With Voiceover, your subscribers can now read and listen to you read out loud the post in one spot.
How do I get started?
1. When signed in to your Substack account, click on "+New post" on your Posts page.
2. In the editor toolbar, select the headphones icon and then select Voiceover.
3. A new dashboard will appear on the right and you can either upload an audio file or narrate your post by using our recording feature directly on your device. To record audio, check your browser settings to ensure that Substack has access to your microphone.
4. Once you've finished uploading an audio file or recording, select "Done" and the voiceover will appear at the top of your post.
Tips for voiceover:
- The position of the voiceover cannot be moved from the top at this time.
- Each post can have one voiceover.
Your readers will be able to listen to the audio post on the web post or on the Substack app.
On the web:
If you send the post as a newsletter, a voiceover player will appear in the email and subscribers can click the player and listen to the post in a new internet browser.
On the Substack app:
When the post appears in a subscriber's Inbox, they'll be able to tap on the voiceover and directly play it in the app. Just like with podcast episodes or text-to-speech, the voiceover will play in the background as long as the subscriber doesn't fully exit/fully close the app i.e. they remove the Substack app from their device's menu of open apps.
Note: If text-to-speech is available on your publication, a voiceover in the post will override the TTS.
To have your voiceover posts appear in podcast players, follow these steps here.
Can I paywall a voiceover?
If you'd like to keep your text free for any reader but paywall your voiceover, follow these steps:
1. After adding a voiceover audio file to your post, click on "More" in the draft editor toolbar and select "Paywall". Move the paywall to the end of the draft if you'd like the entire text to be free to readers or insert the paywall in the draft where only paying subscribers can access the content.
2. Click "Continue" and ensure that your Publish settings are like the below:
- This post is for "Paid subscribers only"
- Send free preview is selected (if you uncheck this section the paywall will be removed)
3. Once you publish the post, free subscribers will receive a "preview" of the post but the voiceover will only be available for paying subscribers.
Free preview email newsletters with voiceover
Free preview post with voiceover on the Substack app
If you'd like your entire post (text and voiceover) only for paying subscribers, do not add a paywall and select "Paid subscribers only" on the Post settings page before you publish your post.
