The voice behind Metro’s on-board announcements can be revealed for the first time.
Mark Bryant, a professional voiceover artist, has been recording Metro’s automatic announcements for 15 years.
Mark’s warm and soothing voice is broadcast daily on board the trains, providing essential route information and station names for thousands of customers.
And up until now only his friends and family have known that it’s him.
Now, after more than a decade in the role, Mark has stepped forward to reveal his quirky claim to fame, sharing his excitement at being the voice of the new Metro trains.
As a professional broadcaster he runs his own his media company based at the Northern Design Centre in Gateshead. The Metro’s audio is recorded in a voiceover booth and then broadcast through a play-out system on the trains.
But what’s it really like to be the voice behind the Metro announcements?
Mark, 46, of Hebburn in South Tyneside, said: “I always say that it’s my greatest claim to fame.
“It’s quite funny being sat on the Metro and hearing yourself telling yourself what the next stop is going to be.
“I’ll be sat there next to other customers and nobody will have any inkling that it’s me that they’re listening to.
“Doing this job for the Metro is absolutely fantastic. I really enjoy it and I’m proud to be the voice of such an important local service.
“All my family and friends know that it’s me, of course, and it’s a frequent talking point. My nephew even used it as a fun fact on a work away day and nobody believed him.
“When I go out and tell people that I do the Metro voiceovers they usually don’t believe me, until I actually do the voice. I always get asked to say the lines from the Metro announcements. I don’t actually mind. It’s a great bit of fun.”
He added: “I’m excited to be voicing the announcements on the new Metro trains. They are so impressive. The technology, including the audio system, is amazing. To be the voice of these new trains is a real coup for me.
“When the first new train went into customer service I watched the coverage on the local news and I could hear my announcements in the background. It was a proud moment.”
Mark has done a great job with the announcements over many years, and we are excited to hear him on the new Metro trains as they enter service for customers over the next two years.
Mark’s journey into the world of voiceovers started in local radio, producing adverts. It was there that he honed his voiceover skills which led to him setting up his own company.
His body of work includes adverts for Tom Jones, Robbie Williams and Bryan Adams concerts along with scores of other TV and radio ads. He’s even voiced audio for Newcastle Building Society and Barclaycard’s on-hold telephone messages.
And it seems voiceovers run in the family, too.
Mark’s wife, Amanda is a professional voiceover artist. His son William, aged seven, has even done some recordings and was nominated last year for best male performance at The One Voice Awards, which are the Oscars of the voiceover industry.
Mark said: “I started out by setting up my own voiceover booth at home and then compiled a demo that I put on my website. I then started to get voiceover work and it all went from there.
“I began working with Nexus in 2010 when I supplied the audio recordings for the new ticket machines. That went well and I then became the voice of the train’s on-board system, telling customers what the next station is.”
He added: “Voiceover work is a real family affair. My wife, Amanda, is a voiceover artist and is currently the voice of Tyne Tunnel and is also doing work for Sky Sports and ITV. My son, William, who is seven, is currently the voice of Blueline Taxi’s radio adverts.
He recorded his first voiceover at the age of four.”
Anyone interested in finding more about Mark Bryant and his work can go to his website: www.mediapartnership.co.uk
His company specialises in TV and video marketing, as well as, of course, voiceovers.