Natalie Cooper

Back in the mists of time, all professional voiceover artists recorded in commercial studios.  In fact, the idea of recording anything anywhere else was regarded as a bit bonkers until relatively recently, not least because ISDN – the only option in the pre-Source-Connect era – at home was an enormous investment. I’m of an age…

Authenticity, dependability, trust. “People are at the heart of all we do.” “We’re a human-centred organisation.” They’re very familiar brand values, and they all sound pretty admirable, don’t they? No matter what industry you’re in, chances are you’ve come across similar statements from businesses you deal with. And it’s not just at work either; even…

New research shows that using AI voices damages your listener engagement. Have you noticed a creeping sense of unease when you listen to AI voices?  It might take a couple of seconds, maybe even a sentence or two, but as an audio professional I’ll bet you’ll be feeling distinctly uncomfortable, and that feeling usually arrives…

Creating a tv commercial remotely Del Monte is currently on air with their first product-focused TV commercial in more than 30 years, and I’m thrilled to be the voiceover. Being a woman of a certain vintage, Del Monte fruit cocktail with its bright red cherries was a mainstay of my childhood, and who doesn’t love…

Change is hard. And change is definitely coming to the creative industries. Will you be embracing it and making it work for you, or are you still hoping it all goes away? When I started working in audio I was recording to tape and editing with a pencil and blade. I was pretty thankful when…

Someone told you you’ve got a great voice, and now you want to be a voice over actor? Let’s start by assuming you have a modicum of talent, a glimmer of potential. You can read out loud, fluently. You have great ears, you’ll need to do a lot of listening. You can roll with the…

I’m an established voiceover. I’ve been around the block a few times, built a number of voiceover booths, worked with my kids, and tried my hand at most genres of voiceover. I still remember when I was trusted to voice my first national radio campaign, and that aired 20 years ago! Once all three of…

There are a few different ways of working on a video project. Sometimes, a client will simply provide the script and some guidance, and will then edit their video to fit. More often, the video already exists and the voiceover needs to match fairly closely for time and pace. This is a project I worked…

Chances are, you’re still working from home and are likely to be for some time yet. But you still need to do your job. You’re still making tv commercials and corporate videos, and videos for client web sites. Radio ads still need to be crafted. Tone of voice and clear direction matter more than ever.…

I love communicating with written words. I spent some of my teens writing press releases for local arts events, and wrote for the local paper too. If the internet had existed back then, I would definitely have been an obsessive blogger. I spent a year working for a music management company and wrote press releases…

There’s been a lot of talk on Twitter today about voiceovers working from their professional home studios in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. Large studios have had to close and those voiceovers that usually work their way around the London circuit now have no place to work. Lovely as it might sound, setting up…

As I imagine many of you are, I’m feeling quite anxious at the moment. I’m making sure I practice Transcendental Meditation twice a day, get some sunshine on my face as soon as I spot any, and try not to endlessly feed myself news from social media. I know that as a voice over I’m…

For many of us this is a question at the forefront of our minds right now. In my local area I’ve been enormously lifted by the creative, community-spirited efforts being put in by small businesses that could just as easily crumble and disappear under the pressure. Finding ways to continue to serve our neighbours, offer…

The joy of connection. Technology. Some days it can let you down. ISDN has been my number one connection tech for working remotely with producers, directors and clients on a daily basis. Earlier in the week, I discovered my ISDN lines weren’t working. In the bad old days of fax-and-dial, this would have been a…

Voiceover for explainer and web video I’ve been busy spring cleaning my demos over the last few weeks (radio, and tv here) and here’s another new demo, this time showcasing some of the projects I’ve worked on recently for explainer and web video. These projects tend to tell a more complex story, so I’ve opted…

TV commercials voiceover TV commercials voiceover is one area of work that traditionally called for a trip to London and a booking at a swanky studio. Over the years I’ve been voicing, the falling cost of technology, ISDN lines into my home, and ip-based real-time sessions, means it’s now easier than ever to book the…

