The Biz

3 Steps To Responsive Design Browser Testing

2013-04-06T12:37:13Z

At Voices.com, we're working on a massive responsive web design project. In fact, this blog has already been done in responsive design, so ahead and adjust the browser size to see the content automatically reformat to the size of your browser. Neat eh?

How did we do that? What testing was involved? Find out the steps we took and the tools for browser testing responsive web design. I've listed my favorite tools, a link to a document on responsive web design that I shared with our customers and even screenshots of the charts and data analysis we conducted. Let's take a look!

Step 1: Knowing Which Web Browsers Your Visitors Use

Because most modern web browsers handle HTML5 and CSS3 just fine, you'll be fine for the majority of your users. Where you'll run into issues is when your visitors still have legacy versions of Internet Explorer such as IE8 and earlier.

Running a Browser Report in Google Analytics

How do you know which browsers your visitors are using? If you have Google Analytics installed (which you should), then simply navigate to the Audience section, then to Technology subsection. In there, you'll find a report called "Browser and OS".

Tip: I'd recommend adjusting the dates for the last three months for a good sample size. Going further back in time may skew the data as some people have have updated their browser recently.

Analyzing The Results

Out of nearly 1,000,000 visitors to Voices.com in the last three months, I see that 80% of them use Safari, Chrome and Firefox. I drilled in to each browser operating system and confirmed that the bulk of the visitors are indeed using current versions. Phew!

That leaves Internet Explorer with a 20% market share. When I clicked through Internet Explorer I found out that about half of IE users were still on IE8, IE7 and yes even some people on IE6 (below).

This segment is 10% of our overall user base which means its significant enough that we needed to test and make sure the site didn't cause any errors.

Step 2: Testing Your Responsive Design on Old Browsers

If there is one rule of thumb in rolling out a responsive design it would be "don't break the site." We've seen some pretty strange error messages such as "Deployment is not set" in Internet Explorer which popped-up when the browser was scaled down to the width of a mobile device. When we clicked "OK" to clear the error message, the screen went blank and simply didn't load the content. We discovered this "Deployment is not set" error was due to conflicting javascript.

After that experience, I've recognized how important browser testing is, specifically testing on old browsers likely installed on Windows XP machines.

Like me, you're probably on a Mac Book Pro or another Mac, so how do you get access to Window XP to do your tests? While it may be old news to you, I discovered an amazing virtualization application called VirtualBox from Oracle. Here's what Windows XP, and our responsive design blog looks like running on a Mac.

You can download VirtualBox free and then install the browsers using these instructions:

Download & Install VirtualBox – Download Now (direct .dmg download link) – visit VirtualBox Downloads page
Launch the Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/)
Decide which versions of Internet Explorer you want to download and install – each version of Internet Explorer is contained within a separate virtual machine that runs within VirtualBox. In other words, if you want to run Internet Explorer 7, 8, and 9, you will need to download three separate VM’s, which may take a while so keep that in mind. Select the text below and copy it:

Install ALL versions of Internet Explorer: IE7, IE 8, and IE 9

curl -s https://raw.github.com/xdissent/ievms/master/ievms.sh | bash

Install Internet Explorer 7 Only

curl -s https://raw.github.com/xdissent/ievms/master/ievms.sh | IEVMS_VERSIONS="7" bash

Install Internet Explorer 8 Only

curl -s https://raw.github.com/xdissent/ievms/master/ievms.sh | IEVMS_VERSIONS="8" bash

Install Internet Explorer 9 Only

curl -s https://raw.github.com/xdissent/ievms/master/ievms.sh | IEVMS_VERSIONS="9" bash

Copy and paste the selected command from above into the Terminal and hit return, this will start the download and conversion process. How long this takes depends on your internet connection and how many versions of Internet Explorer you chose to install
Launch VirtualBox and boot Windows & Internet Explorer – select the virtual machine corresponding to the version of Internet Explorer you intend to use: IE7, IE8, IE9, then click on the “Start” button to boot that Windows machine with that version of Internet Explorer.

I've been testing in these browsers for the last couple of days and have discovered many formatting issues, not all of which have been solved yet, but at least they've been spotted.

Step 3: Ask Customers To Send You Their Screenshots

At Voices.com we use Chatter, an online collaboration messaging app from Salesforce.com. Normally, we use Chatter internally to post status updates and sharing information internally but I thought I'd give the "Private Customer Groups" feature a try.

In Chatter, create a Customer Group and then simply "Add Members" to send an invitation to those people you'd like to invite to your beta testing group. Once a few people have joined the group, you can engage them in discussion by asking a question. Customer can share updates, links and even file attachments such as screenshots from their browsers.

For context, I created a brief document explaining what Responsive Web Design is and how it will benefit them as customers of Voices.com. Below is the thread that followed.

Historically, I've done this kind of work via email but I found I was sending and receiving a lot of email. Further, I was replying with the same response with explanations on why something doesn't work or why we've decided to take a certain approach to the implementation. Lastly, email conversations get lost and rarely gone back and referenced.

