How do I find a good Voiceover Artist?

What do you normally do when your client comes to you and asks you to find them a Voiceover Artist?

Do you point them towards an agency and let them get on with it?

Perhaps you suggest hiring the voice you hired last time, to save the trouble?

Or maybe you panic about the best way forward, perhaps even by trying to convince them that they don’t need one for their project, and that it’s strong enough to speak for itself?

If any of the above seems familiar then you’re not alone, but it doesn’t have to be quite like that. In the same way that technology has revolutionised the business of making video in the last decade, that same technology has seen a quiet revolution in the world of the Voiceover Artist.

The equipment to produce professional audio doesn’t cost what it once did, and this has meant that more “voices” than ever are working from home studios and marketing themselves either outside, or as well as, traditional artiste/agency relationships. I know because I’m one of them.

Voiceover Artists all over the world now use the internet to find, or attract, work,  whether through their own websites like BigFish Media, or via one of the online casting directories. 

If your client is on a budget, then cutting out both the agency fees, and the time and cost of taking your talent into a production facility with an engineer, could make an attractive difference to the balance sheet. Not only that, but the quality of the finished audio might well surprise you.

Of course you need to do your homework. The lower the bar of entry, the more any profession becomes attractive to those who don’t necessarily possess the skills to do it justice.

But the beauty of the internet is that you and your client can check out what you’re likely to get back before you engage a voiceover talent. You can even ask for a sample as an audition. Most voiceovers will be happy to record a part of your script and deliver it in a format of your choice.

If you get them to do that, then you’ll know exactly the quality of the end product,  including the voiceover artists delivery, technical quality and editing skills.

What should you expect to pay? Well, the price range varies hugely. On some casting sites you might be lucky and pay well under the £250 or so that’s still perceived to be the ballpark hourly rate you’d pay for taking your talent into a studio.

But make sure you do that homework: if you don’t, then that £45 voiceover track that seemed like such a bargain at the time might not turn out to be all it promised.

It’s still true that in voiceovers – as in life – you generally get what you pay for. Buy cheap, buy twice. And if you’re paying £250 for your voiceover artist, but not paying the traditional associated costs on top, that is still a huge saving.

Check that your agreed rate includes things such as preparation time, session fees, studio costs, de-breathing editing and file transfer. BigFish Media will do all these for you.

Check the talent’s policy on re-takes or amendments in case there’s anything that you or your client aren’t happy with. Don’t be afraid to ask for a written quote. And make sure you have agreed any usage fees, if appropriate.

It’s true that not every project needs a voiceover, but the next time that one does, take heart: With a bit of care, and with the help of the internet, Voiceover Artists from all over the world are now well within your reach.

A strange tale from our Voiceover Agency

Sometimes life as a voiceover agent is exciting: you never know how the day is going to turn out or what challenges and riches await.

Other days it is just bizarre.

We took a call from a guy who we will call Mark so claimed to be, let's say, Leeds. We have a chat: what's the voiceover price for a job and what's the project etc. We agree a fee and he will email me the script. He is surprised that I can deliver by tomorrow lunchtime, so I thought here's another potentially happy customer.

A few hours later there is still no email, so, after checking my spam inbox, I call him. Mark must have been on the phone because it was one of those annoying "I am busy, call back later" answerphone messages that don't allow you to leave a message. This is my first alarm bell.

A while passes and I call him back again and speak to the same guy about the voiceover he wanted (at least it sounds like the same guy) who denies being Mark. Bemused I hang up.

How do I write a voiceover script?

If you are looking for a voiceover artist to record a voiceover for your radio or TV ad, website or corporate video or podcast, for your finished product to be effective, firstly you need a good script.

No matter how good the voice talent is, if they are reading a badly-written script, your potential clients aren't going to get the most out of your project if they are unable to take in the information which you want to convey.

There is a huge difference between writing for a newspaper or online and writing for broadcast. Or to put it another way you need to write for the ear not the eye. And it's not as easy as it sounds. 

