Once you’ve found your voice-over artist or agency, the next step is to record, edit, and master your project. However, with recording equipment being so easily accessible, at-home studios have become increasingly popular. 

In some cases, when artists have the necessary equipment, knowledge, or professional support, the quality of the recordings is passable compared to audio recordings in professional settings. However, in most cases, there is a distinct difference in sound quality.

With voiceovers and audio post-production outputs, professional platforms will discard a track if it doesn’t sound crisp or delivered as a high-quality master. 

We’ve put together eight reasons why booking with professional recording studios is worth your while when it comes to your voice-over and audio projects.

1. Your Project Won’t Suffer From Common Recording Mistakes

When you have a voice-over deliverable, ensuring the recorded audio is high-quality is crucial. DIY/at-home setups often suffer from common issues that professional studios are designed to prevent.

• If artists get too close to the mic, it can lead to overwhelming bass, known as the “proximity effect.” Studio engineers precisely control mic placement to avoid volume fluctuations.
• Room noise and echoes are common in home setups due to poor soundproofing, whereas professional studios are acoustically treated.
• DIY setups often pick up low-frequency rumbles from nearby vibrations. Studios eliminate this with shock mounts and isolation pads.
• Breath sounds can disrupt recordings. In studios, engineers manage breath sounds through direction and strategic mic placement.
• Setting the gain too high when a voice artist records leads to distortion, whereas studios can adjust the gain in real-time.
• Plosives (like “P” and “B” sounds) cause unwanted noise, whereas Sibilant “S” sounds create harshness. Studios use pop filters to subdue the plosives and make use of darker-sounding mics for clearer sounds to avoid sibilance.

Book a voice-over session for your artist at Cosher Studios

2. Your Project Will Be In Expert Hands 

Recording DIY can tempt voice over artists into using super cheap equipment; we all know a good deal when we see one. However, some deals really are too good to be true. The quality of their recording equipment can influence its ability to do what it’s intended to do.

In a professional recording studio, the equipment is industry-graded and trusted to deliver the desired outputs. Moreover, a professional studio has expert engineers who know how to use the equipment to its fullest potential. These professionals bring years of training to the table, making use of the audio interface in the control room, handling and setting up the equipment, and providing real-time feedback to the voice-over artists in the sound booth to ensure the final product meets industry standards.

Experienced engineers and sound designers know how to layer, mix, and edit sounds for an immersive experience, giving your project that polished, cinematic feel that home setups – and voice talent on their own – can rarely achieve.

3. Consistency Throughout The Process

Professional studios bring a level of consistency that’s hard to replicate at home. With varying room acoustics and equipment limitations, home setups can often produce inconsistent results, especially across multiple sessions. Professional studios maintain strict standards to ensure each recording has the same audio setup. 

This consistency is crucial when working on long-term projects.

Professional studios can manage your projects with a high level of expertise. They oversee every stage of the creative process, from session planning to direction in the recording session to post-production quality checks. By providing a clear project timeline and established procedures, these studios allow you to rest assured that all technical and performative aspects are being handled effectively.

4. Get The Most Out Of A Collaborative Environment

A major advantage of a professional studio is the collaborative energy that comes from working with a team. In addition to engineers, studios often employ sound designers, directors, and producers who all contribute valuable insights and skills. 

This team effort brings valuable insight, ensuring your project is refined. We are set up to accommodate clients who would like to call in during sessions, allowing you to offer your notes and expertise to the session. 

Unlike a home recording session, where feedback might be limited, working in a professional studio offers your artist immediate access to experts who can provide guidance, suggest creative solutions, and produce a more polished product.

Arrange remote check-ins during sessions at Cosher Studios

5. High-Quality Acoustics That Aren’t Easily Replicable 

Achieving perfect acoustics at home is challenging, and even minor imperfections can detract from a recording’s quality.

Professional studios are purpose-built with high-end soundproofing materials and acoustic treatments, creating an ideal environment for recording. This controlled setting minimises unwanted noise, echo, and reverb, capturing only the purest sound.

