In 2025, the Demand for Female Voices Will Top the Charts
There’s no doubt that female voices, in all of their iterations, are becoming louder and more influential. It’s been nearly 100 years since women won the right to vote in the United States, but still, a rising tide of awareness for women’s issues continues to swell.
In this article
- In 2025, the Demand for Female Voices Will Top the Charts
- Why is the Demand for Female Voices Increasing?
- The Rise of Peer-to-Peer Marketing Means More Female Voices Are Needed
- Women Have Never Had as Much (Buying) Power
- Gender’s Influence Over Advertising Messaging
- Use Famous Voices as Your Guide to Great Ads
- The Future of Female Voice Over
Not only are more and more female voices being heard, they’re in greater demand too – at least in the voice over industry, where a trend has emerged towards an increased demand for female voice over talent.
Voices’s internal data shows that over the past five years, the number of postings open to female voices has increased by 24%, whereas job postings for males has only increased by 16%.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, (in light of the increase in opportunity for work), the number of female voice actors on Voices has also increased. Since 2015, female membership on the site has skyrocketed by nearly 60%.
Truly, the future is female.
Why is the Demand for Female Voices Increasing?
When it comes to research, identifying changing numbers is one thing, but sorting out what’s driving the change is rarely that simple.
Why? Is always the golden question.
In the case of increasing job opportunities for female voice actors, there is no one, single, identifying factor. Instead, it’s likely that there are many factors at work.
The Rise of Peer-to-Peer Marketing Means More Female Voices Are Needed
For many years, voice over job postings have traditionally skewed in preference of male voices. But as the advertising industry has shifted towards digital avenues where peer-to-peer marketing is king, voice over jobs specifications have changed to reflect the new landscape. Specifically, the desire among audiences for voices that ‘sound like us,’ appears to have naturally led to a movement for more balanced representation of the marketplace.
Women Have Never Had as Much (Buying) Power
Another reason why advertisers need to pay attention to incorporating female voices? Well, women are officially the world’s most powerful consumers. Not only are more women employed outside the home, meaning they have more of their own money to spend, they also have the most influence over spending for their households.
Gender’s Influence Over Advertising Messaging
As equality becomes more and more influential in advertising, it doesn’t mean that everyone will receive the same message in the same way.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
As each gender has started to receive equal consideration in the eyes of advertisers, the output has become more tailored messaging. Ads are now intended to connect with each gender in their own unique way, and this can include how the advertising looks and sounds. And when it comes to tying in all of the elements into a seamless, powerful advertising message, voice over is a crucial consideration.
In a survey of over 1,000 advertising and creative professionals, 88% said that they agreed with the statement that, “Even if all the elements of my project come together perfectly, but the voice over isn’t good, it can prevent me from achieving my intended objectives.”
One of the dangers of hiring the wrong voice, is that it can make the intended audience feel as though the ad – and therefore the product or service – is not for them.
Use Famous Voices as Your Guide to Great Ads
If you have an intended effect in mind, it can sometimes be helpful to think about how different celebrities’ brands align with what you, (or your client), are offering. Chances are, if one famous voice makes you feel a certain vibe, your audience will also have the same association.
Thinking of (and listing out) famous voices who would be a good fit can not only help you to better describe who and what you’re looking for in a voice over, these archetypes are also deeply linked to a resulting feeling (like trustworthiness). It’s not just fluff – there are scientific reasons why, for instance, Morgan Freeman’s voice resonates on an emotional level.
Learn more about vocal archetypes and the science behind why we are drawn to famous voices.
The Future of Female Voice Over
While the data shows that the demand for female voices will surpass the demand for male voices by 2025, this doesn’t mean that opportunity will dry up for men. In fact, demand for voice over, overall, continues to grow by leaps and bounds.
What one may expect to see in the coming years, will look more like a re-balancing of what has been a traditionally male dominated industry, and a more balanced marketplace where there is more opportunity for everyone…Remember, the worth of the voice over industry is $4.4 billion dollars, and is growing everyday! There’s room for everyone to succeed.
Leave a Reply