Match the voice to the feeling
Mystery and history suit a lower, slower voice. Facts and science suit a lively, curious one. Motivation suits a calm, confident one. Comedy needs timing more than anything.
Play the same line in three or four voices before you decide. The right one usually stands out straight away.
Keep it consistent
Use the same voice on every video in a channel. It's one of the things that makes a channel feel like one person's work rather than a template.
AI voices
AI voices are now close to human on plain narration. The best ones change pace and emphasis with the meaning of the line.
Don't use an AI copy of a real person's voice without their permission. Many places treat a person's voice as theirs to control.
TallClip offers voices in 49 languages, and lets you record or clone your own voice if you'd rather it was you.
Recording your own voice
If you'd rather use your own voice, a quiet room matters more than an expensive microphone. Soft furnishings - curtains, a sofa, even a wardrobe full of clothes - stop echo.
Record a little slower than feels natural, with a smile in your voice for upbeat channels. Short videos sound flat when read in a monotone.
Leave a second of silence at the start and end of each take. It makes editing far easier.
Pace and emphasis
The same words can sound gripping or dull depending on where the emphasis falls. Stress the surprising word: "Octopuses have THREE hearts".
Slow down for the twist and speed up through the setup. A narrator who keeps one speed throughout sounds like they're reading, not telling.
With AI voices, choose a style or tone that matches the video - dramatic, curious, calm - rather than the default reading voice.
Testing a voice with your audience
If you're unsure between two voices, make the same video with each and post them a week apart. Compare how long people watched. Viewers vote with their thumbs.
Questions
Male or female narrator?
Either works. Pick the one that fits the tone and stick with it.