How to brief a voiceover artist

If you've never worked with a voiceover artist before, it can feel a bit mysterious.

Are you meant to “direct”?

Do you just send a script and hope for the best?

What if you have no idea how to guide a voiceover artist to the particular sound you want?

Good news! Working with Jackie is simple, collaborative and genuinely fun. She understands that voiceover work is niche and she never expects people to intuitively know how to work with a VO artist.

This mini guide walks through how to brief a voiceover artist so the read sounds exactly how you imagined it.

Step 1. Start with the basics

Before Jackie hits record, she needs a simple snapshot of your project. This helps her quote accurately, plan the session and deliver exactly what you need.

Think of it as the who, what, when, where and how of your brief.

Who

Who is the voiceover aimed at? Busy parents, tradies, corporate teams, government staff, students, community audiences.

What
What is the project exactly? It is a TV or online commercial, corporate video, explainer, internal training, social media, eLearning, phone system, documentary, podcast intro and so on.

When

When you need the first draft and when is the final version due?

Where
Where will the audio be used? TV, radio, paid online, organic social, paid social, website, internal only, event, in-store, on-hold. It's common to have multiple usage platforms so please list them all.

How
How long does your recording need to be? 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 2–3 minutes, “around 5 minutes”, no time limit, etc.

Extras that help immensely:

Script status
If the script needs to be workshopped or edited, let Jackie know early. Otherwise, she’ll assume the script is locked and final with no word changes. If wording may change, Jackie can book a quick script-workshop with you before final recording so you can lock in the final script before recording.

Technical preferences
If you or your editor have preferences, include them here:

File format: WAV, MP3 or other (if required)
Recording specs: sample rate / bit depth (if required)
File splitting, file naming or upload requirements (if required)
Live direction: let Jackie know if you’d like to listen in via Zoom or similar

Important: If you're unsure about any technical preferences, just say 'please record using industry standard specs' and Jackie will default to clean, simple, ready-to-use audio.

Once Jackie has these details, she’ll send back a clear quote outlining inclusions, usage and turnaround, so everyone knows exactly what is happening from the start.

The clearer this first snapshot is, the easier it is for Jackie to shape the perfect read.

Step 2. Send the script
(and a little context)

Next up, the script. It does not have to be fancy. A simple Word, Google Doc or PDF is perfect.

What helps Jackie most:

A clean script with any final wording and timings
A note on any pronunciations that might be tricky
(brand names, people, places, acronyms). Phonetic spelling words best!
Any lines, words or phrases that are extra important.
Any legal lines or disclaimers that must be made very clear.

If the script is still being finalised, that's fine! Jackie can record from a near-final version and circle back for small changes if needed.

Step 3. Use tone words

(or Jackie's reels)

to show the vibe

Tone is often the part people worry about most, especially if they are new to briefing a voiceover artist. Jackie makes that bit easy.

There are two simple ways to do this.

Option 1. Use tone words

If you are unsure where to start, try picking a few words like:

warm, friendly, conversational, trustworthy, energetic, corporate, natural, playful, calm, bright, soft sell, authoritative, upbeat, relaxed, sincere, storyteller.

For example:
“Warm and conversational, a bit playful but still professional”
or
“Calm, confident and trustworthy. Less ‘sales’, more ‘guide’.”

Option 2. Use Jackie’s voiceover reels

Another great option is to listen through Jackie’s voiceover reels.
If there is a moment you love, send the timestamp and a quick note.

For example:

“We love the tone at 00:18 on your commercial reel. Something like that please.”

“The calm narration at 01:05 on your corporate reel is perfect for us.”

This gives Jackie a really clear reference and keeps everyone on the same page.

Step 5. Give feedback like a pro

Once you receive the first take, there are two possibilities.

Sometimes it lands perfectly on the first go and there is nothing more to do. Love when that happens!

Other times, you might want a few tweaks. That is completely normal and very welcome.

Helpful ways to give feedback:

Talk about pace
“A touch slower overall” or “Slightly faster in the middle section.”

Talk about tone
“More smile through this line” or “Dial the energy down a little here.”

Talk about emphasis
“Can we highlight the word ‘easy’ more in this sentence?”

Talk about audience
“Imagine you are talking to one person, not a big crowd.”

Jackie will then adjust the read, offer a couple of variations if useful and land on the version that feels exactly right.

A quick overview

If this is your first time hiring a voiceover artist, you are in very safe hands. Jackie keeps the whole process simple and collaborative.

Here is how it usually flows:

You send the brief
A short overview of the project, script, usage, tone and timeline.
Jackie records
She records a polished read from her professional home studio that has been signed off by multiple audio engineers for broadcast-quality sound.
You review
You listen, share any feedback and request small tweaks if needed.
Jackie refines
She adjusts tone, pace or emphasis so the read feels spot on.
Final files delivered
Clean, ready-to-use audio, in the format your team prefers.

You can also join a live session at any time to give direction in the moment. No stress. No confusing tech. Just real-time collaboration.

Copy and paste this into your email!

You're welcome to copy, paste and customise this for your next project with Jackie:

Project type:
[15 second online ad / 60 second corporate video / eLearning module / IVR / etc]

Where the voiceover will be used:
[For example: Organic social, paid social, website, internal only, TV, radio]

Audience:
[Who you are talking to in plain language]

Script length:
[Approximate duration or word count]

Tone words:
[Pick 3–5 words. For example:
Warm, conversational, trustworthy, relaxed, soft sell

Reference from Jackie’s reel (optional but helpful):
For example: “Tone at 00:24 on your commercial reel”]

Pronunciations:
[Any tricky names, places, acronyms or jargon]

Technical details:
[File format, any specific naming or delivery needs]

Deadline:
[When you need the first take and when you need final sign-off]

Emoji:

[Include your favourite emoji just for fun]