With Chatter, I've found that this centralized conversation spot has kept me and our beta testing group engaged.

How you get feedback from your customers is up to you. Doing it is what matters.

What Browser Testing Tools Do You Use?

While the above isn't exclusive to testing your latest responsive design website, it sure helps having a step-by-step process to follow.

Are there vital steps that you take to test a responsive design site? Share your tips and tools in the comments below.

Make it a great day!

David

Google Planning Audio Ads in Streaming Music Service

2010-09-09T23:20:33Z

Audio ads will become the next step in Google's advertising network, according to sources. The service will support the Android streaming music that Google VP of Engineering Vic Gundotra announced and previewed at Google I/O.

Susan Wojcicki, Google vice president of product management, wrote a blog post in February 2009 describing Google's exit from radio but plans to explore online streaming audio. "Instead we will use our technology to develop Internet-based solutions that will deliver relevant ads for online streaming audio," she wrote. "We are dedicating a team of people at Google to explore how we can best add value for advertisers, broadcasters and listeners in this emerging advertising space."

The Web-based, or cloud, version of the Android Market and the Music app will allow consumers to access their music from Android-based handsets. Some now say the application will become available in YouTube, too.

The 10-, 15-, and 30-second audio ads will support Android streaming music and YouTube videos through a streaming music channel, according to David Szetela, Clix Marketing founder, citing a DoubleClick employee. The call to action becomes the banner ad when music clips play.

Streaming music on Android and YouTube will become an instant advertising channel for Google and advertisers. The platform will attempt to compete with Apple iTunes and Pandora, but the advertising will bring in the bucks. "Google, in some sense, is like the Conde Nast of the online world," Szetela says. "All they need to do is roll out a new publication. People will buy the publication, but Google can also sell advertising in it."

Reports from the New York Post suggest Google could launch its search-related music store as early as November in time for the holidays. Apparently, Android VP Andy Rubin has been hashing out the particulars to license about 27,000 songs from New York-based Harry Fox Agency.

How a New Breed Of Small Businesses is Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies

2010-09-08T13:51:49Z

A small seafood restaurant attracts new customers with virtually no marketing budget. A four-person iPad case manufacturer generates more than $1M in revenue in four months with only four employees. A voice-over company is able to connect thousands of artists with opportunities, all without expensive hardware and software. A law firm increases access to key information while dramatically reducing technology-related costs and risks.

And these four companies are hardly unique. A new breed of small businesses is using Software as a Service (SaaS), free and open source software, social media and networks, mobility, cloud computing, and other emerging technologies to do things simply not possible even five years ago.

In The New Small: How a New Breed Of Small Businesses is Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies, you'll discover how these companies creatively and intelligently use technology to reach new customers, reduce costs, increase internal collaboration and communication, and create flexible work environments.

Rife with profiles from a wide variety of industries, The New Small offers pragmatic advice and lessons about how small businesses are harnessing the power of emerging technologies. It's a must-read for small business owners--and those thinking about starting their own shops.

Author Phil Simon profiles Voices.com as one of The New Small, in part for our management philosophy. We realize the importance of fostering innovation and creating a meaningful place to work.

Lessons from "failures" are more important than trying to perfect ideas behind closed doors--and only then releasing them to the public. If you're a user of Voices.com, you know we use crowdsourcing, customer feedback, and polls to determine which projects to pursue and which ones to morph into a better idea.

To learn more about The New Small, you can either pre-order the book on Kick Starter or wait for the release in late 2010.

The LAMP Technology Stack

2010-06-30T18:15:24Z

The technology stack that Voices.com used to build and maintain its web application is known as LAMP which stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP (or Perl or Python). Used together, they represent the most popular and most powerful form of web servers and website hosting.

Linux

The benefits of running on LAMP are monumental. Response time, stability, and uptime all increase tenfold on a Linux server, such as Fedora Core 9, CentOS 5 or RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Taking user operator error out of the picture, a Linux server could run for a year or more without the need for a reboot, update, or upgrade. More uptime percentage for you, less downtime for clients and potential customers on your website. Whatever you throw at Linux, it can handle.

Apache

Apache HTTP provides lightening quick request handling and a slew of features. Apache has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996. Apache is also designed to work with a wide range of languages by directly incorporating the language interpreter into the Apache environment.

MySQL Database

MySQL Database server is extremely popular, powerful and free used on massive websites like Google, Yahoo!, Digg, Slashdot, YouTube, Wordpress, and most Web 2.0 applications. Being open source grants the additional benefit of a large user community dedicated to making it even better as well as patching any security exploits. Speed, reliability, and response time are key here which is why MySQL is the database of choice for Voices.com.

PHP

PHP, or the official name of Hypertext Preprocessor is a widely used, general-purpose scripting language that was originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web. The combination of Linux, Apache and an optimized MySQL database significantly speeds up the execution of dynamic components for languages like PHP, Perl, and Python, thus making the website faster than on other systems.

To visit the Voices.com web application, go to http://www.voices.com on any computer.