The voiceover script needs to flow easily, be conversational and not be full of sub-clauses or long, complicated sentences. Your sentences need to be short and to the point.

If you, while reading this blog, doesn't quite get a point at first or misunderstands an idea, you can simply re-read it. With the broadcast media, and your voiceover, you don't have that luxury.

How do Voiceover Agents earn their money?

One of the jobs of a Voiceover Agent is to go through all the voiceover reels that they get sent (mostly via email these days rather than CDs in the post). They then have to choose the voiceover artists, who they think, they can make money from.

The first thing - the very first thing - that you will need is a professionally-produced Voiceover Showreel. 

If you don't have one you will never, ever get a Voiceover Agent. Just because you are presenting programmes or reading news or travel bulletins on the radio or tv, doesn't make you a Voiceover Artist. 

We don't want to hear you broadcasting because our clients don’t want to hear it. They want to hear what you might sound like selling or promoting their product.

There is only one instance in which this is useful - and that is in assessing whether we can make you a voiceover showreel.

Many voiceover agents won't even reply to unsolicited voiceover reels, so do bear with us if it takes a few months to reply. It's hard work - and long hours - running any business and this aspect of the job is a low priority. Don't be offended, that's just the way it is.

Voiceover Agents listen to many Voiceover Showreels from many “would-be” Voiceover Artists and make their decision to listen further within the first few seconds. If they like what they hear on your voiceover showreel and take you on, there is no guarantee that you will get any work -let alone regular work - as a voiceover artist.

The agent handles the details of the booking and negotiates contracts and your fee. Most Voiceover Agents take a 20% commission.

Potential employers rely on the Voiceover Agent as a “filter”; they know that Voiceover Agents are bombarded by people wanting to get into the voice-over business, most of which are not talented enough or ready to break into it yet.

Even as an existing voice talent, it’s still difficult to get a Voiceover Agent; most try to keep their pool of voiceover artists to a manageable size. They will also want variety among their performers; they won't represent a voice or style that they already have. These are the two main reasons for rejection.

However if you cannot break into our represented voices, you could invest in your career by gettting listed on some of the dozens of voiceover directories. 

Why should I use a Voiceover?

Lately we have had such an avalanche of jobs that we took some time to sort the scripts out. When we checked them all we found an encyclopedia of information.

Our voiceovers have narrated everything from financial forecasts, animal antics and even the Changing of the Guard as part of a London Tour. We love getting such a variety of copy.

This month alone our voiceover artists have been leaders of industry, Mindfulness Managers, Automobile agents and so much more.

As we sort through the pile of scripts we have information that not only would stand you well in a pub quiz (Do you know the century when the concept of Emotions was documented?) but information that expands your mind.

Our voiceover actors acknowledge the importance of the words they read out loud, knowing that it will be for an audience that has to connect directly to the information in front of them.

From blockchain arrangements and medical marvels, they each know that what they say must be understood by the listener, conveyed with the correct emotion. It ensures that the audience engages with the visual, text and product.

We have seen pretty much everything in our scripts and we have learnt a few things about the information in scripts. With this in mind we felt a rundown of the best 5 things we have learnt from the copy we have seen:

1. Omnipresent Voice Actors: We have voiced pretty much every single industry, product, brand and service. Our voices can be heard globally
2. Expect the unexpected: Either a script will be changed at the last minute or words may be asked to be said in a different way than you are used to, simply to cover all option bases.
3. Pivot Points: All copy will have pivot point from a serious message to fun and/or back again. Content usually turns on a penny and so the voice must be able to see this and voice accordingly.
4. Check copy: Always check that the script is the correct one before a voiceover session. Our voices can sight read but it is always best to give the voice a chance to read the lines, especially if they are verbose and using technical language.  
5. Information: Copy and content are there to provide information, to tell a story, to get a message across. As the audience is made up of multi learning methods (visual, audio, kinaesthetic etc) then give them as much help as you can. Include both text, visuals and audio to ensure you touch and engage them on the level that works for them.

We find it incredible that content in the right context can make words jump off the page and engage consumers. To choose your next voiceover for your audio project then please get in touch.

