How to Get Your Audiobook on Spotify

Great news for all authors, Spotify is now carrying audiobooks! This means you will be able to easily reach an entire new audience of listeners. Spotify has over 400 million active users and keeps growing, this is an amazing opportunity for your audiobook to be discovered.

We help a lot of our clients get on Audible going through the ACX, as that has been the standard market place for Audiobooks and continues to be so. However it is advisable to be in as many places as possible to meet listeners where they are at.

Wether you already have an audiobook on audible (with a non-exclusive deal), or you are an author that is in the process of wanting to create an audiobook, this step by step guide will make it simple for you to get on Spotify!

If you are an independent/self-published author, the easiest way to get on Spotify is using Findaway Voices.

What is FINDAWAY VOICES?

Findaway Voices is the world's largest audiobook distributor. They give you access to the entire listening world through retail and library partners ranging from major global brands to fresh new startups. The company is now owned by Spotify, to grow in the audiobook space.

How to Upload Your Audiobook on Spotify

In order to upload your audiobook on Spotify you will need to sign up for an account with Findaway Voices here. Then you'll need to provide some basic information about yourself like your Name, Email, Password, etc... It will also show this:

Make sure to select Author if you already have an audiobook and you just want to use their distribution platform. If you are an author and don’t have an audiobook yet, you can narrate it yourself using our innovative audiobook production services, or we can handle the entire process with one of our narrators. We’ve worked with top publishers like Penguin Random House, Scribe Media, and Amazon.

1. Once you've signed up, you'll be taken to the dashboard. Click on the "Upload" button to begin the process.

2. Findaway Voices will ask you to provide some information about your audiobook, including the title, author, and narrator.

3. Next, you'll need to upload your audiobook files. Findaway Voices accepts a variety of formats, including MP3, WAV, and FLAC. You can either upload the files directly or use an FTP client to transfer them.

4. After your files have been uploaded, you'll need to review the metadata for your audiobook. This includes things like the cover image, the description, and the pricing.

5. Once you're satisfied with the metadata, you can choose which distribution channels you want to use. Make sure to select Spotify as one of your distribution channels.

6. Findaway Voices will then distribute your audiobook to Spotify, as well as other platforms like Audible, Apple Books, and Google Play.

7. After your audiobook has been distributed, you'll be able to track its sales and earnings through the Findaway Voices dashboard.

Conclusion

I hope this guide was helpful! Remember that in order to upload your audiobook to Spotify you will have to have a non-exclusive deal with Amazon (ACX). There is pros and cons, because if your audiobook is exclusive with amazon you will be on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes, and get to keep much higher royalties, however they set the price of your audiobook and you can’t sell it anywhere else. That’s a decision you will have to decide, let me know what you end up going with in the comments below!

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If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer remote audiobook production and editing services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Listen to some of our audiobook samples here to get started.

How to Create a Podcast Intro and Outro

If you’re reading this, it means you are ready to start creating your podcast intro and outro!

We work with various podcasting clients, editing, adding on-brand music, mixing, and mastering their intro/outro. Although we do all the heavy lifting to make it sound professional, it is up to the show host to come up with what to say.

This guide will help with exactly that, we will break down everything you need to know to come up with an effective script to use on your podcast intro/outro. Before we get started it will be important for you to understand:

Why are Podcast Intros/Outros Important?

The intro sets the tone for the entire episode and is the listener's first impression of your podcast. A well-crafted intro can grab the listener's attention and get them excited about what they're about to hear. Intros and outros are an opportunity to reinforce your podcast's branding. A consistent intro and outro can help listeners identify and remember your podcast. 

Also, a well-produced intro and outro can make your podcast sound more professional and polished. It shows that you take your podcast seriously and are committed to delivering quality content to your listeners. 

How to Create an Effective Podcast Intro

Step 1: Keep your intro short and to the point

Try to aim between 10 - 30 seconds, although that doesn’t seem long it is very important to get your listeners to the content of the episode fast. We are now in the TikTok/Instagram reel short attention span era, so we want it to be catchy, informative, and short.

