Free Audio Books

If you have ever enjoyed an audiobook, you may be surprised to know how much work goes into the production before you can listen. Even the free audiobooks on LibriVox.org require much teamwork to get off the written page. The lively lyrics of this year's anniversary song (below) give more idea of all the jobs involved - and all done by volunteers.

These pictures of my computer screen show more of what is involved for each of us who record. We put in two to three hours for each hour of finished product. Why? Well, if you try reading aloud, you will no doubt make some mistakes. Every mistake needs to be edited out.

To make sure I can catch each mistake on the waveform without having to listen through the whole file (that is done by a proof-listener before publishing), I make a sharp noise before repeating. This shows up as the vertical lines reaching to the top and bottom of the editing screen.

The left part of the photo above shows the section of the file I had already cleaned up. Below is a zoomed-in view I use to make sure I cut out the right parts - to the precise fraction of a second.

Then follows a process of amplifying and saving the audio into a specific file type, uploading it to the LibriVox server and marking it as ready for your project's dedicated proof-listener, fixing any more problems they may find, and uploading again for a spot-check. 

When all is recorded and proofed, the reader (or book coordinator of group projects) finalizes the book summary and keywords and lets their meta-coordinator know it is ready to catalogue. At that point the book is published for free downloads and listening!

Once more we gather together in song
To celebrate LibriVox still going strong.
Our LibriVox mission we proudly proclaim –
We will read every book in the public domain.

We shout out a thank-you to all volunteers
Who’ve kept LibriVox lively for 13 great years.
Their many and various talents combine
To help us keep growing, one book at a time.

Here’s to our readers! Their voices they give
To lift words from pages, and make those words live.
For each hour you hear, they have spent two or three,
To edit and polish and be blooper-free.

Here’s to our proof-listeners! They give an ear
Alert and attentive to all that they hear,
They find sneezes, and dog barks, and the teakettle’s hiss,
And they catch all the edits that we somehow miss.

Here’s to our BC’s, as busy as bees,
They juggle group projects with style and with ease.
Of assignments and sections they never lose track,
For resolving confusion they have quite the knack.

Here’s to our Admins, their talents we prize.
With a wave of their hand, Magic Windows arise.
Finished projects they catalog, errors they fix,
Pesky technical glitches they know how to lick.

Here’s to our researchers hunting to find
The links that we need to the info on line.
They find authors and dates, they locate PD texts,
And they post great suggestions of what to read next.

Here’s to our artists! Their skills they apply
Designing book covers that catch someone’s eye.
Using photos and pixels and fonts as their tools,
For layouts as clear and as lovely as jewels.

Here’s to our well-seasoned veterans who share
Advice and good guidance with humor and care.
And here’s to our newbies who’ve answered the call;
They’re the future of LibriVox -- Welcome them all!

We record every book in the public domain.
Twelve thousand books done – many more yet remain.
It takes many hands to help LibriVox run,
As we keep reading books – and what’s more – having fun!
Many books beckon yet! And a lot of good fun!

Maria Kasper (commonsparrow3) composed this year's celebratory song.