Let’s say you’ve got some mission-critical branding material you need to get recorded ASAP. Maybe it’s a radio or Spotify ad, narration for an explainer video, narration for a promotional film, or anything beyond; you’re most likely going to try and find someone who will do a voice-over online.
Fortunately, whether your intentions are commercial, artistic, or an amalgamation of both, services abound. Freelancers, voice agencies or outsourcing websites are dime-a-dozen in the age of the gig economy; being spoiled for choice is going to be the least of your concerns!
Not every voice pro is created the same, though, and both rates and quality will differ wildly. Being equipped with the knowledge to choose someone who will provide a good ROI (Return of Investment) is a must.
A good presentation has become the norm, and anyone who’s just bought a microphone can try to pass themselves off as Patrick Stewart. That makes it harder to know what to look for unless industry insiders have your back!
Good thing you’re reading this, then! We’ve been working with voice professionals for quite a few years now, so we know our stuff. If the online voice-over marketplace is a minefield, we’re your mine detector.
Check out this guide on how to find a good voice-over online. We promise it’s safe out there!
But if you prefer to watch a video instead, click here:
This post was updated in May 2021
Wait, do I really need a voice-over?
Maybe you don’t, but if you’re concerned with humanizing your brand and creating maximum empathy, you should. Voice-overs are a production technique where a voice is used in a presentation. You can use them for anything and everything:
- Radio
- TV
- Film
- Video Games
- Commercials (Radio, Spotify, Pandora, explainer videos, etc.)
- Theatre
- General presentations
Voice-overs generate an immediate human connection that’s vital for information retention. If you have a good voice with an adequate, original script, you’re on your way to winning hearts and minds.
Our hyper-connectedness also means that the human component is also a commodity in increasing demand. Think about it: people flock to influencers who flood their social media accounts with stories; brands with personality sell more; YouTube is erupting with reaction videos and a new era of entrepreneurs and presenters with recognizable faces.
It all points to the same thing: people want to connect. Gone are the days of the rote corporate messages and impersonal branding strategies. Marketing is all about fostering this empathy and making your audience know that they matter.
Part of this philosophy stems from selling your brand, your idea, more than just your product or service. What sets you apart from the competition? If you had to find one salient feature from what you’re attempting to sell, what would it be?
Commercial voice-overs are a perfect way to go from A to Z in this scenario. They are perfect at capturing what makes you, you, and increasing engagement. Engagement leads to conversion and brand loyalty.
Some numbers and trends about finding a voice-over online
Brands and companies are regarding voice-overs as a critical creative component in ever-increasing amounts. Here’s what people are saying about the importance of finding a good voice-over online when surveyed on voice acting sites.
- 75% (8% increase vs 2018 ) find that a good voice-over is critical for a project’s success.
- 71% (5% increase over 2018) “Using voice-over helps me capture my target audience’s attention for longer than if I didn’t use voice-over in that project.”
- 80% agree with the statement “A voice-over is a tool that I use to help increase information retention in my target audience.”
- 76% are sure that voice-overs help a brand connect better with the target audience.
- 66% believe that “Voice-over is essential in creating an intended emotional reaction.”
- 64% claim that “Projects with voice-over generally perform better than those without voice-over.”
It goes without saying that our own professional experience mirrors this to a tee. In fact, these numbers may even err a bit on the conservative side of things!
Simply put, finding a high-quality voice-over online can do wonders for your marketing efforts. They foster engagement, connection, information retention, and are just an all-around great sales and brand-loyalty tool.
Convinced? That’s what we thought! Then let’s move on to your action plan!
Keep it in-house or outsource?
If you’re already reading this article, chances are you know what the time and cost-efficient solution is; outsourcing your voice-over needs is just the way to go. It’ll remove the hassle of having to find suitable talent within your ranks. It’s also about minimizing risk; you don’t want to fall into the trap of amateur mistakes that sink your ship on its maiden voyage!
I think we know how that ends.
Still, of course, if you want to go with the “self-made person” route, we recommend you check out our guide on how to get started. Trust us, you don’t want to botch this!
Want to make it easy? Hire a voice artist at Bunny Studio today!
We’re sure you’re all about quality, consistent results. You’re probably wondering what things to keep in mind when weaving through sites that all seem repetitive after a while. Everybody’s claiming to be offering “premium”, “leading-edge”, and other cliché words about their service.
But, what are the actual indicators of a good voice-over online provider?
