Online narrator revels in new chapter in life

Radio plays

However, even while he continued to record books, he was thinking about new ways to tell the stories more vividly, so he decided to try a fresh approach.

This year, Sha made his debut as a voice director, leading a team of more than 40 narrators to record a popular martial arts fantasy online novel in which a police officer finds himself transported to ancient times after falling asleep while drunk.

To allow listeners greater scope to imagine the scenes, he chose the narrators from his team whose voices he felt suited the characters best.

He decided not to voice any characters himself. Instead, he shared tips on vocal delivery with the team members to help them express emotions such as fear, gratitude or hope, in line with the characters' thoughts in different scenes.

One factor in his decision was that his voice was becoming tired and worn out after spending so many hours reading aloud in recent years.

He said his new approach fits a growing trend in the industry in which audiobooks are beginning to sound more like radio plays.

Three months after the audiobook was uploaded, it had been heard more than 100 million times.

Now, Sha has swapped his basic studio for a professional recording facility, while his equipment, such as sound cards and microphones, has also been upgraded.

However, he said one thing will never change: his desire to make top-quality audiobooks for his listeners.