Good Aural -The Audiobook Podcast

Brenda
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Performing Arts

Good Aural is a podcast about what makes an audiobook work. Hosted by award winning narrator Brenda Scott Wlazlo, this podcast breaks down what actually makes a performance land. We cover everything from character and chemistry to pacing, prep, and the moments that make listeners stay. For narrators, actors, audiobook fans, and anyone curious about the industry, these short episodes are honest, practical, and rooted in real experience.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 30: The Actors Who Teach Us: Remembering Patrick Stewart

    Send us Fan Mail Some actors become part of your education without ever knowing they've taught you anything. For me, Patrick Stewart was one of those actors. This week, I'm setting aside our regularly scheduled episode to remember an extraordinary performer whose work helped shape my understanding of acting. From Captain Picard and Shakespeare to the unforgettable experience of seeing him perform Waiting for Godot on Broadway, Patrick Stewart showed me what a lifetime of curiosity, discipline, and care for language could look like. A question for you Who is an actor or performer who helped shape your understanding of your craft, even if you've never met them? I'd love to hear who taught you something simply by letting you watch them work. A little housekeeping Good Aural is moving to Fridays! With the holidays approaching and weekdays getting busier, I'm giving us a little TGIF listening time. Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work. Come hang out. Let’s talk about it. Brenda Reads Audiobooks Linktree  website: Brendascottwlazlo.com For service inquiries, use the contact me form through my website.

  2. Oct 21

    Episode 29: Stop Trying to Sound Like an Audiobook Narrator

    Send us Fan Mail Have you ever heard a narrator go from having a perfectly natural conversation to suddenly switching on their audiobook voice? Yeah. We need to talk about that. This week on Good Aural, I'm digging into the recognizable sounds of audiobook genres, why we fall into familiar vocal patterns, and what happens when we're so focused on sounding like a narrator that we forget to actually act. The Audiobook Narrator Voice: Why do some narrators sound completely different the moment they start reading?Why genre has a sound: From movie trailers and commercials to romance, middle grade, and horror, audiences recognize certain vocal conventions.You can't act genre: What acting coaches mean when they tell us to focus on the circumstances rather than the expectations of a genre.The audiobook cadence: Those familiar rhythms we fall into, especially when we're tired or working on autopilot.Imitation versus acting: Why listening to great narrators doesn't necessarily teach us how they arrived at their performance choices.Where acting training fits: The importance of scene study, character objectives, rehearsal, and making room to experiment outside the recording booth.Finding spontaneity: Practical ways to reconnect with the material when your delivery starts sounding a little too polished.A question for narrators Have you ever caught yourself slipping into an audiobook cadence? What helps you get out of it? I'd love to hear what you've noticed in your own performances.  Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work. Come hang out. Let’s talk about it. Brenda Reads Audiobooks Linktree  website: Brendascottwlazlo.com For service inquiries, use the contact me form through my website.

  3. Oct 14

    Episode 28: AI, Empty Calendars & the End of Audiobooks..Again

    Send us Fan Mail Apparently, the audiobook industry is dying. Again. Between AI, changing casting practices, shrinking opportunities, and the increasingly expensive business of just trying to be a narrator, there's a lot of anxiety floating around our little corner of the creative world. But haven't we been here before? This week, I'm taking a break from the doom spiral to look at what actually happened to audiobooks during the Great Recession, COVID, and some of the industry's biggest technological shifts. Spoiler: the numbers might surprise you. We're talking about fear, freelancing, finding opportunities when everything seems to be changing, and why I still believe there's a future worth fighting for. Because these are unprecedented times. Again. And somehow, we're still standing. Huzzah. Sources & Further Reading The Great Recession and the Digital Transition (2008–2009) According to Audio Publishers Association data reported by Publishers Weekly, audiobook unit sales increased 4.7% in 2009, even as revenue declined 12%. Digital downloads accounted for 29% of revenue, up from 21% in 2008. Publishers Weekly — Audio Has Mixed 2009 Audiobooks During COVID (2020) The Audio Publishers Association reported 12% revenue growth in 2020, reaching $1.3 billion. During the pandemic, the percentage of listeners who listened most often at home increased from 43% to 55%, reflecting a significant shift in listening habits. Audio Publishers Association — Audiobook Listening Remains Strong in 2020 Post-Pandemic Growth (2021) Audiobook revenue grew another 25% in 2021, reaching $1.6 billion. Romance audiobooks experienced particularly strong growth, with revenue increasing 75%. Audio Publishers Association — 2021 Sales and Consumer Survey The Audiobook Industry Today (2025–2026) The APA's June 2026 report found that U.S. audiobook sales reached $2.43 billion in 2025, a 9% increase over the previous year. Publishers reported more than 750,000 active titles, and an estimated 157 million American adults have listened to an audiobook. The APA also reports that AI-narrated audiobooks represented just 0.03% of U.S. audiobook sales revenue in 2025. Audio Publishers Association — 2026 Consumer & 2025 Sales Surveys Industry revenue growth doesn't necessarily reflect individual narrator earnings, employment opportunities, or compensation. These statistics provide historical context for the industry's resilience, not a guarantee of future outcomes. Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work. Come hang out. Let’s talk about it. Brenda Reads Audiobooks Linktree  website: Brendascottwlazlo.com For service inquiries, use the contact me form through my website.

