We thought we’d have a little fun while sharing some great information. We’ve compiled a list of voice over terminology from A to Z to help our clients to navigate the confusing world of the voice over industry. Because let’s face it… Does anyone really know if it should be spelled “voice over” or “voiceover”? Check out the “V” section below to find the answer! If you’re thinking of working with a voice over agency on your next project, this blog is for you.
Voice Over Terminology
A
Animation Voice Over – When it comes to animation, it’s the voice that brings the characters to life and provides a connection between you and what’s happening on screen! Animation voice over actors use their voices to create a character to help emerge their listeners.
Check out our Spanish animation voice over for Uber Eats:
Anime Dubbing Studios – Anime dubbing studios specialize in the localization of Japanese anime productions for non-Japanese audiences. They create English-language versions of popular anime shows, movies, and series by dubbing over the original Japanese audio with voice actors in the target language.
After Effects – Adobe After Effects is a program that allows you to edit and create videos. You can also use it for animation and special effects.
Audio Engineering – Audio engineering involves capturing sound, processing it, and manipulating it to create the desired sound for a particular production.
Audio Mixing Services – Audio mixing services are provided by professional audio engineers and music producers who can blend different audio tracks together to create cohesive and balanced sounds.
Audio Post Production – Audio post production refers to the process of enhancing and refining the sound quality of an audio recording or production after the initial recording has taken place. This can include a wide range of activities such as editing, mixing, and sound design.
Audio Tours – Integrating narrations for audio tours into museum, science center or any other type of visitor experience can enhance engagement and accessibility. This is especially true for people with visual impairments and those who speak different languages.
Listen to our audio tour samples:
B
Banking LMS – A banking LMS (Learning Management System) is a digital platform designed to deliver and manage training programs and educational content within the banking industry. Banking LMS voice overs can be used to guide learners through the platform and offer explanations on the training content.
Bahasa Indonesia – Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of Indonesia, and a popular language that we record at our voice over studios. It’s one of over 700 languages spoken in the country!
Book Narration – Book narration is the process of recording an audiobook by reading the text of a book out loud. A book narrator is a professional voice actor who is responsible for bringing the characters and story to life by using different voices, inflections, and emotions to convey the text.
C
Cantonese Voice Overs – Cantonese is a dialect of the Chinese language spoken in the Guangdong province of China, as well as in Hong Kong, Macau, and many overseas Chinese communities. Cantonese voice overs are commonly used in various forms of media, such as movies, television shows, commercials, e-learning modules, video games, and other multimedia projects.
Caribbean Voice Overs – Caribbean voice overs utilize voice actors or narrators hailing from the Caribbean region. Their task is to record voiceovers for a diverse range of media platforms such as radio and television commercials, corporate videos, audiobooks, and other related formats.
Cartoon Voice Over – A cartoon voice over entails the act of lending one’s voice to bring animated characters to life in cartoons, animated films, and various other forms of animation.
Casting Voice Over – Casting voice over involves selecting and hiring a voice actor to bring a project’s script to life through narration or dialogue.
CCSL – A Combined Continuity and Spotting List is a necessary document in film and TV post-production. It provides a breakdown of the video, combining visual elements (like camera angles, movements, and characters) with dialogue, music, and sound effects – all with timestamps.
Closed Captions – Closed captions are a transcript of the spoken dialogue in a video that can be turned on or off as desired.
Commercial Voice Over Actors – Commercial voice over actors are professional voice actors and actresses who provide dubbing services for a wide range of commercials, advertisements, and promotional materials.
Corporate Voice Over – A corporate voice over involves hiring voice over talents to deliver narration or voice over services for corporate videos, presentations, training materials, and other audiovisual content produced by businesses or organizations.
D
Demo Reel Services – Demo reel services help actors, voice over artists, and other performers create high-quality demo reels to showcase their talents to potential employers, agents, or casting directors.
Dialog Video – A dialogue video is video content that features characters engaged in conversation, typically for the purpose of conveying a narrative or message to the audience. Dialogue videos are commonly used in movies, TV shows, web series, and educational or training videos.
Dubbing Process – Dubbing is the process of replacing the dialogue in a movie, television show, online video, or video game with one in a different language.
E
E-learning Voice Overs – E-learning voice overs are a way to provide audio instructions for an online course.
Emotional Marketing – The process of forming a relationship between a voice (using a voice over artist) and a listener. Based on studies, consumers are loyal to brands that they feel emotionally connected to.
