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The Voice-Over Roadmap

VO Pro Tip: How to be "Authentic" in a voice-over read

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Being Authentic

Hey Reader,

We all know the "Conversational Read" is king right now, whether it's for commercials, e-learning, or corporate narration. But sometimes, we can get so focused on sounding conversational that we forget the crucial step: actually being authentic.

The single secret ingredient that makes a read truly memorable is You. Here are a few ways to stop "acting" and start simply being yourself in the booth:

1. Find the Hook You Believe

Every script has a central idea or benefit. If you feel like you’re just reading words on a page, try to find the one sentence or phrase you genuinely agree with or connect to. Let your authentic enthusiasm for that one thought drive the energy for the entire take. When you believe it, the listener believes it. Use this moment into the script to try to settle into an authentic "groove" and then try reading the script from the top again, from that place.

2. It’s Not a Performance, It’s a Text

A "performance" suggests acting. For the most genuine reads, treat the script like a personal text message or an email you’re sending to one person—a friend, a co-worker, or a family member. It immediately shifts your brain from "performing for an audience" to "communicating with one person," which is the foundation of the conversational style. Personalize things as much as you can, we want to hear a person speaking to us, not a person reading a script to us.

3. Own Your Imperfections

The best conversational reads are often slightly flawed—a little pause that’s too long, a small shift in pace, or a natural vocal texture. Don't feel the pressure to be a perfect robot. Sometimes those little moments of genuine human imperfection are the exact power of your performance, making it relatable and unique. Don't shy away from them too much.

-Michael

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The Voice-Over Roadmap

The Voice-Over Roadmap is an educational platform for Voice-Over Talent of all experience levels to start, grow, and sustain a profitable business as a professional VO Talent. It is the creation of Michael Langsner, Professional VO talent with over 12 years of experience voicing projects for brands like Adidas, Google, Dell, Levi's and many others.

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