Behind the Mic: Q&A with Michael Langan, My Audiobook Narrator

For many people, audiobooks have become their preferred way to 'read', turning a dull commute into an exciting journey or just making the housework that much more bearable. But I've listened to enough audiobooks myself to know that a poor narration can ruin a book just as a great narration can bring it alive. A good narrator doesn't just read a book aloud; they perform it.

I've been very lucky with my narrator, Michael Langan, who narrates all my Matthew Stannard stories. I'm always interested in how other creative people work, so I asked Michael a few questions about his career and and how he goes about narrating an audiobook.

Q. Can you tell us a little about your background and how you got into audiobook narration? What drew you to audiobook narration as a career?

I was attending a Sci-Fi convention in Southampton ten years ago and it was a case of right place, right time. There was a brilliant talk with an actor called Julian Seager; very funny, very self-deprecating. He was talking about his start in the film and TV industry, and I remember him saying that “If I can get into this business, anyone can”.

I was in a dead-end customer service job at the time and while I wasn’t exactly miserable, I’d been trying for something different for a few years by that point, but nothing came together, no matter what I tried. This seemed like a fantastic idea. The more I looked into websites advertising roles for extras (or supporting artists as they are now known), the more I saw the sheer variety of roles for voiceover artists. I finally settled on audiobooks as a subsection of the industry in 2020 and here I am. 

Reading has always been a passion of mine and choosing it as a career is literally a dream come true.

Q. What is your favourite genre/type of book to narrate?

Definitely crime, I’m a massive murder mystery fan. I spent most of A-Levels reading the entirety of Agatha Christie’s catalogue at my college library instead of revising. I know that a lot of people swear by Scandinavian crime, but Scottish crime fiction is my favourite.

Q. Do you listen to audiobooks yourself? If so, do you have any favourite narrators or genres?

I do listen to audiobooks; it’s taken the pressure off having no more room for extra bookcases in my house. A massive part of my library is crime fiction but I’m also fond of fantasy genre, either urban or high fantasy, Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld taking up pride of place. There are so many great narrators out there, but I would say the first one that really made me sit up and listen to what they were doing is Stephen Pacey. 

Q. Do you have a favourite scene or character from any of the DI Matthew Stannard stories? 

You do write a particularly slimy villain, and they are a joy to voice. My favourite scene is from Sixpence for a Slaughter where Laing tries to justify the murders that took place at the local cinema as an act of God to the local clergy. Some people you love to hate, and he fits the bill!  

Q. How do you prepare to narrate a book? Do you make notes, develop character voices, or rehearse certain parts before you start? 

When narrating fiction or non-fiction, it is absolutely essential to read through the manuscript first, never go into a recording immediately. Certain fictional characters stand out during the initial read and you can hear what they’re supposed to sound like in your head, so it’s good to note that down before you forget it. I find that when narrating non-fiction, it can help to highlight portions of the text that require more emphasis or a different cadence that wouldn’t be obvious otherwise. 

Q. How do you keep multiple characters’ voices distinct in your head and in your performance? 

Once I settle on a certain character’s voice, I make certain to save a 5-10 second mp3 of their dialogue and pop it in a ‘Character Voice’ folder that I can refer back to if I find myself slipping. 

Q. How do you take care of your voice during long recording sessions? 

Go through the proper warmups before starting, drink lots of water and never record for more than four hours a day. I found that last one out the hard way when I started out and delayed a project because I needed to rest. 

Q. What happens when you make a mistake or need to re-record a section? 

The great thing about recording software is there are so many options. The method I use and absolutely swear by is known as Punch and Roll. As an example, say I was counting from 1 to 10 and I make a mistake, transposing 7 for 6. With Punch and Roll, you can select the portion of the recording directly before you made a mistake and the computer plays back the previous 2 or 3 seconds, leading me in before beginning the recording again, allowing me to pick up directly from my mistake instead of having to re-record the entire section. If I am remembering correctly, it’s called Punch and Roll because it dates back to when recordings were done on physical tape and the engineer would have to locate the error, literally punch into the tape before the error and then begin rolling again from there. 

