…is consistency and Donna Reed has it. Here , she voices a movie trailer.

As a radio producer I have noticed that a lot of the same voice announcers keep showing up over and over on radio and TV.

A lot of folks see this as a negative, or tired old sameness. But is it really?

I view consistency, including voices, as a positive. One of the principles of success is momentum. When it comes to momentum, One of the most consistent voices in the business is Donna Reed.

Donna and I have been in contact for over 20 years. There have been entire three or four year spans when we would only catch up for a minute by phone but her voice has never been far away . That is real momentum.

Donna’s resume is an eye catcher. It shows her consistency.

She has done voice overs for-

• all of the major networks,
• movie trailers,
• children’s readings,
• characters for commercials,
• TV,
• radio
• and singing jingles.

She has often been interviewed by industry magazines so it is pretty easy to find her advice on how to make it in the voice over business.

Here are a few items:
Donna Reed has recently been asked to submit as a voice double for acting legend Judy Dench.
She has finished a project for LAX, Scholastic books and American Airlines.

Her voice has been a strong anchor for

• news promos,
• sports
• and rock stations both in the US and Europe,
• animated characters,
• narrations
• and tutorials.

She is on the job every week. Year after year.

That is what it takes. And that is why you hear familiar voices, including hers, on a regular basis.

Consistency builds momentum.

So if you ever want to know, “what’s the secret?” Step back and look at Donna Reed.

She is talented and works to improve her performance, she is sincere and trusted, and Donna stays with it even when It is not always glamorous. ( Ha– like being a radio producer.)

She even voices the announcements on the city bus system where I live. It’s normal to be standing near a bus stop and hear a familiar, friendly voice saying, “Welcome Aboard”. I always smile because I know, that’s  a real pro and a good friend, Donna Reed.

Check out Donna’s voice on this video.

Thought you would like this.  If you are in radio sales, programming or production I know you have been in such a bind that this service would be a lifesaver.

In the Weeds

You need a spot produced fast and you are in a situation. Maybe it’s the Holiday’s or your usuals are out or some fluke has you pinned.

Robot to the Rescue

I found this site that is easy to use and actually produces a spot for you. It will spit out a radio or TV audio spot, even an on-hold message for the phone. The site is 123 Audio Ads dot com. Here’s how it works:

Let’s say you wanted to do an ad for an auto dealer like Charlotte Hyundai

You just walk through the steps-

• Paste your script in the blank,
• pick out some background music from their choices and
• they willl have a robo-voice read the script.

If you have written it accuratley it will time out just right.  If you like the spot, you can order it and they will replace the ‘voice-to text ‘  with a real announcer of your choice.

OK, I know the arguments against this but it is still very cool. You have to admit you have longed for something like this many times. ( If you have ever been up against a deadline and had to have something to play for a client or go on the air fast. )

Here’s the creative twist.

If I had to have a spot in the next hour I would write one using a robot voice as the spokes-robot-person (on purpose) and have it produced here. Spot done.

I hope services like this can thrive. They are innovative and useful.  Again,  I know the arguments against them ( not organic, cookie cutter, etc. ) but there is a place for this and I am glad it is here.

Here’s where you can get  a radio spot produced.

photo by Auntie P

These easy to use templates can be a lifesaver for a non copywriter or if you are in a big hurry.

If you are in an advertising position that requires simple copy for a quick project or radio production, grab this template and fill in the blanks. It will work just fine for a quick ad.

I realize this kind of thing just adds to the heap of room temperature copywriting . There are exceptions to every rule. That’s the way of the world. So relax and use this.

• •Opening lines ( choose one for your spot ):
  > Where can you find the best price on…
  > Did you know there’s more than one location of…
  > Make the most of your budget by shopping at…
  >Here’s a quick and easy way to…
  >If you’ve said it once you’ve said it a hundred times…
  >Shopping for someone special but not sure what they really want?…
  >Time is running out…
  >Beat the rush and shop now at…

• >>>>>>>>(Copy Template is here)

The news is out! ______ is the place for____. The facts are in about____. Now there are more reasons than ever to get your new_______ at_________.  ( list specials here)
Join the hundreds of satisfied customers and get your new______ at __________.
Remember. ( limited time/ special offer) so shop now at____________. ( exact location)

Note: These free templates can be used for many different kinds of products. They are simple but effective. Remember : Your potential customers need and deserve an easy-to-understand message. Your marketing should deliver prospects who are already interested and qualified. EXTRA: When you need custom copywriting for any advertising I can put you in touch with some good ones.

