Does the line of business (advertising, eLearning, IVR etc.) matter when selecting a voice talent?

The long answer

Today’s technology has made voice talents around the world more accessible. Those professional voice talents are typically found through a web tool that matches projects to voices. Or you can search through a roster of talents on a website yourself. Whether it’s the first rather than the other, the amount of professional voice talent options can be overwhelming without filters. Filters that help you specify the type of voice you need.

Most voice over websites typically allow filtering of talents by the language the talent speaks and the voice gender of demos. But there’s still a range of voice narration skills left to consider that typically aren’t shown on the websites. And this is while the client has no idea of how to find the RIGHT one for them.

Voice talents and their set of skills

So, let’s think about voices as products. In most instances, it’s difficult to buy a product without considering how you’ll use it. That’s exactly the same with voice overs. The voice talent’s product is their voice.

Voice talents each have a set of skills and attributes that describe their product. And some of those skills are better suited for certain lines of business.

I mean, imagine an eLearning module voiced by a talent without the skill of stamina.  Or a tv commercial voiced by a talent that isn’t aligned with the brand. Or a cartoon movie voiced by a talent not skilled with staying in character.

Actually, many professional voice talents have become specialized in a line of business and prefer to voice for it. Of course, there are talents with a whole range of skills. But we believe it’s a staple of quality when a voice talent is able to shine at what they enjoy and do best.

Overall, one of the best things you can do for your voice selection process is to consider the line of business. It will help ensure a more seamless recording process and give your project the expertise needed to be successful!