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Voice Over Trends 2023: Less Looking, More Listening

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With dancing ads, endless slideshows, and more than 8.2 million blog posts published daily, online visual content has reached an explosive limit. Voice over trends in 2023 are headed in the same direction. It’s enough to make anyone’s head hurt, especially since the average consumer spends about six hours and 37 minutes online daily.

Rather than shutting down their electronics altogether, people are giving their brains a visual break by turning to audio – which is the star of two of the three most popular trends for 2023. Those trends are:

  • Audiobooks
  • Audio Ads
  • Short-Form Video

In addition to giving the eyes some much-needed rest, audio content comes with another big benefit. Since audio only requires listening, people can perform other tasks instead of staying glued to their screens.

That means they listen to their favorite audio content while they walk, run, exercise, do household chores, drive, or even unwind at night without the screen’s blue light.

But people are only apt to listen to your audio if the quality is of the highest caliber. Audiences refuse to sit through scratchy, grainy, harsh, or distorted recordings. Nor do they have to. Even though audio has not reached the same saturation point as visual content, people have plenty of options.

Unless your audio is proverbial music to their ears, people will simply go somewhere else for a listen. One way to ensure top-notch quality is to hire a professional voice over artist, a surefire way to give your brand a boost and your audience something worth listening to. Here’s how.

Voice Over Trends and Audiobooks

Audiobooks have come a long way since their debut in 1932. That’s the year The American Foundation for the Blind established a recording studio to produce recordings of books on vinyl records. Each side of the record only had about 15 minutes of speech.

“Books on Tape,” which delivered unabridged versions of books recorded on cassette tapes, increased audiobook popularity in the mid-1970s. The 1997 release of Amazon’s Audible portable audiobook player helped spread the word even further, contributing to the popularity audiobooks enjoy today.

Audiobooks give you a prime opportunity to:

  • Add specific nuances to the story that are tough to relay in straight-up text.
  • Reach a massive and ever-growing audience.
  • Get people hooked on your book and, in turn, your brand.

Why You Want It

Audiobooks are one of the strongest ways to distribute your story to the world, and the market is poised to keep growing.

  • Audiobooks have seen a double-digit increase in sales every year for the past ten years.
  • Nearly 74,000 titles were recorded in 2021.
  • Sales are expected to escalate into a $19 billion industry by 2027.

How Voice Over Contributes to Audiobook Success

Even the greatest story in the world can bomb as an audiobook if paired with an annoying voice. Because audiobooks can be rather lengthy, selecting a pleasant voice that can keep a high level of energy, add just the right nuances, maintain a consistent pace, and retain listener interest for the long haul is imperative.

The voice over artist you select must also match the tone, style, and audience of your book. You don’t want to pair a peppy, casual voice for a dark mystery series – nor do you want to select a deep, authoritative voice for a happy little children’s book.

While AI narration is hitting the audiobook scene, you will not get the same precision or exacting emotion you can get from a real human being.

The main goal of an audiobook is to share your story so that the listener becomes hooked – or maybe even slightly addicted – to find out what happens next. An experienced voice over actor will bring high levels of quality, professionalism, and intrigue to your project to achieve exactly that.

Don’t forget to book extra time with your voice over pro to record any launch promotions you want to create for your audiobook. Having the same voice record your book and related ads reinforce consistency while giving listeners a preview of the delightful narration that’s in store.

Audio Ads

Audiobooks aren’t the only audio content enjoying a surge in popularity. Podcasts have become the market’s darlings, and even audio articles are on the rise. If more people turn to audio, you can bet more brands are turning to audio ads right along with them.

Unlike obtrusive pop-ups or other visual ads that rudely interrupt – or downright block – the information people are trying to obtain; audio ads can be blended more seamlessly into the audio tracts. Because audio advertising is familiar, listeners seem less adverse to their existence.

Nearly 50% of people who stream audio said audio ads are less disruptive than other types of advertising. And 43% said audio ads are more likely to capture their attention. Audio ads allow you to:

  • Tap into the expansive audience that enjoys podcasts, video games, music streaming, and other content that supports audio advertising.
  • Connect with your specific audience using high-precision targeting.
  • Reach listeners through the most personal and intimate form of media.

Why You Want It

Whether you’re aiming to create brand awareness, increase engagement, prompt direct response, or support a specific promotion, audio ads are a versatile and effective option that can reach a phenomenal amount of listeners.

