“Crowdvoicing” startup VoiceBunny is expanding its services today with a new feature called Search ‘n Book.
The startup launched a few months ago with what it’s now calling its “Speedy” service, where customers upload a script and identify what kind of voiceover they’re looking for. VoiceBunny matches their request with the appropriate voice actors and actresses and delivers a completed voiceover, often in less than an hour.
With Search ‘n Book, you take more control over the process. Once again, you describe the type of voice you’re looking for (say middle-aged, male, and Scottish, or whatever), the type of content you’re recording (podcast, video, and so on), and how long the script is. Then you get a list of voice talent to choose from, along with a price for the recording. You can then visit each profile, listen to some samples, and choose the actor or actress you like best. If you’re not happy with the results, there’s a moneyback guarantee.
Co-founder and CEO Alex Torrenegra told me that a search engine was the most-demanded feature among VoiceBunny customers. One of his main goals is to make voiceovers cheaper and easier, and in many cases, say a podcast or a phone system, the Speedy system makes sense. In other cases, like if you’re making an ad, you need more control.
The Search ‘n Book system also allows VoiceBunny to enlist better-known talent at a higher price, such as Jon Saint John, the voice of video game icon Duke Nukem. And you can use the Speedy and Search ‘n Book systems together, by using the search program to narrow down the field to the candidates you prefer, then use Speedy to automate the final selection and get a rapid turnaround on the finished product.
To show off the system, Torrenegra tapped Saint John to hire a voiceover promoting TechCrunch, and it’s amazing. I mean, I’m obviously biased, but man, this voiceover makes me so, so happy.