How do voiceover techniques vary between commercials, audiobooks, and animation?

Voice-over techniques vary so much depending on the project and that’s what I love about this work—it’s never the same twice:

• Commercials: For me, commercials are all about precision and energy. Every word has to hit the right tone, whether it’s upbeat and promotional or calm and reassuring. I enjoy the challenge of saying a lot in just a few seconds and making it stick with the listener.
• Audiobooks: Narrating audiobooks feels like diving into a long, immersive story. The focus is on pacing and subtle character shifts to bring the text to life without overwhelming the listener. It’s about creating a world they can sink into for hours.
• Animation: Animation is where I get to let loose and have fun. Bringing a character to life with exaggerated tones, rhythms, and emotions is such a creative process. I love finding that unique voice that makes a character unforgettable.

These differences in the interpretatiion of text types are what make the voice over business so interesting for me 

The biggest difference is in your interpretation of the text. Commercial and audiobook scripts tend to bring out a very "announcer-ish" feel to your voice where everything is pronounced evenly and thoroughly, whereas the same wouldn't apply to a more dynamic read for a video game character where imperfections may even add to the read to sound more natural.

The technical standards remain the same when it comes to ensuring high-quality recordings. The biggest difference comes with the performance accoutrements. In a voice for an ad, I would pay close attention to enunciation and tone to make sure that everything is very direct and easy to understand. For animation, it’s all about trying to capture a character and really ramp up the personality

In my experience, they vary based on the instructions of the client on a case by case basis. This is the reason I ask specific questions about tone, accent, style, speed, etc. Each situation is different, and the more specifics I can gain from the client in each situation, the greater the chances of nailing the recording in the first take!

If you're in a situation where the client doesn't know what they want, put yourself in their shoes by comparing and contrasting a commercial, an audiobook, and an animation with voices you enjoy yourself. Listen to the differences in ton, accent, style, speed, etc.

Also, if there's a particular voice actor you are inspired by, use them for inspiration and reference! Nothing wrong with that, and it is especially useful when you're a beginner! 

Hope this helps! 

The best ways to vary between products are to PRACTICE and LISTENING TO THEM!

Practice: You need (we all do!) some coaching. This will never be enough. Have you been taught to perform all different genres? If not, you can ask to your teacher to teach you how you should act and perform in all those different situation.

Once you've learnt how to, you need to practice (record yourself and listen to what you did - be your own judge or ask even to friends which version you recorded was their favourite one).

Listen to commercials, audiobooks and animation!

You want to be the best but never listen to other people doing it? How can you improve if you are your only reference?

You need to listen to 100 audiobooks, 100 spots, 100 animations, then you will already be able to judge which one are good and which one aren't. You can copy from the best, learn from them, trying to understand what they did right and reproducing it!

Voiceover techniques can vary depending on the project. For instance, you probably wouldn't read a self-help audiobook about overcoming depression the same way you'd deliver a high-energy commercial or voice an excitable cartoon dog. But, while each genre has its own nuances, but there is an overall preference in the industry for authentic, relatable voices across the board.

While the styles may differ, depending on the tone and the project, the delivery might not be as drastically different as you’d expect. Gone are the days when the loud, "radio announcer" style dominated commercial work. Today, people want to hear voices that feel real and conversational, whether it's in a heartfelt audiobook, an engaging commercial, or even an animated character. So the key is connecting with the audience in a way that feels genuine.

For voiceovers, there is a huge variation in delivery style across different types of content. 

Commercials are generally fast paced. Radio spots are generally the fastest with the highest energy as they need to stand out in a sea of other audio-only content. TV commercials can vary depending on the brand and the film so one can't say "only high energy" styles work. I've done TVCs for brands like Samsung, Motorola, Lee Jeans, Volkswagen - and they've all been totally different. It comes down to understanding the directors vision for the film, researching the brand and knowing who the target audience is. An ad aimed at selling ice cream to kids is very different than trying to sell a luxury car. 

Audiobooks are more of a marathon. Stamina, consistency and research are your friends. I've done audiobooks that are 3 hours long and some that are 21 hours long and it can get extremely exhausting, very quickly. The delivery style for audiobooks is generally slower and calmer because you're narrating a story to someone. It needs to sound close and personal. Some books may require voicing characters but for audiobooks one needn't flesh them out as much as radioplays or animation. The character voices are more to create an audible differentiation when listening to long passages with a lot of conversation. However, consistency is key so once you make a vocal choice for a character - you've got to maintain it throughout the book. And writers have a nasty habit of bringing a tiny character from chapter 1 back into the story in chapter 26!

Animation is a lot of fun! I'd club this with Radio Plays and Film Dubbing. As an actor, I love creating characters - and to have an audience believe a person is real only by listening to them is a tremendously fun challenge. Here again, consistency is key because you may be voicing the same character or multiple characters in several seasons of a show.

These would be a few of the general differences between commercials, audiobooks and animation. However, it is more art than science so there aren't really any hard and fast rules. Techniques used in one medium may find use in another. It's more about understanding your voice, understanding your project, having the right tools and having the experience to know if a project needs a hammer or a screw driver!

Ultimately, it all depends on what the client is looking for, and hopefully they can convey that to you clearly so you can perform the job the way they want it. 

In general, commercial reads require a quicker pace, emphasis on certain words and phrases, and a higher energy level. Commercial reads can sometimes be tricky if you have a lot of copy to read within 15 or 30 seconds. However, some commercials want a slower pace, with a caring, heartfelt read. And some require you to be the voice of a customer or other character. So again, it really depends on what the client wants.

Audiobooks require you to be the narrator and the characters, which is quite challenging. Audiobooks are not my cup of tea because I find it hard to maintain the same tone of voice and same energy level throughout an entire novel. You also have to know who the characters are going to be so that you can vary your voice for each character. Even if you're not doing full-on character voices, your tone needs to change for each character so the listener can distinguish between characters and the narrator. Hats off to audiobook narrators. I've done a few, and that was a few too many!

For animation and gaming, you ARE the character. This is the closest to actual acting as you'll get in "voice acting." To deliver an authentic performance, you need to take on the role of the character, imagine yourself as that character, and express their thoughts, emotions, and mood through your voice. This too can be challenging, and in fact, it's much easier if you are standing up with plenty of space around you to move around so you can actually "act" out the part while you're recording.