Debbie Grattan

5 Trends Voice Actors and Voice Talent Seekers Should Understand in 2018

April 17, 2018 by Debbie Grattan

The voice over industry has changed dramatically since I first picked up the microphone in the 1990s, and it continues to evolve every year. Keeping up with the changes is essential for voice actors who want to remain successful in the business, and it’s equally important for voice talent seekers and buyers intent on producing projects that continue to have an impact.

Five voice over trends for 2018 particularly caught my attention as I was researching this topic on the internet, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on them below.

Different languages gaining ground, but English still most popular language for voiceover.

More VO jobs are opening up for specific accents, dialects, and different languages. The demand for English with an Australian accent rose by 22 percent since last year, while Spanish is the greatest in-demand, non-English language for voice over work.

Growth in demand for accents:

22 percent: English with Australian accent
12 percent: English with British accent
11 percent: Spanish, Latin American
3 percent: French, Canadian

Even though the demand is rising for different accents, dialects, and languages, English remains the top language for voice over work. If you want to get even more specific, the greatest demand is for North American English with no distinct accent.

One reason behind the rising demand for other languages and accents is the desire for companies to portray a hyper-local feel. Regional advertising in the American South, for instance, may connect more keenly with a Southern audience if the speaker has a Southern accent.

The rise may also be linked to the amount of content being produced in non-English speaking countries to teach English to school children. Voice seekers from other parts of the world can hire voice over talent to help create a myriad of learning apps, programs, toys, games and other projects geared toward teaching English to the world.

What this means for voice actors: Actors with different accents and native languages may benefit from extra work in those categories, although voice training is still an important part of the industry. Being able to remove all traces of any accent is still essential for many jobs.

What this means for voice talent buyers: In English-speaking areas, standard, North American English remains the mainstay. Choosing a specific accent or dialect may connect more soundly with a specific community, but it can also limit the effectiveness of your project for a wider audience.

For voice actors, making an emotional connection is top priority.

No matter how logical you may think your decision to purchase a new item may be, your emotions are what drive you to buy. Savvy marketers have been capitalizing on this fact by focusing on making an emotional connection with the audience, whether it’s with print, images or voice overs.

Videos and ad campaigns are increasingly being designed to engage and communicate with the audience, rather than simply talk at them. Most auditions these days are going for a voice that sounds real and authentic, or “not like a professional voice over actor.”

What this means for voice actors: New voice over talent getting into the business can have an advantage here, as they may not have developed certain habits, like perfect pronunciation or energetic deliveries that used to be more mainstream. Although voices are becoming much more laid back and authentic, developing a real sound that can also cut through with a messages isn’t always as easy as it may seem.

What this means for voice talent buyers: While an authentic voice is one part of the equation for making an emotional connection, it’s not the only part. Seeking out voice talent with a background in acting can be a bonus when looking to make a meaningful connection with the audience. Plus, hiring a voice actor who can offer a variety of vocal styles will give you more options in the recording session, and in post.

Budget is no longer the voice over bottom line.

Voice seekers are looking beyond the budget when it comes to hiring voice talent. The ability to make an emotional connection tops the list of what they’re looking for, followed by four other factors that are more important than budget.

Clients are looking for voice talent who can:

Add personality
Match the brand voice
Reflect the sound of target market
Sound aspirational to the target market

What this means for voice actors: Having the lowest rates won’t necessarily snag you the highest number of gigs. The factors listed above, as well as things like professionalism, quality production methods, and experience, can matter more than extremely low rates.

What this means for voice talent buyers: Voice seekers who continue to make the budget their bottom line may be missing out on important factors competitors are seeking. Being aware of the way voice over work is typically priced can also be a plus. Pricing can vary drastically for Broadcast audio, depending on usage, and the number and size of markets, and for non-broadcast audio, usage is also a determining rate factor, and fees can often be calculated by either word count, or hours worked, or finished audio minutes.