European Spanish – European Spanish refers to the standard dialect of the Spanish language that is spoken in Spain and some other European countries, such as Andorra and Gibraltar. European Spanish has several distinctive features that set it apart from other Spanish dialects spoken in Latin America and other parts of the world.
Explainer Video Voice Over – An explainer video voice over refers to the recorded narration that accompanies an explainer video. It provides a human connection by delivering the information in a relatable and friendly tone.
F
Female Voice Over Actors – Female voice over actors are professional performers who provide voice over services for a wide range of media, such as animation, commercials, video games, audiobooks, and more.
French Voice Overs – There are many French dialects, and voice over agencies (like us) offer services in each of them. French is spoken as a first language in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco, Luxembourg, the French provinces of Canada, and by various communities across the globe. There are also French-based Creole languages, including Haitian.
Listen to our French voice over samples:
CONTACT US for free access to our full library of voice samples.
G
Game Sound Design – Game sound design is the process of creating and implementing sound effects, music, and other audio elements within a video game to enhance the player’s experience.
Gaming Engineers – Gaming engineers work in the video game industry and specialize in the technical aspects of game development.
Gaming Subtitles – Gaming subtitles refer to the text that appears on the screen during gameplay to convey the dialogue or other audio content to the player.
H
Hindi Language – Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India, and is the official language of the Indian government.
Hungarian Accent – A Hungarian accent is a distinct way of speaking English that is influenced by the Hungarian language and its pronunciation.
I
Voice Over Industries – Professional voice over studios can help clients in all types of industries get their message across. Some of the most popular industries we serve here at Metro Audio and Video include automotive, corporate marketing, e-learning, finance, government, healthcare, law, life sciences, manufacturing, oil and gas, web development, and video game technology.
J
Japanese Dubbing – Japanese dubbing is the process of re-recording the audio of a foreign film or television show in Japanese. This involves replacing the original dialogue and sound effects with new recordings in Japanese, typically done by voice actors in a recording studio.
Watch an example of our Japanese dubbing:
K
Korean Subtitles – Korean subtitles are the text displayed on screen to provide a translation of dialogue or narration in a foreign language film or TV show for Korean viewers. Subtitles are commonly used in Korea to make foreign language content accessible to those who may not speak the original language.
L
Legal Translation – Legal translation is the process of translating legal documents, such as contracts, agreements, patents, court rulings, and other legal materials from one language to another. Legal translation requires a deep understanding of the legal systems and terminology involved in the document being translated.
M
Male Voice Over Actor – A male voice over actor is a professional performer who provides his voice for various mediums, such as commercials, animations, films, video games, audiobooks, and documentaries.
Marketing Video Voice Over – A marketing video voice over is often used to introduce a product or service, explain its features and benefits, or tell a brand story.
Medical Animation – Medical animation is the use of graphics and animation to visually represent medical and biological processes. It is used in a variety of contexts, including patient education, medical training, and scientific research. Medical animation is also used by pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, healthcare providers, and research institutions to communicate complex medical concepts in an accurate and engaging way.
Medical Translation – Medical translation is the process of translating medical documents, including clinical trial reports, regulatory documents, patient information leaflets, medical device manuals, scientific articles, and other medical materials from one language to another.
N
Narration in Film – Narration in film is a storytelling technique where a narrator (often an unseen character) speaks directly to the viewer, guiding them through the narrative or offering personal thoughts and reflections.
Narrator Voice – A narrator voice provides a spoken commentary or description of a story, film, TV show, documentary, or other visual media.
Norwegian Voice Over – A Norwegian voice over is a narration in Norwegian for various types of content, such as commercials, corporate videos, documentaries, explainer videos, and more.
O
On-Screen Text – On-screen text refers to any text that appears directly on the screen during a visual production, such as a film, TV show, commercial, video, or presentation. On-screen text is used to convey information, provide context, or enhance the viewer’s understanding of the content.
P
Pharmaceutical Voice Over – A pharmaceutical voice over is a narration for various types of pharmaceutical content, such as commercials, medical animations, training videos, e-learning courses, and more.
Portuguese Voice Over – A Portuguese voice over is a narration in Portuguese for various types of content, such as commercials, corporate videos, documentaries, explainer videos, e-learning courses, and more. Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and other countries, and there are some differences in the dialects spoken in these regions.
Post Production Services – Post production services are used in filmmaking, video production, and audio production to finalize a project after it has been filmed or recorded. Post production services typically include editing, sound design, color grading, visual effects, and audio mixing.
