As a voice director, I give very specific instructions at such moments. Not 'make it warmer', but 'breathe out calmly first and imagine you are telling this to one person sitting opposite you at a table'.
Here is a practical tip from our studio that immediately changes the feel of an advert: have the voice actor insert a tiny pause just before the brand name and hold their breath for a moment. This automatically gives the brand weight, without the voice needing to emphasise the word or speak louder.
In the practical example, that small pause worked immediately. The script gained breathing room, and the message landed as if it were personal advice.
The result: natural persuasive power
By refining the nuances, we created a radio advert that stood out through its simplicity. The organisation received excellent feedback on the campaign, especially because the tone was not aggressive.
The key steps in this process were:
- Choosing a voice actor who has the right character for the target audience. Examples include the Flemish Kristien for a locally familiar sound, or Estelle for a refined French-speaking presence.
- Removing harsh emphases, so the script does not sound like a sales pitch.
- Guiding breathing and rhythm during live direction, so the message flows naturally.
When you book a voice actor for an advertising campaign, it helps to understand how the price is structured. There is not one fixed fee for everything. The costs always consist of two parts: a fixed basic fee for the studio recording and the voice actor's time, plus a fee for using the recording (the buy-out).
That fee depends on the channels where you broadcast the advert (such as radio, television, or online) and how long the campaign runs. Work for an internal corporate film or an e-learning course is calculated differently, often per word or per project. For an exact calculation, we always provide a clear, customised quote.
