What is voiceover?

Voiceover is a process of vocalizing or narrating an idea or a concept presented in content such as movies, videos, animations, documentaries, infographics, images, etc. Many times, the voiceover recordings also include music and sound effects to make the content engaging. 

What are the common types of voiceover? 

Lip-sync: The voiceover is perfectly timed to match the lip movements of the character on screen.

Phrase-sync: The voiceover is matched with every phrase displayed on the video.

Timed: The voiceover artist has to complete the recording within a stipulated time period, not a second more not a second less.

Untimed: The voiceover artist does not have a timeline to follow for their recording. They need not synchronize their voice with the video.

Who is a voiceover artist?

A voiceover artist is someone who provides a voiceover service. The artist uses their voice to read a pre-written script to explain the content’s idea or concept clearly. Often, the voice artist is only heard and not seen as they speak from behind the camera. Today, voiceover services have become very popular among businesses, and voiceover artists are among the most sought-after professions.

What are the essential qualities of a voiceover artist?

• Powerful dialogue delivery:  The artist should ensure they deliver the dialogue in a way that leaves a longing impression on the listeners. The diction, tone, pause, etc., must be perfect. The audience must find the dialogue delivery pleasant yet powerful.  

• Flexibility:  The voiceover artist must be flexible and ready to provide quality voiceover services for any content. From images to documentaries, the artist must easily adapt to the style and rhythm as specified by the customer.  

• Voice intensity: The artist must train their voice to keep the audience interested. The voice must have an alluring intensity, which the artist should adjust depending on the content they are vocalizing. For instance, while reading out a humorous sentence, the intensity of the voice must not be too heavy.

• Adept with technology:  The artist must know the latest and state-of-the-art tools and technology such as pro-tools, wave and mp3, raw recording, that help them deliver powerful voiceovers. The artist must have the right equipment to polish or modulate the voice recording for effectiveness if needed.  

• Confidence: Businesses today opt for voiceover services to garner a more extensive audience base. They want their content to be consumed by a maximum number of people worldwide. The voiceover artist must ensure their voice is not meek and has the confidence to grab the attention of a large audience seamlessly.  

• Language fluency: A particular voiceover artist may be exemplary in providing Japanese voiceover service. But, if they need to narrate a script in English, the artist must be adept with the pronunciation, accent, tone, etc. Therefore, the artist must have fluency in language to deliver a clear and coherent voiceover.   

• Reliability: The artist must have a reputation of being reliable in terms of TAT, language proficiency, protecting the customer’s confidential data, etc. The artist must ensure they deliver quality voiceover services consistently.  

• Expertise: Content like educational videos for the scholarly community or a research presentation needs a voiceover from an artist who has expertise in the specific subject area. For instance, an artist who provides excellent voiceover service to animated videos for children may not be ideal for a video presentation on the theories of physics due to the lack of subject-matter expertise.

What are the benefits of voiceover service?

• It helps the audience understand the content: A clear voiceover helps the audience better understand the ideas or concepts. For instance, an infographic presented to a scholarly community becomes more effective when its images are explained with a clear voiceover rather than just a visual representation.  

• Better audience engagement: When the audience attains clarity on the content’s crux, it becomes easier for them to engage and interact with it. The content with an interesting voiceover is always highly viewed and shared by the audience on social media.  

• Builds brand value: Voiceover helps the business expand its reach to multiple geographies. A business that opts for voiceover services and supports its content with a powerful voiceover in different languages easily attracts a larger audience.  

• Assists globalization: Voiceover in multiple languages enables audiences across the globe to connect with the brand effortlessly. It helps the brand grow and set a strong foothold across the world.

Top 3 tips on choosing a good voiceover service provider

• Quality-driven: The provider must deliver high-quality voiceover services with clear sound effects that help the customers derive value from their content and attain better audience engagement.
• Availability of subject-matter expertise: The provider must have a pool of subject-matter experts to deliver accurate voiceover services for content related to specific subject areas. 
• On-time delivery:  The voiceover audio files must be delivered on time, adhering to the customers’ deadline.

Voiceover is one of the most effective ways to increase the reach of the content. Therefore, choosing a provider who can make the content highly engaging and lively with impressive voiceover services is essential.