Voice talent agents, unions, and established rates can still work as a guideline, but in recent times, it’s more like the Wild West, where anything goes. Supply and demand play a role, and the buyer should always beware of cut-rate talent and sites. You do generally get what you pay for.

Age matters.

The actual age of voice artists doesn’t matter, as long as they can tailor their voice to align with the age group the client is targeting. And the vast majority of clients are targeting audiences in Gen X and millennial generations. A rundown on the percentage of projects targeting different age groups shows:

54 percent: Gen X
39 percent: Millennials
4 percent: Gen Z
2 percent: Baby Boomers
1 percent: Great Generation

What this means for voice actors: If you can train your voice to align with different age groups, you’ll have more opportunities for work. And there appears to be a lot of work for those with voices aligned with Gen X and Millennials. Those same age groups are also largely at the helm when it comes to making hiring decisions for voice over talent. Voice talent of any age group who can relate to these generations on a business level will likewise have an advantage.

What this means for voice talent buyers: While a voice that resonates with the target audience is important, so are other factors that go far beyond the sound. Look for a well-rounded professional for best results, regardless of the age group that professional may be in.

Real voices still beat out robotic voices.

Even though voice-activated virtual assistants and technology continue to become more commonplace, people are not as gung-ho about using virtual voices. A notable 93 percent of folks who responded to an annual survey pegged the human voice as more powerful than a robotic voice.

What this means for voice actors: You don’t have to fret about losing your job to machines, at least not yet. For me, that’s fabulous news. I wouldn’t mind staying relevant for another decade or so, and hopefully, we won’t fall into the world of AI and computer everything prior to that. Voice actors may also see opportunities to work on projects related to AI and computerized voices. I was recently part of a few projects for text-to-speech, and it’s an interesting phenomenon to see play out.

What this means for voice talent buyers: Real people provide the human touch – and emotional connection – that robots simply can’t produce… At least not yet. Hiring a real person for voice over work also comes with additional perks, such as enjoying guidance from his or her expertise and making your own mutual meaningful connections.

Keeping these trends in mind while seeking your next voice over talent or running your voice over business can help you stay ahead of the crowd. Just don’t get too comfortable with any amendments you make to accommodate them. As with any industry in this rapidly changing world, we can all expect the voice over arena to continue to evolve for years to come.

Resources:

https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2018/02/voice-over-trends-in-marketing-and.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inside-the-consumer-mind/201302/how-emotions-influence-what-we-buy

Narrator’s Voice App Proves How Valuable Voice Over Can Be

March 22, 2018 by Debbie Grattan

From ghost hunting to finding where you parked your car, there seems to be an app for just about everything. Thanks to the Narrator’s Voice app, this also includes adding a narrator’s voice to your messages or online videos. While the Narrator’s Voice app appears to be mainly geared toward having fun, its huge popularity still proves how useful voice over narration can be.

What’s Up with the Narrator’s Voice App?

Created by Escolha Tecnologia, the Narrator’s Voice app lets you create and share amusing messages using a narrator’s voice of your choice. Simply speak or type a message into your smartphone or other digital devices, then choose the language, voice, and special effects for the app.

The end result is a customized narration of your original message, which you can share as desired. And people are sharing it in droves. The Narrator’s Voice app boasts more than 5 million installations, along with more than 375,000 five-star reviews on Google Play alone. The app is also available at the Apple Store.

Millions are using it, and many are thrilled with it, confirming that voice over narration can be a phenomenal addition to any number of projects.

Voice Over Narration Projects

Videos are one of the hottest projects for voice over narration, letting the narrator explain or comment on whatever’s happening on the screen. Many people have been using the Narrator’s Voice app to add audio to their YouTube videos, giving them a distinct voice that enhances the video’s vibe.

Voice over narration can be equally successful with still images, slide shows, e-learning projects, or anything else that could benefit from useful commentary or clarification.

Voice Over Narration Benefits

Voice over narration is ideal for several projects, and it likewise can bring on many benefits.

