Curious what sets professional voice over apart? Discover the key characteristics, vocal qualities, and main types of voiceover services, from narration to commercials, and learn how expert voice actors elevate your brand’s impact and audience engagement.
Voice over is a recorded voice added to different types of media without the speaker being visible.
Voice over has many different uses, such as providing information, narrating stories, and helping make technology more accessible.
There are several different forms or categories of voice overs including narration, commercials, explainer videos, animation, and character voices.
Narration is one of the most common forms of voice over and is used in film, TV, and audiobooks.
Animation and dubbing are growing areas of voice over that require skills like timing, emotion, and voice flexibility.
Key vocal qualities like speed, volume, and tone can strongly affect how a voice over is perceived.
The characteristics of voice over are what make voice overs different from other types of vocal recording.
Every voice over is a recording of someone speaking, but not every recording of speech is a voice over.
Furthermore, the category of “voice over” can also be broken up into various subcategories, from commercial and promotional to educational and animation.
In this article, we’ll explain what voice overs are.
We’ll also cover what makes a great voice actor and outline the main types of voice overs that you might be familiar with.
What Is Voice Over?
Voice over is a voice recording performed by trained speakers. It is added to different types of media, such as TV or radio content, without making the speaker visible.
Voice over is primarily used to:
Provide information and persuasive marketing messages
Narrate stories and voice characters in cartoons, video games, and dubbed films
Record automated announcements on public transport, large stores, and phone systems (IVR)
Help make technology more accessible through screen readers, audio descriptions, and voice assistants.
Because the voice actor is always off-screen, their performance relies entirely on tone, pacing, and delivery to convey emotion and personality.
In general, a voice over can be separated from other types of vocal performance using a few main criteria.
While it’s impossible to describe every conceivable kind of voice over, here are a few of the most common types.
What is voice over narration?
Narration is one of the most common and widely recognized forms of voice over.
It is used to tell stories, deliver messages, communicate instructions, and more.
Narrators often record for movies, TV shows, and other forms of media.
In this case, they typically explain events and backstory through voice over without actually appearing as a character.
On the other hand, some narrators also act as characters and switch between these roles throughout the story.
Narration can be surprisingly tricky for voice over artists — especially for long-form content that can take hours to read through.
In these situations, the most important thing is to avoid becoming monotonous and losing the audience’s attention.
Along with conventional narration in movies and TV shows, this category also includes audiobook narration.
While some of the same concepts transfer, audiobook narrators need a somewhat different set of skills.
Unlike TV, for example, audiobook narration requires a wide vocal range to provide distinct character voices and keep the listener’s attention.
Some audiobooks rely on multiple actors to voice different characters and make the distinction clearer for listeners.
In documentaries, narrators often speak over animated or live-action visual content.
David Attenborough is a world-famous narrator who provides the perfect accompaniment to a wide range of nature documentaries.
His engaged yet restrained tone keeps listeners interested without distracting them from what’s unfolding onscreen.
So popular is his narration that two BBC series he narrated, The Blue Planet and Planet Earth II, became the most-watched nature documentaries in the UK, attracting 10 million and 9.2 million viewers respectively.
However, Attenborough’s may be a renowned and skilled documentary narrator, but that doesn’t mean he can voice any type of content.
For example, it’s unlikely that his signature style would work as well as Redd Pepper’s when it comes to trailers for epic action movies.
How is voice over used in animation and character voices?
A growing number of voice actors are working on animated content.
Some are also involved in dubbing content that was originally produced in another language.
While AI and machine-learning technologies are part of these developments, the most recent research shows that human-based voice over services lead the industry thanks to their more relatable, authentic performances.
However, voice dubbing requires more than just acting skills.
Voice actors need to be able to speak clearly, have good timing, language skills, and the ability to deliver believable emotions.
The category of “animation” also includes video games, films, TV shows, animated commercials, and any other animated media.
Animated content involves different forms of characterization compared to live-action TV and movies.
With that in mind, voice actors need specific skills to reach their goals in animation.
Live-action actors can give depth to their characters through their voice as well as their physical mannerisms and actions.
Animation actors, on the other hand, can only contribute their voice.
This transition can be tough for actors who are used to working on live-action content.
Animated work often relies on celebrity voices to make characters more recognizable and generate more interest.
Some talented voice actors can dramatically change their styles to portray multiple characters in the same movie or show convincingly.
Hank Azaria, for example, voiced numerous Simpsons characters, including Moe, Comic Book Guy, and Chief Wiggum.
However, Azaria’s portrayal of Apu was a source of controversy, leading to a public apology in 2021.
