ABOUT

About Narration Assistant

Narration Assistant ReTake is an independent software development project focused on creating practical tools for narrators, voice artists and anyone who works with spoken-word scripts.

It started as a tool to make my own workflow faster. I found that constantly switching between my manuscript, my recording software and different windows wasn't an efficient way to narrate, especially when I made a mistake. Switching focus from the script to the DAW to make a few clicks and hopefully back to the right place in the script was quite annoying. I also noticed I wasn't alone. Switching between screens and windows seems to have become accepted as part of the normal process.

It doesn't have to be.

Most recording workflows seem to be built around the DAW. The script gets pushed into a small part of the screen, or another monitor is added to give it more space. That can solve one problem while creating another: your attention is still divided between the script and the recording software.

I wanted to approach it differently.

In this line of work, every second spent away from the script counts. I wanted to be able to drag and drop a script into a full-screen workspace, hit a record button and record - simple - and to remain focused on the text throughout the reading no matter what happened.

That's the core idea behind Narration Assistant ReTake. Not to replace the DAW, as there are already some excellent DAWs out there, but to move it out of the way so the narrator can concentrate on the thing that matters most, which is the script. And when the inevitable happens - you fluff a line - it's a simple one-click solution to get going again, without switching screens or windows, while remaining focused on the script.

So, this is my humble attempt to improve that workflow in the most efficient and effective way I could think of. And that's how I ended up designing a hands-free punch and roll workflow that doesn't require you to take your eyes off the script.

Of course, I added a few useful extras to make it even easier to narrate but importantly, they don't get in the way of the script.

About the developer: As well as being a narrator and voice artist, I am also an English teacher, part-time software developer, producer, musician, writer and full-time devoted husband. Narration Assistant grew out of trying to solve a problem in my own workflow and slowly expanded into Narration Assistant ReTake.

I'm hoping the software can help narrators, voice artists, content creators and anyone else who works from a prepared script to stay focused on the text and make it easy to recover if they make a mistake.

One screen, one window, one click, one take.
Well, lets hope it's just one take!

Founded and developed by Harry Pollard in London, U.K., Narration Assistant was established in 2026 with a focus on creating straightforward software for people working with narration.