Provide additional details: Pictures may be worth 1,000 words, but they may still sometimes need additional clarification. Voice over narration can not only provide additional details that may not be readily apparent on the screen, but it can direct a viewer where to look or what to look for in any given scene.

Enhance the mood and tone of the project: A happy video or project can become even happier with a peppy, energetic voice, while the seriousness of a somber project can be fortified with a solemn one.

Entertain the audience: Voice over narration containing amusing opinions, humorous observations, and thought-provoking comments can add another layer of enjoyment to the project.

Maintain your overall company style: Brands are built by sticking with a distinct style, and voice over narration can help maintain that style by featuring just the right voice that embodies your brand.

Bring the project to the next level: While videos on their own may be intriguing, you can double their impact by adding audio. Voice over narration, either on its own or accompanied by appropriate background music, can make a project truly shine.

Narrator’s Voice App (Narration App) vs. Narration Human

Even though the Narrator’s Voice app is meant for fun, it may be able to provide some of the same benefits. Yet it still couldn’t bring the personal touch to a voice over project that only a real live human can do.

Unlike apps, humans can instantly and seamlessly provide subtle changes in tone, pitch, volume, and other nuances that add unmistakable finesse to any narration project. Hiring a human also allows you to incorporate any feedback or suggestions a professional voice artist may have for further improving the overall project.

That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t have loads of fun with the Narrator’s Voice app, but it does mean you may want to look beyond the app for the most professional voice over narration results. It also means we voice over artists probably don’t have to fret that an app will soon be taking over our jobs.

Looking for a real live human for your next voice over narration project? Please contact me today!

7 Biggest Voice Over Narration Mistakes that Clients Make

February 16, 2018 by Debbie Grattan

With projects that include everything from e-learning courses to corporate videos, voice over narration is hot. What’s not so hot, however, is the lineup of mistakes some clients make when creating a voice over narration project. Voice over narration involves using an off-camera narrator to provide information or commentary on what’s happening on the screen. While the concept is fairly straightforward, there are a handful of ways it can go wrong. Check out the biggest narration mistakes I’ve seen during my 22+ years in the industry.

Trying to DIY

Some clients may feel voice over narration can’t be all that difficult. After all, the person speaking doesn’t even have to appear on camera. All the narrator has to do is say a few words and it’s done, right?

While that could be the case if the company just so happens to have the proper production equipment and experience, it’s usually not. A DIY voice over narration project typically sounds, well, like a company tried to do it themselves. The audio settings and timing may be off. Editing may be choppy or nonexistent. The file may not even be in the proper format for use with the overall project.

Hiring a professional voice over talent comes with professional production assistance, a surefire way to end up with professional results.

Putting Low Cost ahead of High Quality

Trying to cut corners by using your own voice is another faux pas. Even if the receptionist sings in the choir or the CEO gets premium payments for speaking gigs, attempting to save money with an inexperienced narrator can end up costing you big time.

The voice in your project does more than just relay words. It becomes the voice of your company. Those that opt for anything less than a pro may not understand the importance of branding and the first impression using a professional voice over artist can make.

Choosing the Wrong Voice

Even when a client goes with a professional voice over talent, the voice can be totally wrong for the project. Not every professional voice will align with every single project. Annoying voices can be a turn-off for any project, while others may not be suitable for a particular topic or use.

You don’t want a loud, booming voice talking about a delicate or sensitive subject, for instance. A perky, high-pitched voice is probably the wrong choice for a project related to serious matters, while a monotone, flat voice is likely to put your e-learning audience to sleep.

Not Setting the Right Pace

The pace of the narration also needs to match the project at hand. Certain projects, such as medical narration or e-learning, typically require a slightly slower pace to give the audience time to absorb the information. Yet it still needs to be fast enough to retain interest. The pace is an integral component in voice over narration projects, and experienced actors tend to know how fast or slow to go for their target audience.