  • Audio ads have a 91% completion rate, meaning nearly all audience members listen to the ads in their entirety
  • 74% of internet users in the U.S. listened to digital audio in 2022, which is more than 222 million people, or two-thirds of the population
  • Audio remains one of the last forms of communication without ad blockers, as listeners are more accepting of audio ads than other forms.

How Voice Over Contributes to Audio Ad Success

The most effective audio ads are those that grab attention, are memorable, and can stir up emotion – three things that professional voice over actors are easily able to achieve.

Grabbing attention doesn’t simply mean being the loudest or most obnoxious. It means presenting a surprising, unique, or clever hook – in a voice that makes listeners’ ears instantly perk up. That voice needs to align with your brand’s personality and style, and it also needs to be one that listeners can easily remember.

Because audio advertising is often done with a series of ads rather than a single ad spot, you need ads that are both consistent and different. They need to be consistent with your brand yet varied enough, so the audience doesn’t think they’re listening to the same ad again and again.

A versatile voice over pro can maintain a consistent brand vibe while changing up any scenario or character. Select an artist with acting experience, and they’ll also be able to achieve the most important feat of all: making an emotional connection with your audience.

People remember any strong feelings they get while listening to an ad and are apt to remember the brand that elicited those feelings.

Short-Form Video

With a length that ranges from 10 seconds to 3 minutes, short-form video is the perfect pick for people’s declining attention spans. Most short-form videos hit about 2 minutes in length, which requires a concise, engaging, and memorable message without the fluff.

Social media platforms are a natural fit for short-form videos, although their versatility makes them work on other platforms and websites. Their versatility also gives you various options regarding the type of short-form video you want to create.

Types of short-form videos include:

  • Short video ads, which typically run 10 seconds or less
  • A single-feature video highlighting a single feature of your service or product
  • Product demos focusing on the benefits and features of your services or products
  • Educational and how-to videos, delivering knowledge or instructions
  • FAQs, with a short video created for each of the top questions customers ask
  • Behind-the-scenes videos giving a quick snapshot of the inner workings of your company
  • Teasers for long-form videos, upcoming events, or new products or services
  • Highlights of past events, with a quick recap showcasing the most memorable moments

Why You Want It

The short-form video has become less of a trend and more of a marketing staple. It’s not only become the most popular marketing tool, but it’s the most effective and known for delivering the highest ROI.

  • 90% of marketers use short-form video plans to maintain or increase their use moving forward.
  • 20% of marketers who have never used short-form videos are going to give it a try in 2023.
  • 58% of audience members will watch the entire video if it’s less than a minute long, but only 24% make it to the end of videos that are more than 20 minutes long.

How Voice Over Contributes to Short-Form Video Success

With less than 3 minutes to relay your entire message, a short-form video has to be extremely precise. Precision is what professional voice over acting is all about. Voice actors are highly trained to deliver precise timing, precise pronunciation, and just the right style and tone that aligns with your message and brand.

You also need video narration that matches the type of video you’re creating. A 10-second ad requires a highly captivating and energetic voice, while an event recap needs a voice that can relay the emotion of the memorable moments.

Educational videos need voices that give an air of authority without losing the personable feel. Teasers require high levels of authentic excitement, while product demos need to mingle that excitement with a professional edge. You could spice up your FAQ videos by having the voice actor take on different characters for every question.

As noted, the short-form video doesn’t have room for any fluff. An experienced voice over artist knows how to get straight to the point, delivering narration that connects with the audience to present the message and help the video meet its goals.

Find a versatile and seasoned voice actor, and they may be able to nail the narration for all your short-form videos, regardless of the type.

A versatile, seasoned voice actor can nail the narration for short-form videos and any other project you have in your lineup. This particularly holds true if you plan to move forward with the 2023 trends of audiobooks and audio ads. Both audiobooks and audio ads rely heavily on engaging narration for the best results, and hiring a voice over pro is an excellent way to help ensure those best results unfold.

Is the Golden Age of Voice Over Gone? Part Two: Here Comes AI

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Is AI voiceover going to replace live actors? That’s a question that’s consistently popped up over the last several years and a good question to explore in the second part of this blog series. Part one of the series looked at a voiceover talent’s transition into the digital era.

In part two, we’re diving into artificial intelligence (AI), its impact on the industry, and the idea of synthetic voices replacing real actors. While we can never really know what the future may bring, I am inclined to say no, AI will not replace real-life voice over actors.

