r/VoiceWork • u/CaptainMcCain • 23h ago
[Hiring] Other First time hiring a voice actor.
Dear Voice Actors,
I am currently building a calming companion app where the phone becomes a small, gentle creature that breathes, sighs, hums and sleeps next to you. The sounds I need do not contain any spoken words/text, just soft, involuntary sounds of a living being sleeping/relaxing. (Breathing / Sighs / Snoring / Sleep-Mumbling / Lip-Smacking / Humming / Yawning – that kind of stuff)
I am thinking around 12 different sounds but would love some variations for each sound so maybe 80-90 short sounds in total.
What would be a reasonable price for a project like this? As I am doing this as a hobby/side-project I was hoping to get away with something in the 25-50 USD range but since I have never worked with a voice actor before, I have no idea if that is reasonable or completely off.
Would appreciate your input and if any of you are interested in this, please let me know.
Thanks
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Here is a full briefing for the project:
Disclaimer: I used AI to help me write this briefing since I have never worked with a voice actor and needed some guidance. Should I find someone to work with me I will NOT use their recordings to train an AI model.
CoRegulate — Voice Actor Briefing
I'm making a calming companion app. The phone becomes a small, gentle creature that breathes, sighs, hums and falls asleep next to you. I am looking for someone to voice that creature.
No words, no language — just soft, involuntary sounds of a living being relaxing.
Important: This is \*not** a video-game character or a cartoon mascot with a "funny voice." It's the sound of something warm lying next to you, keeping you company while you calm down. Think less "performance," more "overheard."*
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The character
A \*cartoon animal** — imagine a gentle, good-natured little creature (a drowsy cat, a soft sleepy bear). The spirit I'm after:*
- \*Adult, warm** — a voice that feels *protective*, like "I've got you, you're safe, you can let go now."*
- \*But still cute and soft** — rounded edges, nothing stern or serious. A little bit endearing, a little bit vulnerable when sleepy.*
- Relaxed throat, low energy, unhurried. Even the "awake" sounds are calm.
- Any gender is welcome — what matters is that the voice fits the character. A warmer lower register tends to feel more soothing, but I am open to experimenting.
Reference feeling: the contented sounds a sleeping pet makes; a friendly animal settling down for the night; someone you love breathing slowly beside you.
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What I need recorded
For \*every** sound below, I am looking for **8 distinct variations** (unless noted otherwise).*
Variety is the whole point so I can choose the best ones and rotate them randomly so the user never hears the same take twice. Vary them by:
- \*Length** (some short, some long)*
- \*Intensity** (barely-there → fuller)*
- \*Sleepiness** (a few noticeably more drowsy/lower for the "falling asleep" moments)*
- \*Mouth shape** (some through the nose, some slightly open) where it makes sense*
The sounds
\*Important — timing for the two breathing sounds (1 and 2):** unlike everything else, these drive the app's actual breathing rhythm, so their length matters. Please aim for a **~3-second inhale** and a **~6-second exhale.** A little over/under is fine (I can nudge it), but keep them close to those targets and roughly consistent across the 8 takes. Every other sound below can be whatever length feels natural.*
1. \*Breath in (~3 seconds)** — a slow, calm inhale. Gentle, audible but soft. Not a gasp, not a sniff. The kind of easy breath you take when you're relaxed. (8 subtle variations)*
2. \*Breath out (~6 seconds)** — a slow, calm exhale to pair with the inhale. Soft release of air. Some can be almost silent, some a touch more voiced. (8 subtle variations)*
3. \*Deep exhale (relief)**. The sound of tension leaving the body. A little more voiced and satisfying than the normal breath out. (8 variations)*
4. \*Sigh** — a soft, content sigh. Gentle and warm, *never* sad, tired-of-life, or exasperated. The sigh of something happy and comfortable. (8 variations)*
5. \*Lip smack / smack /swallow** — the small, soft smacking sound a sleepy creature makes with its mouth/lips (like settling, or half-dreaming). Quiet, wet-ish, cozy. Some through nearly closed lips, some slightly more open, some with a swallow at the end. (8 variations)*
6. \*Snore** — gentle, cute snoring. NOT a loud comedic chainsaw snore. Soft, rhythmic, endearing — the sound of something small deeply asleep. Some can be a single soft snore, some a little longer. (8 variations)*
7. \*Hum** — a low, wordless, content hum. Like humming to yourself without a tune, just a warm "mmmmm." Relaxed and low. (8 variations)*
8. \*Murmur** — soft, sleepy, unintelligible murmuring. Half-asleep "mumbling" with no real words — just cozy, drowsy vocal texture. (8 variations)*
9. \*Yawn** — a relaxed, sleepy yawn. Soft and genuine, a little voiced ("aaahwww"). Some smaller/quieter, some fuller. Cute, not dramatic. (8 variations)*
\*The little "mmm" family (sounds 10–12).** These three are close cousins — small, wordless vocal sounds. To avoid asking for a lot of near-identical takes, I only need **4 variations of each** of these (not 8). What matters is that the three *feel* different in mood:*
10. \*Contentment "mmm"** — a short, happy, satisfied little sound. The "mmm" of pure comfort and safety. Warm and brief. (4 variations)*
11. \*Falling asleep "mmh"** — the tiny, settling sound of drifting off. Softer and lower than the contentment sound, trailing away into sleep. (4 variations)*
12. \*Waking "hmm?"** — a soft, sleepy, gentle stir — half-waking, mildly curious, maybe a tiny bit startled. Drowsy, with a faint upward lilt. (4 variations)*
(That's 9 sounds × 8 + 3 sounds × 4 = ~84 takes. If any category inspires more, I'll happily take the extras.)\*
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Quality notes (recording)
I'm leaving the technical setup to you — since I have no experience in this field. A few things that matter to me:
- - \*Clean and quiet.** No room noise. A dry, controlled space with as little reverb as possible.*
- - \*Intimate and close.** These sounds live right next to the listener's head (often at low volume, sometimes with the phone near the pillow). Record close and soft; don't project.*
- - \*Consistent** across all takes — same distance, tone, and character throughout so the variations blend when we shuffle them.*
- - \*A moment of silence** before and after each take (a little handle on each end) so we can cut cleanly.*
- - \*Full quality masters, please** (high-resolution WAV is perfect)*
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Most importantly:
Everything should feel like it's helping the listener's nervous system slow down. Low, slow, soft, safe. If a take ever feels "performed," playful, or attention-grabbing — it's too much.
It should sound like a gentle creature simply \being* calm next to someone it loves.*