Using the Wrong Tone

Would you trust a happy, peppy voice that’s explaining a serious medical procedure? Feel like hopping on a plane to a travel destination if it’s being explained by a ho-hum voice? What about enjoying your e-learning experience that’s narrated by a haughty, snarky voice? All three are just a small sample of examples of using the wrong tone.

The tone of voice contributes to the overall mood of the project, and you don’t want one that turns off or offends your audience.

Failing to Ready the Script

Just because a voice over narration script is written doesn’t mean it’s ready for action. Before the script lands in the hands of the voice over artist, it needs a final review. This includes proofreading for copy errors, grammar and potential timing issues. It also includes specifying pronunciations of numbers, unusual proper names, words with more than one pronunciation, and unfamiliar or highly technical words.

Not Providing Proper Direction

While the most experienced professional voice over artists may be able to discern the ideal way to read a script, you still want to make sure her ideas align with your own. For best results, clients need to give proper voice direction as to style, target audience, and usage.

A phone patch session can be extremely useful to allow clients to direct voice talent in real-time and make 100% certain they get exactly what they want in the final recording. This avoids costly re-records which usually waste time and money for both the client and the voice talent.

To ensure your voice over narration project makes the greatest positive impact on your audience, it’s crucial to avoid the biggest mistakes. And avoiding those mistakes is certainly easier with a professional voice over artist by your side. Contact me for a quote or to request an audition today.

What is Voice Over Narration? How Much Does it Cost?

January 11, 2018 by Debbie Grattan

Voice over narration is the process of using an off-camera voice to explain something to the audience. While voice-over narrators typically remain unseen and are not part of the action you may be witnessing, they do provide important commentary pertinent to what’s happening on the screen. Voice over narration costs fall into a different category than commercial voice overs used for advertising or broadcast, but it can still be used to sell, market and promote. It can likewise be used to explain, instruct, teach or otherwise provide information.

Web videos are one of the most common projects that use voice over narration, particularly videos created by companies to achieve any number of goals. Corporate narration can include videos produced to provide information about:

New products or services
History or philosophy of an organization
Using a specific product, service or internal company process

The narration can be geared toward company employees, volunteers, vendors, contractors, clients, customers, prospects or the general public.

Corporate Examples of Voice Over Narration

The popularity of online videos continues to surge, accounting for 73 percent of all consumer internet traffic in 2016. Cisco predicts that number to grow to 82 percent by 2021. That makes videos an ideal medium for content marketing.

Videos offer content that’s both naturally engaging and easy to absorb, providing the audience with a quick and interesting way to learn more about a specific company or topic. Examples of voice over narration in videos include those used to:

Showcase the history of Crayola Crayons
Feature Panasonic Toughbook computers and tablets
Provide a solution to malware on mobile devices using Trend Micro protection
Explain how remote deposit services work at Crockett National Bank
Highlight the Dreamscape Group’s travel destination of Panama

Other types of voice over narration can focus on specific niches, such as medical, health and technical narration, e-learning narration, and explainer videos. I’ll definitely get into more details on these types of voice over narration in subsequent blog posts, so we can keep the focus here on a general overview.

How Much Does Voice Over Narration Cost?

As with any other project in the voice over industry, voice over narration rates take multiple variables into account. While there’s no one-size-fits-all rate for voice over narration, the standard rates for corporate or educational, non-broadcast voice over narration range from $275 to $1,700 for a project that’s up to five minutes long. The price typically includes editing of the dry VO, for a clean audio narration, but does not include mixing with music, video or other sound effects, unless the VO talent has facility and library to offer such services.

Non-broadcast means the recording is not going to be used for radio or TV, which is where web videos would be classified.

As you can see, there’s a notable difference between the high end and the low end of scale. That’s because each project is different, with a number different factors to consider.

When I’m pricing a voice over narration project, I typically start with my standard rate per finished minute (pfm) of recording, along with the minimum a project would cost.