How To Speed Up a Website

2010-06-28T20:06:01Z

For a web-based service that helps to make the world sound good, we've been focused on speed as an element of design. After 12 months of hard work, we've achieved a 10X improvement in page loading times. This means it's ten times faster navigating the website, uploading and download audio files.

Voices.com's page load time has been reported as fast as 963 ms, which is ten times faster than the 15.30 seconds previously reported by Pingdom, a web site monitoring and measurement service.

In today's article, I'll share with you a number of tools that we used to achieve these improvements in page load time.

Why Make a Website Load Faster?

Why should you spend your precious time and potentially your resources improving the page load times of your website? Here are three great reasons:

à¹ Make your site faster.
à¹ Keep Internet users engaged with your site.
à¹ Reduce your bandwidth and hosting costs.

Tips and Tricks To Get Your Pages To Load Faster

With three solid reasons identified, you will have the confidence to move ahead with implementing some of these methods to make your pages load faster. Here is what you can do:

1. Lay out your pages with CSS, not tables

CSS downloads faster than tables because:

à¹ Browsers read through tables twice before displaying their contents, once to work out their structure and once to determine their content

à¹ CSS generally requires less code than cumbersome tables

à¹ All code to do with the layout can be placed in an external CSS document, which will be called up just once and then cached (stored) on the user's computer; table layout, stored in each HTML document, must be loaded up each time a new page downloads

à¹ With CSS you can control the order items download on to the screen, make the content appear before slow-loading images and your site users will definitely appreciate it. At Voices.com, the body of the page loads first, then the header and footer.

2. Don't use image to display text

It's our old friend CSS to the rescue again. There's no need to use images to display text as so much can be accomplished through CSS. Previously at Voices.com, we had large images on the home page that described the features and benefits of the service. All the text was in images that loaded slowly. Now, the same words are displayed as proper text and the graphics and formatting loaded with CSS.

3. Put CSS into external documents

Considering the advantages of CSS listed above, most websites are designed with CSS nowadays. To optimize the CSS code, you can use a tool like CleanCSS that will merge similar selectors, remove useless properties and remove the whitespace from your code.

After you've optimized your CSS, place the file in an external document then reference it by including this code in your page header:

There's no limit to the number of these external documents that you can use! You can improve page load times further by having a CSS file for a certain part of your website. For example, we have a print.css file that is only used when someone is printing their page. We also have a mobile version of the website found at http://m.voices.com that has it's own CSS file for formatting on mobile devices. Think of areas of your website that can be isolated then create a compact CSS file.

4. Put JavaScript into external documents

In a similar strategy, you should also place your JavaScript files in an external document then referencing the JavaScript by including this snippet in your page header:

Any external file is called up just once and then stored on the user's computer. Instead of repeating JavaScript or CSS over and over again in HTML files, just write it out once in an external document.

5. Minimize white space, line returns and comment tags

Every single letter or space in your HTML code takes up one byte. It doesn't sound like much but it all adds up. We've found that by working through your page source and eliminating unnecessary white space and comments, you can shave off up to, or even over (if your HTML is really inefficient) 10% of its file size.

6. Remove unnecessary META tags and META content

Most of the 22 META tags are pretty much unnecessary and don't achieve very much. The most important tags for search engine optimization are the description tags and the keyword tags, although due to abuse even these tags have lost a lot of importance recently. It's recommended to keep the content of META tags each under 200 characters. Anything more increases the size of your pages.

Delivering With Results

Here's a chart from Pingdom that reveals how fast pages load on Voices.com. We've definitely made a 10X improvement compared to this time last year.

Tools To Measure The Speed of a Website

Here are some of the tools we use to both measure the speed of page load times, identify problem areas and monitor speed improvements.

Have Any Tips to Share?

Why not share your knowledge and jot down a few of your own tips for improving the speed of a website? Add your comments below.

History of the Voice Over

2010-06-17T01:19:35Z

Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, was a brilliant mathematician and excelled in academics. Being enamored with the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell, Fessenden set out on a quest to develop a means of remote communication without the restriction of wires - thusly "Wireless" as it was to be known later.

In 1900 Fessenden set out to work for the United States Weather Bureau. During this time, the first voice over was recorded in 1900 by Reginald Fessenden who reported on the weather during a test.

The First Radio Recording

Reginald Fessenden became radio's first voice during Christmas of 1906 when he broadcast from a makeshift studio in Brant Rock, just outside Boston, a program of Christmas messages and spiritual music to ships at sea. The Christmas Eve program as recounted by Fessenden consisted of:

"... first a short speech by me saying what we were going to do, then some phonograph music.... Then came a violin solo by me ... which I sang one verse of, in addition to playing the violin, though the singing, of course, was not very good. Then came the Bible text, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will, and we finally wound up by wishing them a Merry Christmas and then saying that we proposed to broadcast again on New Year's Eve. "

Walt Disney Performed First Cartoon Voice

More familiar was the first cartoon voice over in 1928 by Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse in "Steamboat Willie." The following year, 1929, the first cartoon series produced, Looney Tunes, debuted in cinemas.

