A voiceover, or ‘voice-over’ is technically any piece of narration not accompanied by an image of the speaker in something filmed or performed, usually recorded.

However, what voiceover has come to mean is a lot broader than that and encompasses myriad recordings that a voice artist may be asked to work on, from the 100 metre sprint of a radio commercial to the super marathon that is an audiobook…. and everything in between.

Some other examples of voice-over which you may not have considered include:

• Audio Guides — aural accompaniment for the visitor to an exhibition, site of interest, etc such as these recordings from The British Museum
• English Language Teaching (ELT) — recordings to help students learn a language. For example, the British Council has these Living in London recordings
• On-holds / Interactive Voice Response (IVR) — pre-recorded telephone messages and automated customer service
• Accessible content formats — support materials for visually impaired/print disabled people
• Public announcements — such as “Mind the gap” and "See it Say it Sorted" among other public rail announcements

What is the Difference between Voiceover and Voice acting?

Voice acting and voiceover are closely related and sometimes it's a fine line of distiction between them. Still, there are some notable differences.

You do not have to be an actor to work in voiceovers, but chances are, if you do, you will at some point be asked to do some “acting,” perhaps as a character in a radio commercial or audio guide, or if you are reading the text of someone’s Vox pop / interview.

Most of the time though, as a voiceover artist you are recording stuff to inform, educate or entertain using your “print” voice  i.e. the one you speak with.

Voice acting jobs are those where you only play a character and although that may be using your own voice you will be expected to bring to life the emotional truth of the situation/s they find themselves in, to “play the part” be that in an animation, video game or E.L.T. recording.

Audio drama has always been considered something outside of the “Voiceover” industry, although there is a lot of crossover in terms of skills and techniques required and of those working in the two areas.

This, for actors, was expressed in terms of their representation, where a conventional agent would traditionally have responsibility for Radio Drama work, while a Voiceover agent would deal with the remaining areas of audio. Audiobooks were always a bit of a grey area, which years ago didn’t matter too much as they were thought of as a bit of a backwater. However, given the explosion in that area of publishing over the last decade or two, things have changed.

Why are Voiceovers Important?

Voiceovers are a huge part of our everyday existence, whether they are explaining the images we see in a documentary, telling us how to get places, alerting us to what we can buy, entertaining us with stories or helping us relax. A good voiceover will enhance our experience of many disparate areas of our life

What Do “Good” Voiceovers Sound Like?

What people think of as a “good” voice is very subjective. While some may believe person A has a warm and friendly delivery, to others they may sound patronising and insincere. If person B sounds uncaring and detached to one group, others may find them edgy and cool.

The upside of this is that the voiceover market is filled with many, many different types of voice and while it is an over-populated and very competitive world, new voices are always coming through.

But what should they bring in terms of performance and practice in studio?

Clarity and confidence are essential

The absolute minimum requirement of a voiceover artist is that they make perfect sense of the script and that it is a clear, confident, correctly pronounced performance.

Authenticity and adaptability

On top of that they must sound like they know what they are talking about even, or perhaps especially, when they don’t. A good voice over sounds like they care what they are talking about – unless specifically directed not to!

Sometimes, voice-over recordings must be achieved with little or no opportunity to prepare the script, with minimal direction, and under strong time pressure.

Understanding and serving the script

The most important thing is to serve the text. If the script is supplied in advance (which isn't always the case) you must prepare well, working out who the script is aimed at, what it is hoping to achieve and why it is being recorded, then ‘marking-up’ the text accordingly.

Having done that you must still then be prepared to be flexible. Once you're in the studio, fulfilling the director’s vision (if they have one) becomes the main requirement, even if it is at odds with what you originally conceived.

Voiceover in the Age of GenAI

The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) has already made an impact on the voiceover industry, with AI-generated voices being used for everything from automated customer service to audiobooks and even video game characters.

However, while AI is improving, it still struggles with true authenticity, nuance, and the ability to react organically to direction in real time.

Human voice actors bring individuality, warmth, and emotional depth that AI cannot yet fully replicate. More importantly, clients seeking high-quality, engaging performances—especially in radio, storytelling, advertising, and dynamic character work—will continue to prefer real voices.

For aspiring voice actors, this means there’s still a strong demand for human talent, particularly in areas requiring creativity, adaptability, and genuine human connection.

Study Voiceover at City Lit

Develop your vocal abilities and learn the skills you need for a career in voiceover. Our courses range from introductory level to courses that provide a route into industry.