I live in the Northeast. It’s lovely to see the seasons change. We get vibrant fall colors, white winters, green springs and lush summer vegetation. But I noticed years ago that from mid-October to April, my voice changes. If I listened to something I recorded in June and compared it to something I recorded in November, they were drastically different. This was no good for my career. My Automotive clients in particular will often use donut recordings. In other words, they would keep the intro and outro that I recorded in the summer, for example, and redo the middle of the spot in December with their new car models and sales info. So my voice had to be consistent. I was careful to use the same mic, same booth and same settings, but what could I do about my voice sounding the same?
Here are a few tricks I’ve learned over the years that help my voice sound the same year round.
- I got a humidifier. This helps me breathe better, especially at night.
- I limit dairy during the winter months. Almond milk replaces milk. It helps me feel less stuffy.
- I bought a Neti Pot. This apparatus is relatively inexpensive and works wonders by cleaning out the nasal passages.
- I drink honey mixed with apple cider vinegar. Bragg’s is my personal favorite. This is especially helpful if I have a long narration session or hundreds of IVR prompts to do.
- Hydrate!!! This is important to do year round, but especially in the fall and winter. My goal is to drink 64 ounces of water daily. It is so important for us voiceover folks to stay hydrated.
Since implementing these few changes, I haven’t had any complaints that my voice sounds different from season to season. I can enjoy the changing New England scenery and my clients get a consistent sounding Amy.