First Prominent Voice Actors

The first prominent voice actor was former radio personality, voice actor and comedian Mel Blanc who joined Leon Schlesinger Productions in 1936, a company that made animated cartoons which were distributed by Warner Bros. Mel was famous for his versatility and is still known today as The Man of 1000 Voices.

Recent History

In today's industry, the most famous person in voice-overs is Don LaFontaine, who in 1962 recorded his first voice-over for a movie trailer. He was paid $82.00, a far cry from the premium rates that professional voice over talents can command today. Throughout his long and successful career, Don was able to set the standard for how movie trailers were written and voiced, literally becoming the voice of the movies. Although his physical passing on September 1, 2008 has left a great void, his spirit remains and Don's legacy continues to grow and serve those in the voice over community.

What Are Your Favorite Moments in Voice Over History?

Add a comment here and join the conversation.

David

Reactions to Male and Female Voice Overs

2010-06-13T12:37:05Z

A lot of thought goes into the "right" voice for every advertisement. This, is primarily the role of casting directors. Certainly the tone and timber of a voice are two things that can help sell the product or service. But, probably the most important question every marketer must answer is, should the voice be male or female?

These are some of the findings of a new Adweek Media/ Harris Poll, survey of 2,194 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive.

Choice Depends on the Tone of the Ad

Whether you choose a male or female voice talent depends on what the tone of the ad is attempting to convey. Almost half of Americans (48%) believe a male voice is more forceful while 46% believe a female voice is more soothing so those may be easy choices for a marketing executive to make. However, almost half of U.S. adults also say it makes no difference to them and neither voice is more forceful (49%) or more soothing (46%).

Male and Female Voice Overs in a Selling Situation

When it comes to actually selling a specific thing, two-thirds of Americans say it doesn't make a difference and neither voice is more likely to sell them a car (66%) or a computer (69%). Among those who believe it makes a difference, over one-quarter (28%) believe a male voice is more likely to sell them a car and 23% say a male voice is more likely to sell them a computer. Only 7% say a female voice is more likely to sell them either.

Gender Differences

Men and women do think similarly on the tone of the two types of voices - with one major exception. Over half of men (54%) believe a female voice is more soothing, compared to 38% of women who say the same. One in ten women (11%) believes a male voice is more soothing while 5% of men say the same. The only other real difference between men and women is on the selling of a car. One-third of men (32%) say a male voice is more likely to sell them a car compared to 23% of women who say this.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes are very common in voice over and that helps voice talent relate to the script, identify the demographic and better understand the intended audience.

The results conclude that gender stereotypes are alive and well in the way many people react to male and female voiceovers in commercials.

Follow Up Surveys

Others have suggested that an interesting experiment might be to re-do the survey, but also factoring in the participants' default dominant communication style (visual, auditory, kinesthetic or digital) to see if there were any trends there.

What are your thoughts on the survey results?

David

Statistics, Market Research and Analysis

2010-06-11T11:19:59Z

Collectively, we work in an industry with eight decades to its claim and one that has undergone a phenomenal series of changes. Estimated to be a $12.3 billion industry world-wide, voice-overs and language services penetrate all forms of both media and new media, touching the daily lives of nearly everyone in Western culture.

You're likely already aware that voice-overs is a huge market, but by global standards many would consider it a niche market. And, like other niche markets it is often difficult to find market research, statistics and analysis in support of this growth industry.

Today, we've published market research on key areas of growth. It's literally a page from our marketing plan, so save yourself the time of doing your own research and enjoy these statistics.

The Future of Voice Over

As we embrace the year 2010, milestones cause industry professionals to not only reflect on the changes of days gone by, but also to envision what the future has in store for the industry. What's amazing is that ideas once conceived to be in the distant future are here today.

From mobile Internet to radio that you can listen to anytime, anywhere and with books available for download at the touch of a button on revolutionary mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPod Touch and now the newest Apple product, the iPad, the prospects for working voice actors has never been so bright.

A Proven Track Record

While the opportunities for voice-over professionals are broad, this research focuses on unique and quickly emerging areas. These niches are not speculative. They have a proven track record of use by digital media producers, publishers and advertisers. Furthermore, both small businesses and global corporations are engaging their customers with the use of digital media productions, all of which require the expertise of voice talents.

Identifying Opportunities

The opportunities highlighted in this special area are audiobooks, podcasting and more broadly, Internet radio as well as mobile applications with an emphasis on mobile gaming.

Advertising Statistics

Audiobook Statistics

Broadcast Radio and Satellite Radio Statistics

Business and Telecommunications Statistics

Gaming Industry Statistics

Language Services Statistics

Mobile Internet and Mobile Technology Statistics

Podcasting Usage Statistics

Social Media Statistics

Television Statistics

Video Usage Statistics

Emerging Trends

Have you noticed other trends in advertising, social media, mobile technologies or online video? How have they impacted the use of audio and voice overs? Add your comments below!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

David

Why Marketers Should Use Voice Overs in Flash Videos to Improve Engagement

2010-06-10T13:10:19Z

There are many reasons to use voice-overs in Flash videos on your website; one of the most important is to improve viewer engagement for increased sales. If you're currently using Flash videos on your website's landing page, that's great. You can add a voice over to the Flash video so it will catch your visitor's attention and hold it.