There are several reasons I feel this way:

  • AI-generated narration can instantly kill all the drama and excitement when used for a full-length documentary-type TV show (as evidenced by one we ran across a few weeks back).
  • Certain AI-powered robot vacuums have voices that are annoying enough for people to return the product based on the voice alone.
  • No client has ever told me, “We’re going to hire AI to do your job.” And if they did, I have enough work and clients coming in to wish them luck and move on.

And those are just a few reasons off the top of my head. I’ll go a bit deeper later in this article, right after we flesh out what’s going on with AI in the world of voice over.

AI and Technology in Voice Over

Voice technology has gotten more sophisticated, something I’ve touched on in past blogs. Examples include:

Synthetic Voices

Artificially produced replications of the human voice, such as simple commands on automated messages.

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Text-to-speech transforms digital text into human speech. Google’s text-to-speech is a prime example.

AI Voices

Type of synthetic voice that uses deep learning to:

  • Transform text into human-sounding speech
  • Transform speech into text
  • Identify a person by their voice command

Voice Assistants

Voice assistant software can perform tasks or answer questions in response to a person’s voice. Think Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri.

Synthetic, On-Demand Voice Overs

Today you can find software that produces text-to-speech (TTS) voice overs as needed. The TTS are often synthetic voices generated by AI and other technology to help them sound less robotic and more human.

If you’d rather start off with a real voice, other technologies let you create a voice bank of a real person’s voice that can later be used to create synthetic speech. Here the voices originally come from human actors, but the sounds are broken down and then put together to produce the desired order needed for the project.

On the surface, it may appear that technology is rapidly honing in on the voice over industry, ready to replace real-life actors. And for some uses, perhaps it has. But that doesn’t mean game over.

The downside of Artificial Voices

True, starting costs for using synthetic voices might be lower than hiring a professional voice over actor. You may also get a rapid-fast turnaround time and the ability to endlessly manipulate the recording as desired. But the pros have yet to outweigh the cons.

The cons of using synthetic voices include the following:

  • No unique sound. You may be purchasing a synthetic voice that’s used by dozens, or even hundreds or thousands, of other companies. The voice may be mundane and overused, but it also runs the risk of sounding monotonous.
  • Limited library. While you may find plenty of voices speaking standard, non-accented English, you’ll likely be at a loss if you need regional accents or a less common language.
  • Endless manipulation. The ability to manipulate the recording to add pauses and other elements may be a plus. But you may also find yourself manipulating the recording to fix errors with acronyms, abbreviations, ambiguities, missed cues, bad flow and other issues that make the recording less than stellar.
  • Lack of humanness. The lack of humanness is the greatest downside. The human brain can pick up the difference no matter how advanced artificially reproduced voices may be.

Why the Human Touch (and Sound) Matters

Even though they try to make a variety of different-sounding AI voices, there is no way to direct to the nuance that some clients desire.
When you take the humanness out of voices, you take away what connects us to our audience: human emotion.

Marketing relies heavily on human emotion, as up to 90% of our decisions are based on emotion. Emotional branding has become one of the foremost ways many brands attempt to connect with their audience.

Real voice actors are still the only way to provide the emotional connection that synthetic voices have yet to master. Hiring a seasoned voice actor also brings on added benefits, such as getting guidance on the script, receiving input based on their expertise, an opportunity to provide vocal direction and feedback on the delivery of the copy, and connecting with a real person to develop a professional relationship.

End of the Digital Era?

Voice technology has gotten better – but it’s still not to the point where it can substitute for a real person with real emotions. And even though advances may continue to be made, experts like author Greg Satell say we’re looking at the end of the digital era. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop using digital technology. But it does mean we won’t necessarily see the same massive explosion of new technologies that we’ve seen of late.

“We’ve spent the last few decades learning how to move fast,” Satell notes. “Over the next few decades, we’ll have to relearn how to go slow again.” Slower and more in-depth, using all this technology for meaningful projects beyond automating Robocalls or shutting off porch lights with a voice command. “We are awash in nifty gadgets,” Satell writes, “but in many ways, we are no better off than we were 30 years ago.”

Voice Over: Greatest Challenges, Greatest Joys

This brings me to one final thing I noticed while thinking and writing about the changes in the voice over industry. It can be summed up with a quote from French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (written in 1849):

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

No matter what has changed in the voice over in the way of technology and work methods, two fundamental elements remain the same. One is the greatest challenge and the other is the greatest joy.

  • The greatest challenge is still finding and securing work. Finding people who are doing the hiring and getting in front of them. You now get in front of them with an email instead of an in-person connection, but you still need a way to stand out from the crowd.
  • The greatest joy will always be connecting with clients and delivering exactly what they want.

