Hardy Audio

What Makes A Great Voice Over?

Glen — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:53:46 +0000

A great voice over is one that effectively conveys the intended message, or story while engaging the audience. Here are some key elements that contribute to a successful and professional voice over:

Clarity

The voice should be clear and easy to understand. Pronunciation, enunciation, and pacing are important factors in ensuring clarity.

Emotion

The voice should convey the appropriate emotions for the context of the content. Whether it’s excitement, empathy, seriousness, or humor, the voice actor should be able to express emotions authentically.

Tone

The tone of voice should match the mood and purpose of the content. It could be authoritative, conversational, persuasive, or instructional, depending on the requirements.

Consistency

Consistency in tone, pacing, and delivery is crucial for maintaining the audience’s attention and ensuring coherence throughout the voice over.

Engagement

A good voice over captures the audience’s attention and keeps them engaged throughout the duration of the content. This can be achieved through dynamic delivery, storytelling techniques, or a compelling narrative.

Timing

The timing of the voice over should be synchronised with the visuals or other elements of the content to enhance comprehension and impact.

Adaptability

A skilled voice actor should be able to adapt their voice to suit different genres, audiences, and styles of content.

Professionalism

A good voice over is free from distractions such as background noise, mouth clicks, or other technical issues. It should sound polished and professional.

Authenticity

Authenticity is key to establishing trust and connecting with the audience. The voice should sound genuine and sincere, reflecting the character or brand it represents.

Versatility

A versatile voice actor can perform a variety of roles and styles effectively, from commercials to narration to character voices.

Overall, a good voice over combines technical proficiency with creativity and authenticity to effectively communicate the intended message and leave a lasting impression on the audience.

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Our Top 3 Celebrity Audiobook Reads

Glen — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 01:52:02 +0000

One of the few things better than reading a good book is having one read to you. Even better still, is being read a good book by your favourite A-list celebrity. Here are our top 3 celebrity audiobook reads for February 2024.

Samuel L. Jackson | Go the F–k to Sleepby by Adam Mansbach

Go the F**k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. And who better to read this than the on-screen master of the word F**k himself; Samuel L. Jackson.

Nicole Kidman | To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf’s arresting analysis of domestic family life, centers on the Ramseys and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland in the early 1900s. In 2002, Nicole Kidman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours.

Benedict Cumberbatch | Sherlock Holmes’ Rediscovered Railway Mysteries by John Taylor

Yes, again, who better to read about Sherlock, than Hollywood’s Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch. Just don’t get him to say the word ‘penguin’. Inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes stories, John Taylor has written four more mysteries featuring the world’s greatest detective.

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Audio Predictions For 2024

Glen — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:32:04 +0000

As a new year paves the way for more exciting opportunities, what do industry experts predict in the world of audio for 2024?

Increased Recognition From Brands

In 2024, we will see more brands recognise the benefits of audio for brand advertising and just how well audio ads perform in driving brand perceptions.

Surge in live and interactive content

In 2024 we might expect to see a surge in live and interactive content, with its sense of community and immediacy that enables users to engage with content creators and fellow listeners in a dynamic way.

Podcast Shake Up

In 2024, it looks like the podcast world is heading for a significant shake-up with Google entering the UK market (with Youtube Podcasts), and Spotify and ACAST looking over their shoulder.

Demand For Digital Audio

The popularity of programmatic audio across podcasts, streaming and radio will continue to grow, enabling advertisers to reach niche audiences specific to their marketing needs, in brand safe environments.

Audio Ads & Gameplay

In 2024, there will be greater efforts on crafting audio ads that blend seamlessly with the gameplay, enhancing, rather than disrupting immersion in the gaming environment.

The post Audio Predictions For 2024 appeared first on Hardy Audio.

Audio Appeal For Gen Z

Glen — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 02:35:09 +0000

So how do brands leverage Gen Z’s move away from scrolling on social media, to listening via audio platforms like Spotify?

As young consumers seek immersive experiences, audio platforms provide a unique opportunity for brands to create memorable connections.

Consumer spending habits suggest Gen Z are inclined to choose or buy a product from a brand with a sonic identity.

In Spotify’s Culture Next Report, 50% of Gen Z stated they had a higher amount of trust in podcasts in comparison to traditional media sources such as TV news, radio, and newspapers.

This suggests that audio marketing’s non-intrusive format, the ability to provide relevant and authentic messaging and the ability to hold a user’s active attention is key in building appealing to Gen Z.

Not bad for a generation that’s said to have a short attention span for advertising.

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Spotify Takes On Audible

Glen — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 06:45:50 +0000

Spotify is taking on Audible for a share in the growing audiobook market, with the recent announcement that their premium memberships will include 15 hours of access to 150,000 audiobook titles each month.

Today, one third of Australians listen to audiobooks, with many of those listeners new to the format.