The changes in radio in the past few years lead to concerns about the future .

• Less diversity and more cookie cutter formats. This has been talked about for 40 years. Not a big deal.
• Less advertising revenue. Just a change, not an ending.
• Less  listeners. So? Profit anyway.

Radio still has a lot of listeners. Even though things have changed in the past few years, radio is hanging in.

People who change with it can thrive.

Here are my suggestions:

• Use the internet more.  Not just for revenue sources but for radio programming.
• Produce spots using freelance folks like me or any number of places like Voice 123.com

There are many ways to get radio produced, on the air and build a strong audience.

Outsource copy, creative syndication, use independent radio producers, programmers,  sales, news.

Lots of innovations are coming to radio. These changes might seem like the symptoms of a broken machine but they are all just changes.

Some winners some losers, nothing new really. Nobody knows exactly what form the changes will take. But there are plenty of predictions-

“ I may be in the minority on this one, but I do think that in today’s economy, radio affords some of the juiciest creative opportunities, at a bargain price. A radio revival could be just the thing to beat the recession blues.”

One of the most important things you can do to increase your business is consider boosting your online presence with leveraged search. Raleigh Charlotte SEO can help.

What do you think?

25 years ago I wanted small studio recording machines that would do a massive job. For a radio producer to set up and tweak complex devices is just not practical. The job requires quick turnaround. Those simple machnes that would do big jobs were not available back then.

So, I waited knowing that these machines would come along sooner or later.  They did and things are getting even better.

For recording and mixing I have used Pro Tools for the past 10 years.   I also use other devices that I think are amazing. The Roland Boss BR 1200 is one tool that performs nicely. This mutlitrack recorder is just  full of neat options. Some, I don’t even use.

I record radio spots on mine, as well as original music.

Warning, there are a few areas you should know about on the BR1200. This thing was not easy for me to figure out!

I spent a lot of extra time trying to learn the basic flow of this machine and it was frustrating. Finally, I broke down and bought the DVD that teaches you how to do it. For $20, it was a great investment.

Today I can use the BR1200 easily. But I remember the learning curve. It was not fun, especially after so many years of fingertip access to easy recording. So, I recommend you get some instruction to get started, or get the DVD.

This machine can do a lot. And I mean a lot! Plug your guitar in and get plenty of different sounds and textures. Record two or three guitar tracks. I often use my acoustic/electric  as a bass guitar. The BR 1200 will convert your low guitar strings to bass strings for smooth sounds (if you’d rather use the built in bass that’s fine, too. )It has strong bass sounds including jazz, slap, heavy, light, and upright. Add drums already built in to the BR1200. It takes a little time to program these things but once you get the hang of it, the results are solid.

I’ll be honest. I read reviews and searched the internet to try to get some help learning the BR1200. Slim pickins. What’s a hurried radio producer to do?  There is hardly anything out there that helps you learn to use it. Maybe I am just dense but I had a hard time. Now, I can record and edit almost as fast as I can think. So once you break through the learning curve it is a breeze. With so little info and not much support it took a lot of faith to keep going. If you have this problem, contact me and we will talk.

I also use the BR1200 to record voice for radio spots. I add a stock music bed, sound effects, mix it right on the machine, master it and can even burn a CD right there within the unit. It really does a lot.

There are preset voice filters, too. It does a good job of simulating certain mics. You can play around with all kinds of mic textures. There is built in reverb, compression, and equalization.

In the old days there was a general rule for buying a multitrack recorder. You could count on paying a thousand dollars for each track the machine offered. A four track would cost about $4,000. An eight track, about $8,000. Those days are long gone.

I marvel at today’s small audio worsktations. They offer so much at prices that would only be a dream 30 years ago.

If you want a machine to record your original music, including vocals, or if you just want to plug your mic in and record

books on tape, radio , TV or internet audio the BR1200 will do a good job.

I am a fan of the BR1200 and all that will come next.

Any radio producer can benefit by using these great recorders.