Want to make a killing, snuggled up at home with a cup of tea and a book? Then you’re just the right person to get paid to read books aloud.
Audiobooks are a big deal right now. Lots of people find reading a book to be a chore, or simply don’t have (or make) time to do it.
The benefits of audiobooks are that you can listen to them while you’re driving, on your commute, or while you’re relaxing, without any effort on your part, and still be able to take in all the knowledge the book offers, or enjoy a gripping story.
Audiobooks are a perfect way to wind down before bed without a book smacking you in the face as you drift off (we know you’ve done it too), and reading them out loud is the dream job of many, but most people don’t even know that this amazing job exists.
In this post, we’ll be covering 5 websites where you can read aloud for money.
Why Do Companies Pay You To Read Books Aloud?
It might seem like the dream job and maybe you’re wondering why anyone would pay you to do such a relaxing hobby, but with so many people wanting to listen to audiobooks, and SO many books already out there in the world, someone needs to record the reading of the book in order for everyone else to be able to listen to it.
This is where you step in. You read and get paid. It really is that simple. And let me tell you now, you get paid WELL.
This isn’t another Fiverr gig where you’re scraping in just enough to get by, when you get paid to read books out loud, it is lucrative.
How Much Can You Make By Reading Books Aloud
When looking to get paid to read books aloud, you’ll see that most companies pay ‘per finished hour’. This disregards any hours in the studio and pays for the finished products.
For example, if it took you two hours to read a chapter but the final cut is just one hour, you’ll just be paid for that one.
Don’t despair yet, because while it may seem a little unfair to not be paid for all of the time you’re working, the pay more than makes up for it.
You might think that reading books aloud is in the same category as reading emails for companies or playing PayPal games, where you make a few cents here and there, but you couldn’t be more wrong.
As a beginner in this field, you can expect to make at least $50 per finished hour, and for those with a little more experience, or those who stumble across the right platform, you can earn up to $400 per finished hour.
Yes, you heard me right…a job you can do from the comfort of your home, that doesn’t require a degree or loads of experience for FOUR HUNDRED BUCKS an hour.
Before you hastily close this tab in order to open an Audible account, check out our handy tips to help you get paid to read English.
Tips For Reading Books Aloud
In order to read books aloud and get paid, you’ll need to have great narration skills. On top of that, it’s worth polishing up your impressions to enable you to read books in an engaging way.
If you’re serious about being a book narrator, you might consider some professional training to boost your skills quickly.
Remember that companies hire you to bring books to life and connect millions of people across the globe with their love of a great book, so monotonous voices are OUT.
Although you obviously want to be earning the big bucks immediately (who wouldn’t), you’ll need to price your services at the lower end of the spectrum if you haven’t done much voice acting before.
But don’t worry, you can keep upping your rates as you gain experience, until you’re topping the charts, and making thousands and thousands of dollars a month.
Lastly, you’ll need some equipment before getting started reading audiobooks out loud. Here is the minimum that you’ll need to make sure you have at home before your first gig:
- A laptop or desktop computer. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to go with Windows or Apple, but just know that a mobile tablet won’t do.
- A USB microphone.
- A pop filter. This helps to eliminate irritating background sounds and makes your audio sound clearer.
- Audio editing software. This might sound expensive, but you can use a free tool, such as Audacity.
How To Get Paid To Read Books Aloud
While reading books aloud does require some skills and you may need training in order to start, here are 5 websites that provide opportunities for voice narration.
ACX
ACX is the first website to sign up to in order to get paid for reading audiobooks. It is owned and operated by Amazon and it deals with all aspects of creating an audiobook, from freelance writing to sound production to…narrators!
ACX makes it easy to sign up with your Amazon account, and you’ll regularly find hundreds of different audition opportunities.
Once you’ve been hired, the author will need to approve the first 15 minutes of audio before you continue with the rest of the book.
You also have the option to choose how to get paid. You can either get paid per finished hour, or you can share royalties on audiobook sales with the author, which, depending on the success of a book, could see you with dollar signs in your eyes, or could land you on your butt, wishing you’d accepted an hourly rate.
Audible
When you first think of audiobooks, it’s likely Audible that you think of. It’s the biggest platform for audiobooks on the internet, and sells straight through Amazon, making it not only convenient for readers but also a fantastic site for narrators to work with.
As Audible works with Amazon, you’ll need to sign up with ACX before you can get paid to read books out loud. The benefit of this is that you only really need to get to grips with one platform, in order to get jobs for either ACX itself or Audible.
Voice123
Voice123 is the right choice for you if you are already a professional voice actor. The big companies hang out there, looking for talent, and people have landed massive gigs with multi-billion-dollar companies, such as Coca-Cola and the New York Times.
There are different membership options on the platform, ranging from a free plan up to one that costs $4950, which might seem ludicrous, but would soon pay off if you landed the right job.
You might be wondering what benefits you could possibly get from paying almost $5000 a year on this website, and rightly so.
The difference with a paid plan is that you appear in more searches and receive more of the most competitive audition invitations.
Findaway Voices
Findaway Voices is a free platform that will suit you if looking for jobs is the part you dread (don’t we all). Instead of applying for auditions, authors have narrators recommended to them based on the fit.
It’s the leading company for self-published authors in the U.S, so the projects may be smaller, but that often means there is less competition.
There isn’t an option to receive royalty shares, so make sure you set the right ‘per finished hour’ rate.
Voices
Voices is highly regarded as one of the best platforms for narrators and voice actors to find high-paying gigs.
It has big claims as the number one marketplace in the industry, which is great in one way as there are plenty of opportunities available, but it also means there can be a lot of competition.
Voices doesn’t just focus on audiobooks, so if you find you love reading out loud, you can consider branching out into different types of voice acting, including animations, documentaries, video games, and translation.
The site has both free and paid membership options, and the main difference between the two is that with a paid membership, you will be automatically matched for audiobook jobs.
More Websites That Pay You To Read Books Aloud
If you’re looking for even more opportunities to earn an income through reading, here are some more platforms to check out.
Final Thoughts On Getting Paid To Read Books Aloud
If you’ve never thought of getting paid to read books aloud as a legitimate way to earn an income, we hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number of platforms that enable you to earn an income many can only dream of, simply by pressing ‘record’ and getting lost in a book.
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