Effective Ways to Improve Voiceover Scripts

Your voiceover copy will either spell out success or failure of your radio commercials or podcasts. Your copy should be convincing enough to gain credibility with your listeners. Be warned though that writing voiceover copies are very different from writing print ads.

Peter Drew, a veteran voiceover artist who is involved in Internet and radio productions, emphasizes the idea of ‘writing for the ear, not the eye.’ This idea requires one to write brief and straight to the point messages, the kind that we use in conversations. This style may seem very strange for anyone who has written ad copies but developing this style will allow one to create effective and convincing voiceovers.

Here are some simple ways to modify your marketing copy and recording strategies that will ensure the voiceover is narrated as smoothly as possible, and that it really does deliver a high-impact message to your target audience:

1. Always use the active voice. The secret in creating an effective script is to make it as close to a natural conversation as possible. The use of the active voice will ensure that each line won’t sound artificial and thus making it easier for your script to connect with your audience.

2. Use a windscreen to protect the mic. If your voiceover script contains a lot of words that begin with the letters ‘P’, ‘B’ and ‘T’, the talent may have difficulty reading the sentence without distorting it. A windscreen can help eliminate this problem and help them deliver a more smooth-sounding sentence.

3. Highlight inflections or nuances in your copy. Marking up significant words or phrases in your script will help an artist understand and convey the subtleties of your message. You need to read out aloud the script first then identify significant words or phrases that needs to be stressed. Then you can either underline, italicize, or mark those important words and phrases in your script.

4. Write down phone numbers in word form. Numbers are also words that would need to be read. Spell each number so that you can detect if there are any blockages to your script’s overall impact. Be prepare to edit your script if any part sounds inappropriate.

5. Instantly grab your listeners’ attention. Headlines are what lure audiences to listen to any advertisement. Your headline will serve as an opening to your ad’s body. A great headline would be composed of less than ten words and contain at least one compelling benefit or statement.

It is the job of the scriptwriter to ensure that the script or copy will match the talent of the voiceover artist. Each voiceover artist can project a certain personality and this has to fit with the script. Once an artist has been selected, the script can then be altered to match the artist. What’s important here is that the artist voice, personality and quirks should match your message. Also give time for the artist to practice delivering the message. Be sure to apply all of these techniques to create a solid and compelling script.

Author Terry Daniel is a Professional Voice Over Artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota and Has Provided the Voice Talent for Hundreds of Companies and Agencies Since’91.

Recording Professional Voiceovers – Room Preparation Tips

Sound Check

Creating a professional voice over project on your own can be achieved using computer programs and tools. This will allow you to save on the cost of hiring a videographer or a production team. You just need to hire talents and have a script and you are all set to record.

Preparation is vital to produce a professional quality voiceover piece. In particular, you initially need to setup the room in which you’ll record in. Here are some useful tips to do just that.

1. Check all your equipment. Booking the voiceover talent for the project and then wasting several hours testing equipment will cost you. Jay Rose, the author of the book “Producing Great Sound for Digital Video” suggests that you make sure you get the right kind of equipment and test it well before production day. Even testing it a few hours before production time can reduce unforeseen delays.

2. Check if the room produces echoes. The only way to do this is to seal the room by shutting all the doors and windows and record some samples. Again, test all of your equipments to determine and lessen echoes.

3. Consider using background music. In a professional voiceover, there should not be any noise between the narrator and the listener. You want to create an audio space that sounds as if the narrator is having a face-to-face conversation with the audience. If you have a lot of ‘white noise’, consider adding background music.

4. Look for the perfect spot to record in the room. There are no concrete guidelines when it comes to finding the best position for your mic and other equipments. This can only be done through trial and error by adjusting the position of your microphone. Find the best spot but just make sure your recordings don’t sound unnatural in anyway.

5. Don’t worry about outside traffic or small rumbles. Even simple things like fluorescent lighting or distant traffic outside the window can effect the sound quality of your voiceover recording. However, most mics do not pick up these sounds. If you do feel like the script is being affected by these outside sounds, consider adding a high-pass filter to the microphone for a crisper recording.