The joy of voicing. Radio commercials continue to be one of my favourite areas of voiceover work, and I’ve had great fun putting this new demo together. (To listen, you can scroll straight to the bottom of this page). From the first time I voiced via ISDN back in 1999, I’ve loved the interaction with…

As a voiceover, I am often the very last piece in a long and complicated puzzle. I’m fully aware that days, weeks, and sometimes months of preparation have gone into a project before I get the call, and I aim to step up the mic without making a drama, read the words as they’ve been…

A sweet story for Christmas The Cake That Made Christmas is a sweet tale of families, gift buying and traditions, created by baking brand Whitworths. Sam was just 8 when he narrated this, and although his voice is a little deeper now, aged 10, he still has the enthusiastic twinkle to his voice that attracted…

It’s that time of year when a bit of studio selfie silliness is irresistible It’s also that time of year when food banks are expecting more people than ever through their doors. Shout out to the Benztown Radio imaging wizards in LA, once again running their #cans4cans drive. You post a picture of you wearing…

Nominated for Best Visual Ad A tv commercial voiceover I provided for Cirque du Soleil’s UK 2018 show, OVO, is a finalist at this year’s VOX Awards. It’s been shortlisted for Best Visual Ad, and I’m very proud to be the voiceover for both this and their current campaign in the UK for their 2019 show, TOTEM.…

Voiceover for radio commercials. Voiceover for radio commercials is the heart and soul of this job for me.  I love voiceover in general, and each genre brings its own challenges and rewards. But the thrill of working with another human (hello lovely producers) and making a piece of radio together always gives me a buzz.…

Radio imaging voiceover for the Cayman Islands One of the joys of living in this internet age is being able to work with clients all over the world. Radio imaging voiceover is one of my favourite things to do, and this international connectivity allows me to be the station voice for Cayman’s #1 Hit Music Station…

Child voice over demo – Sam As the snow melts, it’s time for a spring clean and a new child voice over demo or two, or possibly three! Starting with Sam, aged 9.  Children’s voices change rapidly, and although the intonation and personality remains surprisingly consistent, the depth and clarity evolves. And as a result, child voice…

Voiceover to picture. Meet Banjo. He’s a trainee Guide Dogs For The Blind puppy, sponsored by Toyota UK. As you can see, he is completely adorable. And that’s where the problem lies. I often provide voiceover to picture. It’s something I can offer from my home studio, and the results can be speedy, and high…

[one-third-first] [/one-third-first] [one-third] [/one-third] [one-third][/one-third]   Freelance life – the voice over A bit of Friday fun. Freelance life can be the most wonderful, freeing, exhilarating ride. There’s not much to beat working in your pyjamas, squeezing in the occasional Homes Under the Hammer and chilling in the garden at lunchtime (season-dependent). But it can…

  My Voice Over Kids in the Studio – half term fun My voice over kids have been busy in the studio again. It’s not often that your voice over family is your real family, but here at Voiceovergirl Towers, I’m lucky that all three of my children love to perform. And that means a…

British voiceover for TV commercials It’s a treat to lend my voice to this tv commercial for the world-famous Cirque Du Soleil. The client wanted an exciting, warm, inviting and upmarket read for their incredible 2018 show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. “OVO is teeming with life. Insects work, play, fight and look…

 You want a smooth voiceover recording session. But you’ve never worked with a voiceover before. Here are my Top 10 Tips for saving time and money, and ensuring you a smooth voiceover recording session that gives you great results. Cue the music… Let’s start with the script. Have you read it OUT LOUD? Can you…

Voiceover branding and authenticity – what’s at the heart of your brand? Here at Voiceovergirl Towers we’re a bit excited about voiceover branding. As an antidote to #BlueMonday I said NO! to disposable, impossible-to-recycle coffee cups and YES! to #GreenMonday and these rather attractive BPA-free reusable thermal coffee cups. As a small business, wearing my…