Another thing that has stayed the same is my suggestions to new talent looking to break into the industry. The most important thing is a good, clean sound – and the willingness to work hard for what you want.

Just because technology has made some things faster and easier doesn’t mean technology does everything for you. People still have to put in the legwork if they want to succeed – in anything.

I feel lucky to have entered the voice over world when I did, as it’s given me a chance to embrace a wide range of different experiences. While I miss the in-person work with other actors (even though we have ways to live-connect digitally with each other now via Source Connect, Zoom, and other methods), I also love the ability to be around my family working from home. Not to mention living anywhere I want and still getting steady work.

I’d also say it’s easier for me to find work today than when I started. I have a lot of fingers in a lot of different pools. I have a variety of auditions coming to me from many sources. And clients can find me by searching for female voice talent (or something related) online. SEO is wonderful, and optimizing one’s website is essential these days.

And I have a large stable of clients I built up over the years that I stay in touch with. Once again, the human connection comes into play. Like any meaningful career, it’s not only about the work you do but the relationships you develop. Relationships you can’t get from technology, no matter how fast, cheap or accessible it may be.

Thank you for reading this post! Let me know when you need a custom audition or voice over quote for an upcoming project.

Is the Golden Age of Voice Over Gone? Part One: Into the Digital Era

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Will things get better or worse in the digital age? That’s a question people consistently ask about everything from the economy to the voice over industry to a change in their favorite restaurant’s menu. While we could sit around discussing the question for hours, or even days, I recall a concise answer that summed it up best:

“Things don’t get better or worse. They get different.”

And that’s precisely what happened in the world of voice over. While some may pine for what might be considered the Golden Age of voice over, others say a new Golden Age may be upon us.

Either way, I have used a few key strategies over the years to sustain my own voice over career through whatever comes across my path. For others facing significant changes in their careers or those embarking on the VO bandwagon, these strategies may help you, too.

The Early Days of Voice Over

While the definition of voice over’s Golden Age may vary, I feel it’s an era reserved for some true veteran voice actors. I don’t consider myself part of the Golden Age, although I have been in the business for more than 25 years.

When I entered the scene in the 1990s, in-person studio recordings were the norm. If you wanted any level of notable voice over work, you needed to live in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Southern California, where the big studios and the big jobs were.

An average day in the voice over world for me included spending a lot of time attending live auditions, doing in-studio work – and being stuck in Southern California traffic.

Commercials made up the bulk of my work, primarily local commercials for businesses in the area. Yes, the work was exciting. And yes, I had a lot of fun.

I remember working at a studio in Irvine, California, with another OC native, Scott Rummell. He’s one of the top people in the voice over world, with a body of work that includes movie trailers, network promos, and national and regional TV commercials. He gave me a valuable leg up at the beginning of my career. We recorded spots together, acting as husband and wife for local supermarkets or copier companies.

My background was in acting, so I was used to working with other actors and creating believable dialogue. That was always the most fun… getting to work with other actors in a live situation.

A Voice Over Career in the 1990s

  • Live auditions
  • In-person studio recordings
  • Often recording with other actors in the studio together
  • Getting work through casting and talent agents
  • Voice over actor’s job was to read and interpret the copy
  • Engineers and production crew took care of the recording, editing, sound quality, and everything else that went into the finished, delivered product
  • In-person marketing – where personality played a huge role
  • Printed headshots
  • Demos on cassette tapes and then CDs were always cheaper if you bought them in bulk. I still have a box of CDs left over from 20 years ago!

The early days were exciting. I was getting paid to be an actor – and that was my goal. Some people never get near that. Sure, I had some side jobs at the beginning, like working as a florist and marketing a murder mystery dinner theater, but I was driven to make acting my full-time career.

At one point, one of my side jobs ended. I saw it as a turning point. I knew I could draw unemployment for about six months and use the time to get all the pieces together to focus on what I wanted to do.

From there, I just took one step after the other. The work got better. I made more money. Time is on your side. It will get a little easier if you can stick out the tough stuff in the beginning.

And although I do miss certain aspects of the early days, I know things tend to appear rosier in hindsight.

  • What I miss most: Working in person with other actors.
  • What I miss least: Being stuck in the Southern California traffic. I can get much more work when I’m not wasting time on the freeway.

The Digital Age of Voice Over

When the digital age began to unfold, my initial reaction was less than thrilled. It was more like: “Oh my gosh. What the heck is this technology, and how will I work with it?” And I might not have if I had not met my husband.