Audiobooks can be a lucrative source of income for authors because they offer higher royalty rates than other formats. Audible also commissions original work from local authors.

Experts suggest a greater demand for audiobooks will mean more opportunities for revenue streams because the audio format appeals to a different kind of reader.

Opportunities for revenue from audiobooks also exist away from the major tech platforms.

For example, in March, the Federal government announced an extension to the Public and Educational Lending Rights schemes to include digital content.

This means authors will be paid when public library users borrow the audio version of their book.

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Digital Audio Ad Spend is Up

Glen — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 03:09:30 +0000

In Australia, industry experts suggest that despite a tough advertising market, digital audio is thriving.

According to the recent IAB Australia Online Advertising Expenditure Report, digital audio advertising reached over $68 million in the June quarter.

This was a 14% increase from the same period in 2022.

Podcast advertising surged by 24%, while streaming audio advertising grew over 8% to $41 million for the quarter.

Radio streaming also increased by 81%, while podcast listening sits at a whopping 43% of the population aged 10+.

Total audio advertising for the 2023 financial year reached $235.6 million.

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Hardy Audio Takes a Breath

Glen — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 01:28:19 +0000

The Hardy Audio team recently recorded two guided meditations for Mick Allen at 100% Breath for distribution on the Insight Timer app.

Insight Timer is a popular relaxation app that uses guided meditations, music and talks, to help with sleep, relaxation and mindfulness.

“The Insight Timer app is where my journey began and I’m grateful everyday to have found it. So, it was important for me to give something back to the community, and to anyone else that needs a little time out,” said Mick.

You can listen to the meditation recordings by Mick here.

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Audiobooks: Is Traditional Reading A Thing Of The Past?

Glen — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 01:20:16 +0000

Audiobooks continue to take the book market by storm, with a projected revenue of over $5.38 billion.

This is likely to increase by 26.4% yearly, resulting in $35.05 billion in revenue in 2030.

In fact, audiobooks are the fastest-growing book format in the US in terms of revenue, production and sales growth.

Books have long been a valued companion for knowledge, learning, empathy and creativity. However, the rising trend of audiobooks clearly demonstrates that people more often, prefer to listen rather than read.

In fact, Amazon’s Audible makes up 4.2% of Amazon’s book publishing revenue and creates 10,000 book titles yearly.

With the continued rise in audiobook and e-book formats, how long will it be before the audiobook replaces traditional reading entirely?

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What is Audio Description?

Glen — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 23:44:15 +0000

Audio descriptions provide a richer and more immersive experience by offering auditory narrations of visual elements during a programme.

During gaps in dialogue, the narration describes visual elements such as scenes, settings, actions and costumes.

Earlier this month, the ABC announced their expansion of audio descriptions to ABC iview, where more than 100 titles across multiple platforms will make programs like Bluey, Four Corners and Australian Story more accessible to viewers.

Below is an audio description (script) from The Hunger Games film.

Signs on a tall wire fence read “District boundary: no access beyond this point” and “high voltage”. Katnis steps through a gap in the wires and into the woods beyond. She glances around before reaching into the hollow of a fallen tree. She draws out a wooden bow. From another tree she plucks out a sheath of arrows and straps it over her shoulder. Katnis makes her way through thick, green vegetation. Bow and arrow at the ready, she walks over a fallen tree suspended over the forest floor. She pauses, her gaze locked on a deer in the distance. Leaning against a tree trunk, she aims the bow and arrow. The deer sniffs the air and moves out of sight.

As is clear from the Hunger Games narration, viewers had to rely on someone to tell them what was happening on screen when there was little or no dialogue. This meant the viewer often missed out on important story details and the true experience of the programme.

According to an ABC and SBS audio description survey, 95% of people who are blind, or have low vision are engaging with video most days, or every day.

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The Audio Landscape in 2023

Glen — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 04:48:14 +0000

The technical advancements in radio, music streaming, and podcast advertising has given rise to multiple avenues for advertisers to reach their desired target audiences in 2023.

Radio

Radio maintains a strong position in global advertising due to low production costs and high ROI; second only to TV. Radio’s audience also remains incredibly substantial and varied, spanning age, gender and interests.

Music Streaming

According to recent research, audio ads integrated within personalised playlists have a huge impact on long-term memory. This highlights the opportunity for advertisers to not only reach large and varied audiences, but stay with them long after their ad has played.

Podcasts

Unlike radio, podcasts dedicate content to a specific topic or interest. This means that advertisers can match brands and services to particular programme interests.

The Road Ahead

With global audio streaming service subscriptions predicted to hit 1.3 billion by the end of the decade, and global ad spend in radio and digital forecast to reach $38.75bn (USD) before the end of 2023, it seems the audio market and its opportunities for advertisers is only gaining momentum.

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