  4. Oct 7

    Episode 27: PRH’s New RS+ Model: Opportunity or Dangerous Precedent?

    Send us Fan Mail Penguin Random House and SAG-AFTRA have created a new limited RS+ model for roughly 200 backlist titles. But the agreement has sparked a much bigger conversation about rates, full-production labor, revenue sharing, transparency, and what happens when human narrators are asked to compete with the cost of AI. This week, I’m digging into why the agreement exists, why some narrators see opportunity in it, and why I’m worried about the precedent it could set. Because if we believe human narration has value, where does that value show up in what we’re willing to pay for it? Sources & Further Reading Audio Publishers Association — 2026 Consumer & 2025 Sales Surveys The APA reports that U.S. audiobook sales reached $2.43 billion in 2025, up 9% year over year. AI-narrated audiobooks accounted for 0.03% of sales revenue; 16% of audiobook listeners reported having listened to an AI-voiced audiobook, while willingness to try AI narration declined from 70% in 2025 to 61% in 2026. (⁠Homepage) ⁠APA 2026 Consumer & 2025 Sales Survey SAG-AFTRA — Audiobook Agreements & AI Protections SAG-AFTRA notes that there is no single multi-employer audiobook agreement; the union has more than 90 separate agreements with audiobook publishers and producers, with rates tailored to individual publishers and producers. The union also outlines its protections regarding AI and digital replicas. (⁠SAG-AFTRA) ⁠SAG-AFTRA Audiobook Resources SAG-AFTRA — Audiobooks and AI The union’s existing “No Contract, No Work” order prohibits members from entering agreements with companies seeking to create, license, or use digital voice replicas or train AI systems for audiobook use unless the company becomes a SAG-AFTRA signatory. (⁠SAG-AFTRA) ⁠SAG-AFTRA: Audiobooks No Contract, No Work Details about the specific PRH limited RS+ program discussed in this episode come from communications distributed to narrators and the union’s response to narrator concerns. The specific PFH rate is intentionally not included because members have been advised that individual contract rates are confidential. Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work. Come hang out. Let’s talk about it. Brenda Reads Audiobooks Linktree  website: Brendascottwlazlo.com For service inquiries, use the contact me form through my website.

  5. Sep 30

    Episode 26: The Plight of the Workhorse Narrator

    Send us Fan Mail Audiobooks are getting bigger. Celebrity casts, splashy productions, behind-the-scenes videos, mainstream press. And honestly? That’s exciting. But as audiobooks become more visible, I’ve been wondering whether the career audiobook narrator is actually getting harder to see. In this episode: Why celebrity audiobook casting isn’t really the problemHow the pathways to recognition are changingThe growing second job of narrator visibilitySources & Further Reading Audio Publishers Association — 2027 Audie Awards Current competition information, categories, eligibility, and submission deadlines. ⁠2027 Audie Awards Audible — Bram Stoker’s Dracula Audible’s announcement of its global full-cast adaptations, including the English-language production starring Jonathan Bailey, Ella Purnell, Aimee Lou Wood, Louis Partridge, David Jonsson, Lesley Manville, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. ⁠Audible Announces All-Star Global Adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula Kirkus Reviews — AudioFile Acquisition Kirkus’ January 2026 announcement that it acquired AudioFile’s audiobook review program and would continue audiobook coverage under audiobook editor Jennifer Dowell. ⁠Kirkus Buys AudioFile, Begins Audiobook Reviews Kirkus Reviews — Publisher Submission Guidelines Current submission information for new and forthcoming audiobooks. ⁠Kirkus Publisher Submission Guidelines Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work. Come hang out. Let’s talk about it. Brenda Reads Audiobooks Linktree  website: Brendascottwlazlo.com For service inquiries, use the contact me form through my website.

