How to Hire the Right Voiceover Talent: Expert Tips from Peter K. O’Connell

Peter's answers to frequently asked questions about voice-over

Hiring a voiceover talent for the first time can feel overwhelming — or maybe you’re curious about becoming a voice actor yourself.

Either way, this Voiceover Talent FAQ is here to give you clear, practical answers. You’ll learn what to expect when hiring a professional male voiceover talent (yes, that’s me, Peter K. O’Connell, with nearly four decades of experience) and what matters most in choosing the right voice for your project.

Producers, agencies, and new voice actors alike — this guide is designed to make the voiceover process simple, professional, and stress-free.

A voiceover talent (also called a voice actor or voice talent) is a professional who uses their voice to bring scripts to life. Beyond simply reading words, a skilled voiceover talent communicates messages clearly, creates emotion, and gives a brand or character its unique sound.

Whether it’s a commercial, corporate narration, e-learning, or animation, professional voice talents combine acting ability with vocal performance to deliver the right tone and style for the project. Think of it as an actor who tells the entire story using only their voice.

That's what I have done professionally for 40+ years.

You’ve probably heard a voiceover talent today without even realizing it. Voice actors are everywhere, giving brands, products, and characters their unique sound. Common examples include:

Commercials — TV, radio, and online ads

Corporate media — training videos, sales presentations, explainer videos

E-learning & education — online courses, tutorials, educational apps

Narration — documentaries, audiobooks, trade show videos

Live & automated announcements — airports, public transit, phone on-hold systems

Entertainment — video games, animation, podcasts, game shows, virtual assistants (“Hey Siri!”)

If you’ve listened to a commercial, heard an audiobook, or even gotten directions from a smart device, you’ve already experienced the work of a professional voiceover talent.

Judging a good voiceover talent is part art and part science. The objective side is easy: you can usually tell the difference between an untrained voice reading a script and a professional voice actor who delivers it with clarity, confidence, and polish. Auditioning the voice talent usually helps with this point.

But within the world of professional talent, it becomes more subjective.

As a producer or business owner, the real question is: Does this voice fit the tone, style, and message of your project?

Here are a few key factors to consider when evaluating a voiceover talent:

Clarity & vocal quality — Is the read clean, natural, and pleasant to listen to?

Interpretation & acting skill — Do they bring the right emotion, character, or energy to the script?

Versatility — Can they adjust pacing, tone, and style based on direction?

Technical quality — Is the audio crisp, studio-grade, and ready to use?

In the end, a good voiceover talent is one that helps your audience connect with your message. If the performance works for you — and resonates with your customers — then you’ve picked the right voice.

When hiring a voiceover talent, the first thing you’ll likely hear is their voiceover demo — a short audio reel (usually 60–120 seconds in an .mp3 or.wav audio format) that showcases their work across different projects. Most professionals offer demos by category, such as commercial voiceover, audiobooks, or corporate narration, so you can compare styles that match your project.

As an example, you can hear and download any of my voiceover demos HERE.

As you listen, focus on these key factors:

Voice quality & fit — Does the talent’s voice type match your brand or message? Does it sound clear, polished, and engaging?

Performance style — Do they bring the right energy, pacing, or emotion for your script?

Variety & flexibility — Can they shift tone and style, or do all their reads sound the same?

Production value — Are their demos clean, professional, and ready for broadcast or digital use?

Some projects need a simple, consistent delivery. Others benefit from a versatile actor who can adjust on the fly or provide multiple character styles. Ultimately, a good voiceover talent is one whose performance helps your message connect with the right audience.

The short answer: it depends on the studio, not the location.

A professional voiceover studio often has top-tier microphones, acoustical treatment, and engineering support that guarantee broadcast-quality recordings. However, not every commercial studio is up-to-date — some rely on outdated equipment or poor acoustics that lower quality.

On the other hand, many home voiceover studios operated by seasoned voice actors are fully professional. With industry-standard microphones, Source-Connect, and well-designed acoustic setups (example: I record in a Studiobricks One Plus VO Edition Soundbooth), these studios deliver the same studio-quality voiceover recordings you’d expect from a large facility.

Of course, some home setups fall short — usually a sign of an inexperienced or non-professional talent (which does NOT describe audio'connell Voiceover Talent).

When hiring a voice talent, focus on:

Demos — do they sound clean, consistent, and broadcast-ready?

Referrals — ask for client feedback on quality and professionalism.

Technology — confirm they use Source-Connect or similar tools for remote sessions.

BOTTOM LINE: whether in a commercial facility or a home studio, the real difference is in the professionalism of the voice talent and their recording environment — not just the label on the studio door.

Remote Recording for Professional Voiceover Sessions

When you hire a professional voice talent, you want confidence that your audio will be broadcast-quality — no matter where in the world you are. That’s why today’s remote recording tools for voiceover (like Source-Connect and ipDTL) make it possible for producers and agencies to record crystal-clear sessions in real time, as if the talent were in the booth next door.

As a national voice actor, I use these technologies every week for commercials, narration, e-learning, corporate videos, and live-directed sessions. They save time, remove geographic barriers, and keep productions on schedule.

Do You Need Remote Recording Tools to Hire Voiceover?

Not always. Most projects can be handled directly from my professional Source-Connect equipped studio, with fast delivery of finished audio files. If you’d like to direct the session, you can call in by phone or Zoom and I’ll take live direction while recording.

But for projects requiring real-time studio-to-studio connections, tools like Source-Connect and ipDTL are the industry standard.

Source-Connect Voiceover Sessions

Source-Connect is the leading remote recording software for voiceover. Instead of old ISDN lines, it uses your internet connection to transmit and record uncompressed, broadcast-quality audio.

With Source-Connect you can:

• Record me directly into your studio DAW in real time

• Monitor and direct the performance as it happens

• Bridge sessions with ISDN if needed

It’s seamless, reliable, and trusted by producers worldwide.

ipDTL Voiceover Sessions

ipDTL is another internet-based remote recording option popular among voice talents and broadcasters, especially in the UK and Europe. Like Source-Connect, it allows high-quality, low-latency recording and also bridges to ISDN studios.

While many professional voice actors use ipDTL, my studio is optimized for Source-Connect sessions — the most requested option by U.S. producers.

Why It Matters for Your Project

Remote recording tools mean:

• No delays — work with me wherever you are in the world

• Professional quality — your studio captures the audio on your own system

• Efficient workflow — direct, record, and wrap faster

For producers and agencies, this technology ensures that hiring voiceover talent is easy, reliable, and stress-free.

Ready to bring your project to life with professional voiceover talent? Contact me today for a personalized consultation.

If you have other voice over related questions, please feel free to contact me here.