10 Proven Tips for Successfully Contracting Professional Voice Overs

It's essential to find the right voice-over talent. The most common challenge is to decide who the right person is for your particular project. Quality work, as well as affordability are some key points to keep in mind when hiring a company to provide a voice-over artist. You should consider the following points while hiring professional voice-over artists.

1. Go for trusted and experienced talent

Today, there is immense competition in the field of voice-over. If a person has a microphone and a good voice, they can represent themselves as professional a voice-over artist on the internet. The most important objective to be considered during the hiring process is to select a quality voice-over artist who is professional and has the ability to deliver projects on time. Any agent who has several professional voice-over artists must be able to offer you multiple options.

2. Avoid online casting agencies that have too many voice-over talent

Always avoid posting your projects to online casting agencies that have numerous artists. Many sites allow anybody to join for a small fee and pitch them work so they have numerous members. Most professional voice-over artists will avoid these sites as they are predominantly filled with amateurs.

3. Cheap is often more expensive, so buyer beware

Avoid the cheapest quote. Professional voice-over artists may charge a bit more than an amateur will, but is always better to opt for a professional and spend a bit more money than working with amateurs who charge less. At the same time, this does not imply that you should consider the highest quote. Usually, agencies will name a price in an affordable range.

4. Do not base your decisions on the demo as it is just the beginning point

Avoid making decisions based on demo reels. Many studios can record and produce reels for amateurs and the reel can be manipulated to appear as previous work. Always opt for artists with an excellent reputation. If you have direct interaction with the artist, ask them about their previous experience. Or better yet, ask them for a custom audition.

5. Clarity and fairness are a must

It is important that you are clear about your budget, expectations as well as your project requirements with the service provider. It is better to have a script ready for the quotation or estimation purpose.

6. Be realistic about the timeframe

Most of the times, people do not correctly estimate the time required to complete a script. Preparing a script requires time. One needs to listen to demos, cover any possible re-records, and record the very first draft. Avoid rushing the script to get better results.

7. Don't be fooled

A professional artist will have gained experience over the years and would know how to speak in the right tone, pace and speed. It is actually not an easy job. Several takes must be recorded before sending the right version. The recording will need to be skilfully edited to eliminate gaps, noticeable breathes, plosives, mouth noises and pops.

8. Re-records are very time consuming, avoid them completely

Avoid re-recording as they can take extra time. Even if you miss a word, the entire line or paragraph may have to be re-recorded. Moreover, it is quite difficult to even fix the recording in the middle of a sentence.

9. Fees tend to vary from one expert to another

Even professional voice-over artists charge based on their popularity, fame, an experience. Good voice-over agencies will get the exact details of the job and help choose the right artist based on your budget.

10. Always give feedback and appreciation if the job satisfies you

Show your appreciation for the job done by the artist. A simple thank you email can serve this purpose. If there was something can could have been done better, say so! Professional voice talent are always collaborative and open to feedback.

The most difficult challenge is to select the right voice talent from a group of so-called voice-over artists who call themselves professionals. This article gives you all the tips, to help you identify the best voice over artist for you.

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