Indie novel narration
Publish an audiobook to go with every book in your catalogue. No need for a £1,500–£3,000 studio bill.
For indie authors
Text to Speech for Audiobooks
Turn your manuscript into a narrated audiobook without needing a recording studio. We offer 54 natural voices, lossless WAV files, and full commercial rights.
This tool page isn’t translated yet — the working tool below runs in English. Use it in English
Indie & self-publishing
Audiobook narration without the studio bill
Producing an audiobook in a studio can cost £150–£300 per finished hour. So, a 10-hour novel could set you back £1,500–£3,000 before you sell a single copy. FreeTextoSpeech provides natural Kokoro voices at no cost, with full commercial rights. You can publish an audio companion for every title in your catalogue.
Related use cases
The quick answer
Upload your TXT, Markdown, DOCX, or EPUB manuscript. Review the chapter queue. Map narrator or character tags to consistent voices. Export joined MP3/WAV audio and chapter stems. Then, apply destination-specific loudness mastering before publishing.
In four steps
The production workflow
- 01
Import your manuscript
Upload TXT, Markdown, DOCX, or EPUB files. Your headings and chapter structure will become an editable narration queue.
- 02
Assign narrator and characters
Use one consistent narrator. You can also assign different voices to tagged character lines if your production needs a cast.
- 03
Create chapter files
Render your chosen queue. Then export a complete audiobook, individual chapter files, or a ZIP file with your project details.
- 04
Master for ACX
Add 0.5–1 second gaps between sections. Normalise to -23 LUFS integrated. Apply gentle 3:1 compression and an 80 Hz HPF. Export as 192 kbps MP3.
When to use it
What indie authors create with it
Public domain audiobooks
Narrate Project Gutenberg classics. Great for personal listening, niche distribution, or LibriVox-style channels.
Self-help & non-fiction
Adam and Michael provide authoritative readings. Perfect for business, productivity, and self-development titles.
Course companion audio
Turn your written course material into an audiobook bonus. It adds perceived value with no recording costs.
Keep going
Voices that last a whole novel
A voice that sounds great for 30 seconds can become annoying after 90 minutes. These six voices have been tested over chapter-length passages. They have clear consonants, a steady rhythm, and no harsh vocal fry that distracts you during long listens. Mix US and UK accents to suit your manuscript's setting.
01 US
River
Smooth literary
Best for
Literary fiction, thoughtful non-fiction, memoirs. Its steady pace works well for long chapters without tiring the listener.
02 US
Sarah
Warm storyteller
Best for
Middle-grade fiction, cosy mysteries, family sagas. The natural warmth handles dialogue-heavy scenes very well.
03 UK
Daniel
British authoritative
Best for
History, biographies, business non-fiction. It adds weight to explanatory writing without sounding too formal.
04 US
Adam
Neutral male narrator
Best for
Thrillers, sci-fi, technical non-fiction. The clear consonants stand up to any aggressive mastering.
05 US
Bella
Soft female narrator
Best for
Romance, Young Adult, lighter contemporary fiction. Its softer delivery feels gentler during long listening sessions.
06 UK
Emma
UK female literary
Best for
Period fiction, classic literature, British-set novels. It's well-suited for first-person narration.
Want to hear them? Browse all 54 voices →
Keep going
Production tips from independent authors
Generating audio is the easy bit. What makes an audiobook ready for publishing, rather than just a collection of clips, is good segment management, consistent voice, and proper mastering. These six rules will help you avoid the most common mistakes in indie audiobooks.
- 01
Chunk by chapter, not by paragraph
Import your manuscript and check the section breaks created from chapters, headings, and natural paragraph changes. Adjust the queue before generating so no cut happens in the middle of an idea.
- 02
Use one voice for the whole book
Audiobook listeners notice voice changes very quickly. Choose River, Sarah, or Daniel before you start chapter one and stick with it. Do not change voices, even if you generate chapters weeks apart. Changing voices mid-book is the quickest way to get refund requests.
- 03
Generate a chapter in one go
For a single chapter, generate all its segments in the same session. Small tonal shifts between sessions are hard to spot, but they become noticeable over a 90-minute listen. Shifts between chapters are less of an issue, as the silence and chapter break hide them.
- 04
Master to audiobook loudness standards
ACX aims for -23 to -18 LUFS integrated, a -3 dB peak ceiling, and a noise floor below -60 dB. Put your WAVs into Audacity or Reaper, apply a 3:1 compressor at a -18 dB threshold, an 80 Hz high-pass filter, then a loudness normaliser to -19 LUFS for safe headroom.
- 05
Handle dialogue carefully
Either keep one narrator or consistently tag character lines. The studio assigns each detected speaker a voice and speed, ensuring the casting stays the same throughout your chosen queue.
- 06
Export WAV master, MP3 + M4B for distribution
Keep the 24 kHz WAVs as your master files. Encode 192 kbps MP3s for direct sales and Findaway. For Apple Books and a single-file audiobook, create a chaptered M4B using Audiobook Builder or AAX Audio Converter from your MP3 chapter files.
Keep going
FreeTextoSpeech vs traditional audiobook production
Hiring a human narrator on ACX gives you the best emotional performance and the only direct route to Audible exclusivity. AI narration offers much lower costs, faster delivery, and the ability to make changes later. Choose the option that suits your distribution plan and budget.
