Choices are a good thing, especially when it comes to crafting your Voice Brand.  All businesses are unique, so why should you be content to sound the same?  If you’re an Asterisk developer or an end user, it’s easy to deliver a unique, brand-consistent voice experience for your customers.

At GM Voices, we deliver voice prompt solutions for Asterisk.  Offering hundreds of male and female voice actors in over 100 languages and dialects, we work with you to develop a sound that’s uniquely your own (or a prospect’s, if you’re developing a cool new application).

It’s easy to get started. Watch our short presentation and hear why choice is a good thing, and how we can enhance your Asterisk app with free voice prompt set downloads for standard messaging and custom eCommerce IVR voice solutions.

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You may already know that GM Voices provides a global network of male and female voice actors who record in over 100 languages and dialects. Our language offering is constantly expanding to meet the needs of our clients’ global customer base.

We recently added several new languages to our repertoire: Kannada, Malayalam, Basque and Galician. What (and where) in the world are those languages, you ask? Kannada and Malayalam are both Indian languages, deriving from the Dravidian family of languages. These two are the most widely used, spoken mainly in Southern India by over 70 million people collectively. If your company is expanding its footprint into South Asia, these Indian languages would be important for communicating to consumers with local market credibility.

Moving westward to Spain, Galician is a romance language originating locally from Galicia, spoken primarily in Northwestern Spain. Co-official with Spanish as languages in Galicia, it is spoken by over three million people around the world.

Known as a language isolate, unlike any other, Basque is an ancestral language of the Basque country spanning an area in Northeastern Spain and Southwestern France. With such an inimitable language, companies doing business in the area could benefit from our unique language offerings.

GM Voices doesn’t just provide language translations, but connects with consumers by knowing it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. We provide in-country, authentic voice actors for use in automated voice systems and IVR voice prompts. Give us a call today and let’s see how we can connect you with your international audience.

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Spanish is one of the most commonly used languages in the world, marking its place right behind English and Mandarin Chinese. Over 400 million people are estimated to speak Spanish as their first and primary language.

Smart companies already know that the Spanish-speaking market is growing rapidly. But the truly forward-thinking enterprises understand that it’s critical to establish a world-class customer experience for this audience early. While realizing its importance, some businesses don’t know where to start when it comes to translations, particularly in Spanish, and how different regions call for different dialectal translations and voice recordings. 

While all Spanish dialects use the same written standard, all spoken varieties differ in many degrees. Each country, region and community where Spanish is spoken has its own words, grammatical constructions and linguistic differences. For example, “swimming pool” is “pileta” in Argentina, “piscina” in Uruguay and “alberca” in Mexico.

Regionally-authentic voices establish credibility with your new market.  The correct region-specific language and terminology can establish lasting relationships with your new (and growing) customer base. Of course, GM Voices records its voice actors in Neutral Spanish (our North American standard), Spanish Colombian, Mexican, and Venezuelan (and more). If your company is expanding into new markets, or even serving the Spanish-speaking population in American, lay the groundwork for success by delivering a consistent, natural-sounding Voice Brand in the proper Spanish dialect. Let us know if we can be of any help in your upcoming language project. GM Voices: Su Voz al Mundo.

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There are few countries in the world where you will find such bilingualism as there is in Canada. The nation declares both English and French as official languages at the federal level, and in some provinces, French is known as the sole official language.  

Predominantly English language speakers represent approximately 57 percent of the Canadian population, with 23 percent speaking only French, and the remaining 19 percent speaking both languages. In Quebec, French is the sole official language where 81 percent of the populations are first language francophones. 

However, Quebec isn’t the only place where you will find such a prime francophone population. New Brunswick, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia have significantly large communities of French-speaking individuals as well.

Both the English and French languages can be seen represented on postage stamps, as well as currency, and the dualism doesn’t stop there.  All motions in Parliament are required to be put in both languages, and all federal publications appear in two separate editions.

Canada is not the only North American country with a multitude of French speakers. French is the second most widely studied foreign language after Spanish in the United States as well. French speakers can be found highly concentrated in Louisiana, Maine, as well as the New England area.