  6. Sep 23

    Episode 25: Maintenance Mode: Your Career Has to Survive Your Life

    Send us Fan Mail Well, I’ve got some news. I’m pregnant! I’m thrilled to finally be able to say that out loud. I am also deep in the first trimester, and holy cow, it has kicked my butt. I’ve spent most of September doing the absolute bare minimum. I’m getting my work done. I’m answering the emails that need answers. But all of the extra stuff I’m normally doing to grow my career? Not happening. So that’s what I wanted to talk about this week. We spend a lot of time in this industry talking about what else we could be doing. More auditions, more outreach, more social media, update your website, make the reel, take the class. But what happens during the parts of your life when you just… can’t? I’m calling it maintenance mode. The work still matters. Deadlines still matter. Being a good person to work with still matters. But maybe for a little while, the goal is simply to keep things running until you have more of yourself to give again. If I want to do this for another 20 or 30 years, my career has to have room for me to actually live those 20 or 30 years. So, let’s talk about the bare minimum. Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work. Come hang out. Let’s talk about it. Brenda Reads Audiobooks Linktree  website: Brendascottwlazlo.com For service inquiries, use the contact me form through my website.

  7. Sep 9

    Episode 24: You’re Not the Star (And That’s Actually Good News)

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Good Aural, I’m looking at audiobook production through my theater brain and talking about what changes when we stop thinking only like performers and start thinking like members of a much larger creative team. Because talent matters. Obviously. But once you can do the job, there’s another question that matters when producers are deciding whether they want to work with you again: What are you like to work with? We’re talking about: Why audiobook narration is more collaborative than it feelsWhat theater taught me about being a good team memberThe difference between advocating for an artistic choice and knowing when to deferWhy being proactive can make everyone’s job easierWhat producers actually need from us when they’re juggling multiple productionsThe conference audition that taught me something about being someone who can solve a problemWhy you do not want to become another fire your producer has to put outHow decentering yourself from the production can actually make you better at your jobAt the end of the day, bring your artistry. Bring your ideas. Care deeply about the book. But remember: nobody makes an audiobook alone. Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work. Come hang out. Let’s talk about it. Brenda Reads Audiobooks Linktree  website: Brendascottwlazlo.com For service inquiries, use the contact me form through my website.

  8. Sep 2

    Episode 23: Who Gets to be an Audiobook Coach?

    Send us Fan Mail There is a LOT of discourse happening right now about who is actually qualified to coach audiobook narrators, and I have thoughts. Because on one end, we have incredibly experienced, prolific narrators whose advice may not always apply to someone trying to break into this industry in 2026. On the other, we have newer narrators who are really good at navigating the current hustle and are already charging thousands of dollars to teach other people how they did it. And somewhere in the middle are a bunch of wildly knowledgeable people who apparently have no interest in marketing themselves whatsoever. So… who are you supposed to give your money to? Also: we're normalizing the post-coaching existential crisis. Because maybe the question isn't, "Are they qualified to coach?" Maybe it's: What are they qualified to coach you on? Good Aural is hosted by audiobook narrator and actor Brenda Scott Wlazlo. We talk craft, business, performance, and the weird little things that make an audiobook actually work. Come hang out. Let’s talk about it. Brenda Reads Audiobooks Linktree  website: Brendascottwlazlo.com For service inquiries, use the contact me form through my website.

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About

Good Aural is a podcast about what makes an audiobook work. Hosted by award winning narrator Brenda Scott Wlazlo, this podcast breaks down what actually makes a performance land. We cover everything from character and chemistry to pacing, prep, and the moments that make listeners stay. For narrators, actors, audiobook fans, and anyone curious about the industry, these short episodes are honest, practical, and rooted in real experience.

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