Audiobooks have changed how many people read. Commutes, chores, workouts and long walks become reading time. But many books never get an audiobook: public domain classics, academic texts, independent works, community publications and your own writing. With text-to-speech, you can create one yourself. This guide walks through the whole process, from choosing a suitable book to listening comfortably.
What you need
- A DRM-free EPUB or a text-based PDF. EPUB usually works best because it has clear chapters. PDFs work too, as long as they contain real text rather than scanned pictures.
- A few minutes. Narration happens much faster than real time.
- A music or podcast app on your phone to play the result.
Step 1: Choose a suitable book
Some books make better audiobooks than others.
Great candidates: novels, memoirs, essays, history, biography, self-help, and most non-fiction written as continuous prose.
Harder candidates: books full of tables, formulas, code, footnotes or diagrams. Those elements are skipped or read awkwardly, so they are better read on a page.
DRM matters. Books bought from some stores are protected by DRM and cannot be converted. Public domain libraries, many independent authors, open-access publishers and your own work are all DRM-free.
Step 2: Pick EPUB or PDF
If you have the book as EPUB, use EPUB to Audio. Chapter titles are taken from the book's table of contents, which makes for well-named chapter files.
If you only have a PDF, use PDF to Audio. The converter rebuilds paragraphs and headings from the PDF and removes repeated headers, footers and page numbers so they are not read aloud on every page.
Step 3: Choose a voice
The voice matters more than anything else for an enjoyable listen. The list shows the voices offered by the narration service, with accent and style where known. A good way to choose is to convert a short chapter with two or three voices and listen to a minute of each while doing something else. The one you stop noticing is usually the right one.
Some people prefer a warmer voice for fiction and a crisper voice for non-fiction. There is no right answer; it is entirely personal.
Step 4: Choose a speed
- Normal suits fiction and unfamiliar subjects.
- 1.25× is popular with regular audiobook listeners once they are used to a voice.
- 1.5× works for revision, light reading and material you already know.
- 0.75× helps language learners and anyone who wants extra time to absorb dense material.
Step 5: Split into chapters
For anything longer than about an hour of listening, switch on One file per chapter. You receive a ZIP of numbered files, such as "01 - Introduction.mp3", "02 - The Storm.mp3" and so on. Load them into your music or podcast app and they play in order. Chapter files make it easy to skip, repeat and keep your place.
Step 6: Choose a format
MP3 is the best choice for almost everyone: small files that play on every device. OGG is a good open alternative. WAV is uncompressed and very large, mainly useful for editing in audio software.
Step 7: Convert and listen
Upload the book, choose your options and press convert. The page shows progress as the book is narrated. When it finishes, download the audio or ZIP. For a single file, you can also play it straight away on the result page.
How long will my audiobook be?
As a rough guide, narration runs at around 150 words per minute at normal speed. A 60,000 word novel would take around six and a half hours at normal speed, and noticeably less at 1.25×. There is a limit on how much text can be narrated in a single conversion, roughly several hours of audio, and the upload check tells you before you start whether your book fits. For very long books, convert them in parts.
Tips for a better listening experience
- Listen in chapters, and take short breaks between them.
- Keep the e-book handy for maps, family trees, tables and illustrations that the audio skips.
- Use a sleep timer in your player if you listen in bed.
- Try headphones with a little noise isolation for commutes.
A worked example: a classic for a long drive
A father plans a long family road trip. He downloads a DRM-free classic adventure novel from a public domain library, converts it to MP3 with one file per chapter at normal speed, and copies the files to his phone. The family listens to a few chapters each day of the trip.
A worked example: proofreading your own book
An author converts her manuscript, exported as EPUB, into audio. Listening to it on walks, she notices repeated words, awkward sentences and confusing dialogue she never spotted on screen. Because the files are split by chapter, she knows exactly where to look when she gets home.
A worked example: accessible reading for a club
A reading group includes a member with low vision. The organiser converts each month's DRM-free book into chapter files so everyone can take part, whether they prefer reading or listening.
Respecting authors
Converting a DRM-free book for your own listening is a common personal use. Sharing or publishing the audio, however, may infringe the author's rights unless the book is in the public domain or its licence allows it. When in doubt, keep audiobooks you create for personal use.
Questions people ask
Can I use books from my e-reader store? Only if they are DRM-free.
Will the narrator pronounce names correctly? Usually, but unusual names and invented words can be mispronounced.
Are images described? No. Images are skipped.
Can I choose a different voice later? Yes. Keep your e-book and convert again with another voice.
In short
You can make your own audiobook from any DRM-free EPUB or text-based PDF in a few minutes. Choose a prose-heavy book, pick a voice and speed you enjoy, split it into chapters, and choose MP3. Keep the e-book for images and tables, and enjoy turning everyday moments into reading time.