Capturing Attention with Professional Voiceover

Professional Voiceover is a strategic investment in making an engaging impact.

Voiceover is sometimes the last thing a creative team will decide on but is often a large part of making a successful first impression. Finding the perfect voice over talent means a voice and performance that captures your audience’s attention, keeps them engaged, and makes your project stand out for all the right reasons. 

A Professional Voice Over Talent is a voice actor or narrator with industry expertise and skill. They know how to interpret scripts, incorporate notes and changes, and perform your written words as if they were their own thoughts while offering consistency in their performance or a wide range of vocal styles.

I know there is a high demand for real voices who “don’t sound like actors”, but remember voice actors are real voices who just happen to know a variety of ways to get a message across. 

Human Voices outperform AI Voices.

AI Voices can be faster, cheaper, and customizable. As impressive as AI voices have become they are still definitively lacking in many aspects, not to mention those awkward emPHAsis on the wrong sylLABle moments. Human voices with their subtle nuances, natural imperfections, and emotional connection to what is being said are still preferred.

Is AI voiceover convincing enough to pass?

Unnatural errors in pronunciation are not the only giveaway for AI voices. Using the same ready-made AI voices others also use may sound good enough to pass in some situations. Still, it will likely have an emotionally limited or slightly robotic tone and inflection, or sound too similar to generic overused voices, making it harder for your message to appear unique, stand out, or connect the way a real voice would. 

A human voiceover talent can take direction, empathize with your written copy, or give you a unique interpretation that expands your original idea, while even the most human AI cannot consciously understand your written content, and can only superficially change its tone, inflection, and style.

AI voice databases are still limited when it comes to a diverse range of quality human voices, which limits authenticity and representation. 

AI voiceover can also scream “scam” and may alert listeners not to trust your message.

Use Professional VO to help your message stand out!

With so much media out there, it’s essential to stand out. We know visuals can be super effective and influential, but there’s power in being able to hear a message or be entertained even when our eyes are away from our screens.

And think about how many more people you can reach with a great voiceover when you consider visually impaired listeners and users. Accessibility can be another goal when including a voiceover.

Adding voiceover is like adding the secret sauce to your project. It’s the ingredient that takes your project from edible to delicious. Whether you’re producing a commercial, an educational course, or an animated series, the right voice can grab attention, clarify your message, evoke emotion, and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Or picture this, you’re scrolling through your favorite social media platform, looking for something new to watch. Suddenly, a new show’s promo catches your eye, but what draws you in besides expert editing and intriguing visuals? A voice that grabs your attention or relates to you as a viewer, pulls you into the story and leaves you wanting to hear and learn more.

This is a huge contrast from generic AI voices often heard on social media platforms that may work for funny commentary but can be too cringe to take seriously or can be too annoying not to scroll away.

Or what about when you’re tuning into your favorite podcast? When a podcast ad sounds like a personal recommendation it can be quite effective and feel less disruptive. Clients often aim for a conversational like you’re “talking to a friend” sound but achieving the right tone can be tricky and subjective. I always feel validated when a friend or past client lets me know they were happy to hear me talking to them about a product, place, event, or upcoming show while listening to their favorite podcast. The key to successful podcast ads lies in striking a perfect balance: casual yet professional, pleasant without being cheesy, and ultimately, engaging enough to capture the listener’s attention.

This is how a skilled voiceover artist shines by knowing how to navigate these nuances and deliver a natural, relatable performance.

You might be thinking, “Why not just do the voiceover myself?

It could also save you money and time, especially for a small project. After all, who knows my product, characters, and words better than you? That’s a valid point, and a DIY approach works well in some situations. However, there’s more to consider.

A professional voiceover artist can bring unexpected value to your project by incorporating their training and experience. They can create a vocal impact you might not have initially envisioned allowing you not to get “stuck in your own head”, and offer reliable delivery that strengthens your message. Remember, “just talking” becomes an art form with a skilled voiceover. 

