What is a voice over? The answer is the key to captivating audiences, whether they’re having a Disney villain binge or swiping through Liberty Mutual’s insurance-selling emus on social media. The internet market is set to hit $207.77 billion in 2027, spotlighting the growing demand for skilled voice over artists with the increase in digital content consumption.
At Voice123 – your global voice over authority – you’ll find superlatively qualified voice actors for all audio and video content. So, in this post, we’ll explore the ins and outs of what is a voice over and how to use it in various video projects.
Get ready to unlock your audio narratives the Voice123 way!
What is a voice over?
A voice over is an audio/visual production technique used in multimedia content to provide narrations, dialogue, or commentary in projects like radio ads, TV shows, films, commercials, video games, or social media. A voice actor narrates a scene or reads a character’s dialogue with the right tone, pacing, and style to convey their inner thoughts and personality, making them relatable to audiences. They will read a voice over script and record the audio, which will then be synchronized with the video during editing. In the Batman video games, Kevin Conroy and Troy Baker voice Batman with raw intensity and a commanding vocal style that draws players into the game’s narrative.
So, now that you know what is a voice over, let’s look at 10 types of voice overs for AV projects.
10 Types of voice overs for audio/visual productions
- Commercials are advertising strategies used on radio, TV, and online platforms. A dynamic and persuasive vocal style is crucial in selling products or services, like the Red Bull Gives You Wings commercials.
- Documentary narrations guide audiences through stories that educate or inform about specific subjects. Sigourney Weaver’s soothing style brings life to the Secrets of the Whales documentary.
- Audiobooks bring famous stories to life for audio consumption with distinct vocal styles, tones, and accents for characters. Andy Serkis voiced 132 different characters for The Lord of the Rings audiobook.
- Animation in films or TV shows convey the personalities of fictional characters. The X-Men ’97 show used the original cast from the ’90s animated series for authentic character representation.
- E-learning videos use clear, engaging styles to explain complex concepts, like Learning Sharks Tech Talks videos, which combine user-generated content with different vocal styles.
- IVR voices use friendly, professional voices to guide callers through a menu to reach the appropriate department, like Susan Bennett, the voice of Siri.
- Podcast hosts narrate the episodes and discuss numerous topics, drawing listeners with humor and authority, like Alex Ashby in Something True.
- Video game voice overs bring characters to life, enhancing a player’s virtual environment. This requires adopting heroic and villainous vocal styles, like Jennifer Hale from the Star Wars video games.
- Corporate videos train employees and showcase product demos or company presentations with a professional, informative tone. Bott uses its employees in videos describing company growth.
- GPS audio prompts give drivers concise, directional guidance with clear, conversational tones. Waze used Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator style, while Garmin opted for a Homer Simpson GPS prompt.
How to create the perfect voice over
- Choosing the type of video: Decide on the kind of video you’re producing since this will set the tone and purpose of your project.
- Script drafting: The script is the backbone of your video, detailing the narrative, dialogue, and direction, and it ensures your message is clear and engaging.
- Storyboarding: This step involves creating a series of sketches or illustrations to visualize the flow of your video and ensure coherent storytelling.
- Casting: Select voice actors who suit your video’s tone, style, and characters with emotions that bring out the character’s traits.
- Editing: With video editing software, you can use the best footage, add transitions, and synch the audio to the video, ensuring a smooth flow.
Hire a voice actor from Voice123
There are 3 main ways to hire a voice actor from Voice123: posting, searching, and Managed Services. Here’s more on each one.
- Posting: You can post a project for free and include specific details about your project, like language, gender, budget, and style. You upload a script for custom auditions or receive related samples.
- Searching: With Voice123’s search and booking tool, you can search for specific vocal qualities or styles like a deep voice or an Optimus Prime style. You can listen to their samples, read their reviews, and hire them immediately with the Voice123 Booking Feature.
- Managed Services: For a more streamlined experience, consider Managed Services. It covers everything from casting to payment, allowing you to focus on your project’s creative vision and leave the nitty-gritty down to us.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s guiding viewers through a documentary, bringing characters to life in animation, or selling products in commercials, the right vocal style can enhance the impact and effectiveness of any project. The Voice123 platform connects you with a diverse pool of professionals, so your project always receives the attention and expertise it deserves.
Got an idea for your next project? Work with our Managed Services team to handle everything for you, or explore the talented voices on Voice123 today to unlock your storytelling power.
From words to worlds, it’s time to unleash your audio story!
FAQs
It is a technique used in media production, like filmmaking, TV production, theatre, radio, and social and digital media, to provide narration and context to visual storytelling, unseen details, and convey a characters’ thoughts.
It’s an accessibility feature that helps visually impaired users by audibly describing what’s happening on the screen. It can identify a caller or the app icon a person’s finger is on, helping users interact with their devices through touch.
It is a technique that uses voice actors off-screen to narrate and comment on visuals or provide character voices for media like radio, TV, theater, and film.
Voice over is a specific technique used in media where a narrative voice is overlaid on visual content without showing the speaker. Voice off describes a situation where a voice broadcasts or speaks in real-time without complementary visual footage. It’s similar to radio or off-camera commentary.