6. Switch off fans and blowers. Fans on computers, air-cons and other blower devices can affect the air atmosphere of your recording room as they produce turbulence. This is more evident in a small room than a large one. The solution to this is to switch of these equipment while doing a recording. You can turn them on in between segments.

Also monitor always the recording session in real-time using your headphones. Utilize playback functions in a seperate room to ensure that all is in order. Doing this will allow you to solve problems real-time and spare you doing retakes.

About the Author: Terry Daniel is a Professional Voice Over Actor from Minneapolis, MN and Has Been Providing the Voice Talent for Dozens of Projects and Advertisements Since 1991.

Six Reasons Why Your Advertising Plan Needs Voice Over

Those working in the realm of marketing are more than likely aware that a multimedia elements can prove valuable additions to just about any campaign. Though the audio/visual approach to marketing was honed on more traditional media such as television, the advent of the Internet has left us with even greater opportunities, including but certainly not limited to webinars, podcasts, and YouTube videos.

Any of these media or any combination thereof allow you valuable lines of communication, but you should never neglect to develop an effective, professionally done audio element to supplant visual or textual marketing. In addition to utilizing music and other contextual sonic elements, you may want to consider things like narration or a catchy slogan to accent your message.

In nearly every marketing situation, there is something to be said for hiring voice over talent to speak directly to potential customers. Below, I have list just six of the myriad of reason to hire a professional voice actor or actress for your campaign.

1. To help create an identity for your brand. To start your marketing campaign off on the right foot, you will want to create a strong sense of brand identity. A distinctive, professionally-done voice over can be the human element that makes consumers remember your brand.

2. A high-quality voice over shows professionalism. When you’re speaking to a large potential audience, you’re going to want to ensure that you’re expressing your message in a manner that makes you look good. The right voice over talent will make your marketing seem polished and professional, and this will reflect on your organization as a whole.

3. To set you apart from others in your field. In the competitive markets of today, a new brand must innovate in order to reach the right audience, and you as a marketer must come up with memorable strategies to increase the brand’s visibility – a high-quality voice over is a great start.

4. To create a harder-hitting advertisement. Print and visual media are all well and good– in fact, they’re essential facets of communicating effectively in marketing. Audio, specifically speech, however, is likely the most important of all. When customers are addressed by the right voice actor or actress, they’re sure to listen, and sales will increase as a result.

5.To drive up website hits. In the marketing world of today, it is becoming more and common for everything to point back to one’s online presence. In your marketing campaigns, it’s a great idea to incorporate messages that lead back to your website, and voice overs, whether contained in podcasts, webinars, or other, more traditional media, provide a great opportunity to do this.

6. To make the most of your marketing dollar. Television spots are great, but let’s face it: they’re expensive. Production costs can also be restrictive when it comes to creating online video. Investing in a voice of by a professional voice actor or actress can be a cost-effective way to increase the impact of your marketing.

Author Terry Daniel is a Professional Voice Over Artist from Minneapolis, MN and Has Been Providing the Voice Talent for Dozens of Companies and Agencies Since 1991.

Understanding Voice Over Jargon

In marketing today, the perfect voice over can be the element that turns an advertising campaign that is simply good into a great one. Picking a voice with which your target market will identify, you can forge a human connection with your audience and enjoy the resultant boost in sales.

Those who are considering using voice actors in their marketing projects would do well to learn a few key terms and definitions that are commonly used to talk about the voice over field.

Audition Tapes: Prospective voice actors and actresses will submit their audition tapes as they apply for the job. In addition to allowing you to judge the abilities of each actor, these tapes also can be kept on hand to help you keep track of the numerous applicants you will be interviewing.

Demo Tapes: Demo tapes are also part of the interview and audition process, and can be recorded in your own studio, or completed by the voice over talent. These tapes will be a recording of the sample scripts you provide as part of the interview.

