Audiobooks, audio series, podcasts, and short audio plays all involve stories with characters experiencing emotions, transformations, interpersonal interactions, and adventures. Usually, but not always, a voice actor voices all the characters in an audiobook or audio series. This requires the audiobook narrator to be able to convincingly portray different genders, chronological ages, accents, etc. With no visual cues, audiobooks also contain lots of descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, and other sensory details so the listener can envision the time period, place, and situation of the story.

In narrating memoir, the audiobook narrator must embody the emotions and personality of the author, expressing the story in a conversational style that feels authentic and in-the-moment. For nonfiction narration, the voice actor must make the information feel fresh and engaging.