Adding audio narration to your Substack posts can help you gain and retain subscribers â and you donât even have to use your own voice.
- Why add narration to my Substack posts?
- How to create narration for your Substack posts
- How to insert audio into Substack posts
Already a BeyondWords user? View our guide on adding BeyondWords audio to Substack.
Why add narration to my Substack posts?
Adding audio narration to your Substack posts can help you reduce unsubscribes by making it easier for subscribers to engage.
When subscribers canât find the time to read your newsletter, they experience what The Economist called âunread guilt factorâ: they watch unread emails pile up, can no longer justify their subscription, and are more likely to cancel.š
Northwestern University research backs this theory, citing frequency of consumption as the biggest predictor of subscriber retention in digital news.²
When you provide a listenable version of your newsletter, subscribers are more likely to engage. Audio is generally easier to fit into a busy lifestyle than reading â 71% of Americans listening to more spoken-word audio say itâs at least partly because it allows them to multitask.Âł It also provides an alternative when subscribers simply arenât in the mood to read.
"Our evidence suggests that the audio edition is a very effective retention tool; once you come to rely on it, you wonât unsubscribe." â Tom Standage, Deputy Editor at The Economistâ´
Narration can also help you grow your subscriber list. Making your Substack posts listenable helps you tap into the huge demand for audio content, allowing you to attract and engage people who cannot or will not read â or who simply prefer to listen. Plus, our research suggests that listeners are more valuable than readers.
Creating audio versions of your Substack posts also gives you access to new distribution channels, most notably podcast platforms. This can help you build your following via platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
Learn more about the benefits of converting articles into audio.
How to create narration for Substack posts
There are three main ways to create audio narration for your Substack posts and newsletter: record yourself, hire a voice artist, or use text-to-speech.
Read or listen on to learn more about the pros and cons of each audio production method.
Record the audio yourself
Pros: Narrating your Substack posts yourself adds a personal touch, which can help you build deeper connections with your audience. It also gives you full control over vocal delivery, although youâll be limited by your voice acting skills.
Cons: You can create an âoff-the-cuffâ audio version in the time it takes to read your Substack post aloud, using nothing more than your phone or computer. However, if you want professional and engaging narration, youâll need to invest in better production value.
For high-quality sound, youâll need good recording equipment and a suitable recording environment. It will then take you around 40 minutes of recording and 1 hour of editing to create a 20-minute solo podcast, depending on your narration and editing skills.âľ
As a result, producing your own audio can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive. And you may not be able to achieve the production value you desire.
Hire a voice artist
Pros: Professional voice artists should deliver the highest-quality voice narration, helping you portray a professional image and maximize listener engagement.
Cons: Hiring, briefing, and collaborating with professionals can be time-consuming. Plus, unless you agree on a regular publishing schedule, you may find that turnaround times are relatively slow â a significant downside if you publish news content.
Costs may also be high, although you can find well-rated and affordably priced voice artists on platforms like Fiverr.âś
Use text-to-speech
Pros: Using the BeyondWords Text-to-Speech Editor, you can convert Substack posts into audio in just a few minutes. The associated costs are relatively low, and you can select an AI voice that resonates with your target audience.
You can even use voice cloning to create a custom voice. That way, you can speak directly to your listeners without putting the time and effort into manual recording.
See our step-by-step guide on adding BeyondWords audio to Substack.
Cons: BeyondWords uses natural language processing and advanced AI voices to deliver the highest-quality text-to-speech, but you may find that human-read audio is more emotive and engaging. There are also service fees to consider, although text-to-speech is generally a cost-effective option. With a free account from BeyondWords, you can convert 30,000 characters of text into audio every month â thatâs around six newsletters!
How to insert audio into Substack posts

There are three main ways to insert audio into Substack posts:
- Link: If your audio is hosted online, you can simply add a link in your Substack post. However, a native audio player will provide a better user experience, allowing users to listen and read in the same place.
- Embed from Spotify: Copy and paste a Spotify URL into your draft post, and an audio player will be embedded automatically.
- Enable podcasting: This option allows you to record audio directly, upload mp3 files, or import existing podcasts. Audio will be presented in the Substack web player. (You will technically create an 'episode' rather than a 'post'.)
See our guide for step-by-step instructions on adding BeyondWords audio to Substack.
Please note: Subscribers will see audio player previews in emails, but they will need to click through to the web version in order to listen:

How to enable podcasting on Substack
- Sign into Substack and go to âSettingsâ
- Check the box under âEnable podcastingâ
To create an audio post (episode), go to your dashboard then âPostsâ > âCreateâ > âNew episodeâ. You can then compose your post and add audio via:
- âRecord episode audioâ: Press record, start talking, then press stop. You cannot edit your audio, but you can delete and then re-record.
- âUpload mp3 episode audioâ: This allows you to upload pre-recorded audio.
To add episodes to a separate section (or sections) of your publication, go to âAdd a sectionâ > âAdd newâ > âPodcastâ. Complete the details and select âCreate podcastâ. You can then select this section when drafting your post or episode. (Learn more about sections in Substack.)
To distribute Substack-hosted audio on podcast platforms, edit the âPodcast Settingsâ for the publication or section then submit the âPodcast RSS feed URLâ to your chosen podcast platform(s).
How to import existing podcasts into Substack
This is useful if you wish to clone the audio content from an existing podcast feed in Substack. Imported podcasts will be published automatically and can be edited from the âPostsâ section of your dashboard.
- Sign into your Substack dashboard and go to âSettingsâ
- Go to âImport an existing podcast RSS feedâ > âImport Existing Podcastâ
- Enter your podcast RSS feed URL and select âSubmitâ, then follow the instructions
To import existing podcasts into an existing section in Substack:
- Sign into your Substack dashboard and go to âSettingsâ > âAdd a sectionâ
- Go to the Podcast section you want to import to and select â...â > âEditâ
- Select âImport Existing Podcastâ then follow the instructions
To import existing podcasts into a new section in Substack:
- Sign into your Substack dashboard and go to Settings
- Go to âAdd a sectionâ > âAdd newâ > âPodcastâ
- Fill in the details then select âCreate podcastâ
- Select the â...â next to your new section then select âEditâ
- Select âImport Existing Podcastâ then follow the instructions
Create your Substack audio for free
BeyondWords makes it quick and easy to convert Substack posts into audio. Create your free account and make your newsletter listenable today.
If you need more information about audio on Substack, you might find these resources helpful:
- BeyondWords: How to publish BeyondWords audio on Substack
- Substack: How do I create and publish a podcast?
- Substack: How do I import my podcast episodes from elsewhere?
- Substack: How to use Substack for podcasts
- Substack: How to bring more audio into your posts
- Substack: How do I embed media in my post?
Any questions or feedback? Email [email protected].
Sources
- How The Economist builds digital products, LinkedIn, published May 2018
- Is an Ad-free User Experience the Future of Local News?, Northwestern University, published September 2019
- The Spoken Word Audio Report 2021, Edison Research, published November 2021
- Audio Articles are Helping News Outlets Gain Loyal Audiences, Nieman Foundation, published February 2020
- How much time does it actually take to make a podcast?, The Unfinished Bookshelf, published January 2021
- Voice Over, Fiverr, accessed May 2022