Did you know that you can get paid to read books aloud?
It's true! There are many companies that will pay you to read books aloud. This is a great way to make money while doing something you love - reading!
Before you start getting paid to read books aloud, there are a few things you should know. First, you must locate a company willing to pay you for your services.
Second, you must be able to read aloud clearly and with good pronunciation. Finally, you must be able to read at a consistent rate.
If you can do all of these things, you're well on your way to making money by reading aloud books!
Can You Make Money By Reading Aloud?
Yes, you can earn money by reading books aloud for audiobooks. There are several online platforms that pay people to record their voice narration of books. These are then sold as audiobooks on various platforms such as Audible, Spotify, and others.
The amount you earn will be determined by your experience, the length of the book, and the amount of time you devote to narrating.
Get Paid to Read Book Aloud: 6 Companies to Check Out
1. Audio Creative Exchange (ACX)
ACX is a marketplace, production platform, and sales system for audiobooks that connect authors and other book rights holders with voice actors, recording studios, and audiobook publishers.
It was created by Audible.com to provide readers with more options and to provide publishers and authors with a larger audience.
While working with them, you will be known as a Producer for the narration job, which will pay you to read books out loud for platforms like Audible and iTunes.
You can decide how much you'll get paid based on your experience, the amount of work, the cost of your equipment, studio time, and how much time you'll spend on the production. Most producers set their rates between $200 and $400 per finished hour.
How to Join ACX?
- Sign up for ACX and create a profile describing your acting and audiobook experience.
- Upload several samples based on accents, genre, and style to your profile.
- Choose between a per-finished-hour rate and a 50% share of royalties as your pay rate. If you're unsure, you can select both.
- Look for a book for the audition. Once found, narrate, produce, and record a few minutes of the manuscript. If the client likes your sample, you'll get an offer.
- You can then accept the offer by finalizing delivery dates for the first 15 minutes of audio and the final audiobook, as well as payment terms.
- Then, record and upload a 15-minute checkpoint of the audiobook for approval or feedback from the Rights Holder. When the sample has been approved, record the rest of the project and get paid.
- You can also seek advice from other audiobook experts.
2. Bunny Studio
Bunny Studio is another excellent website where you can get paid to read aloud as a voice artist. It was previously known as Voice Bunny before rebranding as Bunny Studio.
It provides an opportunity to work with clients from a variety of backgrounds, industries, and nationalities. You can use their service as a voice artist for free because they don't have to pay any fees to use their platform. They will, however, add a margin to your hourly rates that you can set based on your experience.
You can set your own schedule and you are free to either accept or reject a project, As a bonus, you will get a support team that is ready to provide feedback from the quality control team in case of rejection.
How to Join Bunny Studio?
- Click on the “Join Us” button under the Voice Artist option.
- Create an account and fill in all the details.
- Submit the application by filling in your country name, and phone number, uploading your samples, etc.
- After submitting the application, you must wait for feedback, which could take several days.
- Once accepted, you can begin earning money by accepting projects.
3. Voice123
Voice123, the world's first voiceover marketplace, was founded in 2003 and has received over 250,000 projects. This company is used by some very large companies to hire voice talent, including NBC, Coca-Cola, and The New York Times.
While working on this platform, you can get access to a variety of voice-over projects from clients all over the world.
Aside from book narration jobs, you can work in a variety of project categories such as cartoons, commercials, movies, radio, and video games.
The great thing about them is they do not take a percentage of your earnings while working with them. You can get paid through PayPal, credit card, checks, or wire transfers.
Though their standard membership is free, they do offer a paid membership with a 30-day money-back guarantee with better reach and benefits.
How to Join Voice123?
- You need to set up a profile and fill out all of the required information. Make sure your profile is complete with background information and voice-over samples.
- You will begin receiving project invitations that match your preferences and budget specifications.
- Select the appropriate invitation and submit the audition that will be heard by potential clients.
- If you are chosen, you can take on their project and develop long-term business relationships that will benefit you in the future.
4. Findaway Voices
Findaway Voices are in the business of producing and selling audiobooks for clients at Spotify, Audible, Apple Books, Google, Chirp, Scribd, and 40 other retailers.
It was founded in 2016 by Findaway, an audio technology company, to provide access to the world's largest audiobook distribution network.
As a narrator. you are paid on a pay-for-hour (PFH) basis for reading books aloud, which you can change at any time. All payments will be made within 14 days of the final approved audio.
How to Join Findaway Voices?
- You need to create a narrator account and claim your own personal narrator URL.
- Make sure to make a fully customizable profile page with an audio intro, samples, filter tags, a background image, and a personalized URL.
- Then, connect with the authors by tagging the samples with a specific language, accent, or tone, making it easy for authors to narrow down potential narrators.
Final Thoughts
If you're just starting out, don't worry that your voice isn't perfect and won't captivate your audience.
Establishing yourself in any field requires hard work and persistence, but remember that the rewards will be worth the sacrifices.
So, keep working hard, invest in good equipment, and apply to a variety of companies in case you are rejected. I'm confident you'll be able to make this a profitable side hustle. Good luck!