How To Publish An Audio-Supported Story Using Your Own Voice
It’s a piece of cake…and here’s how I did it.
It’s been an hour since I posted my first audio-supported piece on Medium, and though I’m curious about how it might perform, I’m not too stressed.
Instead, I’m just thrilled at how easy it was to figure things out — and excited about the thought of adding audio to my pieces moving forward.
Plus, now I’m motivated to republish some of my older pieces with audio.
This totally feels like a game changer.
So, why add audio?
The question is really why not add audio? After all…
...it’s the latest feature on Medium’s already easy-to-use platform,
…it’s super straightforward, and
…it brings your pieces to life. With audio, writing has more depth and dimension, increased authenticity, and (arguably) a more personal, polished touch.
Now, I understand if that sounds like a sales pitch, but it’s not. I’m gushing because I’m so excited. No one at Medium contacted me about this (or trained me). I want to share my experience because I’m stoked — and (quite honestly,) because I want another chance to play with the audio features.
How I added audio using my own voice
So, you can select from an array of automated voices (and languages) to “read” your stories, but I prefer the sound of a human voice — my own human voice — for my own stories.
And so, here’s how I added mine:
- Using a laptop, begin a new story as usual.
- Finish your story — and I mean REALLY finish it.
Read it out loud several times, making sure it flows just as good aloud as it does in your head. If not, season it to taste until it’s juuuuust right. - Then, click the Ready to publish? button.
- At this point, add your tags, mark your story as eligible to earn money (or not), and then, go to the lower righthand corner to Make your story accessible with audio:
5. Here, you’ll choose between two buttons: Publish now with Audio or Use your own voice.
6. When you select Use your own voice, your story will pop up, but at this point, you won’t be able to edit. (Keep in mind though: you can always cancel the recording mode and go back to modify your story if you wish.) But if you and your story are okay for now, check out the audio controls at the bottom of the page — which include Record, Finish, Reset, and Publish.
7. Okay, so now’s the time to practice reading your story OUT LOUD one more time. Then, grab a sip of water, clear your throat, and get ready to hit Record.
8. Once you press Record, it’ll seem like nothing’s happening, but trust the power of the platform, because it IS working. Then, when you’re done reading your story, click Finish. Again, it’ll seem like nothing’s happening. Not sure why…but keep reading.
9. Alright. Now that your recording is done, press the PLAY/ARROW icon to listen to what you’ve read. If you’re satisfied, hit Publish. If you’re not, you have the option to hit Reset to start the recording process over until you’re happy, or exit out of recording mode completely and edit your text to your heart’s content before jumping back in.
After my first audio *read through*, I hit Reset and re-recorded my piece before finally deciding to edited the text altogether in a few spots. And, I’ll just be totally honest: I ended up recording it three more times until I felt okay. It’s definitely a process to get used to…but once you do it a few times…you’re golden.
FINALLY, once you hit Publish, the audio recording will upload directly into your story. And, if you’re like me (an over thinker), you can STILL go back and redo the audio. You’re never “*locked in* to your recording, which takes off a ton of pressure.
Okay, so here’s a screen grab of my published story, including a link in the caption to the story itself:
Alright, there you have it: My first, audio-supported story on Medium.
I hope this piece inspires you to check out the audio features here, and I’d love to hear what you think. Best of luck to you!
And, if you’d like to follow my writing, head over to www.christinewolf.com.