It’s good to talk, and listen. It’s good to talk, and I’m pleased you’re here. That’s me, with the slightly bemused face, having just followed my script direction to. the. letter. You can watch and hear the results below. So, here’s the (really rather simple) thing. It’s good to talk to your voice over. That…

Five things voiceovers should do right now Summer is a funny time of year, especially for a voice over. Clients go on holiday, meaning either super-fast turnarounds or tumbleweed, children need looking after, ferrying about and often supervising during voice over sessions of their own. It’s a great time to catch up and get ready…

Talking out loud for a living Talking out loud for a living. Getting paid to speak. Nothing to it. Easiest job in the world. As a voice over I hear this from time to time, mostly from people that have never tried to do it and don’t work in the industry. Anyone that’s spent any…

Radio imaging voice over demo from audioHQ Before I share my radio imaging voice over demo, cards on the table. Radio imaging is a lot of fun, no question. Voice acting is a varied world that comes in many different flavours, and each of us aims to find the areas that suit us best. For…

Radio campaign for Rowe’s Cornish Bakers While voicing this summer’s radio campaign for Rowe’s I had an uncontrollable fit of rumbles. Tummy rumbles to be precise. Surely the sign of a well-crafted script is when the voice over is struggling to read it without salivating! I might have managed with one, but we had four…

I was thrilled when my voice was part of the extraordinary launch of the Jaguar F-Pace (if you've not seen it, click the link for a Record Breaking spectacle), and an incredible Land Rover event on board the USS Intrepid in New York. As you might imagine, I was extremely excited to be asked to lend my voice to the Range Rover Velar launch.

Introducing voiceoverstudio.com  Half term is here and some brave voice overs have left. Their professional voice over studio availability is nil – they’ve gone, they’ve escaped, happy holidays. Not me. With three children, two dogs, two kittens and two chickens, a holiday is a logistical nightmare. And that’s before I start assembling my portable recording…

Licenced voice over kids ready to voice for you. Great news for my voice over kids. London agency Chatterbox Voices are now representing Rosie, Edie and Sam, with jobs lined up for each of them next week and a fantastic animation audition under her belt for Rosie. All three kids love voicing, and I’m thrilled to launch a…

Voiceover for your web video. An affordable, professional marketing tool – aka, the explainer video Voice over for your web video. Do you have one? You no longer need to be one of the corporate Big Guys to use a professional voice over. Make sure your business can be heard and seen. Explainer videos have never…

So, you want to be a voice over? Let’s start by assuming you have a modicum of talent, a glimmer of potential. Oh, and someone has probably told you, you have a nice voice… First off – don’t. Just don’t. There’s loads of us. Most people can’t make a living wage from it. It’ll cost…

Rosie’s latest commercial voice over demo Having updated Edie and Sam’s demos at the end of last year, here’s Rosie’s latest. We’ve had a great reaction so far and we’re looking forward to working with plenty of new clients this year. All three children have Local Authority Performance Licences to work from home. If you’re short of…

I have a confession. I love voicing web explainer videos. They’re the ideal vehicle for being warm and friendly, the perfect place for a chatty relatable read, designed to be easy to listen to and informative. A top quality sandwich rather than a quick slice of hot buttered toast (and I do love toast, but that’s for another post).…

Wowsers!  What a year 2015 has been. In February we moved to my dream home, essentially a huge, tree-filled garden with the bonus of a house built on it. The house itself is a lovingly-restored greenstone barn, formerly the milking barn for the farm, and it’s crammed with beautiful touches. The previous owner was a talented joiner and…

I’ve been asked for demos for both Edie and Sam recently so thought it was time I dusted off my editing skills and pop something together for each of them. Edie has voiced tv commercials for Baby Annabel (Zapf Creation) this summer, plus a new regional ad for Red Funnel Ferries (following on from previous…