What does an Audio Engineer do?

We have a small school of sound engineers. They interact daily with voices and with clients ensuring the highest quality audio for voice over recordings. But what exactly does the sound engineer do?

They are the oil in the voiceover machine. They are the cogs that ensure that more than the tech stuff works. They are the gel in the voiceover salon of quality.

A sound engineer is charged with endless abilities to ensure that the audio for the client is professional and archives more than the client needs.

They need to be technically skilled in operating the desk with all its various faders and combinations. They need to understand what needs the client has so that the best audio and performance works for them.

They also need to talk to the clients and voices to ensure that the narration is better than best. But what else would they need? Below is a list of a few things that make a sound engineers day.

1.      Headphones: here at Big Fish Media we use the audio workhorse Beyerdynamic DT 100 Headphones. Closed back for no audio seepage and reliable. We have them all over the office as well as in the recording booth for tip top listening.

2.      Good chair: an essential item for a sound engineer. They spend a long time recording and editing everything from commercials to video productions to IVR for well known multinational companies so a comfy chair is key. In fact anything to make their work environment attuned to working comfortable so they can achieve audio magic.

3.      Good ears and fast fingers: Sound engineers are always on the listen out for sound. From breaths to blips to mouth noises, they are the gatekeepers of good audio. They are the hum hunters hearing out any quirks or mishaps and always ensuring they can get a safety take. They have fast fingers, playing the desk and keyboards like a Beethoven of the Beats. 

4.      Fast thinking: Recording audio and especially voiceovers requires a high level of concentration. Not only are our sound engineers listening out to what works and what doesn't for a client but also adapting fast to an ever changing situation. Clients often want to hear takes back and the engineer needs to be on it to assess which take is wanted and what part of that take fits well with the other take. 

    

 5.   Director: Sound engineers need to be exceptionally engaged to have the confidence to stop a session, suggest pick ups and time checks with the client as well as ensuring the voice understands what the director and/or client wants.

If you would like to get in touch with our team of studio engineers making our voiceovers sound exceptional contact us today

What do Voiceover Directors do?

Our 2000 voiceovers have heard all sorts of direction in our countless voice over recording sessions over the years. In order to cover all of the clients bases our voiceovers deliver fast, slow and in between reads in any emotional style they may be asked to deliver.

We hear all sorts of notes from directors and clients. Notes are there mostly because a few reads may be necessary for commercials to fit the images.

They may also be given as the director or client may have a different cadence or pace in their head. At times it could just be that they have an hour or two in the session and want as many options as they can get for any “just in case” scenario.

Here are some of our favourites and how to approach them.

1.  Read fast but make it slow

This usually happens because the copy is a little too long. In a 30 second advert situation it means that the read comes in at 34 or 36 seconds with a good pacey read. What can be done? Speed everything up? Taking out breaths? In reality it depends.

In post-production, yes breaths and pauses and other spaces can be taken out and edited but for a good read maybe some parts. And maybe some script trimming so the voice over works.

2.      Make it more conversational

Ah this old chestnut. In many cases the director is after a fluent, non announcer type read and wants the deliver to be very human. An announcer read is the over the top radio style read that was popular back in the day.

For those that recall, this read was all the rage from the 70’s onwards and peaking around the 90’s. It can be hard as professional voices will often have an announcer voice in their vocal tool kit and bring that out when the mic goes live.

However the best voices are the ones who know the conversational read, which is simply being authentic and real and deliver it when the director says to bring it on.

3.      Give me two different reads

Many voices question why two very different reads are needed in a session. Simply comes down to choice. It might be that one delivery is fine but 99.9% of the time the end client will ask, oh do you have a version in a different delivery. And that is when the client can pull out another version. Two different reads, covers all the bases just in case.

4.      Could you sound more taller/smaller/older/younger?

This is an interesting piece of direction. What does it actually mean? In many cases, they are just after another read, something similar but different. As many of our voiceovers are actors or used to working with characters, this can be a helpful piece of direction to get into a character a bit more.