Authentic representation is a crucial factor to consider when casting voice actors for animated content.
Why are voice overs important for commercials and explainer videos?
Voice overs for commercials are vital for producing a strong first impression and creating a sense of urgency.
The specific tone varies depending on the type of content in question.
Ads for luxury items, for example, might pair well with a cool, elevated voice over.
On the other hand, a burger commercial needs to appeal to a person’s appetite (and price sensitivity).
Explainer videos are another type of promotional content which describes how a product or service works while selling viewers or listeners on the benefits.
The Sanebox explainer video below is a great example of bridging the gap between communicating information and pushing viewers toward a sale.
Jane A’s voice over works perfectly by conveying the relevant details while maintaining a cheerful tone that matches the product benefit: spending less time on email management.
How Is voice over used in E-learning and training?
Voice overs in e-learning and training videos are important in keeping learners engaged through long and sometimes dry long-form content.
The e-learning industry grew to about $400 billion in 2023, and it should continue to grow over the next few years and beyond.
Even if they aren’t experts, they have to speak naturally and confidently to make the topic more approachable.
The same concept applies to corporate training and other educational content.
Notice how the Procter and Gamble training video below communicates important priorities without being boring or dry.
What are vocal qualities in voice over?
Vocal qualities in voice over, include timbre, pace, volume, and tone. Combined within the context of the voice over style, these qualities produce a unique experience for the listener.
It’s impossible to describe every single characteristic of the human voice, but you can focus on these few key qualities when seeking a professional voice actor.
Pace
The tempo of a voice actor’s speech can completely change the tone of their voice over.
If you have a lot of material and limited time, you might need a professional who can speak clearly at high speeds.
In contrast, educational and training environments generally call for a more relaxed pace that gives viewers time to fully absorb the content.
An average person speaks English at roughly 150 words per minute, but that can fluctuate dramatically depending on language and context.
The right voice actor will perfectly complement your video through tempo along with volume, tone, and other qualities.
Volume
While you can edit a voice recording to adjust volume, the performer’s speaking volume will still impact the final product.
We naturally associate loud voices with urgency, while quiet voices and whispers convey a sense of mystery or intrigue.
Mid-volume voices are usually best for conversational content like narration and audiobooks, but this still depends on context.
Crescendi and decrescendi can punctuate key moments and give the audience a sense of narrative progression.
Tone
We all change our vocal tones throughout the day to match different situations.
Similarly, voice actors vary their tone to cultivate different emotional responses.
Of course, some aspects of our tone are out of our control.
For example, we can’t choose our accent or other natural vocal qualities, even though we can try to account for them.
Before starting your search for a new voice actor, think about the tone you’re looking for.
You should also consider the way your organization or brand communicates on other channels.
A unified style across different content types is critical for brand recognition and trust.
When auditioning voice actors, let them know your vision of the final product.
Final Thoughts
Voice over is a powerful tool for communicating with your audience and creating more engaging content.
Each type of voice over comes with its own style, conventions, and best practices.
If it’s your first time working on a professional voice over, you may not know where to start.
Over time, you’ll get more comfortable with the process and learn how to consistently develop professional recordings.
Whether you need voice actors for narration, animation, commercials, e-learning, training, or another project, be sure to check out our platform for more information about working with our team of carefully vetted voiceover professionals.
Did you like this article? Have any questions or ideas? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is voice over used for?
Voice over is used in several different ways such as providing information, telling stories, creating character voices, recording automated announcements, and helping listeners access technology through formats like screen readers and audio description.
How is voice over different from other voice recordings?
Voice over is designed to support visual or audio content, such as a radio ad, an animated movie, video game, etc.
And while the voice actor performs and conveys emotion through their voice, they are not physically visible to the audience.
What are the skills needed for audiobook narration?
Audiobook narration requires a wide vocal range and the ability to maintain a consistent performance over long recordings.
While some audiobooks use several voice actors, many others rely on a single narrator who must create distinct voices and personalities for the audiobook’s different characters.
How is voice over used in e-learning and training?
Voice overs in e-learning and training videos or audio need to sound natural and confident while explaining often complex information.
The goal is to make the material easy to follow while keeping learners engaged and focused throughout the delivery of the content.
What makes a good voiceover voice?
A good voiceover voice is flexible enough to match the specific needs of any brief.
Professional voice actors adapt to the performance style required for different types of projects, such as audiobooks, explainer videos, commercials, or gallery and museum guides.
They understand how to adjust tone, pacing, timing, and delivery depending on the content, while also speaking distinctly and using effective vocal modulation.
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