What is a voice-over? Meaning, types and how to make one
A voice-over is narration by a voice you do not see on screen. The narrator of a documentary, the voice explaining a news report, the announcer in an ad and the friendly voice in an on-hold message are all voice-overs.
This guide explains the term, how it differs from dubbing and voice acting, the special case of voice-over translation, and the ways to make a voice-over today, from your own microphone to an AI voice.
The meaning
Voice-over, also called off-camera or off-stage commentary, is a production technique in which a voice from outside the story narrates or explains what is happening. It is read from a script, by someone from the production or by a professional voice actor, and is usually recorded in advance and placed over the film or video. Typical uses are documentaries, news reports, adverts, video games, on-hold messages and announcements; at award shows it is sometimes read live.
Voice-over, dubbing and voice acting
A voice-over is added on top of what is already there. Dubbing, or revoicing, replaces the original dialogue with a translated version, so the actors seem to speak another language. Voice acting is performing characters, for example in cartoons and games, where the voice belongs to someone inside the story. The words are often mixed up, and one person can do all three jobs.
Voice-over translation
In voice-over translation the translated voice is recorded over the original track, which stays audible underneath. It is common in documentaries and news interviews in countries where subtitles are not the norm. In Russia the single-voice version is known as Gavrilov translation, after one of its best-known artists, and it was everywhere on video tapes; our VHS voice-over guide shows how to recreate that style.
Three ways to make a voice-over
Record it yourself: a quiet room, a phone or USB microphone and a printed script go a long way. Hire a voice actor through a marketplace when the voice is the face of a brand. Or use AI text to speech: on the page of any voice in the SuperClonica catalog you can voice a line of 30 to 100 characters free and download it, and the free engine voices whole scripts offline on your computer.
Write a script that sounds good
Write for the ear: short sentences, one idea each, and numbers the way you would say them. Read the script aloud with the video before recording, cut what the picture already shows, and leave small pauses where the viewer needs a moment to look.