

S o you need a voice over, right?



Before you make your choise, read these voice over tips from us.

It takes a lot of talent and skill to be a professional voice over actor.

Voice over actors must sound educated even when they have no understanding of your products and services.



They must emote a variety of moods to fit the script and also need disciplined voice control and perfect pronunciation.

Listening to a lot of talented voice over actors that possess all these skills and selecting the right person for your business is hard.



Here are some voice over tips that we’ve learned along the way that might make the process easier for you.



1. Where will the recording session be located?

Before you can choose a voice over actor, you need to consider where the recording of your script will take place.

You’ll need a local talent if it’s in a local studio and national talent if you’re willing to use a narrator with a home recording setup. The recording expertise found in a studio with an audio engineer will produce a higher-quality recording and it will also be more expensive.

2. Find the right voice-over accent

An accent familiar to your target audience will go a long way in convincing them. It’s like giving your audience what they want and desire. Two or more countries may speak the same language but they do differ in accent and this is where choosing an artist native to your target audience will make the difference.

3. Choose a voice over artists with high quality demos.

High-class voice over actors have high quality demos to show off their voice’s range and styles. Listen carefully, imagine this person reading your script and pick out the top two or three people then analyze in detail. If the narrator does not have a good demo, I would recommend looking somewhere else. They may not be well-trained or serious about this as a career.

4. Use a voice over talent that fits your audience.

Select a voice that will be approved by your audience. Would a male or female be most appropriate? Consider whether a regional accent is a plus. Also, think about the type of voice that will draw your audience closer. A sophisticated audience might prefer an elegant voice, children prefer a bright and enthusiastic voice.

5. Choose a voice over that matches the subject.

Some narrators are best for motivational and upbeat projects and can’t sound too serious. Yet some topics require a serious voice. Other narrators just can’t sound light and playful. Make sure your narrator can perform well in the mood and style your content requires.

The best professionals can adapt to a broad range of styles.

6. Listen to the subtle qualities of the voice.

Now put your headphones on and listen carefully. Make sure the pitch and tone are easy on the ear. Notice if the voice sounds unique, with a special quality that distinguishes it from others. Pay attention to the rhythm. Does the reading flow or is it stilted?

Also, listen for clarity in his/her pronunciation. A professional and distinctive voice with excellent diction will carry your message effectively.

7. Make sure the voice over is believable.

As you listen to the demos, determine whether the talent is capable of sounding believable. Can this person narrate a serious topic? Does this talent have what it takes to sound like a technical expert? If your narrator isn’t credible, your explainer video will lose some of its authority.

8. Look for narrators with character voices.

Some narrators can do several distinct voices. If you need multiple voices for scenarios and other treatments, finding one person to cover several explainer video characters provides a huge time and cost savings. One of the narrators we worked with dressed differently for the different types of characters he did.

9. Previous narration experience.

If your project Is educational in nature, make sure the talent you select has experience with long narration sessions. These take an excellent reading ability and lots of durability and stamina. Some voice over artists specialize in short commercials.

I once mistakenly hired a commercial talent to read four hours of technical content.

We had to retake almost every paragraph and the experience was awful to everybody.

10. Search for recommendations, ask them for voice over tips.

In addition to searching for voice over talent online and at voice over agencies, don’t forget to seek out recommendations from recording studios and producers. This way, you can ask whether the individual is flexible and takes direction well.

Ask them to share a few voice over tips with you. Experienced voice over actors will share a lot of tips and tricks where as newbies won’t know what to say.

Although a recording session involves give and take between the director, the talent, and the audio engineer, the script owner directs the show. A flexible narrator will be happy to take direction to change intonation and emphasis.