The appropriate voice

The voice transports the message. This is why it’s important to consider: Who is meant to address whom and how?
Who = the poise of the speaker
How = the tonality, e.g. explanatory or hard selling
To whom = the target audience
Clear instructions will result in a more efficient production and go easy on your budget.

“ Please, not too promotional, more charismatic and friendly” is something we often hear and yet never really know what the customer wants. "

We locate the best voices for every project. Unsuitable voices or inexperienced speakers can ruin your effort. With the right voice, your project will flourish.

How can I find the right voices and how does the voice recording process work? Here are all the answers:

• Speaker selection
• Who is speaking?
• How should they speak?
• Who should your project address?
• The casting
• One or multiple speakers?
• Which languages
• Famous voices
• Voice-over or dubbing (synchronized)
• Briefing & directing 
• File format

VOX-OVER has successfully managed large and small projects (over 1500 of them) for numerous customers over the past years and have found suitable solutions for all tasks and questions. We would be happy to assist you too! 

Trevor Hurst & Markus Löhr

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Our promise:

• Individual support for your projects
• Guaranteed quality according to broadcast standards
• 100% native speakers, TV-radio quality voices
• Timely implementation
• Legal reliability through NDAs with suppliers
• Legally compliant usage rights and licensing
• Archiving and easy continuation of all projects

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The speaker selection

The selection depends on many factors, such as the genre. An anthemic image film sounds different from a cool explanation video; factual e-learning and training programs differ from an inspiring commercial. This is critical to clarify:

Who is speaking?

What kind of character should the speaker portray? An authentic person speaking with friends, an announcer relaying important information, a salesperson getting you excited about a product, someone guiding you through a training session, or a storyteller who is taking you on a journey? Perhaps you have a listening example that already hits the exact tone you want.

How should they speak?

If something is to be explained, it is usually spoken in a friendly, matter-of-fact tone. When selling something or promoting a new product, the tone is more outspoken and more “Hollywood-like”. Consider which tonality best suits your project. If you are unsure, we will develop the tonality together.

Who should your project address?

Who is the target group? Employees who are being trained, end customers who are to buy something, businesspeople or parents, a young audience or seniors? In what setting is the voice heard? At a computer in the office or home office, at a big trade fair, on the radio, TV or at the movies?

The Casting

Describe your project as precisely as possible - that way we can look for the voices that fit best. Then we send you a pre-selection of voices - the casting.
Having a hard time deciding? Then we can organize a point casting: one or more speakers record a short section of your text. This way you will be able to listen to the result before recording.

One or multiple speakers?

If your project includes several role, you can record a separate speaker for each role. Or we let one voice actor do all the roles: some can perfectly adapt their voice to the roles. But not every speaker can do that equally well.

Which languages?

If your project is international, we advise you work solely with native speakers. Only these native speakers enable 100% acceptance in the respective countries. More on this will follow soon in an extra chapter.

Famous voices

“But that's Robert de Niro!” / “That's the prosecutor from Law & Order!” Voices of well-known actors or popular dubbing actors can give projects a special appeal. The recognizability of famous voices can pay off. Just about every wish can be fulfilled, as long as the budget allows for it.

Voice over or dubbing?

In the case of dubbing (lip-sync), the original text is replaced by the target language in a lip-synced manner. With a voice-over, a track is spoken over the original text, and you hear both the original voice (in the background) and the newly recorded one. This takes much less effort and is therefore cheaper.
Tip: from local radio commercials to international cinema spots, from simple e-learning to bombastic image films, any project can be produced to a high standard of quality.
But be careful: Using an unprofessional or inexperienced speaker can ruin your work, while a really good speaker will make your project even better.
One more tip: If you send us an audio sample of a recording or film, we can understand your requests faster and fulfill them better.

Briefing & directing

Once your ideas and all relevant questions have been clarified, the voice recording can begin. The clearer the briefing, the better the result.
Would you like to be present at the recording? We'd love for you to come to our recording studio and meet us in person, yeah! Or you can attend the recording via Zoom, SessionLink or by phone from your office or home and, if you wish, also direct the recording.

File format

Would you like to further process the recording yourself, for example in a film mix, or should we deliver it ready for broadcast? We adjust the volume and loudness accordingly.
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The Speaker Text Guide is intended to be a valuable and useful reference for anyone involved in voiceover recording.
Do you have any suggestions, additions or criticism? Please send them to us, we look forward to receiving them!

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