Maybe your normal voice or cadence is too youthful or old for the market place they are pitching the voiceover for. Some a change is called for. Just mix it up.

5.      Other strange directions include…..

“Could it be more orange please” “Hmmm maybe do it as if you were a vampire” “make it seem as if the world were gently flowing around you as you escape from the vortex” “Read it as if you are Luxury British” – no we aren’t too sure what these mean either.

To listen to our 2000+ voices, head to our website and get in touch for great voiceovers.

What do TV Continuity Announcers do?

There you are, at home, just about to start watching your favourite show Murder She Wrote featuring the fabulous Angela Lansbury (well at least we here at Big Fish Media HQ are). However you can’t recall if you have seen this particular episode. Help is on hand with the informative voiceover - the voice of the continuity announcer

A little like the voice of God, the continuity announcer is that voice that informs you of what is coming up, a short breakdown of the episode or programme.

As it does inform you of what is coming up next this is especially helpful to know if you should make dinner or pour out a cup of tea to watch it instead.  

This voiceover role is fun but with a weighty responsibility and a lot of work. The voice will indicate what is coming up next and then close a programme.

Those chosen to take on the mantel of TV continuity are highly skilled and multi-taskers. They have to watch oodles of programmes before they go on air and get creative to sum up episodes without ruining the plotline and fitting it into a short amount of time.

The voices tend to write their own timed scripts, watch for the time they need to open their mic as the programme credits roll, talk and then settle back to wait for their next live mic moment.

It can be very creative to work on a tight time script and continuity announcers are chosen for their ability to work well in a crisis.

There are times when a breaking news story will interrupt programming and announcers have to think quickly but maintain a sense of calm.

Programme schedules will change very quickly and the continuity person will have to ensure they keep up to speed with the changes and work around that. We are lucky to have several of the major broadcasters continuity announcers on our books and they are a joy to work with.

They are time fiends and can easily make long reads fast but sound slow and make slow scripts sound fast. These voiceovers do it day in and day out. If you would like to work with some amazing narrators, then please get in touch. 

What Do Voice Agents Do?

Voice Agents are often the gateway to booking some very lucrative voiceover work.

We pride ourselves on looking after our school of voices, and ensuring they get a fair deal on voiceover jobs - especially usage.

Agents are the intermediary and many clients prefer dealing with an agency as it takes the stresses and strains away when you have an agent that is experienced and knows what to do.

The UK Market has a number of agencies and no agent should ask up front for any fees from a voice. It's illegal for a start.

We don’t – all we ask is that you be great.

Day to day in a voiceover agency

Agents spend most of the day on the phone, talking to clients, working out which voices would work for the client, and checking availability of voices for a particular job, such as a video production or commercial. We are lucky - and at times our voices don’t even need to audition or send in demo reels.

Their reels do all the talking for them and they are booked from that immediately for the corporate and commercial work that we do.

The agents negotiate the rate and contract, book the session, and ensure the script is available in a timely manner. We also work hard at putting the client and voice at ease when the voiceover recording session comes around.

Then after the work is done, ensuring the edit gets to the client and the invoices are sent and paid! When we get paid, then the voice gets paid.

Seeking representation?

We are always looking for new voices and we have a few shoals in our oceans of voices we are always looking to fill. We have a finely crafted admission process and, if you would like us to represent you, then please follow the instructions.

We take voices that have worked before and are experienced. For those that have a home studio, we are looking for a technical ability and sound set up as well. We will test you and your studio out and we have a high quality threshold so only the best fishes

How to keep us happy?

Our most successful voices are consummate professionals, giving the client what they want and much more. They are friendly and can carp on about what they are doing. They take direction, they are conversational and they know how to be patient. So remember, look after your Voiceover Agents, and they'll look after you!

How do I choose a Voiceover Talent?

For your next audio project you may often be considering a voiceover to narrate. 

You may be working on an explainer video showing how certain engineering products work, or a television commercial for an insurance company or even a voice for a nationwide tool brand. 