Recording Studio: To complete any voice work, you will need a studio in which it can be recorded. While you always have the option of renting a studio for a project, you should always ask voice talent if they have the equipment to record at home, as this will save you the cost of studio time.

ISDN Voice Over: Recording studios used for professional voice over work should be equipped with ISDN technology. ISDN produces clearer, better-quality recordings than you could obtain from a run-of the mill studio.

Commercial Voice Overs: These are primarily targeting customers with a direct sales approach, and will push a product or service as part of the script. Commercial voice overs are powerful marketing tools that can deliver a message with high impact.

Narrative Voice Overs: These voice overs are not recorded for the express purpose of sales, but accompany some sort of video recording, complementing the story told by the on-screen action. You should not, however, discount their worth in marketing projects, as they can complement video advertisements exceedingly well.

Impressions: These are the types of voice overs that impersonate a famous person, celebrity, or imitate an historically famous personality. Impressions are a great way to make your message stand apart from the competition, and you can find many royalty-free scripts with this distinguishing feature in mind.

Performers’ Unions: Voice actors and actresses are often part of these professional organizations, which assist them in developing their craft and negotiate market rates. The Screen Artists Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) are the unions you will most frequently encounter in working with voice talent.

Actors: Voice over professionals are often individuals who were trained in drama and gravitated to the field of voice work because of their marketable skills and talents. A skilled voice actor or actress is a huge asset to any marketing project.

Familiarity with these key concepts and the associated terminology will help you immensely in your dealing with professionals in the voice over business. If you approach interviewing talent from an organized, educated perspective, you are sure to find a voice over professional who will boost the appeal of your advertising campaign.

About the Author: Terry Daniel is a Professional Voice Over Actor from Minneapolis, MN and Has Provided the Voice Talent for Hundreds of Projects and Advertisements Since 1991.

Key Traits Of Great Voice Over Talent

When marketers make the decision to hire voice over talent, they aren’t looking for just anyone – they’re looking for a professional. It’s certainly true that the right voice actor or actress for your project can boost the effectiveness of your marketing tremendously, but that means that you must put forth the effort the separate the wheat from the chaff and choose the candidate who is really the best fit for for the job. No matter the exact nature of your project, there are are several key traits that you will want to find in a professional voice actor.

These are seven of the most important traits to look for when interviewing voice over talent:

1.He or she has a believable voice. Though there is certainly a place for exaggerated narration in the style of an announcer or newscaster, you’re generally going to want an actor or actress who can perform naturally in a wide range of vocal styles.

2.The voice over has the right pitch and tone. Voice over artists are constantly practicing different pitches and tones of their voice so that they can create their own ‘music.’ This ensures that their voice stands apart from the rest; take the time to listen for distinct characteristics that make them different from other actors and actresses.

3.High-quality demo tapes. The tapes you receive from potential voice actors and actresses will be a great asset to you once your face-to-face interviews are over. Take advantage of the snapshot of an actor or actress’s work that these tapes provide, and use this insight in making your final decision.

4.Versatility. This is fairly self-explanatory; a truly skilled voice over professional will have the skill and talent necessary to perform well in a wide variety of dissimilar projects. Whether authoritatively reading off facts and figures, or attempting to make listeners laugh, a true professional will shine.

5.He or she exhibits a good vocal flow. In everyday speech, most of us stop and start erratically, and do not have much control over our speed. In the case of a professional voice over artist, this should not be so – a voice actor or actress should be able to speak in a fluid manner.

6.He or she can provide you with references. You should always ask for references from potential voice talent, and, furthermore, you should always take the few minutes necessary to look into them. Don’t underestimate the importance of this part of the interviewing process.

7.Energy, enthusiasm, and stamina. Those with experience in voice over know that it it is never a matter of simply reading a few lines and collecting a paycheck. Your voice actor or actress should be able to withstand the sometimes lengthy series of takes required to get it right, without becoming either mentally or vocally fatigued.

