Contrary to what you may think, you don’t need to do exhaustive voice over training to improve your voice acting skills. Instead, you can learn how to improve your basic voice over skills by heeding the advice of some expert voice over artists.

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Improve your voice over skills without voice over training

Warm up your voice to sound clear: sleep, hydrate, hum

Jessica Doyle, a professor and vocal coach for experienced actors, singers, and public speakers, shares three tips to warm up your voice so it performs at its best during recording sessions.

Sleep

First, sleep well. You need to sleep seven to nine hours in the days leading up to the recording. Vocal folds, the producers of your voice, are muscles that need rest. Sleep deprivation doesn’t let your voice perform at its best. Instead, your sleep-deprived voice may sound croaky or rough.

Hydrate

Second, drink water four hours ahead of your voice over. Drinking water during the set isn’t enough to add life to your voice, as it takes four hours for the water you drink to hydrate your voice.

Hum

Third, Doyle suggests humming is a quick and effective way to warm up your voice. Hum through a regular drinking straw, sliding the voice in sirens (from the bottom of the range to the top) and then in smaller hills, slowly. Do this for two to three minutes for a clear, roughness-free voice.

Watch your posture while recording

Your head’s position affects how your voice sounds, so it’s crucial to maintain proper posture while recording. “The head is meant to balance on the spine at the atlanto-occipital joint,” says Jessica Doyle, “which is roughly between the ears.”

She goes on to say if your head placement is excessively forward—like a turtle—or pulled backward—like a wrestler—, your neck will create unnecessary tension in your voice. Neck stress affects vibration. And since the sound waves from voices result from vibration, our voice will tire more quickly.

Correct head placement falls at the middle of the forward and backward extremes. Think of an entirely forward head as a one and a fully pulled back one as a ten. Position your head at the middle, a four, five, or six. “It should feel like a bobblehead,” says Doyle, “where the head glides easily on the spine.”

Perform outside of your comfort zone

Douglas Liantonio, marketing analyst at Gravy and 15-year veteran of audio engineering and voice acting, encourages people to perform characters outside their comfort zone. You should be scared or reluctant to play your character, he says, because those performances help you break out of your shell and wear your emotions in the booth.

While delivering uncomfortable lines, add emotion to each sentence in a pre-recording take. For example, say “wowwee” several times before recording a line where you should sound excited. After doing these short emotion-centered practices, you’ll be primed for longer periods of voice over recording.

Find and emphasize each sentence’s power word

Power words are the portion of a sentence we consciously or unconsciously emphasize to add meaning or evoke emotion. Vanessa Cuddeford, a former TV news anchor and reporter, suggests looking for and emphasizing the power word of each sentence when recording.

“In everyday conversation,” says Cuddeford, “we use the correct stress without thinking about it. But when we read out loud, we often place stress in unnatural ways.” If you place stress in the wrong power word, your sentences’ message will change.

One of her examples shows the importance of being mindful of the word being emphasized. Read the following sentence seven times, stressing a different word each time—I hit a pothole on my bike. If you put stress on I, the sentence revolves around who hit the pothole. If you stress the word bike, the emphasis is the bike hit a pothole, not a car.

It’s easy to highlight the wrong power word when recording, especially if you haven’t gone through voice over training. To avoid this mistake, find the power word in your sentence before recording and underline it in your script so you remember to emphasize it.

Record your line in three voice tones to find the most energetic

It’s common to sound underpowered during your initial voice overs, so it’s crucial to find your voice’s most expressive side by recording your lines in three versions.

In the first, use a dull, expressionless voice. In the next, speak the same line with your usual energy and standard voice level. Finally, record one last version where you add as much energy as you can, up to the point of sounding crazy. “In most cases,” says Vanessa Cuddeford, you’ll find the “dull” and “normal” versions won’t sound very different from each other. And the “crazy” version won’t sound so crazy after all!”

If you do this exercise, remember your energy during each version and lean towards the crazier side of the spectrum: it’s not as crazy as you think.

Take a hot drink into your recording space to avoid a dry mouth

Martin Talbot, a voice over artist with over a decade of experience, advises taking a hot drink into the recording space. By sipping a hot drink, you’ll avoid missing syllables and rough sounds due to a dry throat and tongue. Hot drinks can maintain and recover your voice’s peak quality.

On one occasion, Martin noticed his voice started to dry out during a voice over for a long YouTube script, leading to coughing between takes. Coughs cause several issues: a rough-sounding voice, slower voice over recording, and extra workload during editing. “Taking a 2-minute break with a warm drink,” says Martin, “allowed me to deliver the last paragraph in one take, saving a lot of time.”

For additional quick tips, read these best practices from the Vyond team.

Improve your voice over skills without formal voice over training

Challenge yourself to implement these tips before and during your next voice over session. This expert-backed advice will improve your voice over skills, something you can apply in several situations: recording explainer videos, narrating case studies, or giving life to a fictional character inside Vyond.

In Vyond, an intuitive cloud-based animation software, anyone can create stories aligned with their brand or ideas. Our platform also lets you add self-recorded voice overs, so characters communicate with the viewer at a pace, tone, and style you like. See where your creativity can take you with a free 14-day trial of Vyond.

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In a world where the options for voice talent are abundant and in high demand, teams without experience may find hiring the right voice artist and recording high-quality voice overs to be challenging. But this group of stellar video voice over examples can help you define your voice over needs. Share them with your team and study the elements that make each voice over project excellent, and then you can aim to replicate these successes in your upcoming project.

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George Clooney’s interview voice over for Nespresso

Actor and film director George Clooney recorded an interview-style voice over for Nespresso’s Reviving Origins program. The goal of the program is to boost coffee production in local economies in regions where conflicts, environmental catastrophes, and fiscal issues have stopped production.

Nespresso flew George Clooney to one of the coffee-growing areas. As a result, he wasn’t just a voice actor narrating a story—he was able to speak about the program from firsthand experience.

While he spoke, the video displayed b-roll shots of him walking the coffee trails to see the program’s impact. His involvement made the voice over sound natural—a trait that listeners often find appealing—as if he were having a conversation with a friend at a coffee shop. While he spoke, the video displayed b-roll shots of him walking the coffee trails. 

