# audio books with background music and sound effects



## 10105 (Feb 16, 2010)

We had a discussion a year or two ago in which I mentioned adding sound effects and background music at the chapter beginnings and ends of audio books and sound effects in the body of the books. Someone (I forget who) who is a professional narrator came down on me hard saying that it just isn't done that way. My response then was to the effect that just because others hadn't done it, the practice shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

This week I was driving home from a trip and listened to James Patterson's "London Bridge." Guess what. Gunshots, etc. during the narrative and spooky sound tracks between chapters. I always liked the idea and now that I see one of the world's best-selling mystery authors using it, I might employ some of my own music in the segues.

Thoughts?


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

I think it's getting to be a little more common, but I know that there are also listeners who hate it.

Anyway, here's another example with sfx.

https://soundcloud.com/penguin-audio/life-debt-aftermath-star

and

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=james%20patterson

If you do effects through the entire book, that's a lot of work and it is veering into audio drama which sells worse, for some reason, than straight audiobooks. I like it myself.

I've done intro and outro music on a non-fiction book to strengthen the chapter breaks, and I use a chime in retail samples when the sample isn't contiguous. The chime signals that the next part of the sample isn't from the same section of the book.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

As a listener, I don't like it. It sounds like one of those old radio serial shows. Although I don't mind a bit of music in the beginning, but not as a background to the narrative.


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## GeneDoucette (Oct 14, 2014)

in the auditions for The Spaceship Next Door, one of the readers did uncanny voice work, but I could not get over the idea that this was an adult male imitating a sixteen year old. It reminded me of the dead eye complaints submitted about some of the earlier motion-capture animation efforts in movies. Just accurate enough to be disturbing. I don't know if I'd feel the same about sound effects, but I ended up going with someone who just sat down and read the book.


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## JasonFaris (Jun 16, 2016)

I recently released my first audiobook. We both had very high standards and so the narrator and I spent a great deal of time on sound engineering. Several chapters were set up as recordings of interviews from many years earlier. So we used a few filters to make her voice sound like an older recording. In other places there are short newspaper or website articles inserted for context so we used a similar but much lighter effect.

The end result was VERY well received. But I would caution anyone who decides to go this route to always err on the side of caution and have a LOT of beta listerners to get feedback from. It's extremely easy to go overboard and end up with something that sounds cheesy. My rule was that I would make it as subtle as I thought it needed to be, and then I'd make it twice as subtle as that. My narrator often had me reduce it even further.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/For-Every-Action-Audiobook/B06XWY64GT

j


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

As a listener, I don't like added sound f/x like a gunshot, etc. When I was auditioning voice over talent for my audiobook one of the guys had all these effects. At first, I thought it was cool but then when I started listening to the other auditions without that stuff, I liked it better.

The sound effect bid was higher than the other ones, and it makes sense. It's more work and such. James Patterson doesn't have to worry about that, but for an indie paying for the production, it's an added expense that should really be clear whether or not it would result in more sales, more/better reviews, etc.


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## Diamond Eyes (Feb 11, 2017)

I listened to a lot of audiobooks and first time I came across one with sound fx throughout was in the Star Wars books; I honestly hated it. 

I have heard some that will put effects on the voice for certain characters or scenes to make them sound robotic or the voices are coming out of an old radio or something, like someone mentioned already. That was OK, and it did add something positive without being too distracting. Personally, when I listen to an audiobook I don't want it to be a full-on audio drama or radio play type thing that is overly produced with sound effects and all that. James Patterson can pretty much do whatever he wants and still sell truckloads of books and audiobooks, but I don't know if following his lead is the best advice for smaller indie authors.


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## liamashe (Nov 6, 2016)

Three thoughts here. First, I find sound effects and music very distracting when listening to a book. For example, if I'm devouring a paperback horror novel, I don't take time to download spooky music, dim the lights, and so on. The writing should stand on its own. . . let the reader's imagination do the work.

Second, now that I've written that in stone, I must agree that there might be exceptions. I had never considered a situation like that which Jason Farris mentions above (using slight distortion or FX to denote a tape recording, etc.). That could make good sense in an audio book. Much like we indent or italicize a letter's copy or a transcribed voice recording when formatting a print or digital version, simple effects could give the text a little audible context.

Third, keep in mind that if you are using a significant number of music and digital effects, there should be higher costs involved (engineering, application) as well as royalties or per use costs for every piece of music and effect.

