Audio versions

Guidelines

To be eligible for your recording to be shown on the story page on our website, you must follow these guidelines.

• You must be able to speak and pronounce English like a native.
• You don’t need a British accent, but please note the stories are in British English.
• You must read the story exactly – you can’t change or skip any of the words. (If you feel there is an error in the story, please let us know first!) This is so learners can read along if they want.
• Speak clearly – we recommend speaking slightly slower than normal, to help learners.
• The recording quality must be clear, without any background noise.
• State clearly in advance that the story is “from Fabulang.com”.
• Where possible, show “fabulang.com” on screen. You are welcome to use our logo and story artwork (but you don’t have to).
• Add a link back to the story’s page on Fabulang, in the recording’s description.
• You can add subtitles to a video if you want, but please do not paste the text of the story alongside the recording, e.g. in the description.
• The recording must be available on a website where it can be accessed worldwide, for free, without an account, such as YouTube.

FAQs

How should I record myself?

That’s up to you. We think the best option is to use video, because it helps and engages learners even more. But if you don’t want to appear on video, you could just record your voice.

If you don’t have a professional microphone, don’t worry – your phone or webcam is fine. Your phone is usually a better camera and microphone than your webcam. You can use the built-in camera or voice recorder apps.

If you’re new to recording yourself, here are some tips:

• Record somewhere quiet. A bedroom is often the quietest room. Close the door!
• Turn off, or move away from, any appliances that make background noise.
• If you’re using your phone, don’t hold it in your hand. Try to stand it up somewhere.
• Always practise first!

We can’t wait to hear your recording.

Where should I upload my recording?

YouTube is a great place to share your recording. If you don’t have a YouTube account already, it’s free to create one.

YouTube requires videos, so if you you only record your voice, use some free software (e.g. Canva, iMovie) to create a video with your voice and a still image (like the story artwork).

If you choose to use a different platform, that’s fine. However, it must be possible for learners to access the recording just by clicking the link, without paying or logging in.

How do I add my recording to the story page?

We’ll do it for you. Upload your recording (e.g. to YouTube) and email us the link. As long as you’ve followed all the guidelines above, we’ll be delighted to add your recording to the story page.

Please note that the link is displayed at our sole discretion. We may decline to display it, or remove it, for any reason. As an example, we will not display recordings that contain serious errors in pronunciation.

You can also request that we remove the link, by emailing us.