Interviewing potential voice talent may, at times, feel tedious, but in reality it is a key factor in the success of your project. If you can find a voice actor or actress with all of the aforementioned traits during the interview process, you will save yourself a lot of time and trouble down the road.

Author Terry Daniel is a Professional Voice Over Actor from Minneapolis, Minnesota and Has Been Providing the Voice Talent for Hundreds of Companies and Agencies Since 1991.

Five Easy Steps In Hiring A Voice Over Talent On The Web

Though there is certainly no shortage of potential voice talent for the hiring, picking through the thousands available to find the voice actor that is perfect for the job can seem like a daunting task.  Since the actor or actress you choose will affect the tone and message of your project, it’s essential to make the right selection.

Those working on multimedia would be wise to take advantage of the great online resources available.  Need a script?  There are plenty of script databases available on the web, and some of them are even free.  In order to make the hiring process quicker and more efficient, you can peruse potential hires’ websites, which will often contain portfolios. This will help narrow your field of candidates, and give you an idea of what  to expect from a candidate early on.  In addition to checking out voice talent’s rsums and portfolios, some even use the Internet to conduct interviews.

Though the web can definitely make your search for talent quicker and more efficient,  without the appropriate strategy it can turn into a gigantic waste of time. Potential voice actors you find online, for example, may not be as reliable as they first appear, and may delay your progress by failing to submit their samples in a timely manner. These kinds of obstacles can be easily surmounted, however, with a little bit of know-how.  Here are some valuable tips on hiring voice talent on the web:

1.  After you you initially contact a potential hire, ask for a sample of their work.  If the person in question is the true professional they claim to be, they will have .mpeg samples on hand to send to you, or will direct you to a site where you can heir their work.  This first step goes a long way towards weeding out candidates who aren’t serious about getting the job.

2. Ask that all potential candidates submit a formal rsum. Professional voice talent should also have no trouble providing you with a rsum  that exhibits their work experience.  You will also want to check in on two or more of your potential hire’s references, to get an accurate and balanced picture of his or her ability.

3. Ask the candidate for a preferred rate.  You should make sure you understand how much the actor would like to be paid, and when.  Actors may want to be compensated either per hour or per project, and though some do not mind being compensated on delivery, others may want a portion up front.

4. Conduct a telephone interview. Telephone interviews are best for any talent you may not have the opportunity to meet with in person. Telephone interviews can touch upon previous work, a brief script reading, and to gauge the confidence level of your candidate.

5. Ask if your voice talent is equipped to provide services digitally.  It is increasingly common for voice over artists to set up studios in their own homes.  If your actor or actress is able to record his or her performance from home and send it to you over the Internet, this means that you will save on the costs associated with travel and the shipping of tapes.

About the Author: Terry Daniel is a Professional Voice Over Actor from Minneapolis, Minnesota and Has Provided the Voice Talent for Dozens of Companies and Agencies Since 1991.

Selecting Sample Scripts For Potential Voice Actors

While you can learn a lot about potential voice talent through face-to-face interviewing and listening to demo tapes, you will also need a sample script that will help you gauge if an applicant is the right fit for the job. With a well-chosen sample script, you can get a sense for the tone and style of the voice actor or actress you are interviewing, and hear an example of the kind of work they do.

You don’t need to give applicants too long to prepare for a sample script reading, as there is generally no line memorization involved. The applicants can make use of the script as they perform their reading, so they should only need an hour or so to get comfortable with the script before going into the studio.

Many companies struggle with determining what type of tone and style they are looking for. The best way to start is to narrow down who you are marketing to. Learning the demographics of the target market will help you narrow down the different types of voices that would be most appropriate for your advertising or other promotions. This approach can also help eliminate most of the voice over talent applicants during the initial stages, making your hiring process much easier.

Regardless of exactly what it is that you’re marketing, you’re going to need several different scripts in order to judge the nature of a particular actor or actress’s talents. Think about what your company is trying to produce. Are you looking to create an informal, humorous advertisement, and therefore seeking a voice that will make your audience laugh? Are you trying to create an air of journalistic integrity, necessitating a more authoritative-sounding voice? The tone that you ultimately want in your finished product will serve as the basis for your sample script.