Starting point: $50 per finished minute, with $275 minimum

Voice over actors charge a minimum rate for each project, regardless of the length, to cover the time and effort involved in setting up the session, script and performance preparation, file export, clean up and delivery. These efforts are the same for each project, no matter how long the session lasts.

Voice Over Narration Sample Quote

The below chart can help you see all the different factors that go into pricing a non-broadcast voice over narration project.

Minimum project price: $275 for 5 minutes or less
Price for each additional minute of recording: $50 pfm

Minimum project price for 5 minutes or less	$275
Each additional finished minute of recording	$50 pfm
Usage, or where finished project will be played	More prominent the use, higher the rate
Audience size, based on traffic to site where video will be played	Bigger the audience, higher the rate
Length of usage, or how long the project will be used, such as one year, two weeks, etc.	Longer the usage, higher the rate
Length of project, based on word count or finished minutes of recording	Longer the project, higher the rate
Pick ups, or rewrites and re-recordings	Sometimes minor round of pick ups can be included in rate, otherwise pick ups can be billed separately if needed
Phone patch	May have additional charge
TOTAL	Combination of all of the above factors

A few other factors that may come into play include the company’s overall budget, the rates the competition is charging for the same type of project, and the experience the voice over talent has with the specific type of work.

Additional places you can find more information on voice over rates include:

Standard rate guides from trusted resources, such as the Global Voice Acting Academy
The VO Resource Guide, another excellent reference that quotes union rates
An online pricing calculator designed for use by voice-over talent

Hopefully you have a pretty good idea on what voice over narration is and how much your project may cost should you decide to move forward with it. If you’d like a more detailed quote for your voice over narration project, please contact me and I can send one your way.

—

SOURCES:

http://www.globalvoiceacademy.com/resources/voice-over-industry-standard-rate-guide/

https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2014/jan/14/video-content-marketing-media-online

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visal-networking-index-vni/complete-white-paper-c11-481360.html

How Professional Voice-Over Talents Get Off Track – The 3 Stages of Failure

December 12, 2017 by Debbie Grattan

Whether they’re written by fellow voice-over talents, life coaches, artists or folks in any other industry, I read a lot of blogs. Reading blogs is a great way to gather information, gain a fresh perspective, enjoy a lot of interesting takeaways and, in many cases, relate an intriguing topic back to the professional voice-over industry. That’s what happened when I ran across James Clear’s article about The 3 Stages of Failure in Life and Work (And How to Fix Them). Clear introduces a framework that gives a solid rundown on three main areas where individuals can fail at basically anything they do, along with helpful hints for avoiding those failures.

His article definitely struck a chord with me, particularly when I started thinking about his points in relation to the voice-over industry.

Stage 1: Failure of Tactics

A failure of tactics occurs when the “how” of a situation fails. Let’s say I’m just starting out with the goal of becoming a professional voice-over talent, and I’ve had a couple of bookings with a few clients, and made a little bit of money. I decide to go after more business by posting a few voice-over demos on a well-known voice-over website, and then wait for the new clients and jobs to roll in.

But they’re not rolling in. So let’s say I decide to cut my prices really, really low to be super-competitive on the website. And the jobs start to come. I take them as quickly as they’re offered, of course, since I’m achieving my goal of getting more work. Perfect, right?

Well, maybe not. If I kept up the pace of taking every single job that came my way, even if I felt the rate was too low or the work out my scope of experience or talent, I could soon find myself overwhelmed. I may be doing five jobs for the price of one, while ending up with unhappy clients, edits I can’t fit into my schedule, and frustration at every turn. And because I’m selling my valuable time at much less than market rates, I’m setting a precedent with these and future clients that they can get my services for under market value, while also losing out on higher paying jobs, because my schedule is too full with nickel and dime gigs.

My dream of being a successful voice-over talent may tank right here due to failure of tactics, or the failure to build effective systems, to weigh my options carefully and otherwise pay keen attention to the details.