Step 2: Introduce Your Podcast Name

You want to be memorable, and you want the listeners to know how to find you again so start with your podcast name. Could be as simple as Welcome to the “Insert Podcast Name” Podcast…

Step 3: Introduce Your Show & Why Your Audience Should Listen

People are consuming a lot of different types of content, and you want to differentiate yourself from the crowd. You can do this by targeting a specific group of people (E.g. Entrepreneurs, Video Game Lovers, Outdoorsy Nature Types, etc..) and telling them what your podcast is about and how it will add value to their life! Will you be interviewing top CEOs with experiences they can learn from? Will you be talking with psychologists about how to overcome mental health struggles? Regardless of what it is, let the right people know in a sentence or two what they will get out of it. This part is important so take your time to think through it.

Step 4: Introduce yourself and any co-hosts

It can be effective to mention your name and any other co-hosts. This will make it more personal to the listeners so they can connect with you. It can just be the name or a bit more of how you are connected to the podcast topic. However keep it short, a lot of times just the name works well.

Step 5: Know the Vibe You’re going for

From the moment someone hits play they should be able to feel the vibe of your podcast. Whether it’s more lighthearted or more intense, make sure you are talking in a tone that fits the mood you are trying to convey.

Also if your choosing the music or hiring that out to a professional podcast studio make sure you have an idea of what type of music you want that would fit great. Could be classical, hip-hop, inspirational piano, pop, rock, electronic, Lo-fi, etc… 

BONUS TIP: Compare Your Intro Script to your FAVOURITE Podcast

If you have listened to a podcast you love, see how your intro script stacks up, don’t try to copy it but you can get inspired and tweak yours accordingly. However, do keep in mind that there are some popular podcasts that only have music, since they already have millions of listeners they can get away with that, it is important for you to have a branding structure that will entice more people to listen. Try to listen to some popular podcast intros that aren’t too famous yet.

How to Create a Memorable Podcast Outro

Step 1: Thank them for listening

If someone made it all the way until the end of one of your episodes, show your appreciation! A simple “thank you” or “thanks for listening to the (Insert Podcast Name) podcast” can go a long way. Always end on a positive note, make sure you convey this in your tone and try to be as authentic as possible. 

Step 2: Briefly Mention What Your Podcast is About (Again)

You did this in more detail in the intro, however, try to rephrase it in a shorter way to remind your audience what the purpose of this podcast is so they leave with a nice reminder on why they should keep tuning in.

Step 3: Add a Call-to-Action

This is the most important step of the outro, find out what you want your listeners to do after they listened to your podcast. Do you want them to subscribe to the podcast so that they can be updated on more episodes? Do you want to send them to your website? or join your mailing list where you can email them? There are lots of options but choose what is most important to you based on your goals.

Overall, podcast intros and outros are very important because they help create a connection between the listener and the podcast, provide important information, and add to the overall production value of the show. I hope you found this guide helpful, and we look forward to reading what you come up with for your intro and outro script!

All the best,

Jony Mansilla

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If you need help making your podcast sound amazing, we offer podcast editing, mixing, and mastering services that can help elevate your brand and clearly share your message.

Learn more about our podcast production services and hear a sample of our work here. We look forward to adding massive value to your podcast development process.

The Future of Music Production: Virtual Instruments and AI

Machine learning has become a significant aspect of music production, with the rise of digital technology and reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). Music studios, sound engineers, songwriters, and independent artists with access to computer software can easily sift through virtual instruments and develop customized mixes.

How do things like virtual instruments and AI technology shape music production? Here’s a glimpse into what the future looks like with the growing popularity of such products and services.

Digital Audio Music Production

Technology growth has always contributed a crucial role in the music industry. Production software incorporates loops, pedals, and multi-track recordings which have assisted in the transformation of music. 

Before the days of AI, you could utilize audio software to create beats more efficiently, as well as go through the track to mix and master the sound for high-quality recordings. Some common production effects used in audio editing for your DAW include:

• Reverb (studio effect that provides echo, helps make the sound more full)

• Noise Gate (eliminates ‘extra’ sounds for clarity)

• Pitch adjustments (to keep the vocals or instruments in the proper key)

• Speed/time stretch (tempo adjustments for quicker transitions for a polished sound)

• Drum plugins

Altering the sound by adding effects is not something new. However, with the rise of AI software gives music artists the ability to create and release a complete album without having to tweak a single musical bar or line; it’s already done and polished, ready to play. 

