Myths About Voice Actors: The Naked Truth From the Studio | Voices

Myths About Voice Actors: The Naked Truth From the Studio | Voices

What's more, a voice actor from the Netherlands isn't simply interchangeable for a Flemish production. Dialect, intonation, and subtle cultural differences mean a message will resonate differently with the listener. Our platform features 93 professional voices in various languages, from Flemish to Polish and Spanish, precisely because each voice has its own unique strength and specialisation.

Myth: You Just Pay for an Hour of Talking

What's true: Recording time is only a fraction of the total cost. Anyone who thinks a voice-over rate is purely based on minutes in front of the microphone will be mistaken. The pricing structure for professional voice work is logical and built on two clear pillars:

Non-commercial work: For projects like e-learning or internal corporate videos, we usually charge per word or per project.
Commercial work: Here, you pay a fixed basic rate for the recording, supplemented by a so-called buy-out.
The buy-out: This is the fee for intellectual property rights. The price depends entirely on the medium (such as social media, radio, or television) and the duration for which the recording will be aired.

That's why a custom quote is the only way to get a fair price with no hidden surprises.

Myth: A Good Voice Needs No Direction

What's true: Even the most experienced voice actor needs guidance. As a director, I know that the smallest nuance makes a world of difference. A voice actor reads the script from a page, but the director oversees the bigger picture and ensures the right emotion.

Director's Tip from Practice: During recording, pay attention to breathing. Amateurs try to cut out every breath in post-production, making the text sound unnaturally rushed. A professional manages their breathing and uses it to create pauses and tension in the script. Don't be afraid to keep those breaths; they make the recording human and believable.

Our clients, like Olivier and Steven, often confirm in their reviews that combining a professional voice with a fast, focused approach delivers audio files that are immediately ready for use in their projects.

Myth: Home Studios Always Deliver Lower Quality

What's true: The days of dusty, improvised attic rooms are long behind us. Professional voice actors invest seriously in acoustic insulation and high-quality microphones. Whether a voice records in our own studio or from a professional home studio on the other side of Europe, the quality is impeccable.

Take voices like Pawel from Poland or Birgit from Germany. They work as full-time professionals with equipment that meets the strictest standards. The files they deliver are crystal clear and ready for broadcast or the telephone exchange. It's not about the microphone's physical location, but the room's acoustics and the expertise of the person behind it.

Myth: Computers Can Perfectly Replace Real Voice Actors

What's true: Artificial voices are getting better, but they lack the essence of human communication: genuine empathy and timing. A computer doesn't understand the irony in a sentence. A machine doesn't sense when a word needs a little more weight to truly resonate with the listener.

A real voice actor truly feels the script. It's like a furniture maker working with the grain of the wood rather than sawing against it. The subtle micro-expressions, the slight crack in the voice during an emotional moment, or the smile you can literally hear in the recording: these are the elements that convince the listener.

Frequently asked questions

Short and to the point. Click to see the answer.

How do I order a phone message?: Pick a voice you like for your phone system. Enter your texts. You can also use our simple text generator. Add hold music if you want. Within 3 days at most, you receive the finished audio files.
How does ordering work?: Here is how it works: 1. Listen to the demos and pick a voice for your phone system. 2. Enter your texts. You can also use our simple text generator. 3. Add hold music if you want. 4. Pay securely with Bancontact, iDEAL or credit card. Within 3 days at most, you receive the finished audio files by email.
What does a professional phone message cost?: The price depends on how long your text is and which message you need (welcome, menu or hold). As soon as you pick a voice, you see what it costs. Hold music is optional.
What does a professional telephone message cost?: A welcome message or phone menu from a professional voice is surprisingly affordable. The price depends on the length of your text and the type of message (welcome message, phone menu, on-hold message).
At Voices, you can see the price instantly for your chosen voice. On-hold music from our library can be added separately. Most clients receive their audio within 1 to 2 working days.
Can I provide my own music?: Yes, you can! You can add your own audio file using the upload button. Please ensure you have the correct broadcasting rights for any music you provide.
How much does it cost to add music on hold?: Adding a track from our library costs a one-off fee of €59. This gives you unlimited usage rights for your project.
Are the tracks optimised for telephony?: Absolutely. All our on-hold music is specially mixed and optimised for the frequency range of telephone systems (300Hz - 3400Hz), so it always sounds clear.
Do you also record voice prompts for IVR and phone systems?: Yes, we can record complete phone menus (IVR) for your telephone system. You provide the options you need, and we will ensure that everything is recorded clearly and professionally. This is ideal for businesses with multiple departments.
How long should my telephone message be?: Keep it short and concise. A welcome message is ideally between 10 and 15 seconds. A phone menu should guide the caller to the correct department within 30 seconds. Think from the caller's perspective: they want to be helped as quickly as possible.