What are the emerging trends in voice-over work, and how are they changing the industry?

There is no denying that AI has had a significant impact in the voice over industry . It's taken the bottom-end work out of the equation, making it difficult for new voice actors to get a foot in the door. "Why pay someone big money when you can get it for a fraction of the price?"

That said, AI still isn't advanced enough to take the human element out of voice over. Understanding nuance to scripts, the emotion behind the message, and what will grab a listener's attention are all good MUST HAVE skills to the craft for anyone who's serious about marketing their product.

The best use for AI voices right now is using it as a placeholder for timing the video. This gives the talent a marker to pace the recording appropriately, saving time and .

AI isn't going anywhere but up...rather than fight the new contender, let's make it work for us

There are significant shifts being caused by AI at the moment, however there are still strongholds for Voice Actors looking for work, especially in Audiobooks. There's a massive demand from authors looking for narrators who do not want to narrate the book themselves and who want an authentic human performance of their work. It's an avenue I would look into if you're looking for consistent work. It's a difficult subset of the field, but rewarding as well! 

One trend I've noticed is the slow but steady rise in demand for non-Western accents, particularly in the entertainment industry. With video games and streaming platforms like Netflix becoming more interested in telling stories outside of traditional Western contexts, there’s been an increase in work for distinctly non-Western accents. For example, there’s growing interest in African accents, as more projects aim to be culturally authentic and inclusive. It’s a really positive shift that’s opening up more opportunities for voice actors with diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Of course, the biggest change in the industry is the rise of AI voices, and it's definitely a hot topic among voice actors. It’s a complex issue, but I don’t believe the “human voice industry” is in any long-term trouble. There will always be a place for real, human voices—the warmth, nuance, and emotional depth we provide can’t be fully replicated by AI.

That being said, I do think regulation will play a big role, and organizations like SAG-AFTRA are working hard to ensure AI voices are used responsibly. As laws catch up, I believe we’ll find a balance that benefits everyone.

Playing devil’s advocate here, while I don’t personally encourage the use of AI voices, I do see how they could actually benefit voice actors. If, for example, clients could license an AI clone of an actor’s voice, with proper permissions and compensation, it could save time for the actor and provide a lower-cost option for clients. Actors could focus on bigger projects while still earning from AI versions of their voice for smaller jobs or revisions.

Beyond AI, other trends are shaping the industry, like the boom in remote recording and the increased demand for podcasts, audiobooks, and e-learning content. All in all, while the landscape is changing, I believe there’s a bright future ahead for voice actors.

The biggest trend by far is the rise of AI voices. While these voices may be "good enough" for certain projects, they are still not human-sounding enough for most projects. I've been hired to replace AI voices numerous times in the last year. What some clients may not realize is that it takes someone with some expertise to program the AI voice to give it nuance and the right inflection and pacing. Often, the demos and samples these AI companies show on their website demonstrate a "perfect" AI voice, which is sometimes hard to actually achieve. Clients then come looking for a human voice to replace the AI voice they thought would be a cheaper alternative.

Now, that being said, AI voices are getting better all the time, and so AI continues to loom on the horizon. What this will mean for voice actors remains to be seen. But for the time being, nothing beats a true human voice. As voice actors, we need to make sure we are truly delivering a human voice in order to outperform the AI voices for the time being.

No doubt AI is taking a lot of the mundane work where they want "good enough" or seem to not care if it sounds personal or connected... however true acting is not the AI mantra.  It cannot properly convey emotion and maybe someday we all will be out of work but for now, true actors are still busy and will continue to be as AI is not "real" and cannot "connect" to your copy like a real actor can.  People know the difference even in corporate narration. Myself... I do not want to be talked at... I want to be talked to.

Over the past 8 or so years in the voice-over industry, I've noticed many trends reshaping the field:

1. AI-generated voices: Artificial intelligence is being used to create synthetic voices that can narrate content. This technology is improving rapidly and may impact demand for human voice actors in certain areas; for now, it is vital that humans hear, feel and believe an actual human who empathizes, sympathizes and relates is on other end of the message.

2. Remote work and home studios: I am part of the trend of voice actors working from home studios, particularly during the recent pandemic. This type of work has blasted open the doors for talent globally and changed how casting and recording sessions are conducted.

3. Streaming and digital content boom: The rise of streaming platforms, podcasts, and online video content has increased demand for voice-over work across various genres.

4. Diversity and inclusion: There's a growing emphasis on authentic representation, leading to more diverse casting in terms of accents, ethnicities, and gender identities.

5. Interactive voice experiences: With the growth of voice assistants and interactive media, there's increasing demand for voice actors who can perform for these dynamic formats.

6. Micro-niche specialization: Voice actors are finding success by specializing in very specific niches or character types.

7. Direct-to-consumer marketing: Social media and online platforms allow voice actors to market themselves directly to clients, changing traditional agency relationships.

8. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs): Some voice actors are exploring NFTs as a way to sell unique voice clips or characters.

9. Accessibility focus: There's growing demand for voice work in creating audio descriptions for visual media to improve accessibility, but I feel AI will cover this aspect well over time.

10. Localization for global markets: As content is distributed globally, there's increased need for voice actors who can perform in multiple languages or dialects.

These trends are changing the industry by:

- Altering the skills required (e.g., tech-savviness for home recording)
- Shifting power dynamics between actors, agencies, and clients
- Creating new opportunities and challenges for voice actors
- Potentially impacting rates and job availability in certain sectors

Voice-over’s changing up big time—AI voices are on the rise, and there's a bigger push for real, unique voices, not just that perfect radio vibe. Just try the ElevenLabs, that's really insane. Remote recording is blowing up too, so people are setting up home studios and getting gigs from anywhere.

As a professional American voice actor celebrating 40 years of working in this industry I have seen a lot of trends since 1984. But probably none as big as the impact of AI over the last several years. It has impacted lots of great talent - literally taking away some of the work my colleagues have depended on for years and built their career on. I'm sure it has had an impact on my business but how much is really hard to gauge.

On the positive side of this new tech however, I have been asked dozens of times to replace AI generated voices for clients who experiment with it and determine afterward how bad it sounds or how it lacks the human touch needed.

I believe having the skills and talent to do character voices, acting abilities and a wide range helps as well.