Of course, these thoughts reflect how *I* like to listen to books. Perhaps you can try this set up with a short story or a free excerpt preview and gauge your audience's response before you commit to an entire novel.


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## funthebear (Sep 26, 2014)

I listen to a bunch of audiobooks. They are mostly just someone reading/acting (I prefer it when the narrators do voices, it makes it easier to tell who's speaking). Don't listen to many with sound effects, but this one was great https://www.audible.com/pd/Interference-Audiobook/B0178DAA2O

The sound effects are part of the story, though. I've tried listening to those GraphicAudio books, and while they seem cool, I've never finished one. It's kinda like a video starting to play while you're reading--it distracts from what you're trying to do.

On a related note, if you want to get a sense for some of the best narrators and how they work, listen to stuff by Frank Muller, Will Patton (basically any of the narrators to Stephen King's books), Luke Daniels, RC Bray, Julia Whelan, Oliver Wyman, Kirby Heyborne, Tim Gerard Reynolds, Kate Mulgrew, Mare Winningham, Ray Porter... There's a bunch more too. Look for books on audible with >1000 ratings and a five star average for narration.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

I don't mind sparse sound effects.  That can make a tense scene extra cool.  But spare being the operative word.  Less is more.


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## Flopstick (Jul 19, 2011)

My two use pitch-shifting in a couple of places, to create a suitably unearthly voice for the supernatural monstrosities, but that's it. Ultimately, I think you need to decide whether you're producing an audiobook or a play. If it's a play, it needs to be written as one from the get-go. Otherwise, like ^^Rick^^ says, "less is more."


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## Ava Glass (Feb 28, 2011)

Al Stevens said:


> We had a discussion a year or two ago in which I mentioned adding sound effects and background music at the chapter beginnings and ends of audio books and sound effects in the body of the books. Someone (I forget who) who is a professional narrator came down on me hard saying that it just isn't done that way. My response then was to the effect that just because others hadn't done it, the practice shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.
> 
> This week I was driving home from a trip and listened to James Patterson's "London Bridge." Guess what. Gunshots, etc. during the narrative and spooky sound tracks between chapters. I always liked the idea and now that I see one of the world's best-selling mystery authors using it, I might employ some of my own music in the segues.
> 
> Thoughts?


That title came out over a decade ago. It's not a good indicator of today's tastes.


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## The 13th Doctor (May 31, 2012)

I'm a bit of an audiobook/audio drama junkie (bats eyelashes at BBC Radio iPlayer and Big Finish, Bafflegab, etc) so I'm used to the different ways that one can create such stories.

Big Finish Companion Chronicles and Short Trips, for instance, usually have one narrator telling a story but use sparse sound effects. I like them, but I also like straight readings, too.

I created my own audiobook for a short story I wrote (I won't link to it, the quality isn't top-notch and it was just a fun freebie for anyone who was interested), and I added some sound effects. Nobody who has listened has said the effects took them out of the story... yet!


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## Burzinskas (Jun 3, 2018)

Hi. I am trying to be as innovative as possible when creating audio book, or radio play. So, I am using Convolution reverb, Binaural audio and various sound generators in Modular DSP Systems. Sure, all of my stuff is in Lithuanian language. For example I can show this... Please use captions for translation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=430DDDq0kFE

It is sad, that Lithuania as a country is very small with very small percentage in books and arts. So, I can't do business. Everyday job is far from creativity. But from time to time I am doing research on what can I bring new from technological point of view. Then writing narrative, script for radio play, and just basically doing it all by myself, including artworks and all.

I am dreaming about international New Media Scene for audio books and radio theatre arts.


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## AuthorX (Nov 11, 2014)

There's nothing wrong with adding sound effects to your audiobooks, but you should realize you're cutting out a big part of your potential audience by doing it.


I won't listen to an audiobook/podcast or anything like that with sound effects. If it just occurs during the intro... cool... But if it it happens throughout the talking, no way! Count me out.


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## deanstow (Jun 20, 2017)

One thing I wish the industry would adopt is the inclusion of a short, unobtrusive sound denoting a change of scene that is not at a chapter break. The audio version of _Snow Crash_ by Neal Stephenson used this tactic and I think it added to the ease of listening.

I do not, in general, like dramatized versions of books. I do, however, like audio plays. I think the difference is that an audio play is structured differently during writing.


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