For your next video, involve your voice artist in your project. For example, if the voice over artist will be explaining your product, send them a sample or show them a demo. Or, if it’s a video about your company culture, introduce them to your mission, values, and team. Your voice talent doesn’t need to be in your video, but when voice artists experience your company’s value proposition, they’re more likely to think of your project as more than just another script read.

Rob Paulsen’s cartoon voice acting for Vanity Fair

Rob Paulsen, an Emmy-award-winning voice actor, has been part of the voice over industry for more than two decades. During a video for Vanity Fair, Paulsen improvises voices for 12 cartoon characters. Note: some language in the video below is not safe for work.

The video shows Rob’s ability to voice characters without receiving a brand profile or detailed script. Instead, he chooses a convincing voice for characters by looking at their pictures, whether it’s for a yellow, tentacled creature or a distinguished older man. Because of his capacity to identify and interpret character traits, he’s capable of recording excellent voice overs for any project.

While amateurs and intermediate-level voice artists won’t likely perform with as little direction as Rob does, you can use his video voice over examples to set up your chosen voice actor for success. First, define your brand’s profile, including a series of qualities and emotions that your voice artist should convey. Then, use a professional search site or a voice talent agency to access the top voice talent your budget allows.

Jon Bailey as “Epic Voice Guy” for Screen Junkies

Jon Bailey is the voice narrator for Screen Junkies’ “Honest Trailers,” an Emmy-nominated YouTube series in which he and his team produce sarcastic movie reviews.

Bailey, known by fans as Epic Voice Guy, started recording for the series at the end of 2012 after one actor left for the military and two didn’t master the parody trailer format the company needed. Bailey did. Now, after 260 Honest Trailers, fans instantly associate Bailey’s voice with the series.

Your listeners will associate your brand with the voice actor you hire, especially if they work with you on multiple projects. So, it’s essential to find one with a style and tone that aligns with your brand.

To do this, write a set of voice characteristics your brand must have, such as a grave, polished voice or a young, cheerful one. Find video voice over examples to fit some of your descriptions and then, schedule auditions where in-house or external voice talent can read a few lines from your script. Finally, with your team, choose the voice over talent that best represents your brand’s voice style.

Brandon’s internal voice talent for Microsoft Enable

Brandon is a team member of Xbox. He recorded a voice over for this animated Vyond video to teach developers how to make their video games more accessible through Microsoft Enable’s products.

Brandon’s explanation is delivered in short lines, allowing developers and non-developers to follow the story even if they’ve never heard of Xbox’s accessibility principles. If Brandon used industry jargon and unclear sentences, the voice overs would be confusing the listeners.

When writing your voice over’s script, ask yourself, “could a novice follow my story or understand this explanation?” If the answer is no, your ideas are either too complex or too convoluted. So, add examples, use simpler words, and trim unnecessary paragraphs from your script.

Aaron Paul’s commercial voice over for Mazda

Aaron Paul, an actor best known for his role as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, has recorded a series of commercial voice overs for Mazda. In the following example, he is the voice for Aaa Driver’s Life, a commercial that shows how Mazda follows a man through his life’s most meaningful moments.

Aaron records as an omnipresent narrator, modifying his voice based on the milestones in the man’s life. For example, he raises his tone in excitement when the man has a BBQ with his college peers. Then he sounds more soothing when the man is on a road trip with his significant other.

Because of tone variations, the listener receives context of what the man felt during specific scenes, helping them connect with the actor.

A script alone can only go part of the way to convey emotions to your target audience. The right voice over artist can take it the rest of the way. To help your voice over artist hit the right emotional notes, underline scenes in your script where the voice actor should modify their voice to express a feeling. So, for example, if a product launch should excite listeners, tell your voice talent to transmit that excitement.

Nancy Cartwright’s voice acting for The Simpsons

Nancy Cartwright is a veteran voice actress, recording for well-known shows like The Simpsons, Animaniacs, and Rugrats. In the example below, she records lines for her seven Simpsons characters in under a minute.

For the show, Cartwright records the voices of six teenagers and a baby, which means the producers don’t have to hire or direct as many voice actors.

If your video requires multiple voices, say two, hire a voice actor capable of performing both voices (if possible). You’ll save time teaching two different voice actors about your brand and project while also experiencing shorter feedback sessions.

Evans Hankey and Gary Geaves for Apple

Evans Hankey and Gary Geaves are vice presidents of industrial design and acoustics at Apple, respectively. They recorded a voice over for a video introducing Apple’s latest headphones: the AirPods Max.

They aren’t professional voice artists, but they’re two internal experts behind the product, which adds weight to their words. This kind of credibility builds trust, and trust raises the likelihood of purchasing. Apple likely knows this, so they show the technology behind the product, explain it, and clearly describe each feature’s benefit.

Whenever you’re selling a product, describe your product’s use cases and tell people why they should care about what’s on the screen. This simple action will make your listener more confident investing in what you offer.

Use these video voice over examples to inspire your next video

You can increase your voice over’s overall quality by applying these video voice over examples and lessons from seasoned experts. Then, when you are ready to record, choose who will do it: your team or an external professional.

Once you receive your audio file, it’s time to either synchronize your audio and pre-produced video or create it from scratch. With Vyond, an intuitive animated video creation software, anyone can create stories aligned with their brand or ideas. Our platform also lets you add voice overs to communicate with your viewer at a pace, tone, and style you like. See where your creativity can take you with a free 14-day trial of Vyond.

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Recording Audio for Vyond videos

Choose the device you want to use and decide if you’ll be recording directly into Vyond Studio or utilizing another platform first.

Recording directly into Vyond is a great option for voice-over that is short and simple. So, if your recording device is of sufficient quality, and you don’t anticipate needing to edit your audio, record away! However, if you anticipate needing to make lots of internal cuts to your audio track, or want to apply special audio effects, you might want to consider recording the audio with complementary software (like Voice Memos on iOS or Quicktime), and then import the edited file into Vyond Studio.

Before you record

Your computer’s microphone can record audio, but not high-quality audio, often picking up undesired sounds from your surroundings.

In contrast, external microphones, like those from your smartphone’s headphones or USB microphones, capture more precise frequencies and tones, making your voice-over more pleasant for the listener.