AI in Music Production

There are multiple AI programs out there for the music, including Google NSnyth, AIVA, and Amper. You can use it to reimagine and adjust existing music tracks or create an entirely new song from scratch. With virtual instruments, you can play with the click of a button, and you can compose your own music without the need for playing a genuine instrument.

Spotify is one of the biggest applications for music service and streaming. They adopted AI early, pushing limits to see how to analyze factors like playlist analysis, geographic location, keyword searches, and music preferences for listeners. It provides a more personalized and highly attentive experience. 

Other streaming services have followed suit, using features to indicate or suggest new songs, build playlists, and analyze the musical choices of their listeners. It’s considered a helpful quality, bringing curation to the data that’s received.

How is AI Shaping Music Production?

It’s becoming obvious that AI likely is going to replace traditional music-making techniques. It has several uses to make it produce music that could be indistinguishable as to whether or not it was created by hand or with AI. Virtual instruments can be created by inputting particular data, and the AI can make the instruments sound as if they were being played by a master.

So, how does it do this? Data that describes music can break it down into genre, emotion, styles, and specific instruments that are used to compose a song. 

The application gets anything required to do the task and then develops a song note for note. Usually, then the song is converted to audio and is mixed and mastered to sound just like it was made in a high-quality sound studio. The crazy part is that it only takes seconds.

Now, AI can make music easy for content creators. Particularly when it comes to things like licensing music for YouTube videos, since using AI you can always compose your own music for your channel, so you don’t need a license. But, watch out - there’s always the possibility that compositions can sound alike and it may be confusing for YouTube’s algorithms.

Example of AI in Music

Ai can create songs that sound similar to those musicians who have passed on - think Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, or Kurt Cobain, for instance. Sony used technology with Flow Machine’s AI to create an entirely “new” Beatles song. The program was created with Sony CSL Paris. They took information regarding the group's previous arrangement within the program and music production created the song. 

Songs can be made through the AI program by utilizing something around thirty or more pieces by the musician or artist. It will focus on things like chord progressions, instrument solos, lyrics, voices and melodies, and rhythms. A question that isn’t completely understood yet is how well can the AI imitate the members of the original groups through virtual instrumentation and vocals. 

The recordings allow any person to listen to interpretations of great musicians. The AI used for AIVA’s intent is more for a soundtrack and background music purposes, with no intent to replace human composers. So, it is utilized as more of a tool to help boost the creativity in artists developing original works, and on the plus side, can be a significant attributor to writer’s block. 

The Future of AI in Music

Audio processing is where AI in music has a solid future. Machine learning can pave the way for new sounds to be made, possibly even an entirely new genre of music within the industry. AI can master processing operations since it already can promote, polish, and distribute musical tracks for artists.

Deep learning technology applications save time for artists with inspiration. You can take a song idea in your head and create the track for it in almost no time, demonstrating just how powerful this AI technology is in allowing you to quickly convert and monetize your own music compositions.

Does AI Software Squash Musical Creativity?

While some argue that it takes away from creativity, or even replaces it altogether. But AI can help to enhance productivity for musicians. 

With this technological advancement, independent artists and those working in the studio can spend far more time being creative with the sounds and music that’s being made. Its purpose will assist in broadening the market of music as a whole, giving people the opportunity to explore new avenues.

The dilemma that stems from AI software is that music applications evaluate market and consumer behavior in addition to composition, performance, and music production. But, will it put an end to people playing instruments or singing their own songs? The future isn’t clear, but it doesn’t seem that the appreciation for genuine on-stage artists is going to go away anytime soon.

AI is a way to give creators and other budding musicians the ability to convert ideas and concepts into real music. While it won’t win you any music awards, it can help include analytical abilities and expand the boundaries of music. The future of AI with music production will be a great tool for more collaborations.

Written By Nicole McCray

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If you need help with your music, we offer audio production and online mixing and mastering services that will help you elevate your sound and bring your song to life!

We look forward to being a part of your success.