Description
Project Hydrus is a scripted and conversational audio data collection project. We're looking for native-level speakers who can deliver natural, everyday-sounding speech , recordings that hold up whether you're reading a script or speaking spontaneously. The recordings you produce may be used to create synthesized, AI-generated voices for conversational AI products.
If selected, you will participate in two supervised sessions of approximately 4 hours each, guided in real time by a Session Director on a separate recording platform. You will record scripted material in a natural, conversational tone , faithfully, without a polished, performed, or “announcer” delivery. You will also record unscripted, spontaneous speech on a given topic, matching the same warmth and pace as your scripted takes. Additionally, you will set up and manage your own recording space and equipment for session recording. All recordings must be delivered entirely in the required language (with specific dialect), without code-switching into other languages or dialects.
Required skills and experience include:
- Experience as a voice actor, actor, or theater performer, or a comparable performance background.
- Native or native-equivalent fluency in the required language (with specific dialect).
- Access to a quiet recording space, free of echo and background noise (acoustically treated for session recording, if selected).
- Owns or will acquire a dedicated, professional-grade microphone for the audition (e.g. RODE NT-USB Mini, Blue Yeti), upgrading to a qualifying USB condenser or XLR mic + audio interface for session recording if selected.
- Owns closed-back monitoring headphones (required for session recording if selected).
- Comfortable both self-directing for the audition and taking live direction from a Session Director in guided sessions.
Preferred skills include:
- Professional voice-over experience (dubbing/ADR, audiobook, podcasting) in a conversational rather than commercial/announcer register.
- Baseline audio hygiene: comfortable setting mic distance and catching noise, clipping, or distortion yourself.
- An existing home recording setup already treated for sound.
Before any session recording, you will be asked to review and sign a Consent Form covering how your voice recordings are collected, used (including to train synthesized/AI voice models), shared with approved partners, retained, and how to exercise your data rights.