Recently, I was interviewed by Lee Bevington on his Radio Fanboy podcast. It was great to chat about my start in radio, the early days of Abe’s Audio, all things voiceover, and the shortcut to voice over success. (Hint - there is none.)

Here’s an edited transcript of our chat.

Bevo

On today’s podcast we’re going south, Not Victoria – even further south. Tasmania! And there’s a guy down there that’s quite a bit of a legend in the radio industry. He started a business 20 years ago called Abe’s Audio. Hello, Abe. How are you?

Abe

Good thanks, Bevo. Thanks for having me.

Bevo

Your interest in radio – there would have been some fascination growing up as a kid listening to the wireless, living in a smaller town?

Abe 

Yep, Port Lincoln has 13-14 thousand people, and there was one AM station (5CC) in the town. I just loved the idea of radio, so I started up a high school radio station. I use the term “radio” loosely because it wasn’t actually radio, but we essentially put speakers all around the school and a bunch of mates would DJ at lunchtimes, play CDs, and back-announce songs.

I’d go down to 5CC on the weekends and work for free, and say “whatever you’ve got, I’ll do”. 

I just loved radio. I loved advertising, media, and communication… it was just in my blood from a young age. And I’d do whatever it took to get in the door. 

Bevo

How long did you spend at 5CC?

Abe

I think I was in a paid role for about 18 months. From there I thought “right – the world is bigger!” So I applied for and got a job at 4CC - no relation to 5CC - in Gladstone.

I was using some of my own gear because they were only very new to digital technology and I’d bought my own computer and I’d been given an audio editing program – I don’t know if anyone remembers it - called Software Audio Workshop. It could fit on one floppy disk!

Bevo

Oh wow!

Abe

So I was making ads for 4CC and thought “I’d rather work for myself and earn no money, than work for someone else and earn no money”. Essentially, I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. So I started Abe’s Audio while working at 4CC. 

So the business started in Gladstone, and then I drove back to Port Lincoln to live. My microphone was between my shirts - you’d push them aside and step into the “voice over booth”. And I used dial-up internet, I think it was a blisteringly fast 56kb you’d get on a good day! That was the early days of MP3 technology.

Bevo

What a story! It sounds very much like the beginnings of Apple and Google and Amazon. Starting in their parent's garage, but you started in the granny flat.

Abe

Haven’t quite gotten to the size of Apple, but yes – humble beginnings.

Bevo

So where to from there? You would have just started expanding. You would have found this amazing opportunity for regional radio to get cap-city quality voice over talent.

Abe

Yeah. And that was really the start. Clients needed really good value commercials, quick turnaround, and voiceovers that stood out on air. And from there, as they say, it was the long road to overnight success. It was years of just me doing everything. So I would produce, I would do all the client connections, I would handwrite all the invoices, follow up accounts, everything.

Bevo

Let's talk about the voice over talent in the early stages. Who has gone on to bigger and better things since they started working with you?

Abe

Interestingly, most of the voices I picked up years ago are still with me and they’re great voice over talent. There are some that helped me in the early days and have gone on that are doing different things. But I guess it's all about relationships and being real and authentic I think, and if you can establish that and care about people, then things seem to work for the long term.

Bevo

Would you give yourself credit for creating the home studio in Australia?

Abe

No, I wouldn't give myself credit for that at all. But we're certainly riding the wave of seeing the changes in the industry. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on it that you may once have had to do. 

Now, setting up a home voice over studio is in the realm of possibility for anyone. But if you don't know how to read a script, or you don't know how to interpret it or how to deliver a read - doesn't matter what gear you have, you’re not going to do very well as a voice over. 

So I think it's a bit of both - you need a home studio, but you need to know how to use your voice. And be an easy person to work with!

Bevo

What are a few tips you'd give for a budding voiceover artist starting out and wanting to make a career?

Abe

I would say there's no shortcut to success. The more you read, the better you’ll get. And it's really all about reading a script and sounding authentic. So I would say, even if you're doing a hard sell read, there is still an element of authenticity that you can weave into the script. Or if you're doing a really laid-back kind of voice over, you’re still trying to make it sound real. 

It’s the tone, and it’s getting away from talking to someone and putting on some kind of voice, and trying to keep it real. 

Another thing I say to voices is “know what words to swallow”. There are some words that you just should swallow or don't overemphasize. Again, that takes experience. 

You can be a good voiceover, and only a few subtle differences can make you a great voice. But nailing those subtle differences is difficult. 

Bevo

Some amazing services you're offering with Abe's Audio these days considering your humble beginnings at 4CC in Gladstone, and then starting up the actual physical business in your home Port Lincoln, before moving to Tassie.

Abe

I can remember those days really clearly, but I still feel the same as that young bloke that started with a passion in the late 90s. It's very humbling when we have a Christmas dinner or a work function and we've got all our staff in the room - it moves me every time. Just to think about what I started back in the day and what was birthed out of a dream working is very humbling.

Bevo

Abe Udy, thank you so much for joining us on the Radio Fanboy Podcast and sharing this amazing journey of yours!

Abe

It's a pleasure Bevo. Thanks for having me,