With such a large market of French Canadian speakers throughout North America, it’s absolutely critical for an enterprise to connect with this language market on its various speech applications, whether it’s IVR, a mobile app, or Web media.

GM Voices records several French Canadian voice actors in its weekly session program, with many additional voice choices available. Does your firm serve Canada and America’s French-speaking regions? If so, your Voice Brand can’t be perfected without providing a French-language option. Contact us today to discuss your French voiceover requirements. GM Voices: Votre Voix au Monde.

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Microphones—they’re all the same, right?  To some voice recording companies, this may be true, but here at GM Voices, when it comes to top-of-the-line sound, there is none other than the Neumann U87 microphone.  Recently named Best Microphone by SOUND ON SOUND magazine, the Neumann U87 is a studio microphone classic, the best of its kind, providing a standard by which all else is measured.  Classic artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles were lovers of these renowned microphones for their pristine sound quality.

Georg Neumann founded the Neumann brand in Germany in 1928. Not only was Neumann interested in manufacturing microphones, he also dabbled in phonograph record-cutting machines, radio station signal transmitters, as well as rechargeable batteries; the same as we use in many products today.  Neumann was a man of many talents, but his most loved legacy was and always will be microphones.  

In 1966, the phantom powering method that had been used for years in certain telephone systems, was adapted so that a compatible method of powering would allow tube, solid-state, and dynamic microphones to all be connected to the same power supplies. This was the same technology which would go into making the infamous U87 microphone.

With over 75 years of experience, the Neumann name is synonymous with excellence in audio. The U87’s warm, well-balanced characteristics make it the perfect choice for a vocal microphone for all types of music and speech. Here at GM Voices, we would think of using none other than this legendary microphone.  We take every measure to ensure the highest quality voice over production possible, which is why the classic sound of the Neumann U87 is the production gold standard at GM Voices.

Don’t take our word for it, stop by and check out our voices and hear our high-quality recording difference yourself!

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Think of a brand and you will likely be able to associate a visual symbol with the product. Today, practically every brand has a visual identity: Nike, the swoosh; Lacoste, an alligator; Audi, the four rings; McDonalds, the golden arches. And having “a look” isn’t the sole domain of large consumer brands. While the majority of companies use visual symbols to reinforce brand identity, many are missing out on the opportunity to use the powerful sense of sound to enhance their brand. The NBC “chimes” hearken back to the broadcaster’s earlier days in radio, and is perhaps the most prominent example of matching instantly-recognizable sound with an unforgettable visual (the multi-colored peacock).

Sound Branding is increasingly becoming an essential component of any targeted message, expanding outside of mass media into automated voice prompt messaging, Web marketing video, eLearning and video tutorials. Audio logos help consumers identify and retain your message with better results. Sound is unconsciously logged by consumers and creates an emotional trigger linking a product with a pleasant or unpleasant memory. Organizations now have an opportunity to step up and take advantage of what listening experience the consumer is having with their brand. From slogans, to jingles, brand themes, to the caller experience, they are all part of your companies “sound brand;” which usually goes hand-in-hand with your Voice Brand.

Sound has unquestionable potential in influencing purchasing decisions. Sound triggers recall and reactions, and much like good visual design, also has the ability to convey value and enhance your message to the marketplace. As brands now look to engage with their customers on a much deeper level, the opportunities for creating a Sound Branding experience that conveys brand essence has never been greater.

All this sounds great, but where on earth do you start? Lucky for you, GM Voices specializes in audio branding initiatives, Voice Branding and Sound Branding alike. Our team of specialists works with you to develop a short audio clip (music notes, chimes, effects) that will stick with your audience long after a first transaction. For more information, contact us today.

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In the blue corner is the radio announcer guy. He’s got it all going for him. He’s effective, with a booming voice and great articulation. But… he doesn’t sound like a real person.
Who really speaks like that? No one.

 And in the red corner is the voice actor. The voice actor is unassuming, but more believable. He sounds like a regular person… only better. You can’t quite put a finger on it, but you know it when you hear it.