Brand loyalty Brand loyalty. Something every business owner hopes and dreams for, so as a voice over it’s really rewarding to represent a brand over a period of time. This year I’ve been voicing a lot for Clarks Village in Somerset. They’ve chosen to have a consistent sound across all their media, so you can…

Voice Arts Awards 2015 I’m excited about the Voice Arts Awards. “And the nominations are…” something I’ve said many times for a variety of UK award shows. Not something I’d ever anticipating hearing for myself. You see, one of the things I especially love about being a voiceover is that I’m hidden. Truth is, I have…

 Voice of God for Jaguar F-Pace launch I’m always thrilled to be asked to provide Voice of God (VOG) announcements for awards shows and events. They’re fun to do, I’m always lucky to work with switched on and creative producers, and imagining the end result invariably ends up with me getting ridiculously overexcited and giving it…

I’m thrilled to be voicing for Royal Caribbean’s Autumn national radio campaign. Shaking off the fuddy-duddy image of cruising, this is all about family fun, exciting on-board activities (including sky diving and surf-boarding!), amazing food and fantastic European destinations. Fun, friendly and warm – plus the opportunity to exercise those speed reading skills for the lengthy legal bit at the…

I’ve just voiced for Saga Holidays new Freedom campaign and that should be online soon. They liked my reassuring sound, and opted for a slightly more upbeat and quicker read than the previous videos we worked on (below). [su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/aFTCLVqg3aI”]

It’s been an educational few days here at Voiceovergirl Towers. While the usual panic-buying of school shoes and uniforms is taking place (and smallest son has already worn through his first pair of new trainers!) we’ve also been working on various educational projects in the voiceover world. Just in time for the announcement of this year’s…

Will you put your mouth where the money is? Do your personal ethics come into play when negotiating a job? I’m grateful this isn’t something I have to consider very often as a voiceover. Generally my clients are radio stations or production houses, and the bulk of my work is mainstream radio and tv commercials, corporate…

Whilst I’m thrilled that all three of my kids are happy to do some voicing, I’m especially proud that the girls both have repeat clients that come back time and again. Rosie has been voicing for Zapf Creation for 4 years now, with a new campaign in the works for this summer. Thankfully she’s able…

I have to confess I’ve been a little distracted this week as I’ve been busily training up a new team member here at Glebe Barns studio. Sadly, completely useless at e-learning, commercial reads, audio editing or tea making, but already very adept at paper shredding, and on hand to provide some truly comical yipping, yapping…

Much as I love what I do, it’s not all cosy booth, editing and voiceovers. My biggest joy of living in this beautiful corner of Dorset is the endlessly changing scenery and wild and natural landscape. This morning was perfect for a dog walk. Swathes of buttercups as far as the eye could see, rolling green fields and more sky than I…

One of the unexpected benefits of voicing lots of e-learning is access to information I might never otherwise encounter. It’s a point I’ve seen many voiceover colleagues make, and at one extreme end of the scale one voiceoverist even went on to learn to fly a plane, such was his fascination with the project he’d narrated. I…

Having spent time and money on a great new phone system, branding, a fabulous website, snazzy logo and all the things that combine to make you look great, what does your customer hear when they finally make contact? On-hold messaging is a great opportunity for you to entertain, advise, highlight new products or changes, and…

After a long build up and a disproportionate amount of worrying about shoes and dresses (as a voiceover my preferred uniform is anything vaguely resembling pyjamas) VOX 2015 blew expectations out of the water! The UK’s only conference dedicated to the voiceover and audio industry took place last month. A packed schedule running from 10am on the Saturday…

VOX 2015 Conference, dedicated to supporting excellence in the audio industry The VOX 2015 conference – the UK’s only annual event dedicated to the voice over and audio industry takes place this week. This bumper event, with a packed schedule, awards dinner, and educational and networking opportunities, looks set to be the best yet. Personally,…