► Voicebox1 recently launched a forum for gaining quick and easy access to the voiceover. The voiceover company has eased the search process for clients by certifying voice actors prior to being listed on the site so that clients no longer have to listen to hundreds of mediocre audio recordings to find what they’re looking for. The company guarantees high-quality talent to clients by mandating certification provided by the voiceover specialists from VoiceCoaches, Nick Couture, co-founder of Voicebox1, was inspired to create the website to provide an opportunity for people with great voices who are missing the channel to utilize and be recognized for their talent. As a recording engineer and graduate of the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe, Arizona, Nick used his unique training and expertise to materialize his vision. "We wanted to build something that would provide opportunities and make a difference in some peoples' lives. Voicebox1 now makes this possible,” says Nick Couture of Voicebox1. Voicebox1 has teamed up with VoiceCoaches to develop a unique evaluation process that qualifies voice actors to participate on its website. In order to achieve certification and become a Voicebox1 member, aspiring voice actors must meet basic professional standards in skill, reliability, and quality audio delivery. "The evaluation is rather simple to administer, but it truly raises the bar in voice acting and helps new voice actors set themselves apart from those that cannot meet these basic standards," says David Bourgeois, of VoiceCoaches. Since its launch in early November, Voicebox1 has been steadily gaining members of talented voice actors. It is free for clients to sign-up for Voicebox1 online in order to search through the pool of demos. Payment is only authorized once the client notifies Voicebox1 that they are satisfied with the job, ensuring that every customer has a positive experience with the company. www.voicebox1.com.
► Premiere Networks announced a partnership with SourceAudio, the largest professional, business-to-business music licensing and distribution platform in the world, to provide exclusive domestic distribution for Alpha Music Libraries. A unique, radio-specific search and distribution system available on the SourceAudio platform, Alpha Music Libraries will offer radio stations access to potentially hundreds of production music libraries, many of which have never been marketed to North American radio before. A first of its kind, Alpha Music Libraries also provides format-curated and customized playlist packages; high-quality, new music delivered continually from publishers; as well as file hosting for quick and easy collaboration, download, distribution and delivery. www.SourceAudio.com.
► Staff members at Chicago Public Media (CPM) recently voted to join 165,000 media and entertainment professionals in choosing SAG-AFTRA as their union. The new bargaining unit will cover 49 public media professionals who produce, report, host and present content for WBEZ, Vocalo, Sound Opinions and CPM’s digital services. CPM employees are looking forward to negotiating a first contract. “Chicago Public Media is a valuable resource to all Chicagoans,” said Rob Wildeboer, criminal and legal affairs reporter for WBEZ. “The staff of CPM cares deeply about this organization and its mission. Public radio is more than a job. Staff at CPM are deeply committed to the station and we love our work. We have great leaders and a committed board and we believe organizing as staff members is an important step to achieving the goals we all share here: producing excellent journalism that serves the public and making this important local institution even stronger than it is today.” The vote was 40-7 in favor of joining SAG-AFTRA. During their organizing campaign, the Chicago Public Media staffers received widespread support from fellow SAG-AFTRA broadcasters, including letters from broadcasters at National Public Radio, KPBS in San Diego (which also recently voted to join SAG-AFTRA) and the union’s Broadcast Steering Committee. The Chicago Public Media staff joins a large family of local Chicago news and broadcast members working under SAG-AFTRA contracts at more than 20 local radio and television stations, as well as the growing list of public media outlets nationwide electing to join the union. Recently, 55 staffers at KPBS television and radio in San Diego elected to join the union. And nearly a year ago, staff of KPCC in Pasadena voted to join SAG-AFTRA. Along with NPR, SAG-AFTRA also represents public media professionals at KQED in San Francisco, WNYC in New York and KPLU in Tacoma, Wash. SAG-AFTRA represents more than 165,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. sagaftra.org.
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