Introduction to Accessible Audiobook Production

Audiobooks are one of the most popular formats for readers with print disabilities, and may seem like they are fully accessible due to their format. But, there are many factors to consider, and accessibility can almost always be enhanced! This brief introduction to audiobook accessibility offers some points for consideration.

  • Subject(s):

    Audiobook Production

  • Resource Type(s):

    Foundations and Rationale

  • Audience:

    Introduction

Suggested Prerequisite

Before you read this, you might want to read:

Accessible Audiobooks

It is common for people to think that an audiobook is, by definition, accessible to readers with print disabilities. Since the text is recorded and audible, it is understandable to expect that there is not much else to do. But there are more elements to consider than just recording the book: it needs to be easily discovered, opened, navigated, and listened to – with the tracks in the correct order. The information linked to in the Related Content section below is designed to help audiobook creators design and produce audiobooks that can be discovered and enjoyed with ease, and to introduce the many points that should be considered throughout the process.

Accessibility in audiobooks is an evolving topic as technologies change and improve and our collective knowledge expands. Practices are not fixed, and different approaches may work better for some than for others, but the information in these pages will hopefully offer helpful information that publishers can use to get started, as well as information which will prompt considerations and discussions helping publishers develop their own in-house guidelines.

When it comes to audiobooks, the main goal for a publisher should be to create robust, accessible audiobooks, and provide readers with as much agency as possible. The opportunity to make choices, and have a say in one’s own experience, is a key element of what makes a book accessible.

In these resources, we review some of the ways to improve the accessibility of audiobooks. This is an evolving area, and there are many aspects which will need to be considered and discussed by the publishing team, and sometimes the authors and illustrators. The information you find on this site should help ground your discussions, and help you make more accessible audiobooks!

Next Steps

1

Choosing the Right Format for an Audiobook

Accessible Audiobook Production: Audiobook Formats

This quick resource discusses the differences between some popular audiobook formats: MP3/WAV; DAISY; Enhanced EPUB; and .LPF.

Subject(s): Audiobook Production
Resource Type(s): Standards and Best Practices
Audience:
Technical
2

Making Filenames for Audiobooks

Accessible Audiobook Production: Files and Labeling

Files and labeling should be done in a systematic, logical way, with predictable filenames. This resource offers guidance on naming files in a way that is useful to both humans and machines!

Subject(s): Audiobook Production
Resource Type(s): Standards and Best Practices
Audience:
Technical
3

Deciding What Content to Record for an Audiobook

Accessible Audiobook Production: What to Record

This resource provides guidelines around what sections of a book should be recorded, and offers some discussion around approaches and options for footnotes/endnotes, and image descriptions.

Subject(s): Audiobook Production, Image Descriptions, Strategic Planning
Resource Type(s): Checklist, Standards and Best Practices
Audience:
Technical
4

Planning Out Audiobook Production & Post-production (some technical recommendations)

Accessible Audiobook Production: General Recording Notes

This resource discusses some general technical guidelines that can be used when planning out audiobook production and post-production.

Subject(s): Audiobook Production
Resource Type(s): Standards and Best Practices
Audience:
Technical
5

Guiding/Training Audiobook Narrators

Accessible Audiobook Production: Narration Guidelines

Good narration is a big part of creating a great audiobook. Make sure that narrators and/or your ebook producers know about these guidelines. They enhance both accessibility and overall quality!

Subject(s): Audiobook Production
Resource Type(s): Standards and Best Practices
Audience:
Non-technical
6

Making Audiobooks for Children

Accessible Audiobook Production: Children’s Books

Illustrated children’s books present a unique challenge when it comes to recording audio. This resource discusses a few approaches you may consider.

Subject(s): Audiobook Production, Image Descriptions, Strategic Planning
Resource Type(s): Foundations and Rationale
Audience:
Introduction

External Links to More Information

Audiobooks: W3C Recommendation

This specification from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) offers a format to mark up audiobooks, which primarily involves marking up the heading structure but does also allow for including related text content. As of this writing in late 2021 it does not have a great deal of support yet by reading systems.

Content Source Acknowledgement

Accessible Publishing.ca: Audiobook Recommendations for Publishers