I was not a computer person AT ALL, and he was the one who nudged me into the computer and internet age. The transition has been challenging to me, but I’ve been able to learn what I need to know – and usually hire people to help with the rest.

Some people are more adept than I am with technology, but that doesn’t mean I’m not proud of the progress I’ve made. I still sometimes go through everything I’ve learned and pat myself on the back. Technology is wired into younglings these days, so it’s mostly a breeze for them. They have other challenges.

Technology aside, the biggest challenge in the digital age has been connecting with potential clients, the people who will hire you. The current mantra is that anybody and everybody can be a voice over talent – which also comes with a downside.

Now you’re not just competing with the people in L.A. you see in the audition waiting room. You’re competing with people in every state… in every country. You’re competing with the world.

Voice Over Experience Matters  

Seasoned voice actors have the advantage of experience and the ability to say no to jobs that are not a good fit. Examples are clients who may not have directed a lot of voice over recordings and put you through the mill, asking for multiple free auditions or even recordings. Sorry, no.

Seasoned actors can end up at a disadvantage in certain cases. Sometimes, a client may be looking for an unrefined voice, very raw and not polished. When you’ve been doing voice acting for so long, it’s hard to turn off the polish.

A Voice Over Career in the 2020s

  • Digital auditions
  • Digital studio recordings
  • Usually alone in a home studio
  • Getting work through voice over marketplaces, casting agencies, talent agencies, pay-to-play platforms
  • Voice over actor’s job is everything related to the craft: recording, editing, marketing, maintaining a website, the whole kit, and caboodle
  • Online marketing, where voice over websites and other savvy digital assets play a huge role
  • On-demand digital samples of work
  • Digital demos

After all these years, voice over work still brings me joy. My biggest joy is pleasing a client… when you get to hear something like, “Gee, that was fantastic. It’s great working with you.”

I recently experienced one of those sessions where we whizzed through a series of difficult recordings for a major university fundraiser. In many cases, they were satisfied with the first take. It’s so freeing to work with someone who has such confidence in my abilities and can just let me go and do my thing.

I used to be thrilled to hear my voice on TV or on the radio. My voice would come on while my kids were watching TV, and they’d say, “There’s mom!”

Now I do a smattering of commercials, and most of my work is long-form narration. E-learning and similar projects, along with some phone prompt work. I got into voice over narration very quickly, which perfectly aligns with the demands in the digital age.

And yes, my work is still fun. It’s like a game for me. Every morning I wake up and see what’s in my email inbox. I’m scouting possible jobs not just for me but also for my college-age daughter, who also does voice over work. I meet with her over Zoom once a day to do whatever auditions and client work she has in between her other work and classes. It’s a sneaky way for me to be in constant touch with her while she’s away at college…and she still makes a nice purse from her work too, which helps to pay for it all.

I have a set routine and a speed. It energizes me to think, “There’s another audition, another opportunity.” You never know which one is going to hit a client. When you do get the job offer, it’s a big win. Fortunately, I put enough spaghetti on the wall so some of it does stick!

  • What I enjoy most is: Ease and speed of my daily routine.
  • What I enjoy least: Dealing with finicky technology. Nearly all of my career’s most memorable scary moments involve technology failing at extremely inopportune times.

How to Keep a Voice Over Career Going

Even though I miss some aspects of the earlier days of voice over, and I am still not a big fan of technology, at no point did I ever want to throw in the towel to pursue another career. As with any type of freelance career, income can fluctuate. But even during years when we didn’t make as much money as we’d hoped, I’m still making more than I would at any other job that uses my education, experience, and skills.

The strategies I used to keep my voice over career going can be used by anyone in any career. They are:

  • Look forward, not back: Remember, the past is always rosier in your mind, and new things can be even more exciting.
  • Know your limitations: There was no doubt I was not a computer person, and I never pretended to be.
  • Learn and adapt: I was willing to learn what I needed to stay in the game. This reminds me of an Eleanor Roosevelt quote: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” And I certainly thought I couldn’t do all those computer tasks!
  • Get a game plan: Those six months of preparing for a voice over career gave me a solid path and foundation for moving forward.
  • Keep your eye on the prize: Voice over work was and is my passion. No matter what challenges I need to face, I remind myself daily how lucky I am to have a job I love.

