How to Create an Audiobook Read in Your Own Voice
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Short answer: with Audiobook Maker you can have any book read in your own voice. Record 22–25 seconds of your voice reading a short passage, listen to two test clips generated with your cloned voice and, if you like them, pick the voice in the ★ PREMIUM Voices tab: every EPUB, PDF or TXT becomes an audiobook narrated by you. If the result does not convince you, you reject it and get a voucher worth what you paid.
It is ideal for parents who want to read bedtime stories even when they are away, for authors who want to narrate their own books, for teachers recording course material and for anyone who wants to leave a book in their voice to the people they love.
What you need
- A quiet room and a microphone: the one in your phone, laptop or a headset is enough.
- About 5 minutes for the sampling and 1–4 minutes to wait for the test clips.
- A valid email address: you will receive the voice code and the link to manage or delete the voice.
- The book to convert, in EPUB, PDF or TXT format.
- The sample can be recorded in English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and Hindi.
Step by step: from your voice to the audiobook
- Open the voice sampling wizard — On the Audiobook Maker home page open the ★ PREMIUM Voices tab and click «Sample your voice». Read the conditions and tick «This is my voice and I have the right to use it»: you can only sample your own voice.
- Choose language, accent and voice type — Select the language and accent you will speak with and whether the voice is female or male. These choices decide the passage you will be asked to read and the books the voice will be offered for.
- Record or upload the sample — Press «Record» and read the passage aloud, calmly and without stopping, in 22–25 seconds. Alternatively use «Choose an audio file…» to upload a recording (wav, mp3, m4a, ogg or webm, up to 20 MB). You can listen to it again and redo it as many times as you want.
- Pass the automatic quality check — The sample is analysed and transcribed automatically: too short or too long, background noise, long pauses, distortion, phone-quality audio or a passage that does not match the text are reported with a precise hint on how to fix them.
- Enter your email and pay — Give the voice a name (optional), type your email twice and press «Pay and generate the trials». The price is shown before payment; right after, you receive the voice code by email.
- Listen to the two test clips — In 1–4 minutes two short passages read with your cloned voice are ready: a common passage and a chosen passage. Listen to them carefully, ideally with headphones.
- Approve or reject — If you like the result press «Approve». Otherwise press «Reject and request a refund», write in a few words why: the voice is deleted and you receive by email a voucher worth what you paid, usable for the Premium services.
- Generate the audiobook in your voice — Upload your EPUB, PDF or TXT, open ★ PREMIUM Voices and pick your voice from the «Your voices» group at the top of the list (it appears when the book language matches the voice language). Check the cost estimate and start the generation: you get MP3 files or an M4B audiobook with chapters, narrated in your voice.
Tips for a sample that sounds like you
- Record in a small room with curtains, carpets or furniture: bare rooms add echo that the clone will copy.
- Keep the microphone 15–20 cm from your mouth and do not shout: a distorted sample produces a distorted voice.
- Read with the tone you want in the audiobook: calm and natural for novels, a bit livelier for children's stories.
- Turn off fans, air conditioning and notifications; do not record near a window facing the street.
- Do not use voice messages or phone calls as a source: narrow-band audio is rejected by the quality check.
Using your voice on other devices and with your family
The voice is immediately available on the device where you created it. To use it on another phone, tablet or computer, open the wizard there, choose «Did someone give you a voice code?» and fill in «Add with a voice code» with the voice code, the name of the device and a short introduction.
The voice owner receives an email with that introduction and a confirmation code valid for 24 hours: only after entering it is the device authorised. This way you can share your voice with your partner, children or grandparents, and nobody can use it without your consent.
Privacy and control over your voice
- Only you can sample your voice, and the consent is required explicitly before recording.
- From the link in the email you can see the authorised devices or delete the voice at any time.
- On each device you can use «Remove from this device» to take the voice off that device only.
- The voice expires after one year without use (each audiobook renews it); you are reminded by email 30 days before.
- Keep the voice code private: whoever has it can ask you to use your voice, but still needs your confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the voice sample need to be?
22 to 25 seconds of continuous speech reading the passage shown by the wizard. Shorter or much longer recordings are rejected by the automatic check, which tells you what to fix.
Can I narrate a book in a language different from my sample?
The voice is offered for books in the language and accent you chose when sampling. To narrate in another language, sample your voice again in that language.
What happens if I do not like my cloned voice?
After listening to the two test clips you can reject the voice, writing briefly why. The voice is deleted and you receive by email a voucher worth what you paid, usable for the Premium services of the platform.
Can someone else use my voice without permission?
No. A new device needs the voice code and your approval: you receive an email with the name of the device and the introduction written by the requester, and only the confirmation code you give them (valid 24 hours) authorises it.
Which files can I turn into an audiobook with my voice?
EPUB, PDF and TXT files, the same formats as the standard voices. The result can be MP3 files or an M4B audiobook with chapters, compatible with Apple Books and the main audiobook players.
How long does my voice stay available?
As long as you use it: the voice expires after one year of inactivity and every audiobook generated renews the period. You receive a reminder email before it expires and can delete it earlier from the management link.