How to Plan The Perfect Voice Over for Your Video

author imageTyler Hershberger Last updated:

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  • I’m a voice-actor and blogger. This article makes some good points, but falls short with suggestions for locating a voice-talent. It also grossly underestimates pricing. $10-$100 will NOT buy you a decent professional voice talent. Sure you can go to “FIVER” and hire someone with a USB mic and a noisy room… but serious voice-actors have invested years in equipment, coaching, practice, techniques, and skills.
    Much like you recognize good writing when you see it, you will recognize a good voice-actor when you HEAR it…and so will your customers. Spend the money… you won’t regret it.
    Most voice-actors are eager to be your business partner, and help you with your success.

    Dave Courvoisier
    http://courvo.com
    702-610-6288

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  • Thanks Tyler for an informative article. I too am a voice actor and producer. I appreciate your tips about hiring a professional writer and planning in advance for the VO. Voice artists are sometimes the scapegoats of the message when it doesn’t come across as the company intended. We only speak and interpret the words we’re given. If we aren’t given a good script to begin with, you won’t end up with as effective of a product.

    Now, about the budget. I was a producer for 12 years and dealt with budgets daily. They can be difficult to make work sometimes but I will say that hiring a professional at all phases (writing, shooting, animation, make-up/wardrobe, etc) is worth every penny. It’ll save you time and money in the long run. That especially goes for the Voice Talent. There’s a reason people get paid the money they do to aurally brand your company message…because it can generate more revenue and satisfied customers if it’s done right. Spending a little more to make a lot more just makes sense. Or you could cheapen out, hire someone for $100 and really get what you pay for – an inferior product that will not give you the results you desire.
    Our jobs are to make our clients happy and that means making YOUR clients/customers/shareholders happy. It’s a win-win for everyone. You get great quality work and a reliable and dependable partner…and we get to do the job we love, make people happy and feed our families. :)

    Thanks!
    Christi Bowen
    http://www.christibowen.com

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  • Great article. I don’t really agree though that a basic vo costs $ 10.-. Professional voice over pricing starts at around several hundred dollars and up, depending on the length of the script. I always work with http://www.intervoiceover.com. They are one of the largest voice agencies in the world and have quite an extensive library of several thousand voices.

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  • I’m a professional voiceover actress (actually Dave Courvoisier above referred me to this article) and I just wanted to pop in and say hello. I definitely echo the sentiment that hiring a great script writer is important. Advertising script writers know all the tips and tricks to get the results you’re looking for and a good VO artist knows how to handle the differently styles of writing that you’ll get from a professional. I’d also like to emphasis what Dave has said about the price of a voice actor. Remember – you’re not just paying someone to read your script – you’re paying for the studio time and equipment, their years of becoming expert at this, and sometimes even their editing capabilities. You’ll be able to tell a $10 voiceover from miles away. Spend the money to look professional so your clients don’t have to question if you are. Best of luck with your advertising!!

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  • A very nice primer for the small business owner, Tyler! Thanks for putting it together, and I hope you don’t mind if I share it with potential direct business clients who are thoroughly unfamiliar with the process.

    I would also like to expand on Christi’s comments re: script and properly written copy. Many VO folks, like me, come from a broadcast background and can be a “one stop shop” as both copy writer AND voice talent! I offer copy writing as a service, and I see it as a “win-win” on both ends……client gets their message written effectively by an award-winning copy writer AND quality voice work. Makes me more marketable (and the gig more lucrative) and solves two problems for the client.

    I also echo the sentiment that $100 is well below the going rate for a voice talent…..let alone one who can also offer other services like full production and copy writing. Anyone who wants something done on the cheap probably ain’t gonna be in business too long.

    Thanks again for the primer!

    Shane Wilson
    http://ihearvoicesonline.com

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  • Another voiceover actor here .. so feel free to get your ‘pinch of salt’ ready. Without I hope being too corny about it the feature anyone is looking for is ‘Partnership’. To add true value that very much has to work both ways. It certainly the basis on which some new clients turn in to long-term clients while others do not. Price, a bit like salary as an employee, then moves well down the list in terms of working together. All we ask for, as professional voice actors, is the chance to prove that to our clients.

    Colin

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  • I’ve been on both sides of corporate video projects, as client and VO talent, and I can tell you there’s no cheap substitute for professionalism. The best talent in the word can’t make bad writing sound good. Have a story to tell, and tell it! A top-notch writer will stop you from larding your VO script with empty business jargon and trite phrases. (“Game-changing solutions that drive business excellence”, anyone?) And once you’ve got a smokin’ script, there’s no reason to settle for a clunky VO recording. Lots of quality VO talent is out there, ready to work within your budget and deliver a great VO track. (Let’s be honest, if your company can only budget $10 for VO talent, you’ve got problems a new corporate video won’t solve.) Any high-quality writer and VO talent will have great suggestions to help you deliver your message as effectively as possible. Take advantage of their expertise: listen to their advice, pay them a reasonable rate, and reap the rewards!

    Pete
    http://www.ChristoVO.com

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  • Thanks for posting this article. I think the line “…experience shows that professionals also know the questions to ask that others overlook.” applies throughout the process. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a range of companies and production groups to create some excellent, informative pieces. Through those projects, all of the folks involved learned from one another and created something better than any one could have by themselves.
    It’s important to look at the voice for your project as an investment rather than a cost. Videos distributed on the internet tend to take on lives of their own, and the quality of the production, voice work and message reflects the quality of your endeavor. Taking a little extra effort to refine the words and images, then finding a quality professional voice actor to ensure that message is delivered appropriately will pay dividends for years afterwards.

    Jim Edgar / http://jimedgarvoices.com / @jimedgarvoices

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  • This was a great primer and nicely written. Let me add that as a professional voice talent, in over 25 years of voice acting, I have never once had a client ask me for my input on a script, the direction the voice over should take, or include me in on creative. Granted, the project is not my baby. I’m just the messenger. But don’t be afraid to consult with the voice actor on interpretation. People sit in a room and “create” yet the voice talent is always the last link in the chain, and is expected to understand within the first read, the message that a group of people have been involved with for a few months. Here are a couple of my own suggestions:

    1. Let the voice actor see the raw video footage. I understand you may have privacy issues but that is what an NDA is for. Seeing the visuals ahead of time gives us a feel for what you are shooting for.
    2. Let us hear the music bed you have chosen. Hearing the music you want to use helps us further understand the tone you seek.
    3. Ask us our opinion on phrasing and structure of the script. Too many copywriters “write” the script; no feeling, no contractions, no soul. They don’t know how to write for voiceover. Yet they EXPECT us to voice the rigid script “conversationally” without changing the script.

    Voice actors can be great resources for you. After all, we see a ton of scripts every month and can offer insights you may not have thought about.

    Of course, it will cost more than $10. That’s another topic for another day.

    Keith
    http://www.keithmichaelsvo.com

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