How's your voice?

Grab a cup of tea and soothe your voice while you read all about creating successful voiceovers. There are several key things to know when putting together a quality voiceover--keep reading to find out how to implement these in your recordings.

1. Write a Script and Stick to It

When creating quality voice overs, you need to make sure that your script is natural. A reason that some voiceovers fail is because writers try to use fancy words to sound professional in their recordings.

While professional writing works well on paper, it doesn't bode well for voice talents. This is because your natural everyday conversations don't include special language. Rather, they flow easily and exude emotion. 

A voiceover script should appear conversational and direct--like you're conversing with a friend rather than giving a college presentation.

Aim to have your script flow so well that it doesn't sound like a script at all. This will add to the quality of your voiceover.

2. Use Quality Equipment

Whether you're new to or experienced in voiceovers, using quality equipment is a must. Buy the right equipment for your needs, including both mics needed for voiceovers: USB and analog microphones. 

Having 2 voiceover microphones to capture sound seamlessly is crucial to creating great voiceovers. Connecting these to your computer and your favorite audio production program will increase the sound quality of your recordings.

When propping your mic, consider where you record. Are you at a desk or standing up? If you're sitting, consider a desk stand or a studio arm. 

A good pair of headphones is also important when recording and listening to your audio, as you'll need to pick up the smallest traces of external sound.

3. Rehearse and Perfect Your Tone

Once you've written a great script and set up your studio, it's time to rehearse until you feel confident in your voice.

This means practicing your words, how you say your words, and your voiceover voice. Your voiceover voice is your consistent recording voice--whether it's serious and dramatic or cheery and humorous, you'll need to keep the same voice for all your recordings.

Perfecting your voiceover voice is also important when learning how to do a voice over on a video. 

4. Evaluate Yourself

After recording your voiceover, take a break. Turn your brain off and rest for 20-30 minutes. Then prepare a notebook and pen, put on your headphones, and listen to your recording with fresh ears.

Check for background noise, and if your bass and treble sound fluent. Watch your voice and notice your pronunciation and articulation--how are you saying your "S" and "Sh" sounds? Is your breathing loud?

After taking notes and preparing your next voiceover, re-record. You can either record parts of or the whole voiceover, depending on your evaluation of yourself.

5. Edit and Mix Sound

When you're satisfied with your voiceover, the most important thing to do is to edit where needed and mix sound to make your voiceover flow as well as possible.

Take into account all background noises and sound effects, where you pause, and the sound quality of your voiceover. Checking all of this will ensure a polished voiceover.

Creating Successful Voiceovers

Creating voiceovers can take hours or weeks, but knowing the most you can about recording successful voiceovers will increase the quality of your recordings.

Implementing these 5 tips to creating successful voiceovers is the start of creating your best voiceovers yet.

If you enjoyed this article and want to explore further, take a look at our blog post on 3 ways to be a unique actor.