 There has been a philosophical shift in this Voice Branding battle. While that booming voice used to be everywhere, more businesses are gravitating to natural-sounding voice actors because they sound more believable telling their company’s story. Consumers can relate to people who sound like one of us, someone talking to you instead of at you. Your company probably spends lots of money and resources building its brand. So, wouldn’t it make sense for your automated voice to be consistent with that same image when customers call? These days, unless you’re in the monster truck rally business, there’s only one choice to complement your branding.

 It seems like everyone agrees with us these days; even the people at Chevrolet decided that radio announcers don’t do their business justice in their new commercial “It’s Chevy Truck Month.” Exactly how many ways can you say the phrase “It’s Chevy Truck Month?” Trust us… it’s a lot!  Watch the commercial and decide for yourself who sounds better and which voice you’d choose to represent your brand!

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Proving Creativity Counts at GM Voices

Hailing from Bowie, Maryland, Melanie St. Clair started at GM Voices in August 2010 as a Marketing Intern.  Fresh out of the University of Maryland with a Bachelors degree in Marketing and a minor in Computer Graphic Design, Melanie proved herself to be indispensable and was hired full-time in January 2011 as a Marketing Assistant. 

With visual branding being her forte, Melanie tackles all our major graphic design projects.  Producing engaging marketing pieces for online use, business resources, and tradeshow signage is just a small piece of what Melanie does for GM Voices. She also has a hand in creating presentations, syncing audio, as well as formatting and printing business collateral. What a busy lady!

“Working at GM Voices is like working on an art project everyday; I get to be creative and I never really feel like I’m working. It’s good times!” says Melanie.  In her free time, Melanie also enjoys being creative, listing some of her favorite hobbies as web designing, blogging, crafts and UK television programs. Melanie also cites herself as being a history nerd, and recently married her high school sweetheart last June. (Important note: Contrary to the picture, Melanie’s husband is not a zombie.)

 We’re glad she’s part of our team!

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Over in Roswell, GA, one city south from GM Voices’ recording facility, we noticed “Navrang Theaters” displayed on the collected signage in front of a strip mall. We thought that was an interesting name for a theater, so we Googled to find out more. Turns out, Navrang is a small movie house that plays Telugu and Tamil language productions from India.

For India-based contact center deployments, almost all of our voice prompt recordings are in Hindi. It’s a unifying language among many more regional languages and dialects, so it makes business sense to record it as a first option.

However, other Indian languages are not to be overlooked. With India’s growth set to outpace China in three to five years, it’s no wonder so many businesses are making the leap into regional territory. While it’s no surprise that our international voice talents record in Hindi, we also record other Indian languages, including, yes, Telugu and Tamil.

Here at GM Voices, we’ve consistently provided authentic language translation for many international markets. We take pride in being able to translate and record your multilingual projects in a manner that ensures local market acceptance and credibility.

We know that how you say something, is just as important as what you say. That’s why we only work with certified in-country translators and reviewers to provide the most authentic customer experience. 

Need that script subtitled? We work with translators that specialize in script writing, as well as subtitling professionals, to translate your project into a culturally appropriate experience.

Looking to take your videos to an international market? GM Voices offers multiple dubbing styles to ensure your message makes an impact in international markets.

So, if you are in need of region specific dialect translation services contact GM Voices and see how we can be your voice to the world!

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Enterprise Connect, formerly known as VoiceCon, is here again bringing together a great collection of industry leaders in the business communications space. This year focuses on Unified Communications, Mobility, SIP Trunking, Cloud, and Video and Collaboration solutions.

Here at GM Voices we are gearing up for another year at the show in sunny Orlando, Florida at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center.

You probably already know that we’ve helped hundreds of business professionals, like yourselves, discover ways to enhance your brand, accelerate your ROI, and improve your rate of successful automation. By offering hundreds of professionally-recorded female and male voice actors in over 100 languages and dialects, we ensure that enterprise and contact center technologies engage customers in the right way.

This year stopping by Booth 532 could get you a new Kindle Fire! Learning how to create the perfect voice brand AND winning a Kindle Fire? What gets better than that?

Oh yeah, and did we mention that you can also get a FREE Expo Pass or 35% off your Conference Pass? Just Contact Us and we’ll make it happen.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

Here’s a short video of our CEO, Marcus Graham, explaining why a trip to Enterprise Connect is well worth your time.

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