How to Describe a Voice Over in Writing: 5 Key Elements

Knowing how to describe a voice over accurately can be the difference between the success of your content project and its failure.

Whether you’re working on a commercial, narration, or any other type of voice over project, it’s essential to effectively convey the desired tone, style, and emotions through your description.

If you’re lost for words or don’t know how to confidently translate your vision into a voice over description, we have a 5-step framework that’ll ensure you’ve covered all the key elements.

The Importance of a Good Voice Over Description

A well-written voice over description will help make the process of finding your perfect voice artist much easier and quicker.

Especially when working with a voice over agency, if you can accurately and helpfully describe the voice you want to include in your content, you’ll be presented with a closer match of demos and voice over talent right from the start. That saves back-and-forth between you and the agency, as the Talent Manager will know exactly what you want right off the bat.

Not only does a good voice over description streamline the talent selection process, but it also sets clear expectations for both the client and the voice actor.

The talent will receive your brief along with your voice tone descriptors, so they can better shape their vocal performance and connect with your content. A poorly or wrongly written voice over description could result in a mismatch between your expectations and the voice artist’s delivery.

How to Describe a Voice in Writing

Quite often, you know what sort of voice you want in your content, and you can hear it in your head, but it’s putting it to paper that’s the challenge.

Describing a voice in writing can easily become overcomplicated when the main goal is to simply communicate the desired tone and style.

If you end up overexplaining the voice, it becomes more difficult for the agency or artist to fully grasp what you’re looking for.

The trick is to keep it simple.

88 Voice Descriptions You Can Use

To help with describing the characteristics of the voiceover style you’re searching for, we’ve created a list of descriptors.

Professional/Corporate + –

• Authoritative
• Confident
• Formal
• Neutral
• Professional
• Clear
• Polished
• Objective
• Instructional
• Precise

Conversational & Relatable + –

• Approachable
• Casual
• Natural
• Chatty
• Down-to-earth
• Relaxed
• Warm
• Personable
• Easygoing

Persuasive & Motivational + –

• Convincing
• Dynamic
• Bold
• Powerful
• Inspiring
• Energetic
• Strong
• Compelling
• Enthusiastic
• Engaging

Soothing + –

• Gentle
• Soft
• Nurturing
• Relaxing
• Comforting
• Caring
• Compassionate
• Reassuring

Energetic + –

• Bright
• Cheerful
• Playful
• Lively
• Vibrant
• Excited
• Optimistic
• Youthful
• Joyful
• Animated

Serious & Dramatic + –

• Intense
• Dramatic
• Sombre
• Mysterious
• Thoughtful
• Gravitas-filled
• Commanding
• Dark
• Moody
• Weighty

Narrative/Storytelling + –

• Engaging
• Evocative
• Expressive
• Inviting
• Rich
• Compelling
• Descriptive
• Immersive
• Inspiring
• Transporting

Entertainment + –

• Quirky
• Humorous
• Exaggerated
• Playful
• Comic
• Ironic
• Over-the-top
• Distinctive
• Memorable
• Unique

Trustworthy (Healthcare, Finance, Education) + –

• Reliable
• Honest
• Sincere
• Credible
• Genuine
• Stable
• Professional
• Balanced
• Steady
• Supportive

Matinée’s 5-Step Framework: Purpose → Tone → Texture → Accent → Gender

The list above is a good place to begin, and something to refer back to when creating your voice over description. But to ensure you create a well-defined summary, you can follow our 5-step framework. This focuses on key elements that help define the voice.

These steps are: Purpose, Tone, Texture, Accent, and Gender. You should look to include all 5 of these within your description.

(1) Purpose of the Voice Over

The role of the voice over for your content is important to establish from the beginning.

What purpose do you want it to serve? Is it meant to inform, educate, entertain, or persuade your audience?

This is the first step in finding your voice over niche. Some voice styles are more effective depending on the purpose of the content. Here are some descriptors you can use based on purpose:

• Informational: Clear, concise, authoritative
• Educational: Knowledgeable, engaging, experienced
• Entertaining: Energetic, cheeky, fun, light
• Persuasive: Confident, charismatic, trustworthy, convincing

(2) Defining the Tone of Voice

Once you’ve defined the purpose of your content and the voice that best matches, you can start to consider the tone you want to achieve. The tone refers to the overall attitude or mood of your content, and can greatly impact how your audience receives it.

You can use the list above of our 88 categorised voice tone descriptors for this part.

(3) Describing the Voice Texture

Texture is a physical quality of a voice. How it feels to the ear. Unlike tone (which is the style or emotion of delivery), texture is the timbre.

The texture of a voice is influenced by the physical makeup of the vocal folds (their shape, length, and tension), but also by the resonating spaces in the throat, mouth, and nasal passages.

To help you convey the voice texture you want, look to this list:

Top Tip:

When writing a voice over brief, combine 1 to 2 tone descriptors with 1 to 2 texture descriptors for clarity, e.g. “calm, reassuring, husky” or “energetic, youthful, bright.”

(4) Choosing an Accent

Accent is the third aspect to include in your voice over description, and it might not be one you’ve given much thought to. We have an article delving into this in detail, which you can save and read below:

But, in summary, the accent you use in your voice over can play a big role in how your brand or message is perceived.

