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Picking the right voice over is more than just finding someone with a nice voice, there are numerous things that separates the good from the great voices.
This post will cover some of the key things to look out for, so you can have a better informed decision the next time you need to hire a voice talent.
Experience in the field
One of the main things that separates a great voice over from the rest, is one that is experienced in the field of voice over artistry.
Not just with a bit of experience in recording voice overs, but truly well versed in the field. What hurdles have they overcome? What challenges have they found solutions to? What have they done other than a recording?
The truly experienced voice overs read a brief and plan to breathe life into this, which usually comes with years of experience.
Passion
Like with every colleague and new hire, you want somebody that has a great work ethic, and passion for what they do. A great voice over is a passionate voice over.
Why? With the voice over industry, this is one of the few jobs wherein the effectiveness of your delivery can determine whether a campaign is successful or not.
Much like how you can tell if someone is smiling behind the microphone, you can also hear when someone is rich or void in energy simply by their tone of voice. If there’s no passion behind that, you can’t guarantee a good result, which is why it’s so important.
Adaptability
A great voice over is one who can adapt to situations. Let’s say you have a voice over you need for a TV advert, radio ad and elearning narration.
The right voice over will understand that each role requires a slightly different approach. It’s not all high and low end speaking, there’s a lot more adaptability behind the best voice over artists.
Without being too specific, a radio ad voice will be more boisterous, and a TV ad voice over may require more of an informal tone, whilst an elearning narration may require more of a monotonal approach, for a more corporate audience.
Adaptability is key for every great voice over. Not everyone can get the perfect take that first time, an adaptable voice over knows is a master of tonality, coming with various tonal options per recording, which simply cannot be overlooked when choosing your voice over.
Timeliness
Another thing that separates the average voice overs from the greats is an advanced sense of timeliness. Well versed voice overs are accustomed to meeting short deadlines, and deliver projects in a timely manner.
A great voice over will be able to do all the above, and do so in very little time, usually 1-2 working days for the average recorded project.
Great manners
The voice over you choose to hire will also be someone you work closely with for the foreseeable future, it’s key that your voice over is a great communicator, and above all, has great manners.
Nobody likes working with people that aren’t polite, and when it comes to someone who you’re going to ask to redo things over and over again, discuss concepts and spend a lot of time working with, you’d want that voice over to be exceptionally polite.
Although this goes without saying, it’s key to also take this into account when searching, as it’s something that can make the difference between a healthy and unhealthy collaboration for the long term.
Not just a great voice
Hopefully this post has left you well informed that finding your ideal voice over isn’t just about choosing the one with the prettiest voice.
We’re well aware that a nice voice is one of the key factors of your voice over search, whilst that it may be key, it’s fundamental that you acknowledge the importance of their punctuality, adaptability, overall experience and passion in the world of voice over.
Remember, this is a choice that could benefit your brand and you for the long term if made correctly, so bear that in mind when searching for your next voice!