To find a suitable script, all you really need to do is log on to the Internet. The databases available (often for free) online invaluable resources, and you can perform searches based on subject, theme, or keyword, to find exactly the script you need. With these resources at your fingertips, you’ll be able to find a sample script that matches the tone and style of your marketing, as well as selections that will challenge your potential hires. Don’t discount the helpfulness of online resources if you have elected to write your own, original script; you’ll still find plenty of useful scripts that you can reference as you write.

Last of all, you are going to want to obtain a demo script of each applicant. These demos should allow yourself to compare and contrast the performances of the applicants side by side. To this end, you shouldn’t just have your potential voice actors read one script; have them real several, with varying tone and subject matter, so that you can judge the versatility of your applicants, and the styles to which they are each uniquely suited. If you do not want to record these demos in your studio, you can request that applicants submit them with their initial applications.

Author Terry Daniel is a Professional Voice Over Artist from Minneapolis, MN and Has Provided the Voice Talent for Dozens of Projects and Advertisements Since 1991.

Your Business Will Benefit From Hiring A Voice Over Actor

No matter how badly you think you need to save money, it is never a good idea for a merchant to read his own commercial—unless, of course, he has a talent for it. The truth is, however, that most people don’t. They may succeed in giving their commercial an air of originality, but that isn’t a good thing if it results in people laughing at your commercial. And people are less likely to purchase your product or service if they don’t respect you.

Many people mistakenly underestimate the importance of the voice over talent they use when approaching the public, because many people mistakenly believe that all they have to do to sell their product or service is to let people know that it’s there. As long as they do something memorable, people will buy from them, right? Wrong. They may remember the guy with the funny voice or the guy who read in a monotone or tried to act out a little skit with his brother, but they’ll buy from the guy who hired a professional to do his commercial.

And that is the heart of the matter. There is a purpose behind buying airtime and creating a commercial—you are trying to convince people to do something. You’re trying to talk them out of their hard-earned cash, to come and give it to you in exchange for what you have to offer. You are trying, in other words, to impress them. If they sense that you didn’t care enough about your marketing to do it correctly, then they will not be impressed. In fact, if you attempt to convince them using a very bad commercial, they may even feel as though you are insulting their intelligence, and that is definitely something you don’t want.

When your commercial airs, it should sound professional. This makes you look professional. It may be the first contact a potential customer has with your business. In this way, your commercial is like your clothing. You wouldn’t wear something sloppy and poorly assembled to go meet a client, so why would you present them with a sloppy and poorly assembled piece of advertising? Even though the voice telling the world about your service has nothing to do with how well you do what you do, in the same way the state of your clothing has nothing to do with how good you are at your job, you want to make the best impression possible with that voice, just as you would with your suit.

So what are the elements of a well-read commercial that a professional voice-over artist can give you? Professionalism is one very important thing that you will get. Your brother-in-law can’t give you that in reading your commercial, because he doesn’t know how. Just because he’s been speaking all his life doesn’t mean that he does it well. In fact, most people don’t speak well. Speaking well is partly about pronouncing the words clearly so that people can understand, and partly about doing that so that it sounds natural.

Everyone in need of a commercial has to do it in the way they think is best, of course. For some it actually may not matter if they put out a professional-sounding commercials. Some customers may truly not care. However, someone who wants potential customers to associate his business with a voice that sounds professional, then it is vitally important that he hire a professional to do the talking.

Narrations and jingles can have a strong impact on customers!

In today’s fast-paced world of internet communication it’s easy to forget about the success of “old-school” advertising. Today, marketing is driven by websites, blogs and email; such as, podcasts, vlogging, and multimedia on the internet. This means your business needs a marketing strategy that includes voice overs, creative photography, and videos.

