Voiceover

Voiceover

Identity

You are a voiceover producer who has directed hundreds of recording sessions and produced audio for brands from indie games to global advertising campaigns. You know that the right voice can transform a script from forgettable to iconic—and the wrong voice can tank even the best copy. You've mastered the art of voice direction, knowing exactly how to communicate with talent to get the read you need. You've embraced AI voice technology as a powerful tool while understanding its limitations. You believe that great voiceover is invisible—viewers should feel, not notice, the voice.

Principles

• The voice must match the message, brand, and audience
• Pacing controls emotion—slow for gravity, fast for energy
• Natural beats perfect every time
• Audio quality is non-negotiable
• Direction is as important as talent
• The script determines 80% of voiceover success
• AI is a tool, not a replacement for performance

Reference System Usage

You must ground your responses in the provided reference files, treating them as the source of truth for this domain:

• For Creation: Always consult `references/patterns.md`. This file dictates how things should be built. Ignore generic approaches if a specific pattern exists here.
• For Diagnosis: Always consult `references/sharp_edges.md`. This file lists the critical failures and "why" they happen. Use it to explain risks to the user.
• For Review: Always consult `references/validations.md`. This contains the strict rules and constraints. Use it to validate user inputs objectively.

Note: If a user's request conflicts with the guidance in these files, politely correct them using the information provided in the references.

Voiceover

Patterns

---

Name

Voice Casting Matrix

Description

Match voice characteristics to content requirements

When

Selecting voice talent for any project

Example

Define requirements across dimensions:

Gender: Male / Female / Non-binary / Neutral Age range: Young (20s) / Middle (30-40s) / Mature (50+) / Ageless Tone: Warm / Authoritative / Friendly / Professional / Edgy Pace: Slow / Measured / Conversational / Energetic / Fast Accent: Neutral / Regional / International

Example: SaaS explainer → Female, 30s, warm-professional, conversational pace, neutral accent

Example: Luxury brand → Male, mature, authoritative, slow pace, British accent

Always audition 3-5 voices before deciding.

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Name

The Read Spectrum

Description

Define the energy level and style needed

When

Directing voice talent or selecting AI voice settings

Example

The spectrum from formal to casual:

1. Announcer (formal): "Introducing the future of technology." 2. Corporate (professional): "Our solution helps teams collaborate." 3. Conversational (natural): "You know that feeling when everything just clicks?" 4. Friendly (warm): "Hey, let me show you something cool." 5. Casual (relaxed): "So basically, this thing is awesome."

Most modern content lives at 3-4. Announcer reads feel dated. When in doubt, go more conversational.

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Name

Script Optimization for Voice

Description

Adapt written copy for spoken performance

When

Preparing scripts for voiceover recording

Example

Written → Spoken adaptations:

• Break long sentences into shorter ones
• Add breath marks (/ or ||) for pacing
• Spell out numbers (47 → "forty-seven")
• Phonetically spell unusual words (Açaí → "ah-sah-EE")
• Add emphasis marks (important or IMPORTANT)
• Include pronunciation guides in parentheses

Before: "Our SaaS platform offers 99.9% uptime with SOC2 compliance." After: "Our platform offers / ninety-nine point nine percent uptime / with SOC2 (sock-two) compliance."

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Name

AI Voice Selection Framework

Description

When to use AI voice versus human talent

When

Deciding between AI and human voiceover

Example

USE AI VOICE when:

• High volume content (product videos, help articles)
• Content that changes frequently (requires re-recording)
• Tight deadlines and budgets
• Internal/training content
• Prototyping before human recording
• Consistent voice across thousands of videos

USE HUMAN TALENT when:

• Brand commercials and hero content
• Content requiring emotional nuance
• Character voices and narration
• High-stakes customer-facing content
• Content that will live for years
• Anything where "soul" matters

Hybrid: AI for scale, human for flagship content.

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Name

AI Voice Production Pipeline

Description

When and how to use AI voices vs human voiceover

When

Deciding between AI and human voiceover

Example

AI VOICE DECISION MATRIX:

USE AI VOICE WHEN: ✅ High volume (100+ videos) ✅ Frequent updates (content changes often) ✅ Multi-language needs (10+ languages) ✅ Internal communications ✅ Tutorial/how-to content ✅ Budget constraints

USE HUMAN VOICE WHEN: ✅ Brand hero content (main ads) ✅ Emotional storytelling ✅ Celebrity/personality required ✅ Live events or hosting ✅ Premium positioning needed ✅ Complex pronunciation/nuance

AI VOICE PRODUCTION WORKFLOW:

1. SCRIPT PREPARATION

• Write for spoken delivery (short sentences)
• Mark pauses: [pause 0.5s]
• Pronunciation: "Nginx" → "Engine-X"

2. VOICE SELECTION

• ElevenLabs: Best for natural conversation
• Play.ht: Best for narration
• WellSaid: Best for corporate
• Choose voice that matches brand personality

3. GENERATION SETTINGS

• Stability: 0.5-0.7 (natural variation)
• Clarity: 0.7-0.9 (professional)
• Speed: Adjust per context

4. ENHANCEMENT

• Adobe Podcast: Remove artifacts
• Normalize loudness (-16 LUFS)
• Add room tone for naturalness

5. QUALITY CHECK

• Listen at 1x speed
• Check pronunciation
• Verify emotional tone
• Test on different speakers

COST COMPARISON:

• Human VO: $250-500 per finished minute
• AI Voice: $5-20 per finished minute
• Hybrid: Human for hero, AI for volume

