Why the best voice-over dares to remain silent

Myth: A perfect recording has no breathing sounds

What is actually true: Breathing is human. If you digitally cut out all breaths, the voice actor sounds like a cold robot. It is precisely those small, natural breaths that give color and credibility to a story. They ensure that the listener unconsciously breathes along with the speaker, which increases empathy and engagement.

Of course, you don't want loud snorting into the microphone, but a subtle breath before an important sentence gives that sentence just that little bit more weight. Completely sterilizing audio makes a recording flat and boring.

Myth: Voice-over companies always deliver ready-made audio without direction

What is actually true: A good voice recording is the result of targeted direction. Without a clear briefing on the desired pauses and the intended atmosphere, even the best voice actor misses the mark. An experienced voice director pays attention to the details that the software doesn't see.

As a voice director, I often see editors shorten all natural pauses to make the video play faster. My director's tip: keep the breaths, but manually lower the volume of the breath by 6 to 10 decibels. This keeps the voice sounding human, while the breathing never takes over. Our Flemish voice actor Larissa, who has a warm radio voice, demonstrates perfectly in her recordings how such subtle breathing lends the text extra credibility.

Myth: The faster the text is recorded, the cheaper the project

What is actually true: Rates in the industry are not simply based on the time the voice actor spends in the studio. The pricing structure for professional voice work is very logical and transparent:

• Commercial work (such as radio spots, television commercials, or videos for social media): you pay a fixed base rate for the recording, plus a buy-out for the usage rights. This buy-out depends on the medium and the period in which the spot will be broadcast.

• Non-commercial work (such as an internal corporate film or e-learning): here, a rate per word or per project is usually charged. - Quality takes time: a voice actor who is given the space to speak calmly and insert natural pauses delivers a better result than someone who has to rush through the text to stay within a tight timeframe.

Myth: Every professional voice can handle any type of text

What is actually true: Specialization is real. Within our range of 92 professional voice actors, everyone has their own unique qualities and specializations.

Take Laura, for example, one of our Flemish voices from Belgium. She is not only the familiar voice of ProximusTV but also a singer. This makes her ideally suited for projects that require a musical feel or a specific rhythm. On the other hand, we have Bernard, a French-speaking voice from Belgium, whose voice sounds warm and trustworthy, yet is also serious and inspiring. Our voices natively record 12 different languages, including Flemish, French (BE), German, English, and Spanish. Each voice has specific demo genres in which he or she excels. It therefore pays to choose the voice that fits your brand's breathing space.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I ensure the timing of the voice-over matches my video?

Write your script with sufficient breathing room. A handy rule of thumb is to stick to a maximum of 130 words per minute for a calm, professional tone. During the briefing, also inform the voice actor where the most important visual transitions are located, so that the silences in the speech coincide with the image changes.

Why does a computer-generated voice soundStill not natural?

Artificial voices lack the ability to truly grasp the meaning of a sentence. They do not breathe, and they do not know why a silence just before a specific word builds tension. It is precisely those imperfections and micro-pauses that give a human voice its persuasiveness.

Are you looking for the right tone and do you want your message to truly resonate with the listener? Whether you are looking for a warm Flemish voice-over or want advice on directing your script: feel free to contact us. We are happy to listen to your plans and brainstorm with you without obligation.