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Voice Acting

7 Reasons Why Selecting the Right Voice Over for Your Video is Crucial

Tanya Chopp | May 4, 2017

A very close up shot of a camera lens, head on

By Victor Blasco

When it comes to creating a narrated video, there are some things that you just have to get right. While the quality of the video has to be spot on, the audio is equally as important because it helps to deliver your message and form the basis of what will capture the attention of your audience.

In this article

  1. By Victor Blasco
  2. 1. It’s All About the Tone
  3. 2. Your Audience Will Feel Like They Have Been Identified
  4. 3. They Show You Can be Trusted
  5. 4. A Professional Voice Over Can Help Call Your Audience to Take Action
  6. 5. They Introduce Character and Add Dimension
  7. 6. Your Video Will Sound as Great as it Looks
  8. 7. A Distinct Voice Over Can Help Your Audience Remember Your Brand
  9. Where Can You Find a Voice Over Actor?
  10. In Conclusion – You Can Never Go Wrong When You Hire a Professional Voice Actor
  11. About the Author

Put in a simple way, a professional voice over can give a powerful boost to your brand’s potential for being noticed. This is especially important for brands that are thinking of creating compelling explainer videos to enhance their marketing strategy.

Here are some of the reasons why choosing a professional is an important strategy to help set you apart from the competition:

1. It’s All About the Tone

A professional voice over actor will be able to add the right tones, as well as the right pauses when required. If the voice over is uninspiring, boring and lacking tone, the audience will simply switch off and that will mean that your video will fail miserably.

2. Your Audience Will Feel Like They Have Been Identified

You will want your narrated video to be influential in every way – and it will be –  if you have the right voice over actor.

And on that note – understanding your audience is paramount to choosing the right voice actor.

When you understand your audience, you’re better able to choose a voice that sounds like them, which in term will make your audience feel like they are better able to identify with your brand.

3. They Show You Can be Trusted

Your audience wants to be able to trust you and your brand. When you select a voice over actor whose voice sounds confident and credible, it can help you on your path to achieving this trust.

Part of your strategy may also include selecting a ‘native’ or ‘localized’ voice that carries the same accent, inflections and cadence of your target audience. Many brands find that doing so can work wonders, while the opposite (generic, non-localized voices) can make your viewers feel like they are watching a video that is not aimed at them.

4. A Professional Voice Over Can Help Call Your Audience to Take Action

Many brands create videos with the goal of driving audiences to act –  for instance, to purchase goods or services. If you have a call to action (and you should!) your voice over actor will need to announce it clearly and concisely, no matter the ‘type’ of the video you’re producing (for instance, even explainer videos have 10 types!).

The right voice over will take your viewers by the hand and guide them in the right direction.

5. They Introduce Character and Add Dimension

When you decide to use a professional voice actor, you know that your video is in safe hands. This is because they have the ability to add character and personality in a way that will give your video an extra dimension. Their interesting voice delivers enlightenment and complexity in a way that only a trained voice can. They will have your viewers hanging on to every word and create excellent brand awareness.

6. Your Video Will Sound as Great as it Looks

One of the crucial factors of ‘video success’ is the way it makes your viewers feel. This is all about representing your brand, and if the quality is great, then the audience will not only want to continue watching – they’ll also be interested to learn what your company is all about.

There’s no doubt that for the best visuals, you need the right equipment and the trained hands of a production company, especially if your end-product is an animated explainer video.

A voice over that matches the quality and effort that you’ve put into the production will make your video stand out.

7. A Distinct Voice Over Can Help Your Audience Remember Your Brand

It’s every brand’s goal to have their video to stick in the minds of their audience.

You want them to see your brand and associate it with who you are and what you are all about – and this is where voice overs can become part of the overall brand. In fact, voice overs with distinct voices and professional performances can add an element of ‘catchiness’ that can make your brand instantly recognizable.

Tip: When choosing a voice over actor, you may want to consider someone who you can work with over a longer period and in the future. This will provide your brand and your videos with an element of consistency that will look great for your business.

Where Can You Find a Voice Over Actor?

Wherever your voice actor comes from, it is vital that your production company selects one that is perfect for your needs. There are a number of ways in which a voice over actor can be found, but using an online platform provides access to thousands of professionals instantly. This kind of access and simplicity makes it possible for your video to remain on schedule and become a success.

At Voices, clients have access to over 200,000 voice over actors with many being used by brands that are known around the world. The list includes Microsoft, Reader’s Digest and the History Channel.

In addition, since narrated videos can may be used in a number of countries and as such, require voice over performances in a number of languages – a company like Voices is a great choice, offering actors who are multilingual and/or native speakers of foreign languages.

In Conclusion – You Can Never Go Wrong When You Hire a Professional Voice Actor

A voice actor is crucially important, offering much more than just a voice to ‘talk over’ a video. Professional voice actors understand what you require and what your video needs. Choosing the right voice over actor for your brand and project will provide the right touch of emotion and tone that will help to lift your video to a professional and appealing level.

Your message has to be delivered to your audience in the correct way, and a voice actor can set the tone through a voice over performance that communicates to your audience on every level. Their ability to follow a script and add in the emotion that you require, means that a voice over actor is always a good investment.

About the Author

Victor Blasco is the founder and CEO of Yum Yum Videos, audiovisual designer and video marketing expert.
 
Aside from running the business, he loves studying Chinese philosophy and is a real geek for science fiction films and comics! The force is strong with this one.

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Comments

  • Avatar for Dr Michael Pilon
    Dr Michael Pilon
    May 5, 2017, 12:31 am

    Intersting, as a newbie it is fun to see the variety explained

    Reply
  • Avatar for Duncan Lance
    Duncan Lance
    July 27, 2018, 5:59 pm

    It can really be difficult to find the right voice over artist for your production, especially if you’ve never done it before. However, I do like that the article recommends creating some uniqueness by getting someone with a distinct voice. After all, if your brand has a unique voice attached to it then it is likely that your customers will be able to remember it more vividly.

    Reply