Will I still love voice over with artificial intelligence (AI) honing in? Ask me again in two years (kidding)! You can check out my take on voice over and AI in my next article: “Is the Golden Age of Voice Over Gone? Part Two: Here Comes AI.” Stay tuned!  

Communication is Key for Voice Over Success 

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While all businesses rely heavily on communication for success, it’s even more important in the world of voice over. That’s because communication is at the heart of all we do. The main goal of our profession is to effectively communicate a message to the audience, and that can only be achieved if we are effectively communicating with our clients. Understanding this component of your voice over business is key to long-term success.

Good communication brings clarity to every situation, imparts professionalism and builds long-lasting relationships. Here’s how.

Communication for Clarity  

All voice over jobs start with a rundown on what the client wants, and the only way you’re sure to deliver is to ask the right questions. You need to ask relevant questions that give you the information you need to fully understand exactly what they’re going for. Questions here include things like vocal tone, file type, delivery method and all other details associated with a particular project.

It’s then imperative to carefully listen to what they say so you can deliver what they asked for. If things are unclear, clear them up before you begin. You’ll save a lot of time that you’d otherwise have to spend correcting something that was vague or misunderstood.

Communication for Professionalism

How you communicate with clients says a lot about your competence level, whether it’s through a quick phone call or a detailed email. You always want to be respectful and professional, ensuring you use appropriate guidelines for business correspondence. Sending a professional email is not like texting a quick message to your pal in all lower-case letters with two-letter abbreviations.

You want to use proper grammar and salutations, spell check before you send, and include your logo, branding, a professional email address and good tagline. Part of your online communication also includes your website and social media accounts. Every email you send, post you create and image you choose reflects directly on you as a professional.

Impeccable emails and a polished online presence indicate you’re someone who knows what they’re doing. They paint you as someone who is experienced and can be trusted to complete the project to the specs required. 

Communication for Building Relationships

While communication with a new or prospective client is best kept rather formal, you can relax the formalities a bit when you work with repeat clients over an extended period. I find ways to personalize communication, to make it feel more like a friendship when appropriate.

I have many clients with whom I’ve worked for years, so in some instances I know details about their families, their work transitions and their overall lives. When it’s appropriate, I enjoy being chatty and casual. I like to deepen the bond with them, so they see me as not just a voice talent, but a trusted friend and a fellow human being.

I also never under estimate the importance of a thank you. This could be for a referral, a recent job, or just for being a loyal client. I’ve tried many different approaches to this over the years, including sending postcards, personalized notes, birthday cards, gifts, or just reaching out through email or social media.

Posting a review for a client on their LinkedIn page or other platform shows your thoughtfulness and may help them with their marketing. Letting clients know how much they’re appreciated and valued can go a long way, especially when you do it in a way that gives them an extra boost to their own business.

Two More Tidbits on Communication

In a previous blog I wrote about The Biggest Voice Over Customer Service Mistakes, and it’s no surprise that poor communication made the list in two instances. They bear repeating. One was delay in communication, which can give off the vibe that you don’t really care. The other was not really listening or understanding what the client wants, which we also touched on above.

Responding to audition requests or messages to clients as quickly as possible shows you’re a pro who is ready to deliver what’s required. In the case of new clients, being the first to respond is often the move that gets you the job.

Truly listening and understanding what a client wants is another big deal. It’s better to ask tons of questions than make tons of mistakes. Good communication involves good listening skills and really paying attention to what the client is saying.

Keep these communication tips in mind as you move forward in your voice over career, and you may be happy to find your career moves forward with success. You’re apt to be seen as a true professional who can deliver exactly what the client wants while building beneficial relationships that can endure for years.

6 Reasons People Trust a Female Voice Over Male Voices

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Why People Trust a Female Voice Over Male Voices

The question of hiring a female voice over talent vs. a male voice over talent has pretty much joined the ranks of other age-old debates. The topic has been covered by many, myself included (“Exploring the Decision to Hire Male vs. Female Voice-Over Talent”).

Despite the numerous discussions on the topic over the years, I felt there was still one angle that deserved a more intense look: the proven reasons behind the fact that people tend to trust female voices over male voices.

While my past blog touched briefly on the point, I wanted to more deeply explore why female voices tend to instill trust in the audience that can lead to a trust in a company, service or product and, ultimately, the buy. Here’s what I found.

voice-over pitch and inflexion

Pitch and Inflection

To illustrate how quickly people determine if they can trust someone, University of Glasgow psychologist Phil McAleer ran an experiment. He recorded a batch of 64 men and women speaking, then had 320 participants listen to only the word “Hello” from the 64 voices.