It’s a good idea to record a sample of one or two sentences, then listen back with headphones. Headphones help you hear your voice much clearer than your laptop speakers, making it easier to spot loud fans, voice volume issues, and enunciation errors before finishing your final take.

Follow these best practices for the highest-quality voice recording possible.

Recording audio outside of Vyond

Recording audio in Vyond is a great option for simple clips. But, sometimes you’ll need a bit more control. That’s when it makes sense to record audio outside of Vyond.

As Taylor shows in the video above, there are lots of great devices you can use to record high-quality, easy-to-edit tracks. Once you get familiar with basic concepts, like compression, you’ll be able to create a recording that’s much richer than what you can achieve with an iPhone.

For further control, edit your recording in an advanced, specialized audio editor like Audacity to remove room tone, fine-tune the levels, and make any internal cuts.

Importing audio into Vyond

If you recorded your audio outside of Vyond, here’s how to import it: Drag and drop your audio file(s) anywhere in Vyond Studio which will add it to the Upload tab.

As long as individual files are below 15MB, you can import the voice-over as one file. If the file’s size is bigger than 15MB, divide your audio track(s) into multiple files to reduce their size before importing them into Vyond.

Recording audio in Vyond

Vyond includes audio recording and editing features with the ability to make simple cuts and volume adjustments. To record audio directly into Vyond:

• Click the Audio icon
• Click Add Audio to launch the Mic Recording window

There you can either press Record right away or paste in a portion of the script you want to read; the script lines won’t disappear after you hit Record. You may also choose to keep the script open in a separate window or to print it out. If you do print your script make sure not to rustle the papers while recording.

In Vyond Studio, you can record your voice-over in as many takes as you need. For example, you can hit Record, say one sentence, hit Stop, listen to how good it sounds, and only record the next line once you perform the previous one to your liking. Using this method, you won’t have to edit out poorly delivered lines, but it might take longer to record.

Alternatively, you can record your lines multiple times without stopping your recording until you get your best takes on the entire script. You’ll just have to edit out the bad takes later. Depending on the length of the script this might be more time-consuming than recording your audio outside of Vyond.

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How to make characters lip sync to audio in Vyond Studio

At Vyond, we recommend recording your audio before you begin creating your video. This will make the animation process easier, as you can make your scenes the exact length you need to match your voiceover. Alternatively, you can add voice-over in Vyond to finished videos, which we’ll go over in the second part of this section.

If you are beginning to animate after you add voice-over in Vyond:

Method 1

• Select the character who’ll be speaking in the first scene they appear, click on Add Dialog under the Dialog Panel, and choose Existing Audio.
  • If you have not imported your audio files yet, select Upload Audio.
• By default, Vyond will open the Upload Panel.
• Locate your imported audio file, then click it to assign it to your character and add the audio track to the timeline.

Method 2

• Add your voiceover audio to your timeline, starting at the scene in which you’d like your character to start speaking.
• Right-click the voiceover file in your timeline and choose Settings.
• At the top of the Settings panel, there is a drop-down menu where you can assign your audio to any character in the scene.
  • You can also unassign audio from a character in the Settings panel.

Tip #1: Choosing Continue Scene from the timeline will keep lip sync/assigned audio connected to characters.

Tip #2: If you import or record one long audio file in Vyond, after assigning it to a character, you can copy and paste that character into other scenes and their lip sync will continue to work.

If you’re recording audio into a finished Vyond video:

Note: You will need to record and assign audio for each individual scene that your character speaks.

• Click on the scene in the timeline with the character you want to assign audio to.
• Within that scene, select the character that you’d like to lip sync.
• Click on Add Audio, then Mic Recording
• Click the microphone icon to begin recording.
  • You may paste your script into the text box so you can read along as you record.
• Once finished recording, retime your scene length as needed to fit the audio.
• Move on to the next scene and repeat the process.

If you’re adding imported audio into a finished Vyond video:

Note: You will either need to record your audio in short clips (by scene) or cut up your audio file in the timeline before assigning.

For scene-length individual audio files:

• Import all of your audio files into Vyond Studio.
• Click on the scene in the timeline with the character you want to assign audio to.
• Within that scene, select the character that you’d like to lip sync.
• Click on Add Audio, then Existing Audio.
  • If you have not imported your audio files yet, select Upload Audio.
• Locate your imported audio file, then click it to assign it to your character and add the audio track to the timeline.
• Retime your scene length as needed to fit the audio.
• Move on to the next scene and repeat the process.

For video-length audio files:

• Import your audio file into Vyond Studio.
• Click your imported audio file to add it to the timeline
• Split your audio into scene-length sections by right-clicking the audio track in your timeline and choosing Split.
• Line up your split-up audio with the corresponding scenes.
• Starting with the first scene, right-click on the voice-over track in the timeline and choose settings.
• Use the Assign Audio dropdown box at the top of the Settings Panel to assign the audio to the desired character within that scene.
• Repeat this process for any remaining scenes.

As a rule of thumb, assign each character’s audio track in the first scene they appear. This way, the voiceover stays attached to the character during the editing phase.

Edit your audio in Vyond Studio

Vyond Studio offers essential tools to edit your audio, like the ability to adjust a track’s volume or split and reassemble your audio tracks. If you need advanced audio editing capabilities it might be easier for you to edit your audio outside of Vyond, but here’s what you can do within Vyond Studio:

Audio cuts

If you recorded one long audio track in Vyond, you’ll want to split it up before building your scenes. In some cases, you may also need to cut out pauses in your audio recording.

To split a track, you must first place your cursor over the audio timeline where you want the split to be. You’ll see a blue line appear on your audio timeline. Then, right-click the blue line and choose “split.” Your single audio track will now be two. You can either move the audio to align with the video, or you can delete the portion you don’t want.

To delete a portion of your audio, right-click over the track you want to be deleted and click Delete. Or simply press your computer’s delete key.

Audio fades

Audio fades are one of the best-kept secrets of professional video editors. They’re a great way to overcome common audio issues, like ambient room tone, by creating a more seamless soundscape for your video. In Vyond Studio, you can add audio fades to your project.

You can adjust the audio’s volume and fade out an audio track by right-clicking on the timeline and clicking on Settings.