The voice will humanise the visual brand identity and enable your audiences to connect sooner with the brand and product. 

How do you choose the voice? We have over 2000 voiceovers on our books so it may look and sound quite daunting. However this simple run down will explain how exactly you can select the best voice for the best price.

1.     What is the audio project? Are you working on a commercial, video production such as an explainer video or IVR work? If so then you will already know your target audience and key demographics. That means it would be wise to choose a voice that matches the targets and audiences. 

2.     Choosing a voice: Head over to our website full of professional and quick voices. Select the voice that best meets your criteria. Then just let us know and we can contact them for availability.

3.     Script to hand? The script is a useful start so that our voices can do a quick demo for you so you can hear what it could sound like.

4.     Directing date? Once the voice has been selected and agreed upon then you can direct the session either in person or by phone or skype. We have many happy clients that dial in at work, on the go and even from abroad to listen to our voices.

5.     Session style? It works well if you introduce the concept to the voice prior to the session so they can gauge where they need their voice and emotional stance to be. Then after a recorded read through a pause to see if that is the style, pace and emotion you are looking for.

We can go through this all with you before the session as well as in the session. We have been selecting, training, recording, editing and doing voiceovers for over a combined total of 135 years so we would be happy to help.

What is IVR?

Another genre of voiceovers is the growing use of the human voice when dealing with a phone system. 

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and On-Hold are used to describe tecchnology that allows a telephony system computer to interact with the customer through the use of voiceovers. 

In the past customers would have had to talk to a switchboard operator or to a reception and have their call re-directed. If the phone were engaged with another call, then they would only hear the engaged tone. 

As technology moved on companies wanted to ensure that they could efficiently deal with customer inquiries as well as offering a personal touch. The aim is to avoid the customer floundering and knowing where they should be going next audiowise.

With IVR the technology is able to decipher the caller’s speech or touch response and directs the call as needed. Voices are used to enable the customer to hear choices and give clear answers so that the technology can direct them as needed. 

The voices that are chosen reflect clarity, an engaging tone and friendliness. Products, brands and services tend to choose a voice that is reflective of their brand. It will be the first time many clients will interact with that brand so the voice is key to maintaining that brand umbrella. 

On Hold differs from IVR simply as it does what it says, the moments that the customer is on hold is an opportunity for branding and interaction. As the customer waits on the line, music and/or conversation is played for them while they wait to transferred or held in a queue. 

The on hold messaging can provide important information to the caller such as a change in the company’s location, opening hours, new products, latest news and more. Humour or entertaining messages can be used to keep the client on the phone. 

These can be very creative for sound designers and we work on these daily and write our own scripts with up to date news as well as fun news stories and weather updates. Ricky often voices these as he is an experienced newsreader – but you know that anyway.

Don’t leave your customers with a chance to miss out on the key points of your voiceover business, service or product. Leave them informed and happy to have dealt with you. 

What is an Explainer Video?

A recent voiceover and video trend over the past decade is the rise of the explainer video. This video is as the name suggests, explains a brand, product or service to the viewer in a short 2D animation format. 

The style can be as simple or as complicated as you require depending on what information and needs you want to convey.  A voiceover which acts as the brand, product or service representative is there to connect the dots that visually appear in a verbal manner. 

The aim is to explain to the viewer what the brand, product or service can offer in a clear and concise way.

                                                        

The video is usually embedded on the client’s website and/or youtube or other social media channel. As the rise of youtube in search functionality and SEO becomes more important we are seeing an increase in the production of these voiceover led explainer videos. 

Google has made it crystal clear that your company, service or brand will be favoured upon in search functions if there is a related business video and they would be in the know as they own YouTube. 

These days according to Google, more and more people are using youtube as a search function. It is important to note that this video usage on a clients website is different than if and when it is used on their youtube channel.

The video aims to explain and inform the brand, product or service but it is not an advert. If the explainer video explains then the advert entertains. The advert is much more a conceptual piece or visual art and the explainer video spells things out a lot more. 