Numerous studies have been done on the correlation between the human attention span and what captures an individual's attention and keeps it (Download Word Document). These studies have found that combining sensory elements, such as visuals and sound, will increase your retention rate and keep visitors on your site for longer periods of time.

Adobe Flash Statistics

Adobe Flash Player is the world's most pervasive software platform, used by over 2 million professionals and reaching 99% of Internet-enabled desktops in mature markets as well as a wide range of devices. Considering the vast majority of Internet users have Flash installed, you'll be safe in producing videos in Flash.

Why You Hire a Professional for Flash Video

When adding voice overs to Flash video, you'll want to hire a voice over professional as they have the vocal delivery you need to make visitors want to keep listening instead of turning down the volume. Many businesses make the mistake of using an amateur voice over for their projects and regret not using a professional voice over actor. Businesses spend thousands of dollars to have someone build their website... why not invest a little more to upgrade and complete their marketing tool?

Work With a Copywriter to Craft a Compelling Message

Having a copywriter write a voice over script would be wise before contacting a voice over talent. This way you can audition the voice talent with the script you will ultimately be using. A copywriter can bring all of your marketing together for a bigger impact.

Script Your Message so it's Consistent With Your Overall Marketing Strategy

When looking for voice over talent, it's important to consider your business image, what you want to convey and how you want to convey it. For example, if you have car dealership you may want your website Flash video to talk about your warranties and other information that will be useful to potential customers. You could then have the same voice professional that recorded the voice over for your Flash video on your website do your on hold messaging. Instead of music, sync your website message with your phone message for a complete marketing strategy and give a consistent voice to your business as a whole.

Match The Voice Type to the Brand Image

If you are solely an Internet business then your Flash video is going to be much more important. Voices.com has any and every type of voice talent you can think of. While on the site, check out a few of the voice samples of voice talent to get an idea what is out there. You will be excited by the possibilities that a voice over talent can bring to your business and your bottom line.

Have You Used a Voice Over in Your Flash Video?

Add your experience as a comment below and share your story.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

David

What Apple iAds Mean for Voice Talent

2010-06-08T13:16:15Z

Steve Jobs presented at the World Wide Developer Conference in San Francisco and introduced the new iPhone 4 which boasts of several new groundbreaking features, such FaceTime video calling and Retena Display, the next generation of high resolution displays for the popular mobile phone.

Aside from the new iPhone, Jobs revealed two important facts that show their commitment to dominating the mobile market. First, the launch of the iAd mobile network and second a sizable commitment from a roster of global brand willing to engage customers in a new way, though the innovative iAd format.

iAds combine the emotion of TV advertising with the interactivity of Internet advertising, giving advertisers a dynamic and powerful new way to bring motion and emotion to mobile users.

iAd Mobile Ad Network

Apple announced it will debut its iAd mobile advertising network on July 1 on iPhone and iPod touch devices running its iOS 4 software platform.

New Advertising Formats

With iAd, advertisers have been able to create powerful and compelling ads. The initial response has been that iAd is the perfect mobile format to reach and engage with customers.

Voice Overs in iAds

Voice talent should be seeing a huge opportunity to offer voice overs for iAds. Audio and video have always gone hand in hand and with iAds, advertiser will need to introduce products, tell stories and engage customers with the power of the human voice. Voice talent who sound conversational, youthful and believable will gain a tremendous advantage as advertisers will be looking for those voice types.

Apple's Targets for iAd Revenue

Apple has iAd commitments for 2010 totaling over $60 million, which represents almost 50 percent of the total forecast US mobile ad spending for the second half of 2010.

iAd Advertisers

Global brands will launch mobile ad campaigns using the iAd platform. Companies lined up for iAd campaigns include AT&T, Best Buy, Campbell Soup Company, Chanel, Citi, DirecTV, GEICO, GE, JCPenney, Liberty Mutual Group, Nissan, Sears, State Farm, Target, Turner Broadcasting System, Unilever and The Walt Disney Studios.

Common iAd Questions

You might be wondering how iAds are different from other mobile ad formats, where iAds will be displayed and how much they will cost. Visit the iAd FAQ for more information.

See iAd in Action

In case you missed the live event, you can watch a video of the keynote presentation where Steve Jobs introduces the new iPhone, iOS and discusses the iAd mobile network and gives a demo of how iAds will work.

David

History of Video Games and Voice Overs

2010-06-07T12:59:55Z

The video game industry is one of the largest and most profitable markets in the world. For years, it's been the fastest growing segment of the entertainment industry and has since eclipsed motion pictures. In the U.S., the gaming market raked in 19.6 billion dollars in revenue in 2009. In that same year, the Hollywood box office took in only 9.7 billion dollars.

