How does the budget for a voice-over compare to a computer voice?
With software, you often pay a monthly subscription, whereas for a human voice-over, you pay according to a clear fee structure. This investment depends on the type of project.
For non-commercial work, such as e-learning or an internal company presentation, we usually calculate the rate per word or per project. If it's a commercial spot for radio, TV, or online campaigns, the price consists of a fixed basic fee for the studio recording, supplemented by a license (buy-out) for the usage rights. This license is determined by the medium and the period during which the recording will be heard.
When you add up the hours needed to make a computer voice sound acceptable, an experienced professional from our roster of 94 selected voices often proves surprisingly efficient in practice.
What can a voice director do that an algorithm can't?
A useful insight from the studio: the strongest emotion in a recording isn't usually in the word itself, but in the silence just before that word. An experienced voice actor understands the value of a pause. During direction, we guide a voice based on the underlying intention: does the voice address the listener as an equal, as an advisory expert, or as an approachable guide? A voice like Sven's, who has recorded for well-known brands such as T-Mobile and DHL, immediately grasps that nuance. An algorithm only reads the letters; a voice actor reads between the lines.
How do you choose the right approach for your audio?
Beforehand, ask yourself what the video needs to achieve. Do you have a short, one-off demonstration video for internal use? Then an AI solution might suffice as a stop-gap. Is the audio the face of your brand, or do people need to listen to it attentively for 20 minutes? In that case, a human recording will consistently deliver a better and more pleasant result.