Add music and sound effects

When you create a video with Vyond Studio, you have hundreds of royalty-free music tracks at your disposal. Open the audio library by selecting the music note icon (?) — next to the option to add text. You can preview each audio track in the music library, and then click it to add it to your video.

You can add sound effects to your video the same way! Like music, sound effects can go a long way in making your videos feel dynamic, emotive, and engaging. To avoid distracting audiences, though, sound effects ought to be used sparingly and thoughtfully. Look for moments where you can use sound to build a world (like adding ambient typing sounds to an office), or to punctuate a key moment of the action (like a breaking glass).

Volume adjustments

In addition to audio fades, you can adjust the volume of an entire audio track in Vyond Studio. Right-click (or CTRL + click) on the track and head to Settings to adjust the audio. This is an important finishing touch on any video to make sure the right audio is cutting through. You wouldn’t want your music to wash out your narrator, for example!

Add voice-over in Vyond to bring your videos to life.

Use Vyond Studio’s set of tools to fix mistakes during your recording session or synchronize properly executed takes with your animations. As long as you produced your script with a goal or audience in mind, a clear voice-over will engage and enhance your project’s appeal.

After you’ve recorded, imported, and edited your audio, it’s time to create your video…..

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You can hire a trustworthy and high-quality voice actor easily enough with some guidance and knowledge of some reputable sources. Here’s how to hire voice actors where to find the best voice talent.

How to hire a voice actor

Write a script that includes notes for your voice actor

Complete your script and finalize it internally before starting your voice talent search. This video from Rued Riis will help lay the foundation for one scriptwriting style. 

As you write your script, be sure to prepare it with voice performance details. Include notes such as “extend a pause after this line to sound mysterious,” “emphasize this word to sound more heroic,” or “use a sarcastic tone for this line and a happy customer service voice for this line”

While often overlooked, these notes on reading certain lines are the difference between receiving a good voice over and an excellent voice over that conveys exactly what you’re looking to communicate.

Determine what additional services you’ll need from your voice actor

A voice actor’s voice over experience is one of several variables to look at when hiring talent for your voice over. The industries they’ve worked with, the voices they specialize in, and the services they provide all play a role in your voice over’s quality.

Let’s say you’ll pick one of two voice over actors to record a voice over for an explainer video: one specialized in explainer videos and one who isn’t. While both can deliver a high-quality voice over, the one trained in explainer videos can propose changes on enunciation, words, and voice style that will benefit your video; a non-specialized voice actor is less likely to offer such services.

Define your brand’s voice profile and create a job description

Your brand’s voice profile is a set of characteristics and emotions that listeners associate with your brand. Defining your brand’s voice profile will help you locate a voice artist to consistently record voice overs in the same style.

Describe each emotion, trait, or characteristic of your brand’s voice in detail to avoid ambiguity. List your brand’s emotions, feelings, and voice characteristics and support each of these with an example. For instance, if you want your voice to have a British accent, sound young, transmit excitement, and appear genuine, reach a team consensus on what each of these means before hiring a voice over actor.

Your voice over job description will be a blend between your script, additional services (audio editing, for example), and your brand’s voice profile. 

Give feedback to your voice actor

Even after sending a script and job requirements, your new voice actor may not record every line in the tone and style you want.

Send them detailed feedback on lines you aren’t happy with, highlighting what went wrong and right. For example, you can tell them to sound more energetic during a specific line while providing a detailed explanation of what energetic means for your team.

Through quick, detail-rich feedback, they’ll be able to record new lines and send you improved audio files shortly.

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Where to find professional voice over artists

Voice actors offer different services, price packages, and levels of expertise, depending on where you look for them. Overall, there are four types of places to find the most professional voice over artists. With this guide, you’ll learn how to hire a voice actor for your next project. 

The video above is voiced by Laura Schreiber, a super happy full-time, professional voice over actress who does commercial, character, eLearning, narration, and promo work. Some of her advice about searching for a professional voice over artist is included below.

Professional search sites

Professional search sites are websites where you can access a pool of experienced voice actors. These sites help you find, manage, and make sure your voice over project meets your standards.

Besides exclusively offering experienced voice actors, the benefit of professional search sites is their vast number of filters. Most of these sites let you narrow your search by industry, voice type, and services they offer, among other filters.

Bunny Studio

Bunny Studio is a platform that assembles professional voice over artists. Each voice actor is pre-vetted so companies can exclusively hire top talent to be the voice for their video game, advertisement, learning, movie trailer, or other situation.

On Bunny Studio, you can browse voice over samples from the artists on the site, narrowing by filters like language, keywords, and purpose of the voice over. From there, you can submit your job description to choose a voice actor you like.

If you aren’t a fan of browsing through samples, you can hold auditions or let AI pair you with a voice actor based on your voice over’s needs.

GM Voices

GM Voices is a team of over 1,000 contracted voice actors recording voice overs for eLearning, explainer videos, audiobooks, and six other formats. Their voice artists use the company’s 18,000-foot production facility, ensuring every voice over meets your quality standards, allowing them to produce engaging, high-quality voice overs like the one below.

In GM Voices, you can follow the standard procedure of browsing through voice actors and choosing one. Alternatively, one of their associates can shortlist voice actors based on your preferences and budget.

Then, after adding your script alongside special notes on pronunciation or emotion, you can either wait for the recording to be over or dial into their phone bridge to listen as the voice over is recorded to provide real-time feedback.

Voiceover.biz

Voiceover.biz is a website where worldwide companies can hire professional voice over actors to record in dozens of languages. Their voice talent is part of the World-Voices Organization (WoVO), an association of voice artists that rigorously evaluates each potential member’s expertise before letting them in.

To find a voice over actor in Voiceover.biz, you need to browse through their list of qualified professionals, review each voice actor’s experience and samples, and then contact the one you like the most directly. Since Voiceover.biz doesn’t mediate the relationship, it’s essential to send a detailed job description and build a contract you both agree on.

Still looking for more? Voice123 and Voice Archive are two more search sites to try. 

Voice talent agencies

Voice talent agencies know the nuances of the voice over industry, so they can find voice actors who exceed your expectations. These agencies depend on their voice artist’s performance, so they make sure to follow meticulous steps to guarantee customer satisfaction.