72% of Americans are gamers and use a variety of gaming consoles. Other than innovative game ideas and superior graphics, part of this success is due to the astounding voice talent that heightens the experience of playing the games.

Origins of Voice Overs in Video Games

The first game to add voice over work and truly get attention is widely attributed to Final Fantasy X. The Final Fantasy series had already become iconic, having first debuted in 1987. Since its debut, there has been at least one Final Fantasy game for every gaming console model produced. Due to it's immense popularity, when Final Fantasy X was released and the characters had their own voices, the entire gaming world knew about it. The voice actors hired to perform in the game helped the characters to connect with gamers in a spellbinding way. For the first time, gamers were able to hear the emotions in main character Tidus' voice as he professed his love for his companion, Yuna. This was a breakthrough in the gaming world.

Current Landscape of Voice Overs in Games

Now, the majority of games available on the market have voice over work included. It's an absolute must to capture the attention of gamers. The voice over world, especially in gaming, is considered almost compulsory, so it's very common to find the same person getting voice over jobs one right after the other, meaning the same voice appears in games that are wildly different.

Good Voice Acting Plays a Critical Role in a Great Game

For instance, Claudia Black did voice work in three extremely different games out in 2009; Dragon Age: Origins, a game about magic and dragons, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a game similar to the Indiana Jones movie series, and Mass Effect 2, a game that takes place far into the future in outer space. In all of these games, she contributed to the game's massive success, helping to make the games extremely enjoyable and sought out by gaming enthusiasts worldwide.

Games Have Thousands of Lines of Dialogue

A voice over project is not easy to perform. The average game will possess around 8,000 lines of dialogue. For the particularly long, epic RPG (role playing games) games, that number can even go beyond 70,000 lines of dialogue. As if recording all of that wasn't enough, there's more! Voice actors often have to record the same line in multiple inflections, known as takes (more definitions), so that the best take for the situation can be used in the game.

Voice Actors Heard on All Gaming Consoles

The PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii require their games to have voice acting, even if it's minimal; that's just what consumers today expect. Even smaller systems like the PSP and Nintendo DS sometimes include cut scenes with voice actors. Without good voice actors, players will not be able to connect emotionally to their characters, so the realism factor is drastically reduced.

The inclusion of voice over is integral to console based games and what we are seeing now is indicative of a growing trend in the direction of more cinematic, quality games.

David

Strategic Thinking for a Successful Podcast

2010-06-05T17:29:00Z

As with any other part of your marketing efforts, including a podcast, it truly benefits you to be prepared.

Whether you are podcasting for leisure or business you will need a plan.

Planning topics to discuss, possible guest interviews, and the duration of your show in advance will go a long way when producing a professional sounding podcast. Since you'll be recording your podcast in an almost live fashion, you will have the flexibility of going back and re-editing sections before committing your show as "podcast-ready."

Required Technology and Recording Equipment

Before you started, you'll need:

à¹ A web publishing tool ( Try Blogger, TypePad, WordPress or Movable Type )
à¹ A file hosting service ( Try LibSyn for free, AudioBlogger is also a good choice )
à¹ Recording software ( Try Audacity for Window-based PCs or Garageband on Mac - both are free )
à¹ Microphone ( Try a good headset microphone or better yet the Marshall Electronics MXL 006 Condenser USB Microphone for only $129 )

Identifying The Theme of Your Podcast

Developing your podcast description is a necessary step in the branding process. When you are brainstorming your podcast description, make sure that it explains the purpose of your show and accentuates the theme of your podcast. This description should be no more than two to three sentences in length.

Personify Your Podcast with a Snazzy Name

When selecting a name, be sure that the name of your podcast reflects the content that you are recording. For example, if your subject matter is about travel, your podcast name should be branded to complement your show. To illustrate, a podcast about travel might be called Globetrotter, Passport Podcast, The Travel Guide, and so on. Make sure that the name you choose is also available as a domain name online. Try to make your name unique but easily understood and recognizable.

A Place to Publish and Host Your Podcast

Once you have picked a name for your podcast, purchase the domain name for your podcast. This is extremely important because interested listeners and inquisitive searchers will be able to find your podcast in Search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN and others. As a reward for consistently branding your podcast, search results will display your website and podcast accordingly.

Alternatively, you can create a subdomain such as http://podcast.yourwebsite.com or a subdirectory such as http://www.yourwebsite.com/podcast. Clearly this is a much easier way to get started and you'll be building on the strength of your existing website.

Recording Session In Progress

There has been plenty written about recording digital audio however the basics as to start with a script or a show outline, then do a short test recording and listen to the results. Make sure your room (be it a conference room or small office) is quiet and that you've minimized background noise. A clean recording can often be achieved by turning off air conditioners, fans or other mechanical items.

If other people, namely business office workers, are the source of the background noise, much is this can be reduced by simply advising others that a recording session is in progress.

By focusing on quality content and a clean recording with no unwanted background noises, you'll have fewer edits to perform and have a podcast that's ready to submit to iTunes.

