What vocal qualities to consider while hiring a commercial voice-over artist?

Introduction

As the voice over artists are never seen on screen, the dialogues delivered by them must be full of emotions and energy to captivate the audience. Commercial voice over artists cater to a wide range of voice-over projects which require different styles of voice modulation. For example, the voice of a cartoon character would be different from the voice of a corporate trainer or that of an audiobook narrator. Thus, it is crucial to analyze the qualities of a commercial voice-over artist before making the hiring decision. 

What qualities to look for when you hire a commercial voice-over actor

The following vocal attributes should be considered while choosing or hiring a commercial voice-over service: 

1.       Enunciation:

Enunciation is how clearly and distinctly a person forms the sounds that make up a word. Commercial voice-over artists must have perfect articulation and diction according to the requirement of the written content. No matter how good the storyline is, if the voice that delivers the script does not enunciate the words in the required flow and energy, the true meaning and intention of the writer will not reach the audience. 

2.       Pronunciation: 

Pronunciation is about the word itself. It focuses on the syllables that should be emphasized or how certain combinations of letters should sound. Imagine watching a movie or a cartoon with mumbled words. The audience loses interest very quickly. Hence pronunciation is key to holding the interest of the audience for longer. Terms of the same language can have different pronunciations according to the accent used. With training and practice, commercial voice-over actors can cater to the different pronunciation needs of the scripts. 

3.       Versatility:

Versatility in the world of voice-over refers to the ability of the commercial voice-over artist to adapt and modulate the voice that would best suit a script or character to differentiate the characters and at the same time not sound awkward. Commercial voice-over services cater to a wide variety of voice-over genres such as animation, ADR, podcasts, corporate, audiobooks, documentaries, video games, education modules, voice assistants, TV promotions and so on. Every genre requires to be delivered in particular voice quality. A successful commercial voice-over artist should be versatile in all aspects of voice-over. 

4.       Range:

One might think that versatility and range are the same things. However, it is crucial to understand that they are different and both are very important for a commercial voice-over artist. Versatility is the ability of the voice-over artist to adapt and modulate the voice to suit different genres of audio and video content. In contrast, range refers to only the pitch of the voice. It depends on the commercial voice-over actors as to how efficiently they handle the difference between the lowest note and the highest note. An excellent vocal range is critical if the voice-over artist records complex emotions or a script with multiple characters. 

5.       Consistency:

The key to the success of any audio or video is the consistency in the quality of the content, actors and the most essential aspect, voice. Commercial voice-over artists need to be consistent in the diction, pronunciation, range, pacing, language, accent, energy, speed and volume through the entire voice recording of certain content. This ensures a smooth flow and a balanced presentation of the audio or video. Commercial voice-over actors achieve compatible voice modulating skills through regular training and practice. Voice actors need to be consistent with their availability and turnaround time.  

6.       Clarity

Voice-over takes a lot of effort and perseverance. Commercial voice-over artists have to voice different emotions in different languages or accents. It could be anger, hatred, happiness, excitement, crying in pain or tears of joy, shouting for help or a whimpering child, a secret whisper or cheering for someone. The voice-over artist should be able to express these emotions in their voice in a way that is clearly understood by the audience, and the genuine feelings are portrayed.  

7.       Pacing:

Pacing refers to the pause applied between the words, dialogues or sentences while delivering a script or written content. Voice-over artists need to keep their pacing consistent throughout the recording. It could be an audio or video advertisement which takes a few seconds, a movie, an audiobook or a training program. Irrespective of the duration of the audio or video, the commercial voice-over actor should be able to apply the rhythm and tempo without affecting the clarity, pronunciation and emotions in the script. The right pacing helps to hook the interest of the audience.  

8.       Flexibility:

Since commercial voice-over artists take up voice projects over various audio or video genres, they need to be highly flexible with their voices. Most projects usually hire one voice-over artist to voice for different characters and this requires the ability to quickly change the voice quality from energetic to casual or smooth to formal as per the character's emotions. 

9.       Multilingual:

The concept of voice-over is applied in every national and regional language. The development of technology and internet access has created a need for information and entertainment content to be available to the audience in various languages. Voice-over artists have to be proficient in multiple languages. This helps to have a smooth transition during dubbing. 

10.   Accents:

The same language can have different accents according to the region. Commercial voice-over actors train themselves to deliver dialogues in multiple accents to cover a wider audience. This helps to influence the audience’s emotions and creates a sense of belonging. 

11.   Speed:

Any written content will only be appealing to the audience when it is delivered at a comfortable tempo. The speed of the voice-over artist differs across the genres. The commercial voice-over artist needs to understand the requirement of the content, the age of the audience and then deliver the voice-over service. For instance, the tempo for an education or training module will be slower than that of movie dialogue. 

12.   Volume:

The voice volume says a lot about the emotions in the script. Commercial voice-over artists are trained and experienced in switching their voice volume to suit the character's emotions. A loud voice is associated with anger, excitement, urgency, and authority, while a quieter voice is associated with mystery, fear, affection and so on. Voice over actors use medium voice volume for projects such as education or training modules and documentaries.