The results? Female voices were deemed the most trustworthy for two main reasons.

  • Pitch: The higher pitch of the female voice instilled more confidence in listeners than the lower-pitched male. One super-low-pitched male voice was overwhelming voted the least trustworthy of all.
  • Inflection: Female voices that dropped at the end of a word or phrase indicated a degree of certainty, something that made people automatically trust them.

soothing

Soothing and Comforting Nature

A recent Harris Interactive poll found 46 percent of participants ranked female voices more soothing than male voices. Soothing voices can make people feel comfortable, and when people feel comfortable, they’re more inclined to trust.

clear, more melodic voiceovers

Clearer, More Melodic

The clear, melodic nature of the female voice can also play a role in the trust it instills, as can the fact that female and male voices are processed in different parts of the brain. A University of Sheffield study found female voices are processed in the auditory region of the brain, the same area that processes music. Male voices are processed in the back of the brain in an area known as the “mind’s eye.”

The size and shape of the larynx and vocal cords between women and men make female voices more complex, yet still more easily “decoded” or understood. One interesting tidbit that underscores a female voice’s complexity is the fact that most auditory hallucinations contain a male voice. Study co-author Michael Hunter notes auditory hallucinations are thought to be caused by spontaneous brain activation, and it’s much tougher for the brain to mimic a female voice than a male one.

are brains developed to prefer female voiceovers?

Are Our Brains Developed to Prefer a Female Voice?

Take any group of listeners, and you’ll find it may not be all that difficult to find a experiment. Finding a male voice everyone likes, however, can be a real challenge. Stanford University Professor Clifford Nass noted this fact, while pointing out the human brain is actually developed to like female voices.

Studies have found this preference can be traced as far back as the womb, where unborn babies reacted to the sound of their mother’s voice. They didn’t react to other women’s voices, nor did they react to their father’s voice.

female voiceovers perceived as helping, not commanding

Perceived as Helping, Not Commanding

If you haven’t already noticed, most digital assistants and navigation systems incorporate a female voice in their technology. Alexa, Siri, Cortana and the voice of Ooma are four immediate examples that come to mind. While there are several reasons female voices outweigh male voices for technological gadgets, one pointed out by Nass was particularly enlightening.

While people enjoy using technology to help them out, they also still want to feel as if they have some control in the process. Female voices tend to do just that, making the user feel as if the technology is helping them solve their problems.

Male voices, on the other hand, are perceived as commanding them what to do. The same mindset can apply to trusting the female voice to help you select the best product or service, rather than the male voice that simply commands you to buy it.

female voiceovers more trusted

Females Are More Trusted in Person Too

It makes sense people would be more inclined to trust a female voice since they’re more inclined to trust a female in person. A management survey found this applied to CEOs, while business author Vanessa Hall found it to also be true for sales people. People are more inclined to trust, and follow, women CEOs over male CEOs. They are also more inclined to buy from those they trust, and they trust women sales people over their male colleagues.

Here the trust goes beyond just how women sound, but how they tend to act in a business environment. While male CEOs are often out for only the bottom line, women are more inclined to have more balance in their decision-making. They’ll consider the bottom line, sure, but they’ll also consider the impact of decisions on stakeholders, employees and the company as a whole.

Hall also points out that female leaders possess a more intuitive response to trust, along with an openness to change.

A study published in Harvard Business Review found women leaders ranked higher than men in 17 out of 19 categories that ranged from taking initiative to building relationships. The only categories where men ranked higher were technical or professional expertise and developing strategic perspective.

The higher-scoring leadership categories may also play a role in people’s readiness to trust a female voice.

All this doesn’t mean, of course, that a female voice-over talent is ALWAYS the ideal pick for your specific message, company or project. But it does mean you have at least six intriguing facts to consider when choosing between a male and female voice.

Whether it be for a radio or tv commercial, corporate narration or simple phone messaging system, you’ll want to give some consideration to these facts and information before deciding on which gender to choose for your project.

And, if you ultimately decide you want a female voice talent for your project, please give me a call or contact me online so we can talk about the details.

You may also enjoy reading these related posts:

“Exploring the Decision Whether to Hire Male vs. Female Voice-Over Talent”

“Benefits of Hiring a Full-Time Female Voice Over Talent”

“How a Female Voice Over Talent Makes Your Job (as Producer) Much Easier”

Are You Getting Remarkable Voice-Over Service?

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Are you delivering remarkable voice-over service?

