Audio Production
Written, Recorded, Cleared
We write, record and produce radio and audio adverts, and handle the clearance process that has to happen before they can go on air. Scripts, voice talent, music and final mix are all managed in-house, so a campaign arrives at the station ready to broadcast.
Tell us about your advert, and our team will come back with a script approach, voice options and costs.
Built to a Slot, a Spec and a Deadline
Producing audio for advertising is a narrower discipline than it sounds. An advert has a fixed duration set by the airtime that was bought, a script that has to be cleared before broadcast, and technical specifications that vary between stations and streaming platforms. Getting any of those wrong means the advert does not run.
We produce audio for radio, streaming, podcasts and smart speakers, as well as the audio beds and voice tracks that sit under television and cinema adverts. Because we also buy the airtime, the durations, deadlines and delivery specifications come to us directly from the stations rather than being relayed second-hand.
What We Handle
Scriptwriting
Radio and audio scripts written to the length the station sells, whether that is 20, 30 or 40 seconds.
Voice Talent
Professional voiceover artists chosen to suit the brand, the audience and the tone of the message.
Production
Recording, music, sound effects and the final mix, produced to broadcast specification.
Radio Clearance
The clearance process managed end to end, so nothing is held up in the days before a campaign starts.
Delivery
Finished files supplied to each station and platform in the format, loudness and length they require.
Scripts Written to Be Heard, Not Read
A radio script works differently to written copy. The listener is usually driving, working or doing something else entirely, and has one chance to take in the message. That means the important information has to arrive early, the brand name has to be repeated without sounding repetitive, and the call to action has to be something a person can remember without writing it down.
Our writers work to those constraints rather than adapting print copy to fit. Scripts are written for the specific slot length, then read aloud and timed before anything is recorded, because a script that runs three seconds long has to be rewritten rather than rushed.
How Can Our Audio Production Services Help?
Our audio production services can help you:
- Turn a brief into a script timed to the exact slot length
- Choose a voice that fits your brand, audience and tone
- Add music and sound effects that support the message
- Deliver broadcast-ready files to every station's specification
- Clear your adverts well before the campaign is due to air
- Reuse one recording across radio, streaming and podcasts
- Keep production in step with your airtime bookings
Whether you need a single radio advert or a full campaign across several stations and platforms, we’ll produce audio that sounds right for your brand and is ready to broadcast on time.
Radio and audio adverts produced for clients across education, automotive and local business. View our showroom →
Our Audio Production Services
At CMe Media, we take your audio advert from first idea to finished file, handling the writing, recording and mixing in one place. We keep you involved at each stage, so you hear and approve every advert before it goes to air.
- Radio Advert Production
- Radio Script Writing
- Voiceover Casting
- Studio Recording
- Music Selection
- Sound Design
- Mixing & Mastering
- Multiple Versions & Cut-Downs
- Radio Clearance Support
- Station-Ready File Delivery
- Streaming Audio Adverts
- Podcast Adverts
- Smart Speaker Audio
- Audio for TV & Cinema
- Audio for Online Video
- Re-Edits for New Offers
Audio Post Production and Radio Clearance
Once a script is signed off, recording begins. We work with professional voiceover artists and match the voice to the brand rather than defaulting to the same read for every client. Music, sound effects and the final mix are handled in audio post production, and the finished file is delivered in the format each station or platform requires.
Every radio advert broadcast in the UK has to be cleared before it airs, and claims about price, availability or superiority frequently come back with queries attached. We manage that process, including any rewrites and resubmissions, so the clearance is not something you discover is outstanding the week the campaign is due to start.
Voiceover Artists Matched to Your Brand
The voice is often the first thing a listener connects with your brand, so it needs to sound right for the product and for the people you want to reach. A friendly, conversational voice suits some campaigns, while others need a read that is authoritative, warm or full of energy. We work with a wide range of professional voiceover artists across different ages, accents and styles.
Before anything is recorded in full, we shortlist voices against your brief and let you hear them. Where a brand already uses an established voice, we can work with that artist so your adverts stay consistent from one campaign to the next. During the session we direct the read for pace, emphasis and timing.
Music, Sound Design and the Final Mix
The right music and sound effects make an advert easier to listen to and easier to remember. A music bed can set the mood in the first second, and a well-placed sound effect can paint a picture that would otherwise take a whole sentence to describe. Used badly, the same elements bury the voice and the message gets lost.
We choose music and effects to suit the brand and the airtime, then balance them carefully against the voice. The final mix is checked on the kinds of speakers people actually listen through, from car stereos to phones and headphones, so the advert sounds clear and well balanced wherever it is heard.
Audio for Streaming, Podcasts and Smart Speakers
Audio advertising now reaches well beyond traditional radio. Listeners hear adverts on music streaming services, digital radio apps, podcasts and smart speakers, often through headphones and with fewer distractions than on a car journey. Each of these platforms has its own file formats, loudness standards and duration limits.
