Freelance Session Director - Remote AI Audio Project — Columbus
Traveler-Friendly Insight
This role is highly nomad-friendly: it's a freelance, fully remote, project-based engagement with no long-term commitment implied. Sessions are time-limited (approximately 16 hours total per project cycle), giving you maximum scheduling flexibility around your travels.
Timezone considerations: Since sessions are live and synchronous (you'll be directing voice performers in real time), you'll need to coordinate session times with participants. This may limit pure async freedom, but the project-based nature means you can accept work during periods when you're in a stable timezone.
Visa suitability: With Mexico as the hinted location, this role pairs well with Mexico's Temporary Resident Visa or even a standard tourist permit (FMM), since it's short-term freelance work paid in USD by a foreign entity.
Purchasing power at $55/hr USD:
- México City / Medellín: $55/hr is exceptionally strong — well above a comfortable daily budget of $50-80 in either city.
- Lisbon: Still competitive, covering a comfortable lifestyle at roughly $3,000-4,000/month on even part-time hours.
- Bangkok: $55/hr converts to outstanding purchasing power, covering lodging, food, and coworking easily on minimal weekly hours.
No travel-specific perks (coworking stipend, equipment budget) are mentioned, so ensure you have a quiet, low-noise recording environment wherever you're based — a hotel room or noisy hostel won't work for monitoring audio quality.
About the Project
Project Hydrus is a scripted and conversational audio data collection project. The recordings produced help build natural, everyday-sounding synthesized voices for conversational AI products — voices that sound like real people talking, not scripted performances.
As Session Director, you'll lead live recording sessions with Voice Contributors, guiding them through scripted scenarios to produce natural, conversational-quality audio. This hands-on role blends creative direction, coaching, and technical audio judgment — making scripted material sound authentic and unscripted, rather than recited, while keeping sessions moving at a natural pace.
What You'll Do
- Direct voice performers through scripted scenarios, coaching for natural, conversational delivery rather than verbatim recitation.
- Build quick scene context for performers (who, where, why) and improvise to fill narrative or dialogue gaps live, keeping sessions flowing naturally.
- Adapt scripted wording for natural phrasing and regional/dialect authenticity as needed.
- Monitor and correct technical audio quality in real time: mic technique, pacing, clarity, and background noise.
- Manage session pacing to meet recording targets without sacrificing performance quality, and maintain organized notes on adjustments and retakes.
- Create a supportive, low-pressure environment for performers, including those with limited prior voice experience.
What We're Looking For
Required
- Native fluency in the required language (with specific dialect), with a strong ear for natural, colloquial phrasing.
- Experience directing, coaching, or producing voice or audio talent (e.g., voice direction, casting direction, audio/podcast production, dubbing/ADR, or theater direction).
- Demonstrated ability to give clear, specific, actionable performance direction.
- Strong working knowledge of basic recording/mic technique (proximity, plosives, room noise, levels).
- Comfortable improvising and adjusting scripted material on the spot.
- Excellent interpersonal skills; able to build rapport quickly with performers of varying experience levels.
Preferred (nice to have, not required)
- Background in improv, theater direction, or acting coaching.
- Experience directing non-professional or first-time voice talent specifically.
- Familiarity with DAWs or recording software (e.g., Pro Tools, Adobe Audition, Reaper) for spot-checking audio quality.
Commitment & Compensation
- Estimated time: Approximately 8 hours calibration, plus supervision across two recording sessions of ~4 hours each per participant.
- Work Type: Freelance Remote
- Rate: $55.00 USD per hour
Why Join Welo Data?
- ✨ Limitless Flexibility: Project-based opportunities that fit your availability. Choose when and how much you want to contribute — fully remote, with complete autonomy.
- 🌱 Limitless Growth: Optional access to AI and Large Language Model workshops designed specifically for professionals like you. No coding required — just your expertise.
- 🌍 Limitless Support: Be part of a global contributor community with responsive guidance and support.
- 💡 Real Impact: Apply your expertise to influence the AI systems shaping the future of your industry — while collaborating with data professionals and expanding your skills.
How to Apply?
Apply now by answering a few quick questions to join our database and become part of our growing community.
About Welo Data
Welo Data, part of Welocalize, is a global AI data company with 500,000+ contributors delivering high-quality, ethical data to train the world's most advanced AI systems. We're building smarter, more human AI with a diverse community in 100+ countries.
At Welo Data, Limitless AI. Limitless You. isn't just a slogan — it's our promise. We build smarter AI through the power of human contribution, offering limitless opportunities for our global community to grow, contribute, and work on their terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
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