Q. What’s the most difficult part of audiobook narration that listeners might not realise? 

I’m incredibly lucky to be doing this, I don’t want to seem like I’m complaining or anything, but the toughest part is definitely how tiring it can be. I was surprised when I started out because I assumed you’re just sitting (or standing) there reading aloud, how hard can it be? Except it’s not just that, you’re giving a performance, self-directing and sound engineering all on your own. And that’s just the work that needs doing inside the booth, there’s a whole other side to it outside. 

Q. How much creative freedom do you have in interpreting characters and pacing? 

It’s a generally agreed standard that once a narrator is selected, they should record an initial 15 minutes for the Rights Holder (usually the author but it can be a production company who hold the rights). These 15 minutes can be from anywhere in the manuscript but it’s generally best to find a section with as many character voices as possible. Once this 15-minute section has been approved, then complete creative control passes to the narrator but it is essential that this is communicated to the Rights Holder. I have seen projects where the narrator did not communicate this beforehand and found their Rights Holder micromanaging every single thing they recorded. I tend to ask Rights Holders up front if they have any kind of character voice in mind for specific characters but once I’ve started that’s it. Genuine errors or flubs are, of course, to be corrected but for it to work, all creative control goes to the narrator. 

Q. Have you ever had to completely restart a project because the initial approach wasn't working? 

Thankfully, not yet! 

Q. How has the audiobook industry changed since you started? 

AI has become a lot more prevalent, both on the author and narrator side. At the moment, it’s fairly easy to spot AI written projects as they are, honestly, quite atrocious and the narrator side sounds stilted and fake. Of course, AI is improving day by day, but people can always tell, there’s something too uncanny about an AI performance, it doesn’t live up to a real narrator. 

Q. What advice would you give to aspiring audiobook narrators? 

Drink plenty of water, always sign up for training as it’s a continuous process and, most importantly, you can spend all the money you have on fancy recording equipment but if your recording space isn’t properly treated and prepared, you’re basically throwing money away. 

Q. Can you describe your recording setup? 

I have a brilliant booth from a company called Session Booth. I bought it in 2022, and it is the best investment I have made. I hook a laptop up to a larger monitor and leave the laptop outside the booth, as the sound of the fan would interfere with the final recording. My microphone is a Rode NT-1, each narrator I’ve spoken to has their favourite and this works wonderfully for me. My Rode requires a pre-amp to work which allows me to adjust sound levels on the fly and my recording software is called Reaper – I discovered that after signing up to a few different voiceover groups on social media; the whole community is so helpful. A wireless mouse and keyboard complete my set up. 

Q. How long does it typically take to record a book like the Stannard stories from start to finish? 

At this point in my career, I’m getting better and faster. So, assuming a word count of anywhere from 85,000 to 100,000+ words, I would say the whole process can take a fortnight. This includes the time needed to read through the manuscript before recording begins and takes into account mistakes and editing. This can vary, as different projects have different word counts. 

Q. What’s your editing process like? 

I record for 3-4 hours a day and throughout the rest of the day, I listen back to the files and mark any errors that I have made, putting them aside for correction once the project is ready to submit. Then usually the Rights Holder contacts me with any errors that are still outstanding, and I correct those immediately. 

Quickfire Questions

Q. Tea or coffee?

I used to live on coffee but had to give it up years ago, so neither.

Q. Fictional character you’d love to narrate?

I would have loved to be involved in the recent Discworld recordings, but that boat has sailed.

Q. Hardest accent you've ever attempted?

Irish – my parents are from the ROI and I cannot hear their accents nor can I mimic them. I can do a broad Northern Irish version though. Anything else and my accent wanders.

Q. Preferred recording attire: fully dressed or comfy loungewear?

Comfy loungewear. The booth gets very hot all year long and better clothes make too much noise against your skin.

Q. What’s the weirdest/hardest/funniest word you’ve had to pronounce in a book?

‘Effortlessly’. It trips me up. Every. Single. Time.

Q. Villain voice or hero voice - which is more fun?

Definitely villain voice, who doesn’t love a good villain?

Q. Morning person or night owl for recording sessions?

Morning person, I’m all set for bed by 9.30 p.m.!

Q. Where can readers/listeners hear more of your work?

My entire catalogue is available on Audible.

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I hope you found this peek behind the microphone interesting, and if you haven't yet experienced Michael's narration of my Matthew Stannard novels, you can find the full-length novels here and the prequel novellas here.

 

Do you have a favourite audiobook narrator whose voice has become inseparable from certain characters in your mind? Let me know in the comments below.