I could fix this failure by honestly assessing my rates, adjusting them to match what I feel my time is worth, and then figuring out how much time I’ll need to complete each job given. Paying attention to such details, and then planning my time and schedule accordingly, would help my dream survive.

Stage 2: Failure of Strategy

This second failure stage involves mistakes pertaining to “what” I decide to do to further my goal. In the case of a professional voice-over career, I could fail to get the results I wanted in any number of ways. Perhaps my pricing was too high to compete with other new talents. Maybe I tried and failed to find a trustworthy talent agent. Perhaps my marketing tactics were way off base, or I relied too heavily on people finding my personal website instead of networking through an industry site with higher amounts of traffic.

Maybe I didn’t even launch a personal website and instead figured I’d try to get business by calling up big-name animation firms and asking for work. Maybe I figured the compliments I received from my friends and neighbors were enough to prove I really didn’t have to enroll in any voice-over workshops, education, or training.

Building a successful professional voice-over career takes more than just a single strategy. It instead involves a combination of strategies that all work toward achieving the overall goal. Some of the many strategies I’ve used over the years include social media marketing, email newsletters, postcard mailings, industry networking, researching the market and targeting my most likely prospects, creating and maintaining a thriving website, employing SEO on my website, and continuing to work with coaches to stay at the top of my game. And it certainly doesn’t end there.

Marketing, auditions, communication, networking, writing, reading, researching, recording, delivering, editing, rewarding loyal customers, upgrading skills and equipment – are all strategies I’ve found absolutely necessary to achieve and maintain a successful voice-over career. As with any career, there are a lot of effective strategies you can use to help you succeed, and the formula isn’t always the same for everyone.

And given that success in the voice-over field is a highly competitive endeavor, sometimes it takes years to find and hone the strategies that will lead to that success. So, you have to employ patience and tenacity as well.

Stage 3: Failure of Vision

This third stage of failure is perhaps one of the most common across the board, in professional voice-over or otherwise. Failure of vision happens when we don’t set a clear direction to achieve the goal that is in our heart. We instead follow a vision that may have been offhandedly introduced when people like our friends or family members mentioned we had a great voice and should take up a voice-over career.

Failure of vision, or choosing to follow a vision that wasn’t even in our sights until someone mentioned it, can happen for several different reasons. We could be so unhappy with our current job that we see any other career as an alluring out. We’d take a career in voice-over, or perhaps even a career in just about anything, just to get out of the unsatisfying career we’re currently in.

We could also be looking only at the successful end result of a voice-over career, such as the ability to work from home, record high-profile radio and tv commercial spots, have a flexible schedule, and make good money – all while wearing our pajamas if we so please.

Two things are happening at this point. One is the desire to enter a voice-over career as a way to flee our current situation. Here we would basically be running away from our current jobs, not running toward a career we’ve been dreaming about for eons.

The second problem is our focus on the potentially fun aspects of a professional voice-over career, without realizing the 20-plus years of sweat, rejections, and extremely hard work that goes into getting there and then maintaining that stature. I know this aspect really well since I’ve been there, done that. And although I do get to record fun spots in my pajamas from time to time, there is a big lineup of other tasks that are also part of the job.

Things like marketing, client database collection and updating, blogging, key word tracking, auditions, networking, researching, audio editing, bookkeeping, collections and other not-so-fun stuff are part of the usual array of tasks that keep the business going.

Building a Professional Voice-Over Career Takes Years, Not Months

Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, and many rush in without truly understanding the dedication, daily grind, and motivation required to keep the business flowing. Each week, it’s a blank slate that you have to create, and there are no steady paycheck or company benefits. The rewards can be great, but it doesn’t come easy or overnight. I find I repeat this mantra over and over for the many inquiries I receive all the time about how to start a career in voiceover. The odds are really stacked against you, so you have to have a clear vision, a strong drive, some talent, and tenacity to survive and thrive.

