What the work involves

You'll be recording audio that trains and evaluates an AI lab's speech systems — reading supplied transcripts in a neutral-to-upbeat "customer service" register, with clear enunciation and consistent pacing. The defining constraint is fidelity to the page: commas, dashes, ellipses and sentence breaks are there for a reason, and the project either wants them read exactly as marked or wants you to adjust delivery so the line lands naturally. Deciding which of those two the brief is asking for, line by line, is most of the judgment in this role.

You deliver finished audio. That means recording, checking for mouth noise, plosives, room tone and clipping, and doing enough post-production that the file is usable as-is. A professional home setup is a stated requirement: condenser or broadcast-grade mic, audio interface, treated or soundproofed space, pop filter, and editing software you actually know.

What the platform screens for

Mercor's screen is AI-led and conversational, and for a voice role your audio is itself evidence — expect your speech, accent and mic quality during the interview to be part of the assessment. Beyond that, screeners probe three things: that you were born and raised in Australia and are a native English speaker (a hard gate, not a preference); that you can describe your recording chain in concrete terms rather than naming a brand; and that your availability lines up with a fixed 9 March 2026 start and a mandatory kickoff call. Professional voice acting credits are preferred but genuinely not required — podcasting, radio, streaming, comedy, music and YouTube experience all count if you can speak to mic technique and self-direction.

Pay and logistics

  • Fully remote, recorded on your own schedule within the weekly commitment
  • 2–10 hours per week for roughly 1–2 weeks from the start date
  • The listing states $225 USD per finished hour — that is per hour of submitted audio, not per hour worked. Recording, retakes and editing typically consume several wall-clock hours per finished hour, which is why Sidequest shows an observed effective band nearer $45/hr. Treat both figures as reported by the platform, not guaranteed.
  • Synchronous kickoff call required; the rest is asynchronous delivery