Or, what’s an mp3, why I love them, and why you should too
Cut to the chase: an mp3 is an audio file which you can play on any browser. Your laptop, your smartphone, iPad, whatever. You don’t need to download any special app in order to open it, because your device will default to whatever appropriate app it already has.
Most of my real-life friends are keen readers. Relatively few of them listen to audiobooks, however. The best known streaming services – for example Amazon’s Audible, or Spotify – have been marketed on a subscription basis, and delivered via an app. Many of us just can’t be bothered with the faff. A subscription is a commitment, too, in this financial climate we’re all cutting back on subscriptions.
If you’ve followed my very occasional blog posts, you’ll know that just lately I’ve turned my attention to audio creation, starting small with short stories. It’s a natural fit for me – I’ve always enjoyed reading aloud, it’s as much fun as singing. The aim is, one day, to get Joe Faber and the Optimists out in audio for those stroke survivors who can no longer handle a physical book. 10 hours finished narration equals… how many hours editing??? Online gurus will show you how to get the ratio recording:editing down to 1:5. Fine for a robotic delivery of a technical manual – in which case you may as well hand it over to AI anyway. Anything involving expression, nuance or timing needs more care.
After a long slog , my 4 funny stories are on Amazon, Spotify, Chirp, Nook et cetera. Completely submerged, hard to find, and deeply unlikely ever to receive any financial compensation beyond a few pennies. The statistics say that audio books are a huge growth area in publishing, but that doesn’t mean the creators are earning by it, any more than the creators of music are. Honestly, my Norwegian photocopying royalties from a textbook co-authored a million years ago are performing better!
I’m not bitter, but…
With physical books and ebooks, Amazon’s publishing arm, Kindle Direct, has enabled me to do things I never thought possible. However much booksellers may loathe them, they are fundamentally author friendly and give independent authors a fair deal. BUT when it comes to their audio platform, ACX, that does not read across. Yes, they want us authors to engage, with plenty of helpful how-to videos etc; but I suspect, like Meta, it’s all about keeping us on the platform. And opaque is not the word. Hard fact: if I upload to Audible (Amazon), they dictate the cost of the book; they cannot give me any estimate whatever of the royalties; and they reserve the right not to pass on any royalties at all until I’ve earned £50. Which might take hundreds or thousands of sales. I have no way of knowing. Other indie authors are sharing their royalties with a narrator, or have paid a narrator up front for a fee they may never recoup. If you buy any audio direct from me, you’re getting the same files I uploaded to Audible.
Spotify to the rescue
Spotify for Authors has just launched in August 2025 and promises real compensation for authors. Hooray!
However… Why not let me sell you, directly, an mp3, for a very modest sum? Four stories which you can either download separately or as a bundle. All at www.Payhip.com/GillOliverBooks.
Here’a a sample from the story May Contain Nuts. Produced Blue Peter-style, with free recording software (Audacity), a laptop, a few cushions and a sleeping bag.
Next up, later this year, with be The Great Big Thank You, a modern fable, weighing in at a modest 15,000 words. Or 120 minutes narration! I had a great deal of fun putting this one together.