Working as a voice actor, there’s one thing I tend to notice all the time! Everyone always seems to know someone “with a great voice.” Your friend from college. Your cousin’s fiancé. That guy on TikTok who sounds like a budget Morgan Freeman recording lines on a rotary phone.
And look… having a good voice helps. But in 2025, that’s barely the starting line.
Voice over work is in a really strange place at the moment. With AI clones in the mix and producers expecting top-tier results faster than ever, the question isn’t just “who sounds nice?” — it’s what makes a good (and human!) voice over artist actually good?
Now, not with fluff or just generic advice, in this blog we’re going to break down what makes a voice actor good.
What Makes a Good Voice Isn’t What You Think
With having a “great” voice, comes “great” responsibility. Or words to that effect, anyway. The point I’m trying to make is that sounding good isn’t actually what makes a good voice over artist, yet it’s still the first thing people obsess over. Deep and buttery? Warm and trustworthy? That’s nice. But a good voice without the skill to use it is like handing someone a Steinway and hoping they figure out Chopin.
Because truthfully, what makes a good voice isn’t just tone. It’s timing, it’s energy, and crucially, it’s instinct.
Knowing how to flex and shape a performance without sounding like you’re reading lines at gunpoint is by far the most forgotten part of good voice over work! And, being able to do this again, and again, and again without it ever becoming monotonous.
A tall order to say the least!
In short, sounding nice helps. But if your voice isn’t attached to someone who knows what they’re doing? It’s just noise with good EQ.
The 5 Qualities of a Good Voice Over Artist
So, if sounding nice isn’t enough, what actually matters?
Clients don’t want a showreel, so it isn’t about just “being heard” it’s about “being useful”. Which means you need to be able to actually land the read, match a client’s brief, and make the whole process – start to finish – smoother than it has when they’ve worked with other voice over actors!
Here’s (in my experience) what makes a good voice over artist;
1) Emotional intelligence
Reading lines from a script is pretty easy. Feeling them, and subsequently getting others to, is where the magic is. A good voice over has to mirror the emotional tone of the script instantly, then bring it to life in a way that doesn’t feel like acting. Because if it sounds like acting? You’ve already lost.
2) Being Adaptable
The old 50s and 60s radio ads definitely had a “one voice fits all” feel to them. But that’s over half a century ago and if you can’t switch gears from casual to corporate or dial in that super-specific delivery the client’s got in their head but can’t describe? The, you’re not versatile, you’re just being loud. And, importantly, you’re lacking one of the key qualities of a good voice over artist
3) Tech Literacy
I wouldn’t say that clients are going to expect you to be a fully qualified sound engineer, but they’d definitely expect you to have a better understanding of audio equipment than they do. If you’re blaming your USB mic for dodgy takes — or worse, don’t know why something sounds off, you’re already behind. Know your gear. Know your DAW. Know how to not send files that clip like a potato.
4) Make Sure You’re Consistent
I said earlier that you have to be able to do good work again, and again, and again if you want to be seen as a good voice over actor. Because, one good take isn’t impressive. Many all in a row that all hit the mark? That’s the difference between someone who’s got talent and someone who’s got a career.
5) Directability
Finally, good voice over actors don’t just hope they nailed it, they listen and adjust accordingly. If a client suggests taking a different angle after hearing the first cut, then don’t take it personally and try it – you may hear the second version and realise it does in fact sound way better! Taking direction is a skill. Taking it well, quickly, and without throwing a diva wobble? That’s gold.
Why “Human” Beats “Perfect” Every Time When It Comes To A Good Voice Over
There’s a weird misconception that the best voice overs are the ones that sound flawless. No breaths, no quirks, no personality; just some kind of smooth, polished delivery like it’s been scrubbed down by a robot with a perfection complex.
But the truth? Most clients don’t want perfection. They want real.
In fact, what makes a good voice over artist in 2025 is often the exact opposite of what AI-generated voices are trying to mimic. The slight imperfections. The natural pacing. The kind of delivery that makes someone forget they’re listening to a script at all.
Because here’s the thing: people aren’t buying your voice, they’re buying the feeling it gives them. If it doesn’t sound like it came from a human who understands the tone, the stakes, or the subtle intention behind the words, it’s just… noise. Polished noise, sure. But still just noise.
Clients Don’t Just Hire Voices, They Hire Professionals
This bit often gets overlooked, but it really shouldn’t.
Because when someone hires a voice over artist, they’re not just hiring a voice — they’re hiring a professional. Someone they can trust to deliver, who won’t flake, and who makes the whole process less painful than the last ten times they tried to do it in-house with a USB mic and Dave from marketing.
Being a good voice over artist in 2025 means being reliable. It means replying to emails. Meeting deadlines. Not disappearing off the face of the earth halfway through a project. It means understanding that your job isn’t just to sound good, but that it’s to make the client’s life easier.
So Then, What Makes A Good Voice Over Artist In 2025?
In short? It’s not just about having a voice that makes people go “ooh, nice.”
It’s about whether you can actually use it. Whether you can show up, deliver, and do it in a way that feels human, not just technically clean. The best voice over artists today are the ones who know how to interpret a script, take direction, hit deadlines, and still bring something unique to the table. Again. And again. And again.