Feature
FreeTextoSpeech
ACX human narrator / Speechify Audiobooks
Cost for a 10-hour novel
£1,600–£3,200 (ACX) or £10–14/month + per-character limits (Speechify)
Time from manuscript to finished audio
6–12 weeks (human narrator and revision rounds)
Voice variety
One narrator per project on ACX; subscription tier limits on Speechify
Commercial use rights
Royalty share or per-finished-hour fee with the narrator
ACX / Audible compatibility
ACX human narration is the native fit for Audible exclusivity
Revising a chapter after recording
Schedule a pick-up session, pay re-recording fees
Royalty share on sales
Up to 50% royalty share with an ACX narrator over 7 years
Cost for a 10-hour novel
FreeTextoSpeech
£0
ACX human narrator / Speechify Audiobooks
£1,600–£3,200 (ACX) or £10–14/month + per-character limits (Speechify)
Time from manuscript to finished audio
FreeTextoSpeech
Same day
ACX human narrator / Speechify Audiobooks
6–12 weeks (human narrator and revision rounds)
Voice variety
FreeTextoSpeech
54 voices in 9 languages
ACX human narrator / Speechify Audiobooks
One narrator per project on ACX; subscription tier limits on Speechify
Commercial use rights
FreeTextoSpeech
Full commercial use, no attribution needed
ACX human narrator / Speechify Audiobooks
Royalty share or per-finished-hour fee with the narrator
ACX / Audible compatibility
FreeTextoSpeech
Not eligible for direct ACX upload, Findaway, Google Play, or Gumroad work
ACX human narrator / Speechify Audiobooks
ACX human narration is the native fit for Audible exclusivity
Revising a chapter after recording
FreeTextoSpeech
Re-generate the segment in 10 seconds
ACX human narrator / Speechify Audiobooks
Schedule a pick-up session, pay re-recording fees
Royalty share on sales
FreeTextoSpeech
You keep 100% (minus platform's cut)
ACX human narrator / Speechify Audiobooks
Up to 50% royalty share with an ACX narrator over 7 years
ACX policy on AI narration changes. Please check current eligibility before submitting. For Audible exclusivity, a human narrator (or one of ACX's approved AI providers) remains the native fit.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
01 Can I make a proper audiobook with FreeTextoSpeech?
Yes, you can. It's great for personal use, independent distribution, and platforms that allow AI-narrated audiobooks. For top-tier ACX (Audible) submissions, a human narrator or a paid voice cloning service still offers the best emotional range. But for most independent authors and self-publishers, FreeTextoSpeech is completely ready for production.
02 Which voices are best for long audiobooks?
For US English, Sarah, River, Bella, and Adam handle long passages well. They have clear consonants and steady pacing. For UK English, Emma and Daniel are the natural choices. For other languages, pick the warmest female or steadiest male voice in your chosen region.
03 How do I deal with a long manuscript?
Import your manuscript as a TXT, Markdown, DOCX, or EPUB file. The studio will split it into chapter-sized sections. It shows your total selected content against your cloud allowance. You can then export completed chapters, a joined track, or a ZIP file.
04 Is the audio quality good enough to publish?
Yes, it is. The output is 24 kHz WAV, which is lossless. You can drop it into Audacity or Reaper to normalise loudness (LUFS), add gentle compression, and remove any breath gaps. The result is comparable to entry-level audiobook production.
05 Can I sell audiobooks made with FreeTextoSpeech?
Yes. Every clip is licensed for commercial use, and no attribution is needed. You can sell on Gumroad, your own website, Findaway Voices (if they accept AI narration), and other AI-friendly audiobook platforms. Always check the destination platform's policy on AI narration before publishing.
06 Can I publish an AI-narrated audiobook on Audible / ACX?
ACX has a controlled programme for virtual voices. However, it currently only accepts narration from a small number of approved AI providers. Generally, third-party AI narration created outside this system is not eligible for direct ACX upload. Spotify (via Findaway Voices) and Google Play Books are more open to independently produced AI narration. Several independent audiobook stores also accept it without restriction. Always check the destination platform's current policy before submitting, as these rules often change.
07 How do I handle multiple character voices in dialogue?
Use speaker tags like NARRATOR: and MARA: in your prepared script. The studio detects these tags. It gives each speaker an independent voice and speed. Then it joins the completed turns in order, while keeping separate audio stems.
08 Can I narrate public domain books and sell the recording?
You are free to use the text of a public domain book (Project Gutenberg, pre-1929 US works). The audio recording you create with FreeTextoSpeech is yours under the commercial-use licence. This means you can sell, distribute, and monetise the audiobook. Please note that some platforms limit listings of public-domain titles to avoid catalog spam. Also, your recording does not give you any claim over the original text; it only applies to the specific narrated audio file you produced.
Still wondering? Get in touch →
Keep going
Related TTS tools
Long-form
↗
Text to Speech for Podcasters
Studio-quality reads for narration, intros, and ad spots.
Documents
↗
Read PDF Aloud
Listen to manuscript drafts, research, or proofreading reads.
Audio format
↗
Text to WAV
Lossless 24 kHz WAV, the master format for audiobook production.
Long-form
↗
Text to Speech for YouTube
Narrate book trailers and audiobook promo videos.
Try it now
Your novel as audio.
Free narration. Use for commercial projects.