If your dream is to be a successful voice-over talent, by all means, go for it! Just be on the lookout for stages of failure that can trip up anyone in their chosen career. Make sure you have effective tactics in place to balance your workload and your budget. Research and implement useful strategies that can help you advance in your career. And, most importantly, make sure your dream came from deep within your heart. The sense of fulfillment you receive from a job you love is one of the true hallmarks of long-term success.

Top 7 Qualities to Look for in eLearning Voice Over Narration

November 2, 2017 by Debbie Grattan

Whether you’re aiming to teach healthcare professionals how to use a new medical device, clients how to use your cloud services, or students how to excel in mathematics, e-learning can be the ideal way to do it. eLearning voice over, instructional and tutorial videos can be extremely effective as an educational tool, provided you choose a narrator who is supremely suited for the task. You’re likely to find a good match if you find a narration voice over artist who possesses the following seven qualities.

Voice Quality

It’s tough to listen to and learn from a recording if you can’t stand a person’s voice. eLearning voice over typically involves extensive listening, which means you want a voice that is pleasant, likable, and free of breathiness, crackles and twangs. The voice over narration quality should be crisp, clear, and agreeable to the ear.

Female voices are often better received than male voices for eLearning projects, as our culture has a history of women teachers. Female voices are also viewed as softer, more easygoing, and more trustworthy, as we note in our article about Male vs. Female Voice-Over Talent, but even more important than gender is the overall like-ability of the voice.

Pristine Audio Quality

It’s likewise tough to listen and learn if a recording is full of pops, white noise, and other distractions, making it essential to look for pristine audio quality. This is especially important since many e-learning recordings are listened to using headphones. Good, solid recording equipment is a must, as is a narration voice-over actor who is highly adept at using it.

Fast Turnaround Times

eLearning projects tend to be fairly lengthy, and they often require a massive amount of editing. That means not only does the initial recording have to be completed in a timely manner, but you also need a way to efficiently and quickly edit the project. Whether you outsource the editing to a competent and skilled editor, or the voice-over artist has the skills and ability to edit the recording herself, speed and efficiency are critical.

Ability to Handle Audio Technical Specs

The audio format for eLearning files can vary greatly, depending on different preferences and programs used. The ideal eLearning voice-over narration talent will know how to handle them all. Your narrator should have the ability to save the audio in the format needed at the levels needed in the specs required. Even the most pleasant and pristine voice recording won’t do you any good if you don’t have a way to access or incorporate it into your finished project.

Common Types of Audio Files (wav, aiff, mp3)
Common Sample Rates Used (44.1 kHz, 48kHz, mono or stereo)
Common Ways to Deliver Audio Files (via Hightail, Dropbox or similar file delivery service, Filezilla, FTP file server, etc)

Proficiency in the English Language

A strong command of the English language is another essential component for e-learning narrators. Look for a voice-over actor who has exceptional pronunciation and enunciation abilities and skills. Voice-over actors who are well-versed in the English language can not only ensure your script is read immaculately, but they may also be able to help with troubleshooting any grammatical or other errors within it.

Experience with Voice Over Narration Projects

Choosing a voice-over narration talent who has experience with e-learning projects can help immensely on multiple levels. Since they’re experienced in this type of work, they’ll know the ins and outs, including common issues that may tend to crop up and the type of finished product that needs to be delivered.

Network of Connections

A voice-over artist who is well-connected within the industry helps in two major ways. One is automatically letting you know the person has history and experience in the field. The other is having the ability to offer resources and referrals.

Perhaps your script calls for more than one voice-over artist, with role-playing scenarios, and the need for another actor of a different age group, sound, or gender. A well-connected voice-over artist will be able to tap into her network to find you additional voices or resources as needed or desired.

Find a voice talent with these seven qualities, and chances are you’ve found a pro who can deliver exactly what you need for your e-learning projects. Can you think of any other voice over narration qualities that are essential for the highest quality e-Learning projects? Please share in the comments section.

Feel free to check out my lineup of eLearning, instructional, and tutorial videos, or contact me directly for a complimentary audition or quote today.

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