An example would be for a smart phone. The advert would be sleek, entertaining and informative showing off the phone and its key unique selling proposition. The explainer video would a step by step guide about how to use the phone, what it does, how it works etc. Our voiceovers understand the difference – do you?

Explainer video maybe animation driven but this is different from animation videos/work as per below. Voices used are generally engaging, professional and confident yet friendly. An offshoot to this are the myriad of corporate or B2B videos that are also popular. These are similar to explainer videos except they are range from being more informative and about the company. 

They often show a brand, product and service but are not likely to be a “how to” video which most explainer videos are. We excel in this type of genre as all our voices are very experienced in corporate narration. Examples include videos shown at conferences, in company presentations, from one client to another. 

You may have seen these in dentists/spas/hairdressers where you see videos showing off the technical product. They are not adverts (see first entry) as they are for a specific business to attract. 

Do you want to have one of our voiceovers explain your brand, product or service? Give us a call and we can cast and reel in your voice.

How Do Voiceovers Work?

A few weeks ago we enjoyed the snowy weather and while it has caused a fair bit of chaos we found it a great opportunity to stop and take stock. 

After a very busy January and February with clients booking our voiceovers from everything from commercials to video projects and also a huge job, March is when we can take a moment, a beat, a pause, a breathe.

What has been going on this year? So far, our school of voices have been very busy narrating all sorts of projects and our sound engineers editing the audio, working as a team to ensure the clients get the very best productions.  

Now as we have a moment to bob along the seabed of audio, many clients ask us how does voicceover work...work? They want to know what they need to do to book our voices and also how it works. Simply, all you need to do is call us and we can sort out your voiceover needs. 

With over 2000 voices on our books, we have a vast selection of chatty characters to fit the bill. Need a Pope, tradesman, authentic, conversational, premium, quality, versatile voice? We have them all and more. You call, we book, record and send you the final audio. Simples. And you can also listen into your session as well.

This year our voices worked solidly and diligently on varied voiceover projects and we have been impressed with them all. Five things that continually impress our clients and us about our voices.

1. Consistency; Our voiceovers are consistently on it, whether it be the scrip they have to read to the training to keep their voices in tip top condition. They are serious professionals who work hard for our clients every time.
2. Taking direction;  Our clients give notes to voices in every session and our voices not only talk for a living but listen, take note and then talk some more.
3. Flexibility; audio projects and scripts can change depending on what needs the client has. With our  flexible voices these video production or commercial projects are narrated in double quick time.
4. Delivering more; clients ask our voices to change tone, pace, pitch, delivery and every time our voices come back with choices that the client loves even more.
5. Fun; we love our voices and we love working with them, friendly, fun and fish loving voiceover talent who can have a laugh and a cup of tea with after their sessions.

Whatever your voiceover needs just give us a call, drop us a line, reel us in and we’ll all deliver.

Why should I book Voiceovers with BigFish Media?

We live in a busy world with time pressures and deadlines all around us. If you are a video producer or any other creative then time is a luxury.

Do you sometimes feel that you may need someone to help you with finding a voiceover?

That is where we come in. Our clients say the following things to us;

1.    So many voices – how do I choose when I have so little time?

We make it easy for you to select a voice tailored to your audience and production. If you are after consistently great voices that understand and deliver then drop us a line.

2.    The production needs to be delivered asap & we still don’t have a voice – help!

We are your Voice Godmother and we know voiceovers that are available instantly and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Do you need to record a voice today? Not an issue - we have the solution. We have at least 2 voices (male and female) primed to record daily. 

3.    The process takes ages with so much  back and forth – what can I do?

Simples – just let us know and we can take care of it. We have in house voices that are around and many of our voiceovers are recording daily so we know they are available.

4.    We need scripts in 4/5/6/7 + languages – can you do that?

Yes because not only do we have voices but we also have translators who can properly translate text into and from various languages.

5.    Anything else?

We are a friendly fun team who have a slight obsession with fish. But you probably already knew that.

Call us or even send us a message in a bottle and we can take care of your need for voiceovers.