About British Voice Over Natalie Cooper
Hi there. Come on in… Thanks so much for taking the time to find out a bit more about me. Honestly, I always dive straight into the About page, so I hope there might be a few bits here that connect with you.
As a teenager, I was a huge music radio nerd. I dreamed of being a DJ on Radio 1, and I pestered local stations, being interviewed for projects I was involved in, promoting the gigs I was hosting, and endlessly winning competitions...
“Hi Natalie, yeah, we’d love to have you on again, you’ll sound great, but we’re going to have to change your name for this one. Can you make your voice a bit different?”
I even took a coach load of friends up to a London gig and we stopped off at GLR (now BBC Radio London) to do a live broadcast with Chris Evans. It was a hoot!
From BBC Radio Presenter to Freelance Voiceover
Having specialised in broadcast journalism at university, I was fortunate to get my first job working at the BBC as a traffic and travel presenter. I went on to be a broadcast assistant, producer, and project manager. Radio will always be my first love, and while it’s often said everyone has a book in them, I dream of a radio documentary, and one day I hope I’ll make it.
Itchy feet saw me go freelance, and I combined television continuity and traffic and travel reporting shifts with casting, voicing, and production for a groundbreaking e-learning project at Ashridge Business School. The early 2000s were an exciting time to be working in the media, technology was changing rapidly, and new opportunities were popping up all the time. I just wasn’t quite sure what my next move needed to be.
...Cue the rumbling baritone of quintessential BBC voice, Patrick Lunt.
Not many people are so fortunate to have such a generous mentor living 10 minutes away. Patrick took me under his wing, cheered on my fledgling voiceover attempts, handed me a key to his studio (sometimes he needed to be ballooning, enjoying a swift pint with his neighbour, or volunteering for one of the many things he seemed to be involved in).
Patrick also gleefully introduced me to his clients. Two of whom I’m still working with weekly, more than 20 years later. Even now I can’t quite believe how lucky I was. Money can’t buy that sort of training, or kindness. Over the years I’ve endeavoured to pass that on.
Setting Up a Voice Over Studio
Eventually, I got my own voiceover studio sorted, and then with baby number two on the way, my family packed up and headed for sleepy Wiltshire. The audio equipment stayed in boxes for a couple of years but it wasn’t long before I was back in the booth along with three voiceover children.
These days we live on the Dorset/Wiltshire border, in a tiny village just outside Shaftesbury. I have a beautiful custom-built and acoustically-treated studio space designed with the local tractors in mind! You’ll find no rumble on my audio.
No home worker can operate these days without support. In my office, mine comes in the shape of two Labradoodles and two cats. They tend to feature on my Instagram more than my work does. I also have a dream human team in Alice, Julie and Sarah who smooth away the tricky bits and make sure I can stay focused on delivering the very best service to you.
...and when I'm not in the Voice Over Studio?
I’m a ravenous reader with an ever-expanding library and a committed lifelong learner (some might say ‘overachiever’). In 2022 I completed my MSc in Applied Positive Psychology , as well as having EFT, meditation and mindfulness, and clinical hypnotherapy qualifications up my sleeve. (Like I said, overachiever…)
Having been diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 49, my non-voiceover interests now focus on calming down my fellow busy brains - no diagnosis necessary - with coaching to help them see the path forward more clearly. Watch this space for more news on this side of things.
Recent Clients Include
Studio Equipment
- Neumann TLM103, Sennheiser MK-H 416, Rode NT2
- Solid State Logic SSL 2+
- Audient iD44
- Source Connect Standard
- SCNow / CleanFeed / Zoom / phone
- Fostex monitors / Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro / Beyerdynamic DT150
- Dedicated studio Mac for recording
- Adobe Audition, Twisted Wave, iZotope RX9
My Voiceover Kids
My three children can be available to do voiceover work, sometimes at short notice. Rosie (21) has been the UK voice for Zapf Creation, and has provided voiceovers for radio, tv, on-hold, and e-learning projects. She's currently away at university, but available during holidays and ad hoc.
Her younger sister Edie (18) has also voiced for Zapf Creation and the BBC, and both she and brother Sam (15) voice radio and tv commercials.
Children’s voices change very quickly, and we're happy to provide a short custom sample free of charge.
If you need a younger sound, I will always direct you to Jo at Child Voices who has a great selection of wonderful children on her books. Highly recommended.
My Beliefs and Values
As a voiceover, and as a human, I believe it's important to listen more than I speak. To recognise the good things in life and be grateful. To remember the people that supported me on the way up and to pay that forward when I can. To support my local businesses. To drink good coffee, breathe clean air, meditate daily, and laugh often.