You probably already know that a voice over is a production technique in which a voice is recorded from an outside perspective, often providing information or narrating a story. The voice is added to the existing narrative, and a voice actor typically reads from a script.
What Are The Different Styles Of Voice Overs?
From radio, TV, filmmaking, videos and more, the voice over is a widely used tool. It is advisable to use a professional voice artist to get the best audio.
Voice overs are very popular. In fact more than you may already realise. Some common uses include:
- Jingles
- Ads & Commercials
- Podcast Intros
- DJ Drops
- Promos
- Animation
- Video games
- E-learning
- Trailers
- Corporate training tutorials
- Any number of public announcements, in settings from theatres and cinemas to public transport could also be described as voice overs.
- Videos are, of course, increasingly taking up online attention and time, and high-quality voice overs are key to creating engaging videos which produce results. Because the voice over affects the message and tone of the clip, and what viewers take away from it, it has a significant impact on their experience.
You may also appreciate that if you record a voice over for your brand, there’ll be some decisions to make. Here, we take a look at some of them.
Narrative vs Non-narrative Voice Overs
These are perhaps the two broadest categories of voice over. Narration essentially describes the on-screen action, i.e. it tells a story based on what is happening. In non-narrative voice overs, the emphasis is more on being informational, educational and instructional.
Whatever the style of a voice over, you’ll need good clarity and pacing, inflection and excellent pronunciation and vocal tone. What’s more, each genre requires a different set of skills for effective voicing.
Male or Female Voice Artist?
Think about who your target audience is, and what exactly it is you’re selling. Various studies have found female voices to be more trustworthy, possibly because they often sound softer or less aggressive. However, another study, a poll by Adweek and Harris Interactive of more than 2,000 US adults, found that, in terms of selling, actually the gender of the voice didn’t have a significant impact.
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How To Choose An Accent For My Voice Over?
You may not have given this much thought, but the accent of a voiceover artist can have a significant impact on brand perception. Sometimes it may be easy – for example, if you’re promoting a Yorkshire museum, you’d go for a local accent.
So think about the geographical location of your audience. One ComRes poll in the UK found that Received Pronunciation (RP) and Devon accents were deemed the most trustworthy by just over half (51%) of those surveyed. The Liverpudlian accent came out as the least trustworthy. However, age can also be a factor. A YouGov poll revealed that those aged over 60 perceived the Devon accent as attractive, but those aged 18 to 24 felt more comfortable listening to a Northern Irish accent.
Meanwhile, in terms of UK vs. US accents, again, clearly bear your target audience in mind. However, one test which YouTube advertising expert Tom Breeze conducted saw an increase in click-through rates of over a third (34.13%) for a UK accent, even if those listening were actually from the US.
Browse Our Range of Voice Artists
You may still be unsure as to Why Use Professional Voice Over Artist. Once you have decided on the criteria for your voice artist, have a read of our previous blog post on How To Choose Voiceover For My Project? At Music Radio Creative, we have over 150 different professional voice overs who can record your script for your audio or video in a range of styles, language and accents. Find the best voice for your project.