In exchange for a fee, usually between 10% and 20% of the voice actor’s earnings, these agencies will hold auditions for you, saving you time in the search process. Other agencies, like Stars, have a pre-selected roster of professional voice artists you can hire through their directory or auditions after submitting your script and requirements.

At Vyond, we used Stars in San Francisco to help us locate and audition voice actors for this company explainer video: 

Freelance marketplaces

Freelance marketplaces are platforms where millions of worldwide independent workers signup to offer their services. Because of its freelancer diversity, you can easily find voice artists with the qualities you need.

While some freelance marketplaces like TopTal vet their freelancers, but most don’t have a rigorous selection process. Therefore, you have to research candidates more than you might on professional platforms where voice actors are pre-vetted.

Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelance marketplace where anyone can offer services to companies and individuals. As a result, you’ll find voice actors with various accents, tones, pricing packages, and experience levels. Inside the platform, voice artists publish their skill sets and services, and you, the company, contact them to work together after seeing their work.

Fiverr’s platform is intuitive. Once you log in, type “voice over actor” and any word that helps you narrow the search, like explainer videos, female, or French Canadian accents. When looking at freelancers, focus on those with numerous positive reviews or Fiverr’s Pro badge, a certification of the freelancer’s expertise in what they are offering.

Voices.com

Voices.com is a marketplace exclusively for voice over actors. Unlike in regular freelance marketplaces, like Upwork or Freelancer, you’ll find experienced voice over artists who make a living from recording voice overs, without needing to search through hundreds of amateurs searching for their first gig.

After creating an account, you can fill in the job posting and information from your job description, including a portion of your script. Voice artists from the platform will then read your script as part of their audition so you can sense the entire project’s quality.

Google

Google is the world’s largest search engine, so it’s impossible not to find a voice over actor in its database. However, their size can also work against you, hiding potentially great voice over actors and prioritizing the search results for those following SEO best practices.

While searching on Google, take information from your brand’s voice profile to avoid broad searches like “voice artist” and write more specific queries like “millennial male voice artist” or “mature feminine Spanish accent voice artist.”

Hire a voice actor for your next animated video

Now that you’ve found a professional voice actor, it’s time to create your video. You can easily create videos with intuitive animation tools, like Vyond.

With our platform, you can create a storyboard, that is, a visual representation of what’ll happen during each of your script’s scenes. Then, you can create animations that are perfectly synchronized with your audio, even if you don’t have previous animation or audio editing experience.

See where your creativity can take you with a free 14-day trial of Vyond.

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Great voice actors we recommend

• Andrea J Pierre – With a background in Instructional Design, Behavioral Health, and Social Justice, Andrea is uniquely qualified for a variety of projects
• Galena White – A multi-talented voice actor for West African English, British English, kids voices, animated characters, and eLearning videos 
• George Washington III – An authoritative political voice with a range for sports, upbeat and inspirational content, commercials, and even classical singing
• Laura Schreiber – A super-happy, conversational, millennial-sounding voice
• Lauren Nicole Goode – The voice of many Vyond videos since 2013; highly recommended
• Martin Talbot – An energetic British actor with over a decade of experience
• Paul Boucher – An expert in unaccented Canadian French, Canadian English, and American English 
• Sanjo Ogunseye – A soothing African-accented voice talent with a wide variety of experience; based in Nigeria
• Samuel Flemming – Someone you may recognize from Marriott and HP
• Sophia Cruz – Specializes in English to Spanish voiceovers in Mexican Spanish, LATAM Spanish, or neutral Spanish
• Susie Valerio – A global voice with a tropical touch in English or Brazilian Portuguese

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The problem is they don’t know what to do. And you, their teammate, don’t know either, potentially compromising the quality of your voice-over.

To direct your internal voice-over talent toward a successful project, you need to give your inexperienced actors precise instructions to connect emotionally with your listeners while also making them comfortable in this new role.

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Prepare the recording details

Ideally, you’ll be able to direct your internal voice-over talent in a recording studio together, but that might not be possible for a number of reasons. Whether you’re preparing your colleague via email, providing live-stream moral support, or standing next to them in the recording booth there are several factors to consider. 

If you can’t control the recording environment in person, you’ll need to make sure your voice actor has a decent microphone, a quiet recording space, and proper microphone placement. 

Here’s an internal Vyond video we share with our employees before they record a voice-over on their own. 

Ensure your colleague understands your target audience

To record lines in a tone and style of voice that attracts your target audience, it’s crucial to study your future listener. Otherwise, you risk recording a voice-over your listeners can’t relate to or won’t enjoy.

First, determine what your colleague already knows about the audience and then share more information with them, like the reasons why prospects reach out to your brand or how employees feel about your current training videos.

After your colleague understands the viewers’ emotions, they can incorporate them into the project, making it more relatable. For example, instead of reading a line in their regular voice style, your new voice-over talent can make their voice sound frustrated during a scene they know would stress your customers.

Help them prepare their voice 

Your internal voice-over artist may be uncomfortable recording a voice-over because they’re not a professional. Their initial instinct when recording may be stiff or formal and they’re unlikely to know how to prepare their voice ahead of time. 

Warm-ups are one way to help them feel more at ease while recording. Before your recording day, gather challenging tongue twisters. Then, tell your colleague to practice them. When you rehearse tricky sentences like tongue twisters, says voice actor Rio Rocket, the sentences from your script will be a cakewalk.

Instructing your colleague to drink water and get enough sleep will also improve their sound. Here are some simple tips to improve voice-over skills without formal voice training.

Share tricks to nail the right tone

You probably have a clear idea of the right tone for your video’s voice-over, but describing that tone to others is challenging since emotions are abstract. Instead of giving vague instructions—think, “can you sound happier?”—try these tricks to help your colleague express the tone you want.

Tell them to imagine they are talking to a friend

Susan Glow, Manager of the Award-Winning Voice Over Talent known as the Glow Girls, recommends having your colleague envision talking to a friend so the recording sounds conversational.

When focusing on an audience as we speak, we can sound unnatural because the “audience” is not a person you know. As a result, it’s common to incorporate voice traits we think these people like, such as sounding posh or like a millennial. But since you are forcing these traits into your speech, your voice ends up sounding unappealing.