Get Your Podcast in iTunes

Having your podcast listed in iTunes is critical. Considering that are several hundred million iPods and iPhone and now two million iPads, you'll be able to reach a critical mass of listeners with an iTunes listing.

The submission process is easy and can be found here: How To Submit a Podcast To iTunes. Plus, don't forget to add your show to other podcast directories too.

Assessing Results

After a half dozen shows, the listen comments should be rolling in. You might even have some reviews on iTunes. See these comments as positive feedback and apply those suggestions you believe will improve the quality of the show and keep people subscribed. Here's an action plan for evaluating your progress.

And, here's to your success with your new podcast!

David

How To Record a Voice-Over for PowerPoint

2010-05-06T00:14:09Z

To record a voice-over for a PowerPoint presentation, your computer will first need to be equipped with speakers, a microphone and a sound card. You have two recording options: You can record during the presentation as you go along; or you can record the narration before the presentation is run.

Comments can be recorded on separate slides, so if you do not want narration through the whole presentation--you choose exactly where you want it. To know which slides you have voice-over on, there is an icon shaped like a speaker on these particular slides. You can manually click the icon to play, or have it set to play automatically.

Step-by-Step for Recording Voice-Over in PowerPoint

1. Check your equipment.

Make sure your microphone is on and ready to go. Double click the speaker icon to open the sound mixer. Look for the "Microphone" and make sure the level is at least halfway up and not muted.

2. Set up new folders on your computer.

Create a new folder and name it something that relates to your project
Save the PowerPoint file that will be narrated, into the file you just created. Now give the PP file a new name

3. Set up narration recording in PowerPoint.

Choose the slideshow option in menu
Choose "record narration" (a box will appear)
Choose "change quality"
Choose "44.100kHz, 16 bit, Mono" next to "attributes"
Choose "set microphone level" Now follow the instructions given for testing your microphone and set it to a good level
Check the checkbox next to "link narration"
Choose "browse" then open the new folder you created in the step above. Highlight the folder then choose "select"

4. Begin recording

Choose the "OK" button and PowerPoint should begin your presentation, you can now do voice-overs on your slides.
You will always be asked to save the timings on the slides, always choose yes.
Save the complete PowerPoint presentation again

5. Final word of caution

Make sure you check and recheck the audio quality as you go along.

If you are working on a presentation for your business, you should consider hiring a professional voice-over talent. This will help ensure the quality on the final product perfect. Plus, having a voice that is attractive to others will keep the viewer's attention much longer on the presentation than if they are listening to someone with only a mediocre voice.

While on Voices.com be sure to check some of our voiceover talents and listen to their samples, you may find just the right voice suited to the project you're working on.

Other PowerPoint Recording Resources

Record a voice narration - Microsoft

How To Record Sound in PowerPoint - About.com

How To Add Voiceover to Slides in PowerPoint - PC's Place

Free PowerPoint Sound Effects - PowerPoint-Resources.com

Learning To Use PowerPoint - Virginia Tech

How To "Follow Companies" on LinkedIn

2010-04-30T13:43:49Z

Starting today, you can be in the loop on new developments, potential business opportunities or even job opportunities by following companies of interest to you.

Learn how to follow companies and I'll share some quick links for creating your own company profile so others can follow you.

How To Follow Companies from a Search

You can follow companies from the Company Profile page. Let's say you find yourself on a company profile by searching for a specific company name or keyword to find companies of interest. Start following from the company's profile page.

How To Follow Companies from a Member Profile

More commonly, you can follow a company from any member's LinkedIn profile. If a member is / was affiliated with a company, you can click through any of the companies listed on their profile. Start by clicking to your own profile or find a colleague's profile. Once there, mouse-over any of the companies listed and click the "Follow Company" icon from the hover bar that pops up.

Creating a Company Profile on LinkedIn

Creating your own company profile is easy. Just visit this page on LinkedIn and follow the steps. You'll automatically be included in the company directory. Describe your company in a few short sentences, select your industry and ask your work colleagues to list your company in their LinkedIn profile.

Companies on LinkedIn Worth Following

Consider following these companies and learn how they are leveraging social media and business social networking.

LinkedIn
Google
Apple
Microsoft
Audible
Yum! Brands
Voices.com

Which Companies are You Following?

If you have a company listed on LinkedIn, add it below in the comments and let us know why we should follow them.

David

My Favorite Business Audiobooks

2010-04-27T19:50:06Z

Audiobooks are becoming very popular these days. Everyone is constantly on the run, constantly moving, so it's very hard for them to sit down and read a book.

Fortunately, the advancement in technological prowess has been so astounding that many people have found a way to offset this. They have opted to listen to audiobooks whenever they get the chance, to appease their thirst for knowledge.

Audiobooks are basically books on tape where talented voice actors, also known as narrators, record an entire book, which usually takes many long hours of reading and recording before it's finished. Then the book is sold usually either on CD or as an MP3 file from websites like Audible or the Apple Store, and played on portable MP3 players such as iPods.

