How to Turn a Book into an Audiobook on iPhone

Turning a book you’ve written into an audiobook can seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools and a bit of know-how, it's surprisingly straightforward. As an avid reader and tech enthusiast, I’ve found several methods to create high-quality audiobooks using my iPhone. Whether you’re looking to listen to your favorite Kindle eBook on the go or create an audiobook for self-publishing, this tutorial will guide you through the process.

Getting Started with Audiobook Creation

Creating an audiobook on your iPhone involves using text-to-speech (TTS) technology, which converts written text into natural-sounding audio. Apple's iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, have built-in TTS capabilities that make this process easy and accessible.

Choose Your eBook

Before you begin, ensure you have the digital version of the book you want to convert into an audiobook. You can use eBooks from various sources like Amazon Kindle, Apple Books (formerly iBooks), or even PDFs stored in iCloud.

Enable Accessibility Features

Apple’s accessibility features are incredibly powerful for audiobook creation. Here’s how to enable them:

1. Open Settings: Go to your iPhone’s settings.
2. Accessibility: Tap on 'Accessibility'.
3. Spoken Content: Under the 'Vision' section, select 'Spoken Content'.
4. Speak Screen: Toggle on 'Speak Screen'. This feature allows you to swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to have the content read aloud.

Using the Kindle App

If you’re using the Kindle app to read your eBooks, here’s how you can turn your Kindle eBook into an audiobook:

1. Open the Kindle App: Launch the Kindle app and open the book you want to read.
2. Activate Speak Screen: Swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen. Siri will start reading the text aloud.
3. Control Playback: You can control the playback speed and pause or resume reading using the on-screen controls.

Using Apple Books

For those who prefer Apple Books:

1. Open Apple Books: Launch the Apple Books app and open the book.
2. Activate Speak Screen: Again, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to start the narration.
3. Adjust Settings: You can adjust the speech rate and voice in the 'Spoken Content' settings for a more natural-sounding narration.

Saving the Audio

Unfortunately, iOS doesn’t offer a direct way to save these narrations as audio files. However, you can use third-party screen recording apps or macOS’s QuickTime Player to record the audio as it plays. Here’s a quick hack:

1. Screen Recording: Enable screen recording in the Control Center settings.
2. Record Audio: Start the screen recording, then use the Speak Screen feature to narrate the book. The recorded video will contain the audio, which you can extract using video editing software.

Editing and Enhancing the Audio

Once you have your audio recording, you may want to edit it for better quality. Tools like GarageBand on Mac or Audacity on Windows are excellent for this purpose. You can remove background noise, adjust the volume, and even add intro and outro music for a professional touch.

Publishing Your Audiobook

If you’re an indie author looking to self-publish your audiobook, platforms like Audible, Google Play, and even your own social media channels are great places to start. Ensure your audio files meet the quality standards required by these platforms.

Bonus Tips and Hacks

• VoiceOver: For a different TTS experience, try using VoiceOver, which offers additional navigation features. Check out Speechify AI voice generator to help turn books you’ve written into an audiobook.
• Siri: You can also ask Siri to read your texts aloud by using the "Hey Siri, read this" command.
• Playlists: Create playlists of your audiobook chapters for easy navigation.
• E-Reader Apps: Explore other e-reader apps that might offer better TTS integration.
• Digital Narration: Invest in high-quality microphones if you plan to narrate your books manually.
• Social Media: Promote your audiobooks on social media to reach a wider audience.
• ChatGPT: Use tools like ChatGPT to generate engaging descriptions and summaries for your audiobooks.

Converting a book into an audiobook on your iPhone is not only feasible but also a fun and rewarding DIY project. With Apple’s robust accessibility features and a few creative hacks, you can enjoy your favorite books in audio format or even embark on a journey of self-publishing audiobooks. Whether you’re using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, the process is simple and accessible, making high-quality digital narration available to everyone.

Checkout Speechify Voiceover

Cost: Free to try

Speechify is the #1 AI Voice Over Generator​. Using Speechify Voice Over is a breeze. It takes only a few minutes and you’ll be turning any text into natural-sounding Voice Over audio.

1. Type in the text you’d like to hear spoken
2. Select a voice & listening speed
3. Press “Generate. That’s it!

Choose from 100’s of voices, and a plethora of languages and then customize each voice to make it your own. Add emotion like whisper, right up to anger and screaming. Your stories or presentations, or any other project can come alive with rich, natural sounding features.

You can also clone your own voice and use it in your voice over text to speech.

Speechify Voice Over also comes loaded with royalty free images, video, and audio that are all free to use for your personal or commercial projects. Speechify Voice Over is clearly the best option for your voice overs - no matter your team size. You can try our AI voice today, for free!