Why Your Voice-Over or Audiobook Still Doesn’t Sound Professional (Even With a Good Mic)

Hamilton & Toronto Voice Over & Audiobook Studio – Morph Productions

If you’ve bought a decent microphone, treated your room a bit, and your voice-over or audiobook recordings still don’t sound professional, you’re not alone. I work with a lot of authors, corporate clients and creators who’ve tried recording at home first. The gear is “good on paper,” but the results still feel noisy, boxy or fatiguing to listen to.

Most of the time, it’s not that you’re doing everything wrong, it’s a handful of small issues that stack up. Here are some of the most common problems I hear when people come to me for voice over and audiobook recording and what actually fixes them.

People find this hard to believe but having bad audio in a lot of cases is worse than bad video. If you want your message to resonate and come off as professional a good sound is a must for your project to be taken seriously.

1. The Room Still Sounds Like a Room

Foam on the walls, a rug on the floor and a blanket over the door can help — but they don’t magically turn a bedroom into a voice-over studio.

Typical issues I hear:

• “Boxy” mids and honky resonance around 300–600 Hz
• Flutter echoes and weird reflections between parallel walls
• Room tone that changes as you move your head

Fix:
Start by getting as dead as possible around the mic, not the whole room. Thick absorption (duvets, broadband panels, closets full of clothes) around and slightly behind you works far better than thin foam randomly stuck to the walls. In my Hamilton/Toronto vocal booths, I’m using proper broadband treatment so the mic “sees” your voice, not the room.  

2. Mic Placement Is Working Against You

Even a great mic can sound harsh, muddy or thin if it’s pointed at the wrong spot or placed at the wrong distance.

Common problems:

• Too close: boomy lows, mouth noise, plosives and inconsistent tone when you move
• Too far: roomy, thin and noisy, especially on quieter reads
• Mic aimed straight at the mouth: S sounds and breaths jump out

Fix:
For most voice work a good starting point is the classic “shaka” distance (thumb on your chin, pinky towards the mic). Aim the mic slightly off-axis toward the corner of your mouth or just above your nose to tame harshness and plosives. Also make sure you're using a good pop filter to further help avoid popping P's and other hard consonants. 

3. The Chain Is Clean on Paper… But Noisy in Practice

On paper, “USB mic into laptop” or “XLR mic into interface” looks simple. In the real world, there are a lot of ways noise sneaks in:

• Computer fans or hard drives in the same room
• Ground hum or electrical noise from cheap power or cables
• Recording level set too low, then boosted later (bringing up hiss with it)

Fix:
Listen to your noise floor with headphones before you start performing. Record a few seconds of silence at your normal mic distance and level, and crank your monitors to make sure there aren’t fans, buzzes or hums hiding in there. If you can hear it in the room the mic will only exaggerate it.  Try working on mic placement (both direction and quieter spots in the room) to see if you can achieve better results.  

4. Inconsistent Performance Makes Editing a Nightmare

Even if your sound is technically clean, inconsistent delivery can make an audiobook or corporate narration feel amateur.

Things that cause problems later:

• Changing distance from the mic every few lines
• Switching energy level mid-chapter
• Inconsistent character voices in fiction audiobooks
• Breathing pattern changing when you get tired

Fix:
Think of the session as a performance, not a test recording. Mark up your script, note where you need more energy, and keep your posture and distance consistent. During audiobook sessions at Morph Productions, I’m listening for these changes and giving direction in real time so you don’t have to fix everything later in editing.  Narrating to video or recording an audio book is not like speaking to your co-workers or even public speaking.  Each line must be read perfectly with intention. 

5. The Script Wasn’t Ready for the Mic

A script that looks fine on the page can completely fall apart when you read it aloud.

Typical script issues:

• Long sentences with no natural breathing points
• Overly complex phrasing for corporate or e-learning content
• Names, acronyms and technical terms that haven’t been clarified
• Copy written for the eye, not the ear

Fix:
Always read the script out loud before the session. Mark breaths, emphasize key words, and rewrite any lines that consistently trip you up. For commercial and corporate work, I often help clients tighten copy on the spot so it’s easier to deliver naturally and lands better with listeners.  I can't tell you how many times a session has been gummed up while hearing the narrator say, "this isn't easy to say".

6. Editing & Mastering Are an Afterthought

Raw recordings — even from a professional booth — usually aren’t ready for Audible/ACX, broadcast or corporate platforms without proper post-production.

Common post issues:

• Over-aggressive noise reduction causing “underwater” artifacts
• Heavy compression that makes breaths and mouth noise jump out
• Inconsistent levels between chapters or sections
• Mastering that doesn’t meet ACX or broadcast specs

Fix:
Treat editing and mastering as part of the production, not an optional extra. At Morph Productions I regularly edit, de-noise and master audiobooks to Audible/ACX standards and deliver clean, consistent voice-over for TV, radio and online campaigns.

When It Makes Sense to Use a Professional Voice-Over Studio

Home setups are great for auditions, rough ideas and some smaller projects. But if you’re releasing a commercial, corporate narration, podcast series or full audiobook, the difference a professional room and engineer make is huge — in both quality and the time it takes to get there.

At my Hamilton & Toronto voice over and audiobook studio, you get:

• A fully treated vocal booth with an industry-standard chain (Neumann U87, Great River, UAD Apollo)
• Real-time direction via Zoom if you or your producer want to listen in remotely
• Editing, cleanup and mastering to the specs your platform actually requires
• Access to union and non-union voice talent if you’d rather hire a pro voice instead of recording your own

Ready to Make Your Voice-Over or Audiobook Sound Professional?

If you’re close — but not quite there — with your home recordings, or you’d rather skip the technical headaches and focus on your performance, I’d be happy to help.  If you ultimately really want to record in your space I offer consultations to help you get the most out of your setup.

📧 ashton@morphproductions.com
🌐 Morph Productions – Voice Over & Audiobook Studio
📍 Hamilton & Toronto • Remote Sessions Available Worldwide