How to Record an Audiobook at Home

To record an audiobook at home you need a quiet, treated space, a decent microphone and interface, a consistent reading technique, and an edit that meets the distributor’s technical specs. Most audiobook platforms (including ACX/Audible) require each chapter to sit around -23 to -18 dB RMS, peak no higher than -3 dB, and keep a noise floor below -60 dB. Hit those, narrate cleanly, and you are most of the way there.

What you need to record an audiobook

The good news: audiobook narration is undemanding on gear, but unforgiving on room sound. Knowing how to record an audiobook starts with controlling reflections and noise, not buying expensive equipment. A modest chain in a quiet room beats a premium mic in an echoey one.

• Microphone: a large-diaphragm condenser (such as a Rode NT1 or Audio-Technica AT2020) for detail, or a dynamic like the Shure SM7B if your room is noisy.
• Audio interface: any clean USB interface with phantom power. See our guide to setting up an audio interface.
• Pop filter and shock mount to control plosives and bumps.
• Headphones (closed-back) so monitoring does not leak into the mic.
• A DAW: Audacity (free), Reaper, GarageBand or similar.

Set up a quiet, dead-sounding space

Audiobook listeners notice room echo and background noise immediately. Aim for a space that sounds “dead.” A walk-in wardrobe full of clothes, or a small room with soft furnishings, works well. Add absorption — blankets, duvets, foam panels — around and behind the mic. Turn off fridges, fans, air conditioning and anything that hums. Our explainer on acoustic treatment for home studios covers cheap fixes that make the biggest difference here.

Mic placement and reading technique

Position the mic slightly above mouth height, angled down toward your lips, about 15–20 cm away with a pop filter between you and the capsule. Speaking slightly off-axis tames plosives and sibilance. Then focus on consistency:

• Keep a fixed distance — drifting nearer and further changes your level and tone.
• Stay hydrated and keep room-temperature water nearby; a green apple slice reduces mouth clicks.
• Read at a steady pace and energy. Mark mistakes by clapping or leaving a gap, then fix them in the edit.
• Record a few seconds of silence at the start — you will need this “room tone” for editing.

Recording settings and levels

Record at 44.1 kHz, 16 or 24-bit (deliverables are usually 44.1 kHz). Set your input so peaks land around -12 to -6 dB while reading — leaving headroom prevents clipping on louder words. Good gain staging at the source means far less cleanup later. Record one chapter per file to keep the project manageable.

Editing and mastering for distributors

Audiobook editing is mostly tidying, then meeting spec. Work in this order:

1. Edit: remove mistakes, long pauses, breaths that distract, mouth clicks and page turns. Leave natural breathing in.
2. Noise reduction: use your recorded room tone as the noise profile (Audacity’s Noise Reduction or your DAW’s denoiser). Apply gently — over-processing sounds robotic.
3. EQ and de-ess: a gentle high-pass around 80 Hz removes rumble; a de-esser tames harsh “s” sounds.
4. Compression: light compression evens out volume so quiet and loud passages sit together.
5. Loudness: normalise to the platform spec — typically RMS between -23 and -18 dB, peaks under -3 dB, noise floor under -60 dB. If you are new to loudness targets, our LUFS explainer covers the concept.

Add the required silence at the head and tail of each file (often 0.5–1 second at the start, 1–5 seconds at the end), then export as a 192 kbps MP3 or to the platform’s spec. For more narration-style capture tips, the recording techniques hub and our podcast recording guide are both worth a read.

Frequently asked questions

Can I record an audiobook with just a USB mic?

Yes. A good USB condenser in a quiet, treated space can meet distributor specs. The room and your noise floor matter far more than whether the mic is USB or connected through an interface.

How long does it take to record an audiobook?

Expect roughly two to three hours of work for every finished hour of audio once you include recording, retakes and editing. A typical novel runs eight to twelve finished hours, so plan for several weeks of part-time work.

What are the ACX audio requirements?

Each file must measure between -23 and -18 dB RMS, peak no higher than -3 dB, keep a noise floor below -60 dB, include room tone, be 192 kbps or higher MP3 at 44.1 kHz, and have appropriate opening and closing silence.