PR Explained | What is an Audio News Release?

TIA HERE with some more insight into the PR world. This is all general information, but based on my experiences interning at a PR company. If you want to read more about my internship experiences, check out this post on the day in the life of a NYC intern, this post on SMTs, and the rest of the blog, of course.

Before working in PR, I had never heard of an ANR. An Audio News Release, or ANR, is basically a news package (sort of like an ad) that serves exclusively radio and other non-video media. PR companies will produce them, meaning that a company will hire them to make an ANR on a specific topic, providing press releases and any relevant info to be included, and the PR company will hand it to a producer that will run the project.

Making an ANR is composed of many different parts. First, a script has to be written, usually set to the tune of 30 or 60 seconds in length (if spoken) and composed of enticing, general info on the topic, a soundbite from an official representative, and then concluding remarks, including where to go for more information.

Once the script is done and approved, someone who believes they have a good radio voice goes into the sound booth and reads the script into a mic, while someone in an edit bay records the audio. They read the entire script, except for the soundbite, and will often read it in its entirety, or just some sections, multiple times, if the producer and editor have any feedback on the quality of the pronunciation or something like that.

Then the editor cuts together the audio so it fits the time constraint and adds the bite. The bite usually comes from a phoner, which means that the script is sent over to the representative who will be speaking in the ANR and they read the quote that has been written for them for the recording. Then, with the script from narrator to representative completed in audio form, the ANR is exported and sent to the client to use wherever they choose--for radio most likely.

Unlike an SMT, ANRs seem to be more regular and are definitely less work to produce. So, if you ever hear a short ad or news story on the radio, think about who might have been behind producing it--and whether you recognize the radio voice as that of your friend in PR. All this media around you has to come from somewhere!

For more, check out Tia's new blog!

Much love,

T.