Style-Shifting in Vlogging: An Acoustic Analysis of “YouTube Voice”

Abstract

This article demonstrates evidence of context-related style-shifting on YouTube. This was achieved by comparing the vowels of vlogger Phil Lester in multiple contexts (a solo vlog, collaborative vlog, gaming video, and live video). A mixed-model regression found significant differences between the more scripted solo vlog context and the less scripted gaming and live videos: in the former, Lester’s FOOT/STRUT merger was reduced, and in the latter he showed considerable variability in his employment of the TRAP/BATH split. It is argued that this results from greater attention paid to level aspects of his Northern accent for an international audience.