I’m a professional voiceover artist working from my studio in Sheffield. I mainly work as an audiobook narrator and on corporate projects with experience in radio sketch comedy and drama.
I have an assured, no-nonsense, trustworthy natural voice; mature, believable, sincere and gentle – naturally lightly northern accented. I’m a versatile character actor with a range of accents, able to deliver intensely dramatic readings as well as excellent comic timing. My voice ranges from late 20’s into 50’s and I can provide character voices across all ages.
Commercial
Commercial voice demo reel (2mins)
Audiobook Narration
Audiobook narration demo reel (3.5mins)
Radio Drama
Radio Drama voice demo reel (2.5mins)
Telephone systems / Prompts / IVR / On Hold
IVR /On Hold sample demo reel (1min)
Corporate
Corporate voice demo reel (2mins)
My latest voice project is narration for ‘Hidden‘ – an audiobook by Lisa Sell.
Reviewed by BrunaMartini
Further examples of my work:
Narration
Sample from recently published audiobook:
The Cornish Retribution by Amanda James
Further samples can be found on Audible.co.uk
Further examples of Narration
Demo of a reading from Emily Bronte’s classic novel: ‘Jane Eyre’
Demo of a reading from Philip Hensher’s ‘The Northern Clemency’
Demo of a reading from Esther Freud’s ‘Hideous Kinky’ (British RP)
Demo of a reading from Anne Tyler’s ‘The Tin Can Tree’ (General American accent)
Demo of a reading from A S Byatt’s ‘The Virgin in The Garden’
Character
Listen to some of the characters voiced by Melanie for Audiobooks and Radio (3mins 40secs):
Hire me for your voiceover project!
Listen to my natural voice to see if its right for your project:
You can book me direct or via an online agent depending on your project.
If you’re an independent author looking for a narrator, please check out U-sound
You can also book me via MandyVoices
I’m a professional member of the World Voices Organisation with a profile on Voiceover.biz
Direct booking
Recording audio for my clients is very straightforward; I record the audio and send you (my client) the mp3 or wav file(s) via email or ftp. If you’d like to direct the performance, live you can do so via skype by prior arrangement once the job is booked.
All I need from you is the script you want me to record, some notes on the kind of reading you want – think of it like directing an actor (that is really what you’re doing!) So for example – do you want it upbeat and full of energy or maybe it needs to have weight to it to convey the seriousness of the subject. Of course, we can chat about what you need if that’s helpful.
If any words in the script have unusual pronunciations or acronyms or are technical words not in every day use, I’d be grateful if you could give me a pronunciation breakdown before I record it. If there’s anything I’m not sure about, I’ll ask you before or give you alternatives during the session so we get it right.
Lead time will usually be a minimum of one full business day turnaround, just in case there are any technical issues. When you confirm the booking I’ll let you know when you can expect delivery of the files.
If I’m unavailable to record your job you’ll either see a note here or my automatic reply on email will let you know if I’m not in the office as well as my answerphone message should you call to book.
The price of each voiceover recording will depend on various factors:
- How long it takes to record / how many words in the script
- If there are different character voices or accents required
- If the recording requires syncing to video
- If script amendments are made after the initial recording
- Where the audio will be broadcast
- For how long the recording will be broadcast
- Any additional platforms where the audio will be used
The most important of those factors is the usage of the audio – where it’ll be broadcast.
Voiceover artists grant licenses to clients enabling them to use the audio on platforms (such as radio, tv, internet etc) that have been agreed and for specific territories (such as the UK or worldwide etc).
There’s obviously a price difference in a license for a job that’ll be heard on an individual company’s answer phone…and something that’ll be broadcast on television for 3 years in a number of countries around the world.
You can request a rate card from me for different types of audio recording to help work out how much your job might cost but the easiest way is to give me all the specifics of what you’ll need and let me provide a tailored quote for you.
So, if you need my voice –
Not sure if my voice is the right one for your project?
Let me provide a free sample of your script
As long as the job is a minimum of 100 words – just give me an overview of your project and include your script. I will deliver an audio file of a part of your script, together with a quote so that you can decide if I am the right voice for your project.
To make sure the quote is accurate, please give me as much information as possible, including:
- Final script word count
- Your deadline
- Information about what the voiceover is for (e.g. is it for a presentation, a telephone system, an advert etc?)
- In which countries and on which platforms the voiceover will be broadcast
- Any additional info you think would be helpful
You can listen to and purchase Melanie’s 5-star reviewed audiobook work on Audible
Recent comments from Audiobook listeners:
‘Melanie’s narration was excellent, this is the first time I have listened to her narration and certainly won’t be the last time. Melanie is able to adapt her language, expressions and accents to suit all of the characters in the book perfectly…Superb.’ Ellie S. Audible review of Missing Gretyl.