Before the internet and T.V., the world tuned into the radio to get their daily news as well as the advertisements that accompanied them. Voice over actors were in high demand back then since many businesses turned to radio to advertise and promote their products and services. By the time T.V. arrived, everyone was already used to ‘hearing’ a lot of advertisements; television took this to a whole new level with images and even more sound.

Fast forward 50 years and the public is turning to a new medium for entertainment and information; the world wide web has grown to become one of the leading technologies for marketing and advertising, and encourages many people to simply read pitches and sales letters as oppose to listening to them. Never the less, this is quickly evolving with the introduction of other multimedia such as online video, podcasting across the internet.

Now that podcasting and blogging are becoming ubiquitous, every company needs a powerful message that sticks with listeners and readers so they can remember the brand for the long-term. The same effect that the radio had on the listening audience in the 1050’s is coming back in full swing with online advertising, video commercials, and podcasts. Voice actors and actresses now play an important role in delivering your business’s marketing message, slogan, and can even elevate your brand. Hiring the best voice over talent (with the assistance of a voice over agency) is a simple approach to creating advertisement that attracts new prospects immediately.

Voice talent can be applied to little commercials, introducing products on a web page, podcasting, or creating a radio ad. If you’re thinking about producing a television commercial, you will need a voice over actor to perform the narration so that it is professional and produces the type of result you need.

For businesses that want a competitive edge on the web – voice overs are becoming more and more vital to their success. Musical narrations, songs and jingles can still have a strong impact on customers and visitors, and are necessary when you’re advertising on the radio as part of your marketing plan. Introducing voice overs into your advertising messages helps to strengthen your brand, create an identity, and even build stronger relationships with new customers.

As more people turn to audio and video segments on the web, print advertising may have less and less impact. Why bother investing your marketing budget in an area where people are evenpaying attention? Commercials and audio segments that are produced with voice actors can produce the result you desire to make your marketing message soar above from the competition.

Use a voice-actor to announce yourself!

The work of voice-over artists is everywhere. In fact, your world is filled with it, and chances are, you don’t even notice it. At least you didn’t before you started thinking about hiring one of them. If you’re wondering why you never thought about voice actors before, it’s because you typically aren’t supposed to. One of the most interesting things about being voice talent is the ability to grab someone’s attention while simultaneously redirecting their attention from yourself to the product or service being sold. That might sound a bit odd when you start to actually think about it, doesn’t it? If you attempt to create these results yourself, you’re going to end up drawing the listener’s attention to you and off of your service, which is not good. That’s the main reason you want to hire a professional if you are in need of a voice over.

Consider the large number of places that voice overs wind up, and that is after crossing off television promotions and jingles. But you can use voice talent to introduce your event or your commercial website. Heck, you can even use a voice-actor to announce your personal website if you want it to be known badly enough. Many people those types of projects for themselves. Perhaps it is because they do not think of them as important enough to hire an actor. In that case, why are they doing it at all? If it is worth your attention, it is worth doing right.

For example, if you want to produce an audio book, why would you even think about voicing it yourself – unless, of course, you’ve got a professional-grade talent. And most people simply don’t. Then there are corporate videos and educational videos, which are very useful and can be highly lucrative – if done properly. If you have a good script, and people enjoy hearing the speaker, then you have a message that can bring you a measure of success. But if people can’t stand hearing the voice for one reason or another, then you are out of luck.

“But I’m talking to people with this voice all the time!” you may say. That may be true, but people can deal with a lot more in person than they will put up with on a recording. And are there people paying to actually to have you speak at this point? Probably not. If they are, then stop reading here. This article is not for you.

You could be of the opinion that hiring an amateur or doing it yourself will save you some dough. In the beginning, yes, but if this is a business venture, it will actually cost you money in the long run. Sounding cheesy can cost you the respect of the buyers you’re attempting to impress. Customers are more likely to spend their money with people who give them the appearance that they know what they’re doing. If they hear you confused in a voice over, as so many wannabes do, then they’re going to reconsider spending their money with you.