Are you in a business where you use your voice to persuade, guide or teach? For example if you teach meditation, coach or present then there are some great benefits to recording audio.
You may create products to sell or give to clients. Or maybe you create information to market your services and build awareness. Either way, done well, great audio will really help you stand out, demonstrate authority and gain trust.
Read on to understand the process of recording your audio in a studio. Once you've decided to make an audio product - this is how it will get made. Knowing how it all works will help you prepare better and make the best use of your session time.
You are the voice
Because you are the teacher, presenter or practitioner and you are used to doing the talking - you should be the voice on the recording!
Unlike many other scenarios you do not need to find an expert voiceover artist to record your parts because your ability to present your material is a big part of what you are promoting.
There's so much nuance and detail in how you deliver your work that you being the one delivering it can be crucial.
The only variation on this I'd say is that you could have someone else offering an intro or 'rubrics' ( Headings or instructions ). The more complex your project is - for example an online course or podcast, the more likely that you'll benefit from supporting voices.
Am I recording a voice over?
Actually - It doesn't matter!
What you're doing may or may not technically be known as voice over recording, but you will definitely benefit from using a voice over recording studio to record it.
You can take my word for it, but to find out more, read:
- What is the difference between a voice over and a music studio?
- What is a voiceover and what is a voiceover artist?
How to prepare for your session
Speaking on a microphone can take a little bit of getting used to. However, the producer will coach you into making the most of your speaking style so that you come across well on the microphone.
Consider whether writing a full script or creating an outline or cue cards will serve you best.
You may have spent a lifetime perfecting what you say but context is everything. As soon as you're in the studio on the microphone it can disappear from your mind.
If it's a script you will also want to bring a printed copy for the producer or engineer to 'mark-up'. This will help them edit the audio and cue you if necessary.
Consider making a quick demo yourself to iron out any tics or 'umms' and 'ahhs' at source. Don't get hung up on this, the easiest way to record audio is to just whip put your phone and record a video.
Come fresh too, after a good night's sleep and plenty of fluids.
Give yourself a little more time than you think you'll need in the studio
Don't expect to deliver your script correctly the first time, or indeed in any one single go. The studio environment can take a bit of getting used to, particularly:
- Hearing your voice back for the first time,
- Talking without an audience into a quiet room,
- Talking Into a very sensitive microphone,
- Wearing headphones
All of this can add up to a pretty unusual experience.
You will read through the script multiple times. Simply stopping, then repeating the lines where you made a mistake and moving on.
Generally we'll look to get the feel of the text first. Then we'll focus on errors with quick 'drop ins' or repeats or even cutting lines or words from a different take.
You will need some time after the recording to process and edit your material
Once you've recorded your voice we'll need some time editing your material. We can use multiple readings to compile a great take. And we may also like to remove, gaps, breaths, umms and ahhs etc. Depending on the content, and how natural a feel we're looking for.
Once the edit is right, we'll tweak to make sure the sound is good, even and suited for it's end purpose.
Pro Tip!
Editing, mixing and mastering voice is likely to take 1 - 4 times the total amount of time it took you to record it. So if it takes an hour to record a 20 minute script ( 3 read-throughs ) it would take between 1 and 4 hours to edit, mix and master. Simpler scripts, fewer voices, and fewer mistakes will bring it closer to 1 time. i.e The same tame to process as to record.
You will get your media in different formats.
With podcasts, videos, cd’s and dvd’s As well as online courses the formats can be confusing and of different quality.
If you ever need to edit your files, or indeed anytime you use for a new project, you’re better off referring to the highest quality files. Every time you convert the format you will lose some quality
Ask for your audio files on .wav or .aiff as Any other formats you may need.
Service | Rate |
|---|---|
Recording | £60 Per Hour |
Editing | £50 Per Hour |