Sherlock Podfic Masterpost.

consultingcaitlin:

marsdaydream:

I never used to listen to podfics. I thought – well, will it be awkward? Do I even want to listen to fics read aloud? 

Guys, it’s so fun. It’s like listening to an audiobook, except it’s your favorite fic. Escapism at its finest. Not to mention, we have some incredibly talented readers in this fandom. They put in huge amounts of time and effort to give us these fantastic performances. (For free!)

So how do you make this happen? Well, if you’re an iPhone user and want your fics in the car / at the gym / on the go, you want to download a few podfic files and put them in audiobook format. MP3s will work fine, but audiobook files are even better.

Here’s how to convert an mp3 file to an audiobook file on iTunes:

Download your podfic file from AO3 – it will be in mp3 format.

Add this mp3 to iTunes.
Right-click on the track. Select “Get Info” from the drop-down menu.
Go to the “Options” tab. You’ll see that where it says “Media Kind,” the mp3 file has defaulted to “Music.” 
Go ahead and change that to “Audiobook.”
If you have a multi-chaptered fic, go back to the “Details” tab in “Get Info,” and select the tickbox that says, “This album is a compilation from multiple artists.” 
Your audio file will now appear under Books -> Audiobooks, in iTunes, rather than Music.
For multi-chaptered fics, as long as you have identical info (artist and title) in the “Get Info” screen, and you’ve clicked the “compilation” tickbox, multiple files will sort themselves into chapters.
You can even add artwork if the track doesn’t include it. Use “Get Info” and then click the “Artwork” tab.

The big difference here is that you can then use an app like iBooks or Audible to listen to your file as a “book” on your iPhone, and it will save your place if you need to stop.

Podfic Recs

I haven’t listened to all the podfics out there by any means. I’ve mostly found readers I enjoy, and then delved into their catalogs on AO3. Here are a handful of favorites, many of them long fics, in no particular order. (I like ‘em long. Shhh.)

aranel-parmadil & consulting-smartass: These two readers are each brilliant alone, but as a team they are magical. It’s impossible to tell that they record their collaborations halfway around the world from each other. 

Performance in a Leading Role
Lifetime Achievement

The Great Sex Olympics of 221B (I died)

aranel-parmadil: It was aranel’s reading of The Frost is All Over that addicted me to podfic in the first place. Her ability to do different accents made the experience totally immersive.

The Frost is All Over


Midnight Blue Serenity

consulting-smartass: There is something so warm about CS’ performances, and her comic timing is great. I also love how she delivers dialogue.

Carry On


Just a Little

Lockedinjohnlock: A brilliant reader, and so prolific, I feel like a very lucky listener. She has tackled some huge, epic fics and I’ve loved every one. And her different accents in The Edinburgh Problem! Holy crap.

The Edinburgh Problem
Nothing to Make a Song About
The Moonlight and the Frost

Cellar Door: Cellar Door’s voice is so soothing, I can’t even describe. Especially love her Sherlock POV.

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes


A Symphony of Chemical Reactions

finnigan: Such a good storyteller, with a great sense of pacing and drama. She’s done excellent versions of some fandom favorites.

The Quiet Man


A Cure for Boredom

verityburns: How cool is it to have an author read their own fic aloud? Very, very cool, it turns out.

The Heart in the Whole 


First Night Out

This is not a definitive list by any means – so if anyone else has Sherlock podfic recs, please do add to this post. Just wanted to share this with anyone who might be considering giving podfics a try. And to all the podficcers: Thank you. You all are amazing. Thanks for keeping me company.

@lockedinjohnlock-podfics is an amazing talent, and I adore what she’s created in her podfics of my works.

Another fantastic podficcer is @bagofthumbs, who is currently very patiently waiting on the next chapter of my WIP And Your Very Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem. 

I love podfics! This is a great reference. Thanks for including Sex Olympics too. 

aranel was amazing.

XA