Hydrus - Voice Contributor - English (South Africa)

About the Project

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.

Please note: the recordings you produce may be used to create synthesized, AI-generated voices for conversational AI products. Full details on how your data is collected, used, shared, and retained are set out in a Consent Form, which you'll review and sign before any paid session recording begins.

What You'll Do If Selected:

- Two supervised sessions of approximately 4 hours each, guided in real time by a Session Director on a separate recording platform.

- Record scripted material in a natural, conversational tone — faithfully, without a polished, performed, or “announcer” delivery.

- Record unscripted, spontaneous speech on a given topic, matching the same warmth and pace as your scripted takes.

- Set up and manage your own recording space and equipment for session recording.

- Deliver all recordings entirely in the required language (with specific dialect), without code-switching into other languages or dialects.

What We're Looking For

Required

- 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. Built-in laptop mics, AirPods, earbuds, and headsets are not accepted at any stage.

- 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 (nice to have, not required)

- 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.

Commitment & Compensation

- Estimated time: Approximately 8 hours calibration, plus supervision across two recording sessions of ~4 hours each per participant

- Work Type - Freelance Remote

- Rate: $20.00 USD per hour

Your Data & Privacy

Before any session recording, you'll 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 (access, correction, deletion, and more, depending on where you live). If you'd like to review these terms before applying, contact us and we'll share a copy in advance.

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