Most voice-over online artists are freelancers
That’s right. Most people doing a voice-over online will be self-employed, or at least unaffiliated with a particular company. That also makes it really easy for you to find a bottomless supply of professionals gunning for your money on gig-economy marketplaces.
We’re, of course, talking about the Fiverrs or Upworks of the internet. There’s a ton of websites where freelancers of every level of experience work. Also, no formal courses are required to get started with a voice-over online career. This results in drastically varied standards of quality and pricing.
True to their promise, some of these platforms offer talent for $5, $10, $20. Sometimes you can find a diamond-in-the-rough to record your audiobook at $20 per hour. It’s still a risk.
If you don’t have a clear idea of what you’re doing, separating “good”, “bad”, and “mediocre” may not be clear-cut. Finding someone that has quite a few reviews to their name may not be the only solution either; how do you know other clients were looking for — or had an eye for — quality?
But they’re cheap, though!
Following the siren’s song of dirt-cheap rates can be a double-edged sword. It’s not that you should give people advertising on these platforms a wide berth — quite the contrary. You could find pretty good, convenient deals. It’s just a bit of a longshot compared to the ease of a platform or agency with centralized quality standards.
Just make sure you know what makes a great narrator or voice-over pro.
Ensure that they’ve got a well-curated portfolio of diverse work; a voice that suits your brand and target audience; that they provide a suitable number of revisions, not just an amount that suits their whims before they move on to the next project or client; that they can work well with others and are able to take direction; that they’ve got adequate recording equipment that complies with multi-platform standards; that their tone fits your target audience and demographics.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
But let’s just say you value your beauty sleep just as much as we do.
Agencies, outsourcing platforms, and curated content
Online outsourcing platforms like Bunny Studio provide simple, affordable voice solutions. This easy-to-use, API (Application Programming Interface) focused marketplaces have distinct advantages over “let’s just let everyone in the door” freelance platforms.
What’s good about Bunny Studio?
We carefully curate our content creators.
We take care of you, the end-user, so you don’t have to fret over the tiny details we mentioned above. Pros are top-of-their-game voice-actors and actresses that are hand-picked and carefully vetted. Recording standards are also kept in check so that every audio file is delivered according to specified directions.
In general, you can expect each HQ audio file to be usable for whatever platform you want to upload it in. Whether it’s a file for Audible, Amazon, YouTube, or a proprietary platform, you know what you’re getting as a result.
You’ve also got control over the number of revisions to ensure that the performance matches your script and your intent.
We also ensure that each pro will have a wide variety of samples in their portfolio. The availability of an easily accessible portfolio is also a big plus. Having a platform centered on the online voice-over trade ensures a neat presentation throughout.
The only thing you need to worry about is selecting a language and a pro and see if their range and samples match your interest. It removes a lot of the unnecessary risk and trial-and-error that comes with a freelancer who may not even have samples of their work uploaded. On freelancing platforms, It’s really common to get “I can record a sample for you” in response to a query for an online voice-over job. That’s a really easy way to spot a newbie or an opportunist from a mile away.
Professionals should have a deep portfolio that showcases their best voice or voices. Our platform makes this the easy part.
How about rates?
The first thing we do is ensure that when you hire a pro, they will actually be what they claim. Regardless of a low, intermediate or high level of experience, they must be able to deliver good content every time. That’s why, in general, you will find rates in these platforms higher, but affordable.
We also offer several scalability options depending on your project’s magnitude. You can also choose to get commissioned work from pros whose previous jobs you’ve enjoyed. This will generally be less expensive than having their services on retainer or contacting them outside a platform. As a rule of thumb, free agents charge a greater premium for exclusive work.
You can also rely on strict satisfaction guidelines. If an issue arises, or the deliverables do not match expectations after reasonable revisions, you have money-back guarantees.
We also offer content that’s already edited into as many audio files as you need. If necessary, we will match the audio to a video or presentation as well. This saves you the hassle of having to find editors, mixers, and audio experts. You get everything in a one-stop-shop!
Final thoughts
Everything’s clearer now, right? With these quality guidelines, finding a voice-over online should be a breeze! Remember, just keep your eye on the prize; quality trumps quantity every day, and you want your content to be in good hands.
What’s important in all voice-over online services is that they give you peace of mind. Once you match a pro to your editorial intent and script, you should make the investment with an easy mind.
Ready to make your dream hire? Submit a voice project at Bunny Studio today!