We have predispositions and associations with different accents, such as the Yorkshire accent being seen as trustworthy and down-to-earth, or Received Pronunciation (RP) being seen as more sophisticated and educated.

It’s important to consider these perceptions, as it can greatly impact how your audience receives your message.

Add To Quote

Graham R

Cheerful, Gravitas, Warm, has worked for BBC, SKY, and Classic Gold. Provided the voice for ITV’s National Television Awards & 60 Minute Makeover.

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Commercial

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Continuity

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Documentary

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Jenna S

Authoritative, Characters, Warm, Singer, Actress, breathes life into characters. Has voiced for Beefeater, Nokia, Nintendo, and Barclays.

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Character

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Child voices

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Animated characters

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RJ B

Energetic, Accents, Dynamic, Trustworthy, baritone British voice artist. Has worked for BBC, Johnson & Johnson, TalkSport and Smooth Radio.

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Characters

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Commercial

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e-Learning

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Claire M

Charming, Characters, Child Voices, Singer, Youthful, over 16 years’ experience. Has voiced for VTECH, BBC and Nintendo and many more.

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9-11yr Girl

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Narrative

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Mixed singing

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(5) Deciding on a Male vs Female Voice

The last part of describing your voice over is the gender you want to represent your brand or message.

This is another topic we’ve dug into in detail, so we recommend saving and reading that article, too:

As an overview, though, here are some things to consider:

• Female voices are perceived as more trustworthy — In a study by CXL, participants rated female voices as significantly more trustworthy than male voices, regardless of whether the speaker was professional or amateur. You may want to consider this when creating informational or educational content, as a female voice artist may help you achieve a higher level of trust with your audience.
• Persuasive voice perceptions are quite balanced — A review by Harris Interactive found on persuasiveness, it’s almost evenly split: 18% said male voices are more persuasive, 19% said female, while 64% said gender makes no difference.
• Differences in pitch — Female voices typically have higher-pitched (A3 to C4) voices, while male voices tend to have lower pitches (A2 to C3). Consider what level of pitch is necessary to appeal to your audience and deliver your message effectively.

Let Example Voice Overs Speak for You

If you’re still finding it difficult to describe the voice over in words, or you’re worried your description isn’t fully reflecting the vision you have in mind, you can also use examples of other voice overs that you believe embody the qualities you’re looking for.

These examples can come from previous projects you’ve worked on, or even from advertisements or videos that have caught your attention.

We actually encourage this as part of the project brief process, as it helps us find you talents that better align with your expectations, as well as providing inspiration for potential creative approaches.

You can attach a link to the example audio or video in your project brief, and explain what you like about the voice and which elements you want to incorporate into your project.

For example, you may explain “I like the confident and authoritative tone of this advertisement, but with a more conversational and approachable touch.”. Or, “This is exactly the sort of voice I’m looking for in my animation, but in a Scottish accent.”.

Summary: How to Create a Well-Written Voice Over Description

So, to ensure you’ve written an accurate voice over description, include these 5 factors:

• Purpose
• Tone
• Texture
• Accent
• Gender

Remember: keep the description concise and to the point, while still providing enough information for voice artists to understand your vision.

You may find it beneficial to talk with the voice over agency and discuss the details of your project with them if you’re not confident in writing the description yourself.

Provide feedback on the first round of demos, too. If they’re not quite right, or there are some you particularly like, let the agency know so they can make adjustments or focus on certain aspects moving forward.

Collaboration and communication are key in the voice over industry, so don’t be afraid to speak up and provide input throughout the process.

FAQs

What Mistakes Should I Avoid When Describing a Voice Over in Words? + –

When describing a voice over, avoid…

• Being too broad — Try to be specific about the type of voice and tone you’re looking for.
• Overexplaining — Only use words you understand and know the meaning of, otherwise, you risk miscommunicating your vision.
• Being too vague — Give clear direction and examples of what you want. Vague descriptions like “friendly” can mean different things to different people. Follow these descriptors up with specific adjectives and tone to convey your desired voice.
• Ignoring the purpose — The voice agency can be a big help in finding the right voice for your project if they know the details of what you want to achieve. Make sure you have a clear understanding of your project’s overall purpose and communicate that in your brief.

How Long Should a Voice Over Description Be? + –

The length of your voice over description doesn’t have to be long or complex. Bullet-listed adjectives or descriptors often suffice. However, we do ask that you provide background or context of your required voice over so that we can personalise the voice artist selection better.

We’d also advise attaching examples of the type of voice you’re looking for, such as a sample script or audio clip. This isn’t a necessity, but it is helpful for our team.

How Do You Describe Vocal Style? + –

Vocal style can be defined by the physical qualities of a voice, such as pitch, tone, and tempo. It can also be described by the emotional quality or attitude conveyed in a voice, such as confident or authoritative.

I Don’t Know How to Describe the Voice I Want; Can You Help? + –

Absolutely! Whether you’re in the early days of your project, or you’re finding it tricky to convey what voice you want in words, we can help.

Give us a call or send us an email, and we can talk through your project goals, the content type, target audience, and other important factors that’ll support us in selecting the right artist.

• Email: project@matinee.co.uk
• Telephone: +44 (0) 118 958 4934