One of the best compliments you can get is fabulous feedback or a glowing testimonial from a customer or client – without even asking for it. Does that mean you’ve delivered remarkable service? Most certainly, according to author and management company founder Mike Mack.

As Mack explains in a podcast interview (start at 7 minute mark), remarkable service is simply service that’s so good your customers remark upon it. While plenty of folks are prone to hit the social media arena remarking on extraordinarily bad service, Mack focuses on key points that can make your service extraordinarily good.

His plan of action is really not that tough – but it does require constant diligence. And here’s what remarkable customer service would look like in the voice-over industry.

Poor customer service can wreck your voice-over business

Process and People

While Mack pointed out that customer service has many moving parts, there are two main areas upon which companies can focus their improvements. One is with the process; the other is with the people.

Process

Process refers to fulfilling orders, delivering goods or otherwise providing the customer with what they were promised and paid for. In the voice-over industry, the process would include things like providing an initial quote, gathering information needed to perform the work, and then delivering the final recording by deadline.

Sounds simple, but a lot can go wrong between the first step and the final recording if the voice-over talent doesn’t have his or her process streamlined for efficiency. I’ve spent years honing my process, making sure I ask all the right questions, know exactly what a client wants, and schedule my jobs with enough wiggle room for unforeseen happenings or last-minute needs.

Not everyone may do that, which can result in any number of hiccups for any number reasons, even those that are not your fault. No matter how noble your intentions, they don’t mean anything if you don’t deliver on them.

People

Dealing with people includes everything from responding to initial inquiries to effectively handling complaints and other interactions that require skillful interactions with others.

When all is well and customers are happy, it’s easy to be on target with your people skills. But when a customer is unhappy with their final product, things can get a bit trickier. There have been times when I’ve delivered a final recording, following the exact parameters a client outlined, but then they ended up wanting a myriad of changes that went above and beyond their initial project specs.

What then?

If I was at fault for the error, it’s a no-brainer for me to correct it as quickly as possible to make things right. But if the error is on the customer’s end, well, I still correct it as quickly as possible to make things right.

This is not to say I may not charge for the revisions or additional work I incur due to client error, but I will always communicate openly, honestly and directly with the client to ensure they are on the same page with the proposed solution. I don’t move forward if they’re not. And I never make assumptions that they will be. I need their confirmation.

I also make sure all communication is done with courtesy, kindness and understanding. It’s imperative clients know I’m not only listening to their input, but truly hearing what they have to say.

Little things mean a lot when it comes to delivering remarkable voice-over service and retaining your clients

Little Things and Loyalty

Another important aspect of customer service is how big the little things can be. Little things refer to the smaller details of any customer interaction, such as making sure a restaurant patron gets a straw with their drink or an extra napkin if they ask for one.

While you may not storm out of a restaurant if you don’t get a straw or extra napkin, failing to pay attention to small details can erode the feel-good vibes customers have about your business.

In the voice-over industry, small things can be as simple as a prompt reply to emails and phone calls, offering a complimentary custom audition for prospective clients, and using a phone patch so clients can provide real-time feedback during the recording session.

Could voice-over clients live without these things? Sure, the same way most people could live without a straw or extra napkin. But I don’t just want to get the job done. I want to ensure my clients have, as Mack would say, remarkable service.

When done right and done consistently, the little things are what really add up to that remarkable service. And remarkable service, in turn, adds up to customer loyalty.

Mack’s book “Remarkable Service” goes into greater detail on the importance and nuances of customer service, which serves of the foundation of any business designed to thrive.

Remarkable Voice-Over Service

As you may know, my business tagline is “More than just lip service,” so providing remarkable customer service to my voice-over clients has been on the top of my list for many years. In a time now when there are so many voice-over talents out there, I find that service is what can often most powerfully differentiate me from the competition.

To read about the nuts and bolts of what I provide as part of my remarkable voice-over service, please check out my Top Ten Reasons to Hire Debbie list. Then contact me for a free quote or custom audition and give me a chance to be remarkable!

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Debbie Grattan is a top-rated professional female voice over talent with more than 25 years of experience delivering voice over services worldwide. She regularly records commercial voice overs for radio and tv as well as infomercial voice overs and direct response marketing for children's toys, health, fitness and beauty products. Other specialties include female narration voice overs for corporate narration, web videos, tutorials, explainer videos and technical medical narration. Debbie also provides phone-related voice over services including phone prompts, messages-on-hold and outbound phone marketing for companies in the United States and Canada.

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