Voiceover
Also called voice over, VO, narration
What is a voiceover?
A voiceover is spoken narration recorded separately from the video and played over the footage, rather than speech captured on camera. The narrator is usually not seen. Voiceovers explain products, tell stories, guide viewers through tutorials and give faceless videos a human voice. They can be recorded by a person or generated with text to speech.
In scripts, VO marks lines spoken over the picture, while on-camera dialogue is written differently. Voiceover is a common choice for explainer videos, tutorial videos and faceless videos, where the picture shows screens, products or B-roll instead of a person talking.
Options range from recording yourself on a decent microphone, to hiring a voice actor, to an AI voice generator. Each trades cost, speed and control differently.
Why a voiceover matters
A voice keeps people watching. It lets you explain more than fits in on-screen text, sets the tone of the brand and makes a video work for people who listen while looking away.
Many people also scroll with sound off, so a voiceover works best paired with captions. Together they reach both audiences and make the message clear on the first watch.
How to write and record a voiceover
- Write for the ear: short sentences, everyday words, one idea per line.
- Read the script aloud and time it; about 130-160 words per minute is a comfortable pace.
- Record in a quiet, soft-furnished room with the microphone close and steady.
- Leave short pauses between lines so the edit can breathe.
- Match scene timing to the voice, then add captions and music under it.
Voiceover FAQ
Is it voiceover or voice-over?
Both are used. "Voiceover" as one word is the most common spelling in US media and marketing; "voice-over" and "voice over" also appear.
How long should a voiceover script be for a 30-second video?
About 65-80 words. Leave room for a pause after the hook and before the call to action.
Related terms
Text to speech (TTS) is technology that turns written text into spoken audio, used for voiceovers, accessibility and voice assistants.
An AI voice generator turns written text into natural-sounding speech, often with a choice of voices, accents, languages and speaking styles.
A faceless video is a video where nobody appears on camera; it relies on voiceover, text, footage, screenshots or graphics to deliver the message.
Animated captions are on-screen captions that appear or highlight word by word in time with speech, common in Reels, TikTok and Shorts.
Royalty-free music is music licensed for a one-time fee or subscription, with no per-play royalties, so you can use it in videos and ads.