audiobook release of La conspiración del castellano, I asked my designer Andreína Ascanio Toro of ViniloArt.com to create a square version, which also mentions that it’s the audiobook version.

Acquire the unique ISBN for the audiobook

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. Each version of any book title must have a unique ISBN, meaning that the paperback edition must have a different one for the ebook and audiobook, and each language version must also be unique. Although some platforms don’t require any ISBN for ebooks or audiobooks, they are indeed recommended for reasons that go beyond the scope of this article. Since at TecnoTur, I buy ISBNs in bulk since I use so many for my own books and those of my many author clients, I am able to offer ISBNs at a substantial discount for those authors who are clients.

Pick your desired voice

Google offers a growing list of automated voices in different languages and for different regions. They are available both in male and female. I listened to the available male voices for Castilian and picked Simón for La conspiración del castellano. I also included a credit for him in the Front Matter.

Exclude, include and edit the manuscript’s Front Matter

As explained earlier, Google includes all Front Matter from the ePub manuscript, but by default “mutes” some of them. We are free to “unmute” any of them and then edit them appropriately for the audiobook presentation. None of these changes affect the ebook which is likely already for sale on Google Books.

Edit the text of each chapter to be appropriate for audio presentation… and even direct the virtual voice talent

Sometimes, the ebook version includes images or diagrams which cannot be part of an audiobook. In those cases, you can choose to eliminate references to them. You may also edit them to indicate that there are images or diagrams available in the ebook and print version to promote them. That ‘s what I did in some cases.

In addition, sometimes words  which appear in parenthesis in an ebook or print version will require extra words in the audio version. For example, you may have to add the words “also known as” or “for example”, when those things can be more obvious in the ebook or print versions.

Finally, you can “direct” the automated voice by adding or subtracting commas. You can even force the automated voice to pronounce a word differently by adding hyphens or changing the official spellings of a proper name. There are also some tools to adjust the pronunciation.

Submit the audiobook for approval

After you have listened to each chapter in preview mode and are satisfied with them, you submit the audiobook draft for approval by Google.

Set worldwide pricing for the audiobook

Even if you have already set the pricing for the ebook version, Google wants you to set a different price for the audiobook, by region and currency. Like other book platforms, Google is allowed to discount the price, and did with my audiobook. However, in order to be able to use the audio files produced by Google (free for a limited time, not yet specified by Google), we must not undercut the list price on other platforms. On other platforms, it must be the same list price or higher. For  La conspiración del castellano I have it on its own website and will soon post it on other audiobook platforms (where it’s already available as an ebook). Of course, when a book is on the author’s own website, there are three key advantages for the author:

 

Download the audio files for use on other platforms

Google provides the audio files as MP3. I am disappointed that Google has not yet read the memo that MP3 has been obsolete since 1997, when it was superseded by AAC and more recently with AAC-HE, where higher quality audio is achieved at even lower bit rates (i.e. smaller files). In fact, the audio embedded in H.264 video files has always been AAC. However, I am very grateful that Google offers them and allows us to sell them independently, as long as we don’t undercut Google.

So far, I have the audiobook of La conspiración del castellano at its own website and in Google Books. I also promoted it in an episode of my CapicúaFM show. Later, I’ll publish it on other platforms where it’s already on sale as an ebook.

Why some books don’t fit

Some books are not appropriate (currently) with Google’s automated system because they require different voices for different characters. Others are inappropriate because they require more emotion. In the case of the English adaptation of  La conspiración del castellano (which is The Castilian Conspiracy), it’s because the English version contains many Castilian terms and names which must sound like a native Castilian speaker. Even though Google has voices for Castilian and for English, Google doesn’t currently allow combining different voices within the same audiobook

How I plan to convert the English version of this title to an audiobook

I plan to create an AI (artificial intelligence) based voice of my own voice using Descript’s Overdub feature. I have covered Descript before both in my BeyondPodcasting show and here in ProVideo Coalition magazine.

 

For more info on Google’s audiobook production

For more information on Google’s audiobook production, click here.

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Most of my current books are at books.AllanTepper.com, and also visit AllanTepper.com and radio.AllanTepper.com.

 

FTC disclosure

There is currently no commercial relationship between the Google and Allan Tépper, other than the fact that Allan Tépper and TecnoTur LLC have purchased Google services and earn royalties from Google Books. Some of the manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations.  So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.

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