In contrast, our voice tone sounds more natural when we focus on a friend. Consequently, the voice-over sounds like a conversation, which she says is usually better received in today’s world.

Share examples of other voice actors expressing different emotions

People define emotions differently. For example, your colleague might define a lazy voice as informal and fast, but you might define a lazy voice as one that’s slow. To ensure your colleagues perform the line how you want, share examples of voice actors conveying these emotions.

Examples remove the subjectiveness from vague directives like “act like a veteran lawyer” or “sound like an unusually intelligent ten-year-old,” allowing your colleague to listen to the voice tone and style they need to follow during the recording. So instead of saying “sound lazy,” tell them to speak slowly as a way of sounding lazy while showing your colleague examples of voice actors displaying laziness.

To find what you need, it might be best to search through popular animated TV shows or act the lines yourself. The Vyond template library and this post with 7 industry-leading voice-over examples will also help you find useful examples. 

Direct your internal voice-over talent to smile while recording

Speaking with a smile can add warmth to your voice.

For example, say, “there’s a snake in my boot,” in two ways. First, while slightly opening your mouth, like if you were experiencing extreme boredom. Then, with a complete smile, like when greeting your dog. You’ll find the smile-full version will sound warmer, while the “bored” version tends to sound lifeless.

Besides adding warmth to your colleague’s voice, smiles also modify how your audience perceives your character. For instance, if you are recording for a young audience, says voice-over coach Marc Cashman, you’ll need to smile more than if you were recording for an older audience.

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Make their first recording a one-take

Your colleagues are likely the most anxious during the first take. Help them get the jitters out by recording a rough first take of the entire script.

When you let your colleagues record without pauses, you allow the entire team, says Glow, to understand the timing between lines and sections that might need rephrasing or changes in the pace. You might get lucky, and this first take might end up being the best. But if there’s room for improvement, she says, go back to each section or line and record each several times until you get the best one.

Regardless of the first take’s quality, praise your colleague’s bravery for recording in one take without previous voice-over experience, alongside any particular line you found great. These compliments motivate them to give their best during the rest of the session.

Pay attention to their diction

Listeners won’t understand your colleague’s voice-over if the diction is unclear, prompting them to leave before the end or falsely interpret your video’s messaging. Direct your internal voice-over talent with enunciation tips to avoid this scenario.

Give your colleague a copy of your script so they can rehearse it before recording. Besides getting used to your stories’ pacing, they may spot words they don’t know how to pronounce, which you can later clarify.

Additionally, tell your colleague to slow down and articulate each word clearly. Because of the slow pace, it’s harder to skip words than if they spoke at their regular speed. Once they grasp each word, resume the project by telling them to record based on the script’s guidelines.

Highlight what they are doing right

Because your colleague isn’t a professional, they may feel overwhelmed or discouraged recording their first voice over. These feelings are likely to lead to stress, affecting their performance.

Therefore, to ensure they enjoy the project, give your colleague positive feedback throughout the recording. Highlight what they are doing right, for example, by praising an emotion-driven line they just performed, so they enjoy performing instead of constantly wishing to go back to their regular tasks.

Use Speech Enhancement

Vyond’s Speech Enhancement feature – powered by VyondAI – automatically removes background noises to make your voice-over sound crisp and clean. Don’t worry about that lawnmower in the background – just click on the speech enhancement toggle when you’ve finished recording your voice-over! It’s that simple.

Direct your internal voice-over talent for the best results

Share these tips with your internal voice actors before and during your next voice-over session. This expert-backed advice will help them improve their skills and give you a high-quality end result. 

In Vyond, an intuitive cloud-based animation software, anyone can create stories aligned with their brand or ideas. Our platform also lets you add voice-overs to communicate with your viewer at a pace, tone, and style you like. See where your creativity can take you with a free 14-day trial of Vyond.

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Conversely, service providers for professional voice overs have mastered these practices. As a result, they are capable of recording clearer, more engaging voice overs that align more with what your audience likes than what you or a team member could produce.

They know the nuances of audio recording

Voice over artists and websites offering professional voice overs know the nuances of recording audio, which allows them to record high-quality audio.

Professional voice over artists know nuances like proper mic placement and how to prevent echo and distortions. Plosives, for example, are a common issue at amateur-made voice overs. Plosives are strong sounds we cause while pronouncing consonants like P or B, which can clip your audio, causing uneditable distortion. Professional voice over service providers aren’t immune to plosives, but they know how to avoid them.

Professional voice over artists know nuances like proper mic placement and how to prevent echo and distortions.

Individuals offering professional voice overs built a perfect recording space and trained their voices through trial and error. As a result, when you hire them, you get immediate access to their studios and skills instead of spending years building and understanding your own. The final result is clear.

They can convey tone, style, and emotion

Voice artists rehearse thousands of lines each year in different tones and styles. So to record a voice over that matches the qualities and emotions of different client’s stories, voice artists learned to adapt their voice without compromising clear diction, unlike amateur voice over artists.

When an amateur voice over artist, say, a team member, has to record a voice over, it’s common for them to sound unnatural, like a robot or an old radio host. In their minds, an expert has to emphasize and add energy to each word, so they do it. But that’s far from reality.

Professionals execute your script flawlessly, representing your brand how you want.

Professional voice over artists modify the tone, volume, personality, and intensity of their voice based on the purpose of the voiceover and the script. So while they may sound excited during a voiceover for a sports commercial, they’ll reduce their energy while recording the voice for an emotional or sad situation.

An amateur voice over artist can hit record, but they may not be able to communicate the emotions and voice qualities your team defined as effectively as a professional, which may affect your story’s message. On the other hand, professionals execute your script flawlessly, representing your brand how you want.

They can help you understand your audience better

Some experts offer professional voice over services to a few niches. They know these industries’ listeners’ emotions and performance expectations, which allows them to choose the style, tones, words, and pauses necessary to entertain them.

For instance, voice actors unspecialized in your niche will record a high-quality voice over based on your script’s notes. So you’ll be in charge of telling them which words to emphasize and describing the voice style. The issue, however, is you likely don’t have experience recording audio for your audience, so your script’s notes are educated guesses and not data-backed suggestions.

Voice actors specialized in your niche understand your audience’s reaction to different voice styles, allowing them to choose the best one depending on your scene’s purpose.