We produce versions of your advert to suit each one, so a single recording session can supply a campaign running across several channels. Shorter cut-downs, alternative endings and versions with different calls to action can all be created from the same source material, which keeps production costs under control and the message consistent wherever your audience is listening.
Delivered to Every Station's Specification
A finished advert is only useful if a station can play it. Broadcasters set their own requirements for file type, loudness, duration and delivery deadlines, and an advert that misses any of them can be rejected or held back until it is corrected. When a campaign runs across several stations, that means several sets of rules to meet at the same time.
We prepare the final files in the format each station asks for, deliver them directly and track delivery against the on-air date. Because we also book the airtime, any change to a schedule or a slot length reaches us straight away, and the audio is updated to match before it causes a problem.
Audio for TV, Cinema and Video
Sound carries a large part of any screen advert. Viewers often have the television on in the background or scroll past video with the volume turned low, so a clear voiceover and a strong audio bed can hold attention at moments when the picture alone would not.
We record the voice tracks and produce the music beds and sound design that sit under television, cinema and online video adverts. Working alongside our video production team, we make sure the audio is timed precisely to the edit and mixed to the loudness standards each broadcaster and platform requires, so the finished advert sounds as polished as it looks.
Audio Production and Media Buying Working Together
Audio production works best when it is planned alongside the airtime it is made for. Because CMe Media also plans and buys radio, streaming and podcast advertising, the team producing your advert knows the stations, slot lengths and on-air dates from the start rather than finding out at the end.
That joined-up approach means scripts are written to the durations you have booked, versions are produced for each platform in the schedule, and any change to the plan reaches the production team straight away. Your audio can also be built to sit alongside your television, video and digital campaigns, so the message stays consistent wherever people come across it.
Our Audio Production Process
1. Brief
We learn about the campaign, the audience, the stations or platforms and the on-air date.
2. Script
We write the script to the exact slot length, then read it aloud and time it before sign-off.
3. Clearance
We submit the script for clearance and manage any queries, rewrites and resubmissions.
4. Voice casting
We shortlist voices to suit the brand and let you hear them before anything is recorded in full.
5. Recording and mix
We direct the voice session, add music and sound effects, and produce the final mix.
6. Delivery
We supply the finished files to each station and platform in the format they require, ahead of the on-air date.
Why Choose CMe Media for Audio Production?
Since 2014, CMe Media has planned, produced and bought advertising for businesses of every size. We’re a family-run agency working with clients right across the UK.
Our audio team writes, records and produces adverts in-house, and works directly with the media planners who book the airtime. That means fewer handovers, fewer surprises around durations and deadlines, and one team responsible for the advert from the first draft of the script to the day it goes on air.
Most importantly, we take the time to understand your business. We’ll learn what makes you different and who you want to reach, then produce audio that sounds right for your brand and gives the listener a clear reason to act.
Listen to Our Radio Adverts
A selection of radio adverts we have written, voiced and produced for schools and colleges, from the script to the broadcast-ready mix.
Explore Our Other Design & Production Services
TV and video adverts, script to edit.
Copy for websites, ads and print.
Logos and brand identities.
Artwork made to every media spec.
See every design & production service we offer.
FAQs
What is digital audio production?
Digital audio production covers recording, editing, mixing and mastering sound using software rather than tape. In advertising it means producing the finished advert file, with voice, music and effects combined and balanced, in the format required by radio stations, streaming services and podcast platforms.
How long does it take to produce a radio advert?
Turnaround depends on how quickly the script is approved and whether clearance raises any queries. Recording and mixing is the shortest part of the process; script approval and clearance are where time is usually lost, so the earlier a brief arrives before the on-air date the better.
Do you supply the voiceover artist?
Voice talent is arranged as part of the production. We select options to suit the brand and the audience, and you hear them before anything is recorded in full. Using a voice you have sourced yourself is also possible where a brand already has an established one.
Can you produce adverts for streaming services and podcasts?
Yes. As well as traditional radio, we produce audio adverts for music streaming services, digital radio apps, podcasts and smart speakers. Each platform has its own file formats, loudness standards and duration limits, so we create a version to suit each one from the same recording session.
Do you also book the airtime?
Yes. CMe Media plans and buys radio, streaming and podcast advertising as well as producing the audio. Handling both means scripts are written to the durations you have booked, and delivery specifications and deadlines come to us directly from the stations.
What do I need to include in a brief?
A brief only needs to cover the essentials: what you want to promote, who you want to reach, where and when the advert will run, and any offers or details that must be included. If you’re not yet sure about stations or slot lengths, we can help you work those out.
Brief Us on Your Audio
Tell us the campaign, the stations and the on-air date and we will scope the script, voice and production against it. Get in touch or call the team on 02380 170 955.