The difference in sound quality is significant. A studio environment creates a fuller, more natural sound, with every detail crystal clear. This is particularly essential for voice-overs, where capturing every inflexion counts.

6. Faster Turnaround & Reduced Downtime

Thanks to streamlined processes, professional studios are well-equipped to deliver quicker turnaround times. With access to professional software and hardware, engineers can work through editing and mixing at a pace that’s difficult to match at home.

Additionally, studios have contingency measures like backup power and spare equipment to prevent downtime during sessions. With a full setup ready to handle unexpected issues, studios can stick to schedules and avoid frustrating interruptions.

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7. Accessible, Professional Audio Post-Production Facilities

Professional studios have access to advanced editing software and tools. This technology, combined with the expertise of professional sound engineers, ensures that every sound is mastered perfectly. Quality control at professional studios is rigorous, with skilled editors fine-tuning each detail to create a polished track.

Skilful audio post-production can turn an ordinary voice over  into a standout piece, clear voice tracks filled with dimension.

See Cosher Studio’s Audio Post-Production Services

8. Professional Handling, No Matter The Project’s Scale

Professional studios can also effortlessly provide the necessary resources, especially if your project requires extensive sound layering, intricate design, or large volumes of voice-over work.

They have the scalability to add extra equipment, offer a diverse roster of voice-over talent, or extend recording time to meet the demands of your project.

This scalability means that regardless of the size of your project, a professional studio can accommodate your needs efficiently and deliver results on time and within budget.

Find out more about our hourly rates.

Make A Worthwhile Investment With Coshers Recording Studios

Even though there are ways to record quality audio at home, the audio post-production process associated with access to professional equipment, expert engineers, kitted-out control rooms, acoustically fitted studios, and a support team that can deal with you as the client directly, all offer unmatched advantages.

Arranging a session in a professional recording studio is an investment in the quality and reliability of your project. Avoid the errors and the back-and-forths. Get it done right the first time.

Use our Professional Recording Studio, based in Cape Town, South Africa, or arrange a remote recording for your artist. Our engineers can professionally edit and master both.

 Book online with Cosher Studios today!

Have you heard of the “violent shift” trend circling social media?

It shows us, quite honestly and brutally, the changes that can happen over the years, whether in wrinkles and grey hair or how a once-inseparable friend group has now been cut in half.

The same goes for industries like the voice-over industry, especially when digital platforms and tools are evolving as fast as they are.

Voice Over: Then

The role of a voice-over agency was to find the right voice to shape the narratives of radio, television, and film and became an essential part of traditional media.

1. Voice Overs in the Film Industry

In its earliest days, voice-over was introduced as a tool to complement moving images, bringing life to silent films, early animations, and newsreels. As sound synchronised with film in the late 1920s, voice-over was essential to the narrative development in live-action films and animations.

Voice-over agencies were formed around this time, serving a growing demand from filmmakers and advertisers who realised how impactful a human voice was in evoking emotions, setting the tone, and driving narratives forward.

As radio and TV became mainstream, voice actors bridged into commercials, news, and television dramas.

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2. Stepping into Radio and Television

For decades to follow, voice-over work was closely tied to traditional media platforms like radio, film, and TV.

Voice-overs also became critical in advertising, from TV commercials to radio jingles and advertising on a global scale, which introduced a need for international voices as a skill for voice talent to train in.

All of these formats called for voice-over agencies to start casting for a specific format. This meant that agencies could identify which voice talents were suited to each platform and how to categorise them, turning the voice-over industry into a specialised field within traditional media.

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3. Voice Over as a Specialised Field

Voice acting has become and remains a specialised field, where delivery styles largely depend on the brief, creative vision as well as delivery format. Voice agencies would typically connect voice talent with opportunities for roles in movies, TV shows, and commercials.

Voice-over became specialised with voice talent specialising in a variety of tones, languages and accents.

Additional specialised voice-over services could include:

• Dubbing: involves replacing the original spoken dialogue in a film, TV show, or other media with a new recording in a different language. Voice talent matches the emotional tone, timing, and lip movements of the original actors, allowing the content to be accessible to a global audience.
• ADR: Automated Dialogue Replacement is a post-production process in film and television where actors re-record or adjust their original dialogue after filming. This is often required due to poor sound quality, background noise, or the need to alter the delivery of certain lines for clarity or narrative purposes.