Q
Quote – If you’re interested in a FREE quote on your translation, localization, voice over, dubbing, narration, or subtitling project, contact us today!
R
Real Estate Translation – Real estate translation is the process of translating documents related to real estate transactions, such as contracts, agreements, leases, property descriptions, and marketing materials, into a target language.
Retail Translation – Retail translation is the process of translating materials related to the retail industry into different languages. These include product descriptions, advertising materials, website content, user manuals, packaging, and other documents.
Russian Accent – A Russian accent refers to the way in which a person speaking English might pronounce words and phrases in a manner characteristic of the Russian language and culture.
S
Sound Booth – A sound booth is a room in a recording studio used by voiceover artists. It has acoustic panels and soundproofing to reduce noise.
Sound Engineer – A sound engineer specializes in the technical aspects of sound production and recording. Sound engineers may work in a variety of industries, including music, film, television, radio, theater, and live events.
Sound Studio – A sound studio is designed to record and produce high-quality audio content for a variety of applications. This can include professional voice overs, narration, dubbing, and sound engineering for films, television shows, video games, radio broadcasts, and other types of media.
Subtitling – Subtitling is the process of adding text to a film or video. Subtitles can be in English or any other language.
T
Talents – Voice over talents use their vocal skills to provide the voices of characters as well as narrations.
Telecommunications Voice – A telecommunications voice refers to a specific style of voice used in telecommunications-related media, such as phone systems, IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems, voicemail greetings, and on-hold messages. It is a professional and standardized voice that is commonly used to convey information and guide callers through various options or processes.
Traditional vs Simplified Chinese – Traditional and Simplified Chinese are two different writing systems used to represent the Chinese language. Read all about the differences between them here.
Transatlantic Accent – A transatlantic accent is a type of accent that was commonly used in American entertainment media during the mid-20th century. It’s a blend of British and American accents, and is often described as a “neutral” accent that does not belong to any specific region or country.
Transcontinental Accent – A transcontinental accent is characterized by its lack of a specific regional identity or by its hybridization of linguistic features from different regions. For example, a speaker might have a mix of features from British, American, and Australian English, resulting in a unique and difficult-to-pinpoint accent.
Translation and Localization – A translation is the process of converting one language into another. Localization is the process of adapting a product, service, or content to a specific region, culture, or language in order to make it more suitable, relevant, and accessible to the target audience in that particular location.
U
Ukrainian Voice Over – A Ukrainian voice over involves recording the voice of a professional speaker who can effectively communicate in the Ukrainian language.
Urdu Voice Over – An Urdu voice over is a type of audio recording in which a voice actor or narrator provides Urdu voice over services for various media productions.
V
Video Game Voice Acting – Video game voice acting is required for characters in video games – from main protagonists and villains to supporting cast members, non-playable characters, and even narrators or announcers.
Video Games Sound Design – Video games sound design is the process of creating and implementing sound effects, music, and dialogue into a video game. It is an essential part of game development, as it can greatly enhance the player’s experience by immersing them in the game’s world and creating a sense of atmosphere and realism.
Voice Acting Auditions – Voice acting auditions are an important part of the casting process for various projects, including commercials, animations, video games, and audiobooks. These auditions provide voice talents with a valuable platform to exhibit their skills and showcase how their voices can breathe life into characters or convey a powerful message.
Voice Over – Is it voice over or voiceover? According to Google, it can really be both!
Voice Over Actors – Voice over actors, also known as voice actors or voice talents, are professionals who specialize in providing voices for various media productions. They use their vocal skills and acting abilities to bring characters, narratives, and messages to life through audio recordings.
W
Website Voice Over – A website voice over is a great way to enhance user experience on a website by providing audio content to complement visuals and text. It’s a powerful tool to engage visitors, provide guidance, or convey a brand’s personality.
X
Xbox – Xbox, like other large international companies, uses voice overs and animations to showcase its products across the globe. See how we helped them with one of their projects.
Y
YouTube Voice Overs – YouTube voice overs refer to the practice of using voice narration or commentary in videos uploaded to YouTube. YouTube creators often incorporate voice overs to enhance their video content and engage their audience. This can involve a variety of formats, such as tutorials, vlogs, reviews, animations, and more.
Z
ZH_CN – ZH_CN is an abbreviation commonly used to represent the Chinese language code for Simplified Chinese. In this context, “ZH” refers to the ISO 639-1 language code for Chinese, while “CN” represents China.
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