Trafcom News

I’m not normally a fan of computer voices, but…

This one is pretty darn good. Listen to what Chris Penn has done with the Financial Aid Podcast, letting Alex, the voice of Apple's Leopard operating system, read his copy.

I don’t think I’d want to listen to a long show produced in this way, but the voice would be perfectly acceptable for reading news bites or weather reports, don’t you think?

Did you know that it’s Podcasting Week?

Well, it is at Voices.com. My friends there are serving up a whole lot of information about the ins and outs of podcasting, including how to find, listen to and subscribe to podcasts, as well as the business side of podcast production. They’re also offering advice about making money as a podcaster or as the voice of an independent or corporate podcast.

Want to practice your vocal technique? Try Dr. Seuss!

Stephanie Ciccarelli at Voices.com wrote a great post on the value of reading Dr. Seuss books aloud to practice your vocal technique. Whether you’re a public speaker, voiceover artist or podcaster, I don’t think you could go wrong with a little Green Eggs and Ham or The Cat in the Hat. (When my kids were babies I started reading them this stuff before they could roll over.)

Meet Hugh McGuire, founder of LibriVox

My latest podcast is an interview with Hugh McGuire, founder of LibriVox, which offers free public-domain audio books. You'll find this 22-minute podcast on the Trafcom News Podcast page. Hugh and I discuss the origins of LibriVox; the concept of volunteer readers; the availability of multiple versions of these public-domain books; and how LibriVox is a good place for budding voiceover artists and podcasters to learn. We also explore the potential broader applications of this type of project.

Listen and then let me know what you think!

Poor Santa in the VO booth

Here’s a delightful short video showing what can happen when Santa Claus steps into the voiceover booth.

My favourite part: When the scribe says, “That’s not the way I wrote it.”

Hat tip to Stephanie and my other friends at Voices.com.

Podcasting and voiceover tips from a master, Joe Cipriano

If you listen to my latest podcast, I think you can tell I'm pretty excited about interviewing Joe Cipriano, one of the world's top voiceover talents.

You may not be familiar with Joe’s name or face but you know his voice, because he is heard on TV and radio every day -- doing promos for Fox, NBC, CBS and other networks -- and as the live announcer for the Emmys and Grammys.

In our discussion, Joe shares some of his tips for using a microphone properly, for keeping the vocal cords healthy, and for being a success in the voiceover business (it’s all about relationships, says Joe modestly).

Whether you're a podcaster or an aspiring voiceover artist, you can learn from Joe (who happens to be a really nice guy, I may add). Be sure to watch Joe in the Apple Podcast Recipe tutorial.

You can grab the 23-minute podcast on the Trafcom News Podcast page and read the shownotes there.

Thanks again to Joe for being so generous with his time!