Secrets of a voiceover - out-takes galore!

Ever wondered what really happens inside a voiceover's studio? It's a high pressure environment - the voice has to (usually) get it right first time and often hasn't had any time to read the script beforehand. The stakes are high and the producer's patience can wear very, very thin. The voice booth is a hotbed of tension, stress and spittle.

Here's a montage of out-takes featuring the astounding professionalism of our very own CEO, Emma Clarke. We had lots of material to choose from but here are the highlights.

• Emma being unable to say the word 'sump.'
• Our bleep machine going into overdrive...
• A random squirrel!

You should hear her try and say 'recruitment requirements' at speed... Honestly, that's a whole other out-take reel...
Enjoy!

5 reasons why your company should use audio marketing

Business owners invest in their websites, logos, business cards and other expensive material to build up their brand. But what does their brand sound like? If you’re not using audio in your marketing and social media strategy, you’re missing a trick.

Audio is voiceover and music – sometimes both. It can be used in all sorts of ways across your marketing mix: on-hold messages, as narration in your web films and promos, in presentations, at events and training courses. In fact, if you think of a business activity, you’ll be able to think of an application for audio. It helps people remember your brand. And we all want that, right?

Audio marketing with voiceovers can feature all sorts of people - your customers, your staff and of course, professional voice artists to give your audio polish. The music you choose should be appropriate for your brand and should mirror your core values. Putting heavy metal on a web video about a relaxing spa break isn’t going to win you new customers.

So why should you use audio?

1. Audio is multi-purpose. You can use it across many platforms in different ways. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, PowerPoint, Soundcloud, AudioBoo – pretty much any social media or communication tool you can think of. And of course there's your website, your induction programmes, your PR shindigs, product launches…the list goes on.

2. Audio can feature all sorts of different content: you can shout about your products and services, awards or accreditations, customer testimonials, online reviews, social media links – anything you like.

3. Audio distinguishes your company from the competition and makes it instantly recognisable. It helps you get ‘top of mind’ traction.

4. An audio logo is a crucial part of your company’s marketing toolkit. You have a visual logo – why not have an audio logo that will really speak to your customers?

5. Audio can be very cost-effective. Planned correctly, you can get the most out of a recording package to use across different platforms, in different ways to help you meet your marketing goals.
Want to learn more about audio marketing? Check out VoiceTakeaway.com, the pro voiceover audio store.

If you're not using audio as part of your marketing and social media strategy, then your voice just ain't getting heard.