Seven Things You Should Never Say to Your Professional Female Voiceover Artist!

If you work with professional voiceover artists, you probably already know that delivering a great read isn’t as simple as “just talking into a mic.” It’s a skill, a craft, and, most importantly, a profession. Yet, from time to time, we hear things that make our job harder than it needs to be.

Here are six things you should never say to your VO artist (and why):

 “Sorry, the final script we sent you wasn’t actually signed off by everyone. Here’s the real final script.” 

Rewrites after recording mean extra work. If a script isn’t signed off, it’s not the final script.

 “Can you match the speed of our AI guide voice (that’s going like the clappers), but with emotion?” 

AI doesn’t need to breathe. Humans do. You can have speed and you can have a connected, natural read, but not together. If you’re using a guide voice, please get Elaine from Accounts to do it and not a bloody robot!

 (After the recording session) “We’ve had a few changes since you recorded (yesterday). Can you record these new lines for free?” 

Time is money! A revision is a new session, not a favour.

 “That was crap!” 

Ok, so I seriously doubt anyone would be this unkind but hey, you might be thinking it! And that’s fine; let’s just keep the feedback constructive!

 “Can you say it like this?” <Insert bad impression of a dramatic reading> 

Instead of acting it out (badly), give clear direction: tone, pace, emotion. That’s what gets the best results.

 “This time, can you try and sound a bit like… <Insert famous person>?” 

VO artists bring OUR voice, not an impersonation (unless you’ve hired us for that). 

 “Yeah, you can absolutely have a copy of the final audio when it’s done.” (But not actually mean it.) 

If a voiceover artist requests a copy for their portfolio, be upfront about whether that’s possible. Transparency goes a long way.

A smooth session with your voiceover is all about respect, clarity, professionalism and hopefully a lot of fun as well.

I'm a voiceover artist with a professional studio and I record live with creatives all over the world. Are you on the fence about choosing me as your next professional female British voiceover artist? Don't be shy! Why not get in touch and I'll record you a no-obligation free demo read so you can hear if I'm the right fit?

sarah@sarahbowersvo.com

+44 7771 884 128