Looking for a way to have what is copied to your clipboard read back to you?  Speak Clipboard is the free software solution you have been looking for.  This voice reader for Windows will read out load the content of your clipboard in plain English.

This really comes in handy when checking spelling or grammar errors, listening to your e-mails or having an article read to you.  Once downloaded and installed, the application is very easy to use.  It will first check to see if you have any text-based content in your clipboard, and if you do it will start speaking and highlight on the screen every pronounced word.

Want to give it a shot?  Point your browser towards SpeakTools.com to pick up Speak Clipboard and see how many more uses you can find for it.

Yeah, that is it – that is all it does.  Now you might think this could be fun to play with – make little robo voice actors, put on a play, do something creative – but alas, they put a long ad before each synthesized message so there is no fun to be had there either.

Searching the Web for ways to make myself sound better when recording I ran into a lot of voice training tips for speaking and singing. Funny enough, some of the singing ones work too to help you sound better when recording a podcast (such as the Web Hosting Show).

Here are a few of my favorites:

Yawn three times before you start talking. Now I am sure there is some science behind this I don’t understand. I do have to say though it helps a lot, especially if you think you sound a ‘bit nasally when you record your voice (think Fran Drescher).

Hum to yourself for a few minutes, without having your top teeth touching your bottom teeth. Try going up and down in pitch and see if you can find the right tone for your voice that way. Try to stay natural though, or you’ll sound like your doing a bad Barry White impression.

Last voice training tip that I think a lot of people would get use out of would be to practice. Record yourself talking and see what you like or don’t like. Maybe you need to speak a little lower? Maybe you need to speak a little louder? Maybe you need to speak a little slower? Any long time listeners to my podcast can tell you I can get easily excitable – but I have been trying to do a better job at telling myself inside my head to sloow dooowwwn.

Try moving the mic around!

That is the number one audio recording tip I would give anybody. You would be amazed how differently you can sound depending on where the mic is. Most will tell you to put it under your chin so you don’t “pop your p’s” but for me, I like to keep it at a distracting eye level (that is with a headset mic).

Move in a little closer…

You don’t want to sound like you are in an empty room, echoing around – unless you are pretending to be the booming voice of god in your audio podcast. Make sure your close enough to the mic to where you don’t sound too loud but your not sounding too far into the background either. This will take some time to find the exact spot that is right for you.

Try to speak from the heart!

Having a guide or show notes is good for a base, but don’t be afraid to go off on your own. Often times I’ll pre-write my show notes and as I record get off when I had wrote down. Why? Well after hearing it out loud I think to myself, “Well it would be better if I go off in this direction instead”. Then I’ll update my notes later to reflect that.

Stick yourself in the Cone of Silence?

Try your best to eliminate any and all background noises. That means if you have a loud heater in the winter months, turn it off to record. If your air conditioner’s buzz is being caught by your mic, turn it off in the summer months. Suffer for your art so your listeners aren’t left wondering – what was that noise I just heard?

The last ‘bit of advice I would have for you is have fun! Don’t think of your show, audio recording or any other side project like this as a job. Treat it like a hobby. Audio podcasting might not be for everybody, but there is no way to find out if you like it unless you try. As long as you try to have fun with it, your listeners will pick up on that positive energy and will tune in again to hear more.