The first take is usually the best one. I've been doing this for over 20 years, and the pattern repeats: a first-time director books a session, gets nervous, asks for 47 variations, and ends up choosing take one because it was the most natural interpretation from the start. According to a 2023 survey by Voices.com, 68% of voice over professionals report that excessive takes during sessions lead to diminished quality in final selects. So before you stress about directing, understand that your job is simpler than you think.
You're not there to perform. You're there to communicate what you need and let the professional deliver it.
Your real job in the booth
First-time directors often believe they need to give constant input. They don't. A professional voice over artist walks into the session having already analyzed your script, made interpretation decisions, and prepared multiple approaches. What they need from you is context and feedback on specific moments — not a running commentary on every syllable.
Here's what actually matters: tell the artist who's listening. Is this a 35-year-old first-time homebuyer watching a mortgage explainer? A warehouse safety trainer addressing workers on their first day? A luxury automotive customer comparing the S-Class to the 7 Series? The more specific you are about the audience, the better the artist can calibrate tone, pace, and energy.
And if you're directing in Spanish for a pan-Latino audience, specify neutral Spanish from the start. Regional accents trigger regional reactions — a Colombian accent might charm your creative director but alienate half your Mexican and Argentine viewers.
The feedback that actually helps
"Make it more... you know, punchy" is not useful feedback. Neither is "can you try it happier?" These vague descriptors mean different things to different people, and the artist is left guessing what you heard in your head.
Useful feedback sounds like this: "On the line about the warranty, can you slow down and hit 'lifetime' harder?" Or: "The opening feels like you're reading to me — try it like you're telling a friend about something you just discovered." Or even: "That was great, but can I hear one where you're more skeptical about the product?"
The key is referencing specific lines and giving direction that describes action or attitude, not abstract qualities. A 2022 study from the Audio Publishers Association found that sessions with concrete, line-specific direction averaged 40% fewer total takes than sessions with vague general notes. Forty percent. That's time and money.
What "don't sound like a voice over" actually means
You will be tempted to say this. I guarantee it. Every client who's ever booked me has said it at some point. And every voice over artist has heard it a thousand times.
What you mean when you say it: don't sound like a 1950s announcer selling cigarettes. But here's the irony — you do want a voice over artist. You want someone who speaks clearly, who knows how to hit emphasis without sounding forced, who can deliver copy that was written to be spoken and make it feel conversational. Have you ever listened to an untrained person read a script cold? It's a disaster. Pacing problems, swallowed consonants, emphasis on the wrong words, breaths in the wrong places.
What you actually want is professional delivery that doesn't feel performed. The artist knows this. So instead of "don't sound like a voice over," try "I want this to feel like advice from a trusted friend" or "imagine you're explaining this at a dinner party." Same goal, better direction.
When things aren't working
Sometimes the read isn't landing and you can't articulate why. This happens. The solution is not to ask for 50 more takes with slight variations — that leads to decision fatigue and usually ends with you picking an early take anyway.
Instead, try one of these approaches. First, play the artist any reference audio you have, even if it's a competitor's ad or something from a completely different category. Second, describe the emotional journey of the piece: "It starts curious, builds to excited, lands on reassuring." Third, ask the artist for their interpretation — they often have ideas you haven't considered, and their professional instinct is usually sharp.
If you're working on a Spanish project and something feels off but you can't identify it, the problem might be the translation. Spanish scripts translated directly from English almost always need editing because Spanish runs about 30% longer than English. A script that timed perfectly in English will sound rushed and unnatural in Spanish unless someone cuts it down or the timing is adjusted.
The music question
If your final piece will have background music, bring it to the session. Play it for the artist. Let them record against it.
This matters more than you think. Music sets emotional context, establishes pacing, and gives the voice a bed to rest on. A voice over recorded dry and then dropped onto music often sounds disconnected — the energy doesn't match, the pauses don't align with the musical phrases, the whole thing feels assembled rather than crafted. (I've done sessions where the client forgot to mention there would be music at all, and we had to re-record after they heard the first mix. Not ideal.)
Recording to music doesn't mean the artist performs to a click track or tries to hit specific beats. It means the mood is present in the room, informing the performance naturally.
Remote sessions work better than you expect
If you're directing remotely via Source Connect or a similar platform, the dynamic changes slightly but not as much as you'd think. The main difference is you'll rely more on verbal communication since you can't point at things or make facial expressions the artist can read.
Set up your monitoring so you hear exactly what's being recorded, not a degraded stream. Take notes on specific lines so you can reference them by number or timestamp. And leave pauses after the artist finishes a take — jumping in immediately with direction before they've even released the last syllable creates an anxious rhythm that affects the next read.
Remote direction is now standard in the industry. According to the 2024 World-Voices Organization survey, over 70% of professional voice over sessions are conducted with remote direction or self-directed with notes. The technology is mature and the workflow is established.
What the artist needs from you before the session
Send the script as early as possible. The night before is fine. The morning of is acceptable. Five minutes before the session is a problem.
Include pronunciation guides for any proper nouns, brand names, technical terms, or industry jargon. If you want specific lines emphasized or specific words pronounced a certain way, note that in the script. If the piece has a visual component, share it — seeing the video helps the artist understand pacing and tone even if they won't be matching to picture.
And if this is a Spanish session, confirm the accent variant you need. Don't assume. Don't guess. And definitely don't say "I want it to sound sophisticated, so maybe Spain Spanish?" because Latin Americans don't hear Castilian as sophisticated — they hear it as foreign, and often as comical. It's the opposite of the British accent effect Americans imagine they're replicating.
Trust the professional
You hired someone with experience for a reason. The voice over artist isn't there to fight you — they're there to serve your brief. They'll adapt: faster, slower, warmer, more authoritative, whatever you need. They can take direction without complaint because that's the job.
But they also bring expertise you don't have. If they suggest an alternate line reading, listen to it. If they flag a word that feels awkward in their mouth, consider changing it. If they tell you the script is too dense for the timing, believe them.
The best sessions happen when the client knows what they want, communicates it clearly, and then gets out of the way. You're directing, not performing. Your job is to set the target. Their job is to hit it.
Need a Spanish voice over for your next project? Get in touch and I'll get back to you within the hour.