Book your voice over recording session

Voice Over: Now

Fast forward to today, and the voice talent and recording industries have shifted dramatically.

Traditional media no longer dominates the entertainment and advertising industries. Instead, digital platforms such as Meta, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, and TikTok are more commonly consumed.

People now consume content on demand, creating the need for a new kind of voice-over style as well as new processes around remote recording, delivery and deadlines.

1. Adapting to New Formats

Voice-over agencies needed to think out of the box to help voice talent transition into these new mediums quickly. The rise of remote work and cloud technology has enabled voice actors to record from home, and agencies have embraced these changes by coordinating global projects with talent from anywhere in the world.

Voice-over agencies have also begun leveraging online platforms to expand their client base. Digital platforms allow freelance voice actors to display their portfolios to audition and get scouted for projects. Still, agencies have maintained their relevance by offering specialised services, such as casting for large-scale projects, managing voice actor portfolios, and delivering high-quality production standards.

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2. Social Media and Influencer Marketing

One of the most prominent areas of growth for voice-over agencies has been in social media and influencer marketing.

Social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube have become crucial for brands trying to interact directly with their audiences. Short-form content now reigns over all else, and voice-overs are often used to enhance storytelling, explain products, and add personality to brand messaging.

Voice-over agencies are now positioning their talents to create engaging, fast-paced content for influencers and brands looking to stand out. The ability to deliver polished, professional audio has become a sought-after skill.

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3. Voice Over Breaking Barriers

With digital platforms breaking down geographical barriers, the demand for voice over has surged, with almost anyone from anywhere being able to fulfill those needs.

Localisation has become crucial in voice-over services as companies seek to engage diverse audiences in multiple languages. Agencies now cast voice actors to deliver scripts in different languages and dialects, helping brands and companies scale their content globally.

Voice-over agencies that cater to a global market, offer remote recording services, and handle multilingual projects have allowed them to stay competitive.

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It’s Not Without Its Challenges

The voice-over industry is at a pivotal point.

Freelance platforms have intensified competition, pushing independent voice actors to connect directly with clients. Additionally, the increasing sophistication of AI-generated voices calls for agencies and talent to adapt.

Voice-over agencies must emphasise their value through superior production, expert casting, and effective project management.

Furthermore, to remain relevant, agencies need to explore emerging technologies and foster relationships with clients seeking interactive and personalised content.

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Voice Over as an Art Form

Through all these changes, one thing remains clear: the power of the human voice is more important than ever.

The human voice embodies empathy, connection, and authenticity, which are often lost in digital communication. Automation and artificial intelligence don’t capture the nuances of tone, inflection, and emotion that come with spoken communication that can bridge gaps that text alone cannot.

As we move forward, recognising the “power of the human voice” as an art form and a necessity will keep this industry alive.

Cosher Studios and Voice-Over

With voice-over work no longer being confined to film narrations, TV commercials, or corporate videos, voice/audio production agencies like Cosher Studios provide work that meets the latest industry demands.

Our diverse repertoire of voice talent spans multiple languages, accents, and vocal styles, including local South African and international voices. This diversity, combined with the ability of our voice artists to interpret scripts and convey emotions, allows us to provide authentic performances that resonate with your evolving audiences.

Cosher Studios also offers hands-on project management, ensuring that each voice-over session is professionally guided and that talent receives direction tailored to your brand’s needs. Keeping our recording and production processes in-house delivers consistent, high-quality audio across all projects.

From the initial recording to the final mix and master, every detail is looked after and made to be the best it can be.

Beyond diversity and consistency, Cosher Studios, with our recording studios based in Cape Town, South Africa, provides audio post-production services globally. We specialise in voice-over recording and have an array of voice talent for agencies and clients from all over the world to choose from. 

Contact Cosher Studios if you are looking for anything and everything voice-over-related. We will help bring your vision to life.