In contrast, voice actors specialized in your niche understand your audience’s reaction to different voice styles, allowing them to choose the best one depending on your scene’s purpose. They can recommend rewriting an entire scene to make it more appealing, too, backing their suggestion with data and hands-on experience.

Internal teams use information from their buyer personas and other customer-defining frameworks to ensure their voice over has a pace, language, and tone appealing to their customers. Unfortunately, these frameworks define a fictional customer based on ideal qualities instead of using information from the real world, as a specialized voice over artist does.

They come in different price ranges

Professional voice over costs can vary depending on a variety of factors. Voice artists set prices based on their turnaround time, involvement in unions, focus industry, experience, and the length of your script. Because of the diversity of actors and projects, there’s voice talent within your budget.

For example, companies seeking next-day deliveries will likely invest more than those placing projects within a month of their deadline. Besides reducing costs, the latter also has more time to submit feedback to the artist, increasing the likelihood of receiving a recording every team member loves.

Because of several price ranges for professional voice over services, it’s simple to find an artist who suits your budget.

The cost of hiring a voice artist also varies depending on whether they are part of a union or not. When you hire a union member, you’ll usually pay a higher rate than an independent voice talent. That pay increase is perhaps explained by how unions set a minimum pay rate to provide above-average pay to members. However, if any dispute happened between you and the voice talent, you can contact the union’s members to solve the conflict.

In contrast, non-union voice talent typically charges less because they don’t have to invest in a union’s membership fees. Unlike with unions, no one acts as an intermediary if any dispute arises.

Because of several price ranges for professional voice over services, it’s simple to find an artist who suits your budget. For example, at Bunny Studio, a professional search site for pre-vetted voice artists, you can find affordable options for $46 for a hundred-word script to over $1,000 for the same length.

They can edit and add music to your voice over’s audio

Voice artists know not every client has an audio production team ready to synchronize their voice over to their video or animation or add music and sound effects. So many professional voice over artists can assist these clients through additional services.

If none of your team’s members can work with many audio tracks or video clips at once, hire an expert who can. Otherwise, you risk ruining a high-quality voice over.

For example, there are voice artists who have mastered Audacity and Adobe Audition, two well-known audio editing software, to include and edit any audio tracks the client wants for their project—with the characteristics they want. Others specialize in video editing software so they can help clients to synchronize their audio and video perfectly.

Not every company needs a voice artist who offers audio or video editing. But if none of your team’s members can work with many audio tracks or video clips at once, hire an expert who can. Otherwise, you risk ruining a high-quality voice over.

Hire a professional voice over artist for your next project

Professional voice over service providers, like freelancers, marketplaces, and professional search sites, can execute your script’s ideas flawlessly.

You can use Bunny Studio, a professional voice over artist search site, to find pre-vetted voice actors for your upcoming project. Then, once your voice over is ready, you can add your audio to Vyond Studio and synchronize it with your video effortlessly.

With today’s technology, recording a high-quality voice over is no longer a privilege for famous directors and animation studios. Nowadays, anyone can record high-quality voice overs regardless of their team’s budget.

Create a script to guide your recording session

Creating a great script with voice over directions is your first step. In addition to telling voice artists what to say, a voice over script usually includes notes to change the tone of voice and emphasize words or emotion during specific sentences. These notes help the voice over artist narrate videos closer to your vision.

If you have a lower budget, you’ll likely have to create your script yourself. As you write, document words the voice over artist should pay close attention to, such as those where exaggerating a word or extending a pause that would make the story more engaging.

If you have the budget, hire a scriptwriter to create one for you. They have the experience to create a cohesive and compelling script, increasing your project’s overall quality.

Choose the person to record voice overs for you

This step is pretty obvious—you need a find a person to speak your voice over. Your budget determines who that person is.

No budget: use yourself or a member of your team

The cheapest person to hire is yourself or a member of your team. You may not be a professional, but you can record voice overs with a bit of preparation and practice. For example, you can practice your lines beforehand, so you get used to enunciating each word carefully.

For a warm-up, television and voice actor Rio Rocket suggests reading ten pages of words aloud every morning. Then, when you’re done, record yourself saying, “the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain,” to hear how well your diction holds up.

At Vyond, the majority of our videos are recorded by our in-house team. For larger campaigns and especially important projects, we hire a professional. 

Small or big budget: hire a professional to record voice overs

If you have the budget, hire a professional. Professional voice over artists will take less time to produce higher quality audio than you or your colleague would. They’ve been training for years, and their final product will be better than what a novice can create on their own. 

“Having a pro voice talent with a depth of experience,” says Susan, manager of the award-winning voice over team known as the Glow Girls, “will help your project run more smoothly.” And, she says, because of the rise of remote work across the industry, most artists have professional home setups to deliver high-quality audio.

Voice over artists range in price and specialty, which can make the hiring process challenging. We wrote an in-depth guide describing the process here.

Select your equipment based on your budget

The next step to recording audio is to select your recording equipment.

No budget: use smartphones

If you have no budget, the most accessible piece of equipment is the smartphone. While most smartphones come with an audio recording app, that app doesn’t give you control over critical recording settings like bit depth, sample rate, and audio file format. 

If possible, lean toward paid or freemium recording apps like Awesome Voice Recorder and ASR Voice Recorder. As your budget grows, you can invest in the Rode smartLav+, a lavalier mic that plugs directly into your smartphone and increases your voice over’s quality.

Small budget: use an audio recorder or entry-level microphone

If you have a small budget, spring for a dedicated audio recorder or entry-level microphone. Audio recorders have a higher-quality microphone than smartphones, which allows you to capture more low, mid, and high frequencies. Just like high-end audio recording apps, recorders give you full control over how you want to record and export your file.

Generally, recorders cost between $40 to $400, giving you access to affordable options like the Sony PX370 or higher-end ones like the Zoom H5 4-Track Recorder. The Blue Yeti USB microphone is also a great option. 

For recording on your computer, we recommend recording through Audacity. On a Mac, you also have free access to Quicktime and Garage Band.  

Big budget: use a microphone in studio or studio-like settings

For those with larger budgets, invest in “proper” audio recording equipment like a high-quality microphone. Microphones capture the most sound and deliver the highest voice over quality under sound-treated rooms.

