The meditation and wellness company ‘Calm’ is searching for a voice that, well, puts people to sleep.
The search has been stretched to the popular social media app TikTok, where Calm posted a video announcing its Next Voice of Calm Contest. They’ll select the entrant they deem to have the most soothing voice and have them record one of Calm’s upcoming Sleep Stories. Additionally, the winner will receive $5,000 in compensation for their work.
Erik Braa is one of Calm’s current Sleep Story narrators and shared the video on TikTok letting anyone interested know that the company is “Looking for TikTok’s smoothest voice.”
Interested participants can enter by posting a video that’s 60 seconds or less and must stitch it to Calm’s contest announcement video. The company hasn’t put any restrictions on what participants can record, “As long as it’s original and oh-so-soothing,” said Braa. “A grocery list, your last text or a made-up story.”
Calm’s Sleep Stories have been listened to by more than 350 million people the company reports, making this opportunity for the winner potentially monumental when it comes to getting their voice out there. Harry Styles, Pink and Lebron James have recorded Sleep Stories that can be heard on the widely popular app, so the company the winner would be in is nothing to be scoffed at.
Calm experienced a massive flood of customers during the pandemic, being the world’s most downloaded app in April of 2020, with nearly 4 million downloads globally that month alone. Calm was valued at $2 billion in December 2020, following a $75 million fundraising round.
In a study conducted in October of 2021 by Jennifer Huberty, Calm’s director of science, many participants reported that “using Calm helped them fall asleep, stay asleep and get restful sleep.” Participants reported struggles when it came to sleep disturbances and nearly half of them had a mental health diagnosis, according to the study.
The Next Voice of Calm Context closes on May 13th, with the winner being announced on June 7th. The winner’s Sleep Story is anticipated to publish on Calm’s app later this Fall. Entrants to the contest are only allowed one submission each, must be 18 years of age or older, and must be legal residents of the United States or United Kingdom.