Audiobooks are perfect because usually, no matter what you are physically doing, you can be listening to something at the same time.

Audiobooks are especially popular to listen to when one is traveling - whether it's on the daily commute to and from work, on the way to the store or even on your morning run every day. Squeezing in a good book or two is far easier when you're able to listen to it on the go instead of having to settle down and actually put aside time to read it. Many people listen to business audiobooks to get new business ideas or insights from the top business gurus.

Here are some of the my personal favorite audiobooks:

How To Win Friends and Influence People

The most popular business audiobook is the staple How To Win Friends and Influence People, a recording of the Dale Carnegie book, has been a top best seller lists for years because it has helped people to improve upon the success they have built in their own life. People listen to it to find ideas and inspiration. It helps, too, that the audiobook version features some truly remarkable voiceover work by Andrew MacMillan.

The E Myth Revisited

Another popular choice is The E Myth Revisited. This particular audiobook, a recording of the Michael Gerber book as well as voiced over by Michael Gerber himself, explains exactly how to properly run a business in today's world. It also aims at debunking common myths and assumptions, which is a must for anyone looking to start their own businesses so they can avoid the common mistakes. It's also been a staple for new business owners for quite a few years.

The 4-Hour Work Week

Another popular choice is 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. Ray Porter, the voiceover, explains how entrepreneurs live and explains how even someone who works a 9-5 job can design their life by the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule allows you to increase your productivity, but at the same time, shows you how to make it so that your job becomes a small part of your life and the time you have to yourself is where your true self lives.

Blink

Then you have Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking both written and narrated by Malcolm Gladwell. This book takes a look at everything in our world and tries to make us see it in a different light. It shows us how we "think without thinking" and how in doing so, we miss a lot of the world's complexity. It also aims to explain how our brains work.

Audiobooks can be a chore to put together. You will need the perfect narrator, the perfect promotion as well as the perfect story, but in the end, they are popular for a reason. Good audiobooks give us back our ability to "read" and relax into a book, opening our minds to new possibilities.

The Biz

3 Steps To Responsive Design Browser Testing

Step 1: Knowing Which Web Browsers Your Visitors Use

Step 2: Testing Your Responsive Design on Old Browsers

Install ALL versions of Internet Explorer: IE7, IE 8, and IE 9

Install Internet Explorer 7 Only

Install Internet Explorer 8 Only

Install Internet Explorer 9 Only

Step 3: Ask Customers To Send You Their Screenshots

What Browser Testing Tools Do You Use?

Google Planning Audio Ads in Streaming Music Service

How a New Breed Of Small Businesses is Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies

The LAMP Technology Stack

Linux

Apache

MySQL Database

PHP

How To Speed Up a Website

Why Make a Website Load Faster?

Tips and Tricks To Get Your Pages To Load Faster

Delivering With Results

Tools To Measure The Speed of a Website

Have Any Tips to Share?

History of the Voice Over

The First Radio Recording

Walt Disney Performed First Cartoon Voice

First Prominent Voice Actors

Recent History

What Are Your Favorite Moments in Voice Over History?

Reactions to Male and Female Voice Overs

Choice Depends on the Tone of the Ad

Male and Female Voice Overs in a Selling Situation

Gender Differences

Stereotypes

Follow Up Surveys

Statistics, Market Research and Analysis

The Future of Voice Over

A Proven Track Record

Identifying Opportunities

Emerging Trends

Why Marketers Should Use Voice Overs in Flash Videos to Improve Engagement

Adobe Flash Statistics

Why You Hire a Professional for Flash Video

Work With a Copywriter to Craft a Compelling Message

Script Your Message so it's Consistent With Your Overall Marketing Strategy

Match The Voice Type to the Brand Image

Have You Used a Voice Over in Your Flash Video?

What Apple iAds Mean for Voice Talent

iAd Mobile Ad Network

New Advertising Formats

Voice Overs in iAds

Apple's Targets for iAd Revenue

iAd Advertisers

Common iAd Questions

See iAd in Action

History of Video Games and Voice Overs

Origins of Voice Overs in Video Games

Current Landscape of Voice Overs in Games

Good Voice Acting Plays a Critical Role in a Great Game

Games Have Thousands of Lines of Dialogue

Voice Actors Heard on All Gaming Consoles

Strategic Thinking for a Successful Podcast

Required Technology and Recording Equipment

Identifying The Theme of Your Podcast

Personify Your Podcast with a Snazzy Name

A Place to Publish and Host Your Podcast

Recording Session In Progress

Get Your Podcast in iTunes

Assessing Results

How To Record a Voice-Over for PowerPoint

Step-by-Step for Recording Voice-Over in PowerPoint

1. Check your equipment.

2. Set up new folders on your computer.

3. Set up narration recording in PowerPoint.

4. Begin recording

5. Final word of caution

Other PowerPoint Recording Resources

How To "Follow Companies" on LinkedIn

How To Follow Companies from a Search

How To Follow Companies from a Member Profile