A Professional voiceover artist can ensure smooth sessions, and project flow, and contribute expertise that complements your own. Collaboration with other specialists with complementary skills is key to many successful creative endeavors, and voiceover is no exception.

Trust me when I say great voice actors are also skilled at making this all look easy…

… like Kathy Selden in “Singing in the Rain”. Oh, how I love this classic movie!

How to choose a voiceover artist?

Before starting your search for the perfect voice, it’s important to figure out exactly what kind of voice you need. Are you creating a podcast, a voiceover for commercials, an inspiring political call to action, a social media explainer video, or an engaging character to teach a new subject to students?

There’s a lot to consider when hiring the right voice actor for your specific project.

Take some time to think about your project’s goals, your target audience, and the overall vibe. You may not have a preference for a particular gender or ethnicity but you will likely have a preference for a comedic or an authoritative style. Are you aiming for a professional tone, a tone that’s casual and friendly, or maybe something more quirky and fun? 

Once you have a clear vision, you’re ready to find the voice that fits.

When you have a clearer idea of what kind of voice you need, you can use professional services like casting directors, talent agencies, and online casting sites, or you can search online for voiceover demo reels and samples of past work. There are so many talented voice actors out there so listen out for what may resonate with your project, and see what specific genres voice actors may specialize in. 

The benefit of doing your own online search is getting to hear more voices and vet them yourself. It’s standard for professional voice actors to have personal websites available even if they work with agents or are listed on online casting websites.

The benefit of working with casting agents, voiceover agents, and managers is that they have the expertise to walk you through the process of choosing vetted talent. Many voice actors can provide you with the contact information for the agents and managers they work with if requested.

Request an Audition

Most talent can audition with a quick version of your script to help you decide. Voiceover auditions are common and may help you find a talent that nails what you need even if their current samples don’t reflect it.

Reach out to voiceover talent with information about your project, your budget, and usage, and include your audition script and preferred date/time for a submission. You may be surprised by how quickly you get talented voiceover artist auditions to consider.

Sometimes you’ll find a talent who may not be right for your current project but who you want to consider for future projects. I suggest building a personal list/roster for exactly that.

Having a roster of vetted talent can save you time and stress in the future.

And don’t be afraid to reach out to your network for recommendations. Word of mouth can lead you to talent you know you can trust.

Once you’ve found the voice that speaks to you, it’s time to start collaborating. Communication is key. Ensure you’re clear about your artistic vision and ideas about tone/style as well as logistics like the agreed-upon rate, means of payment, and deadlines, or your remote recording or delivered audio needs and preferences.

Remember, in this process, you’re a team, so deciding on the best way to collaborate before starting to work together can lead to the best results. Being clear about your project timeline makes for a smoother process.

Anticipating questions about pronunciation and timing can help talent get self-recorded material back to you quickly and accurately. Choosing one main representative to direct for directed sessions can save time and avoid confusion. 

A Professional Voice Over Talent understands the creative process and how to adapt.

We know some productions are much longer than others, so keep that in mind when budgeting for talent. Needing rewrites or additional sessions may require additional payment to the voice actor. If you anticipate many changes or a lot of feedback, it’s best to deliver them at once as much as possible. As much as voiceover talent pride themselves on being flexible and available as much as possible, there is a good chance they are working on other projects, so scheduling time for significant changes is much easier to manage.

Once your finished project is out in the world, that doesn’t have to end your connection. Voiceover talent love to be able to see and share work they’ve done, so if appropriate, please share the finished project with them and let them know if it’s ok to share it themselves.

With the right voice on your team, you are ready to take your project to the next level. 

Now where can I find harder-to-find niche professional voiceover talent?

We know that you can connect with voice actors directly through websites and social media pages, and it is the same for requesting a niche voiceover recommendation. Many voice actors know other voice actors so ask a professional voiceover talent that you trust if they can help you on your search.

This is the part where I raise my own hand and I shamelessly plug my voiceover demos and some of the featured projects I’ve worked on that I’m very proud to share. Always feel free to reach out to me directly at nophi.vo@cenophia.com to make a connection or request a specific recommendation.