Microphones fall into two categories, USB and XLR. USB microphones are the easiest to use: You plug them into your computer and start recording, unlike XLR microphones. XLR microphones use an XLR cable, which can’t connect to any computer. To use them, you need to first plug them into an audio interface that connects to your computer. While there is extra equipment involved with XLR microphones, they are more durable and provide higher sound quality than USB microphones.

The Shure SM7B is a fantastic XLR microphone you can use to record voice overs. It comes with a built-in windscreen and pop filter to protect your voice over from the wind and plosives and is compatible with popular audio interfaces like the Scarlett 4i4 or the iD4.

Pick a room that isn’t too large or too small

Regardless of budget, pay attention to your recording room. If you have a big budget and are paying for a studio, the studio or the person you hired likely assembled the space perfectly.

If you have a small or no budget, you’ll need to make some decisions. First, pick a room that isn’t too large, like an empty team office, or too small, like an empty closet. It doesn’t matter how excellent you are at audio recording or editing; you can’t clean up the echo and distortions that small and big rooms cause.

The echo from empty, big, or small rooms happens because no objects or furniture absorb your voice. As a result, sound bounces across the walls. To avoid echo and ensure good audio recording conditions, you need furniture and objects in the room that absorb your voice: wall decorations, carpets, or, even better, sound-absorbing panels.

Some workarounds will let you record high-quality audio even if you don’t have access to the best space. For example, record under a blanket so it absorbs your voice. Of course, not everyone likes being under blankets: it can be hot or make you feel claustrophobic. Put the blanket above chairs or a desk and sit under it if you prefer.

A second solution is to record in your car. Companies do acoustic treatments to cars to minimize outside noise and control reverberation. The windshield reflects your voice, so sit in the backseat or, if there’s no backseat, face the floor or the chair to absorb the noise.

Finally, record your audio in a closet surrounded by clothing and, hopefully, a carpeted floor. Sit about a foot away from the clothes and face them, so they absorb any echo.

Adjust your audio recording settings

Your audio quality is also important regardless of budget. For those with big budgets, your studio or hired audio engineer will know what makes for a good recording. For those with limited budgets, here are the basics of recording and exporting your audio file.

Record in .wav file format

.Wav is an audio format with higher quality and less compression than other formats like MP3. .Wav files carry more audio data, too, giving you more freedom to modify your audio volume, sensitivity, and frequencies without losing a lot of quality during the editing process.

Once you edit your audio, feel free to transform it into a lower-sized audio file format. Since you edited in .Wav, your audio quality will be the highest even if you change the audio format.

You don’t need a large budget to record in .wav, as affordable voice recorders let you produce voice overs in this file format. If you don’t have a budget, free smartphone apps like Awesome Voice Recorder and ASR Voice Recorder and computer audio software like Audacity let you record in .wav at no cost.

Record in 48kHz sample rate

The sounds humans hear daily are called analog audio. Computers, however, can’t understand these sounds. So they turn analog audio signals into digital signals called samples. The sample rate refers to the number of samples your recording software processes per second. The higher the sample rate, the higher the quality sound.

Free recording software like Audacity and affordable voice recorders like the TASCAM DR-05 let you choose your sample rate. Whenever you have the option, pick a sample rate of 48kHz (48,000HZ), the standard sample rate of the audio tracks used on TV shows, movies, and DVDs. If you record your voice over in a lower sample rate, say 44.1kHz, you’ll have to convert your audio’s sample rate into 48kHz, causing distortion and desynchronization between your audio and your video.

Use a 16-bit or 24-bit depth

Bit depth is the resolution on which your recording software or gadget is capturing the sound. The higher the bit depth, the more you can edit your audio without fear of distorting or reducing the quality of your audio file.

For example, with 24-bit audio, you can increase the volume of a low-sounding recording without adding noise to your audio. Because modern smartphones, audio recorders, and laptops support a 24-bit depth, it’s easy to avoid bit depths below 16-bit.

Record your voice over

No matter your budget, recording is not as simple as pressing record and saying your lines. There are directives that any voice actor —hired and from your team—must follow to ensure a high-quality final result.

Ensure proper microphone placement

When recording audio, place your recording device close to your body in between your chin and sternum. This position helps your voice sound its best and avoid distortion, regardless of your device’s cost.

When you hold your device’s microphone too close to your mouth, the mic will pick up your voice and any sounds from your mouth, leading to exaggerated consonants like Ps and Ss. On the flip side, when you hold your microphone too far, say one foot away from your mouth, you’ll lose a lot of your voice’s base and mid-tones, resulting in lower voice quality. Be sure to hold your microphone between your chin and your sternum.

Record voice overs synchronously if your team is remote

If you need to record multiple speakers simultaneously but aren’t all in the same place, you can use an online meeting software, like Zoom, to guide speakers as each record voice overs into their recording device. For example, voice artists from teams with a small budget can sit in a clothing-full closet to record as they listen to their peers’ feedback.

Teams with big budgets, where each voice artist can access a home studio, can benefit from recording synchronously, too. Dan Mirvish, an award-winning feature film director, says Zoom is a valuable tool even when working with A-list actors. “These kinds of actors expect— and still need—solid direction,” says Mirvish. He goes on to say, “to get different takes, try improvisations, and bounce ideas off each other and the director.” An additional benefit, he says, is that when actors listen to a colleague’s section of a voice over project, so they have an easier time reacting to a scene’s emotion than if they heard a pre-recorded audio and then sent their lines.

Watch out for clips in your audio

Don’t clip your audio—exceeding the maximum volume you can record. Otherwise, you’ll distort your voice over.

For clip-less audio, the volume needs to peak between -12 and -6 decibels. Nowadays, most voice recording apps and software, regardless of their price point, will let you see when your voice clips or let you set a maximum volume to your microphone to avoid this issue.

Create a video that supports your voice over

Now that your voice over is ready, it’s time to create a video that supports your story with visuals. To do this, use the same script from the voice over to create a storyboard, a visual representation of how your story unfolds, telling your animation or video production team the scenes they should create.

Whether you want to create an animated storyboard to guide your real-life story or a compelling animated video to support your voice over audio, Vyond can help. In a few clicks, you control your story, even if you’re not a professional animator.

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