What feeling should the voice evoke?
Every voice has its own tone and texture. Think carefully in advance about the purpose of your video or audio clip. Are you looking for a warm, trustworthy voice for a corporate film, or perhaps a fresh, enthusiastic voice for a radio advert?
The tone of the voice determines how the listener perceives your brand. A voice that’s too formal for a trendy product completely misses the mark, just as a voice that’s too enthusiastic for a sensitive subject undermines credibility. Ask yourself: if my brand were a person, what would it sound like?
Professional recording quality is not a luxury
These days, anyone with a microphone can claim to be a voice-over artist. Yet you can hear the difference between an amateur and an experienced professional straight away. A professional voice-over artist has access to an acoustically treated studio and high-quality equipment.
When listening to demos, pay attention to the details:
- Can you hear distracting background noise, crackling or an echo?
- Is the pronunciation clear and intelligible, without any stumbles?
- Does the voice sound consistent, even with longer texts?
A good voice-over artist delivers clean audio files that are ready for editing straight away. This saves you many hours of post-production work later on.
The art of collaborating and refining
Reading a script fluently is one thing, but placing the right emphasis is a skill in its own right. An experienced voice actor understands the nuances in your script and can perfectly adjust the intonation based on your feedback.
It’s helpful if you can attend the recording session in person, or via an online connection. That way, you can give instructions straight away whilst the recording is in progress. A simple instruction such as “a bit more of a smile in your voice” or “pause here briefly to build some tension” often makes a world of difference to the end result.
The importance of the right accent
For a Belgian audience, the language matters a great deal. If you’re addressing the whole of Flanders, it’s best to choose a voice that speaks neutrally - the so-called ‘intermediate language’ or standard Dutch without a strong dialect. Does your advert need to come across as very local and authentic? Then a specific dialect or a gentle regional accent might be just the perfect match.
In any case, make sure the voice sounds natural. Nothing is more jarring to a Flemish listener than a forced accent or a voice that pronounces words unnaturally.