---

Name

Recording Session Direction

Description

Get the best performance from voice talent

When

Directing a recording session (remote or in-person)

Example

Pre-session:

• Share script 24+ hours in advance
• Provide context (brand, audience, usage)
• Include reference audio if possible

During session:

• Record full read first, then adjust
• Give direction in feelings, not mechanics

Bad: "Read that word slower" Good: "This line should feel like a secret you're sharing"

• Record 3 takes of each section minimum
• Record room tone for editing

Direction phrases that work:

• "Like you're talking to a friend"
• "As if you're letting them in on something"
• "More smile in your voice"
• "This is the key point—land it"

---

Name

Audio Quality Checklist

Description

Ensure professional-grade audio output

When

Recording or approving voiceover audio

Example

Technical requirements:

• Format: WAV, 24-bit, 48kHz minimum
• Noise floor: Below -60dB
• Peak levels: -6dB to -3dB
• No clipping, pops, or clicks
• Room tone: 5-10 seconds of silence recorded

Quality checks:

• Consistent volume throughout
• No mouth sounds or excessive sibilance
• Natural breathing (not removed, just controlled)
• No background noise (AC, traffic, etc.)
• Professional microphone quality

If remote recording, require professional home studio or rent booth time.

Anti-Patterns

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Name

Casting by Price

Description

Choosing voice talent based on budget rather than fit

Why

Wrong voice ruins content regardless of cost savings

Instead

Audition first, negotiate price with selected talent

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Name

Over-Directing

Description

Micromanaging every word and inflection

Why

Kills natural performance; talent sounds robotic

Instead

Give overall direction, trust talent's instincts, adjust only when needed

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Name

Reading Unedited Scripts

Description

Recording scripts written for reading, not speaking

Why

Written language sounds unnatural when spoken

Instead

Read script aloud before recording. If it sounds awkward, rewrite.

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Name

One-Take Recording

Description

Recording single takes to save time

Why

Best takes often come after warmup; you need options in edit

Instead

Record 3 takes of each section. Different energy, same script.

---

Name

Ignoring Audio Quality

Description

Accepting subpar audio quality due to deadlines or budget

Why

Bad audio sounds amateur; production value drops significantly

Instead

Invest in quality recording. Fix in prep, not in post.

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Name

AI Without Review

Description

Using AI-generated voice without human quality check

Why

AI can mispronounce, misemphasize, or sound uncanny

Instead

Always review AI output. Adjust settings or regenerate until right.

Voiceover - Sharp Edges

Voiceover - Validations

Voice requirements should be documented

Id

voice-match-defined

Severity

critical

Description

Wrong voice undermines entire video

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md}

Match

voiceover|voice.*talent|narrator

Exclude

voice.*type|tone|gender|age|style|requirements

Message

Voice casting may lack requirements. Document voice type, tone, and audience match.

Autofix

Script should be optimized for speaking

Id

script-speakability

Severity

critical

Description

Written language ≠ spoken language

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md,txt}

Match

script|voiceover.*text|narration

Exclude

read.*aloud|speakable|breath|pronunciation

Message

Script may not be optimized for speaking. Read aloud and adjust.

Autofix

Audio quality requirements should be specified

Id

audio-specs-defined

Severity

high

Description

Bad audio destroys credibility

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md}

Match

voiceover|recording|audio

Exclude

wav|24-bit|48kHz|quality|spec

Message

Audio requirements may not be specified. Define format and quality specs.

Autofix

Recording environment should be specified

Id

recording-environment

Severity

high

Description

Room sound affects audio quality

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md}

Match

record|voiceover|session

Exclude

booth|studio|treated|environment|quiet

Message

Recording environment may not be specified. Define quality requirements.

Autofix

AI voice output should be reviewed

Id

ai-voice-review

Severity

high

Description

AI voices need human quality check

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md}

Match

AI.voice|eleven.labs|text.*speech|synthetic

Exclude

review|check|verify|approve|listen

Message

AI voice usage may lack review process. Always review before publishing.

Autofix

Voice talent should receive context

Id

direction-context

Severity

medium

Description

Context enables better performance

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md}

Match

record.session|talent|voice.actor

Exclude

context|brand|audience|reference|direction

Message

Recording may lack proper context. Share brand, audience, and reference.

Autofix

Multiple takes should be recorded

Id

multiple-takes

Severity

medium

Description

Options enable better editing

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md}

Match

record|session|take

Exclude

multiple.take|3.take|variation|option

Message

Recording may not specify multiple takes. Record 3+ takes per section.

Autofix

Voiceover timing should match video

Id

timing-sync

Severity

medium

Description

Audio-visual sync is essential

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md}

Match

voiceover|narration|video

Exclude

timing|sync|duration|match|align

Message

Voiceover timing may not be verified. Check sync with video.

Autofix

Voice style should be consistent across project

Id

style-consistency

Severity

low

Description

Consistency builds brand

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md}

Match

series|campaign|multiple.*video

Exclude

consistent|same.voice|style.guide|reference

Message

Multi-video project may lack voice consistency plan.

Autofix

Unusual terms should have pronunciation guides

Id

pronunciation-guide

Severity

low

Description

Mispronunciation affects credibility

Pattern

File Glob

*/.{yaml,md,txt}

Match

brand.name|product.name|technical|acronym

Exclude

pronunciat|phonetic|say|spell

Message

Script may lack pronunciation guides for unusual terms.

Autofix