Best Vocal Warm-Ups for Voiceover and Singing

By Nate Myers

Whether you are a singer or involved in voice-over work, warming up your voice is essential to ensure optimal performance, prevent strain, and maintain vocal health. A proper warm-up routine prepares your vocal cords and surrounding muscles for the demands of singing or speaking, enhancing your vocal range, clarity, and flexibility. In this article, we will explore some of the best ways to warm up your voice, providing techniques and exercises to benefit both singers and voice-over artists.

Breathing Exercises:

A crucial aspect of voice warm-up is establishing proper breathing techniques. Deep diaphragmatic breathing helps to support your voice and control airflow. Start by standing or sitting in a relaxed position. Inhale deeply through your nose, expand your abdomen, and then exhale slowly through slightly pursed lips. Focus on controlled, even breaths, ensuring your chest and shoulders remain relaxed.

Vocal Exercises:

Incorporate vocal exercises into your routine to warm up your vocal cords and improve vocal agility. These exercises help to loosen up the muscles and enhance vocal resonance. Here are a few effective vocal warm-up exercises:

1.    Lip Trills: Gently press your lips together and exhale, creating a buzzing sound. Gradually move up and down your vocal range while maintaining the trilling sensation. This exercise helps to relax your vocal cords and promotes smooth airflow.

2.    Humming: Humming through various pitches and scales helps to activate the resonating chambers in your face, promoting clear and focused sound production.

3.    Tongue Twisters: Engaging in tongue twisters not only improves diction and articulation but also helps to warm up the muscles involved in speech production. Start with simple tongue twisters and gradually increase the complexity as your warm-up progresses.

Vocal Range Expansion:

Expanding your vocal range is a goal for many singers and voice-over artists. Incorporating exercises that focus on gradually extending your range can be beneficial. Begin with comfortable pitches and gradually ascend or descend through scales or arpeggios, pushing yourself slightly to expand your range over time. Remember to maintain good breath support and avoid straining your voice.

Articulation and Pronunciation:

Clarity and proper articulation are vital for effective communication. Incorporate exercises that target specific sounds, syllables, or words to improve articulation and pronunciation. Practice enunciating consonants and vowels crisply and distinctly, ensuring each sound is produced precisely and clearly.

Voice-over coach Mike George (left) focuses on voice articulation with a student voice actor at the Voice Shop in New York City.

Physical Warm-up:

In addition to vocal exercises, warming up your body can positively impact your voice. Engage in light physical activities, such as stretching, neck and shoulder rolls, and gentle body movements, to release tension and promote overall relaxation. Good posture is crucial for optimal breath support and vocal production, so pay attention to your posture throughout your warm-up routine.

Hydration:

Maintaining proper hydration is essential for vocal health. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and especially before vocal activities. Hydrated vocal cords are more pliable and less prone to strain. Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol, which can dehydrate the body and negatively affect vocal performance.

In conclusion, warming up your voice is vital for both singers and voice-over artists to ensure optimal performance and maintain vocal health. Incorporating a well-rounded warm-up routine with some or all of the above techniques can help you achieve your best vocal capabilities.

Listen to your body, take breaks when needed, and consult a vocal coach or speech therapist for personalized guidance.

The Voice Shop offers extensive coaching on Voice Over and vocal training. To learn more, check out our home page or upcoming classes!

Upcoming Class Schedule: http://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/class-schedule

Genres Of Voice Over

By Nate Myers

Voice over (VO) is a talent and career path where a Voice Artist records a spoken narrative for a professional project, such as a film, television program, commercial, or video game. VO Artists are skilled professionals who use their voices to bring life to characters, provide narration, or present information. Voiceover is integral to modern media, entertainment, and our relationships with companies and products.

 Voice acting students practice different types of voice-overs
with a voice acting coach at The Voice Shop. 

Several genres of voice-over have emerged over time. In this article, we will discuss the different genres of voice-over, their characteristics, and the skills required to excel in each:

1.   Commercial Voice Over: Commercial voice over refers to voice work done for commercials that promote a particular product or service. These voiceovers can be found on radio and television ads and online advertisements. Commercial voiceovers are designed to sell a product or service, and the voice artist must be able to convey the desired emotion and tone of the commercial. This genre of voice-over requires the artist to be energetic and persuasive and to deliver a compelling message that will make the audience take action.

2.   Narration Voice Over: Narration voice over involves the utilization of a voice artist to narrate a documentary, a film, or a video presentation. The artist's voice guides the audience through the content, providing context, background information, and explanations. This genre of voice over requires the artist to have a clear and articulate voice, the ability to project authority and credibility, and the skill to match the tone of the content.

3.   Character Voice Over: Character voice over is a genre that uses voice to bring animated characters to life in television shows, movies, and video games. Voice artists create unique voices for characters, ranging from humans to animals or even inanimate objects. This genre of voice over requires the artist to have a broad range of vocal abilities, be able to create unique and memorable characters, and bring a level of authenticity and emotion to their performances. Animation voice-over is highly competitive, and voice artists must be able to create a wide range of voices and characters to stand out in this industry.

4.   IVR Voice Over: Interactive Voice Response (IVR) enables businesses to automate customer support through pre-recorded voice prompts. IVR voice over involves using a voice actor to record the prompts that guide customers through the system. This genre of voice over requires the artist to have a clear and friendly voice, be able to articulate complex information clearly and concisely, and have the ability to engage with customers effectively.

5.   E-Learning Voice Over: E-learning voice over involves using a voice artist to record audio content for educational and training materials. This genre of voice over requires the voice actor to have a clear and articulate voice, the ability to explain complex information clearly and concisely, and a detailed script (or, even better), a deep understanding of the subject matter itself. E-learning voice over artists must be able to engage with learners, deliver information in an engaging and memorable way, and convey a sense of authority and credibility.

Each category can get more granular, leading to infinite opportunities to specialize or diversify as a Voice Over Artist. For example, there are niches in Cartoons, Video Games within Character Voice Over. These smaller niches can be a specialization or career direction if desired!

If any of the above categories interest you as a possible career, The Voice Shop is here to help! We offer courses from Industry Experts in Voice Over, Animation, Narration, and more. Take classes from veterans of the voice-over industry like Mike George, Steve Tardio, and Piper Goodeve. Explore our classes HERE. Or contact info@voiceshopcoaching.com for a free consultation on which voice acting class would be best for you and the direction of your voice acting career. 

ChatGPT, Can It Write My Voiceover Ad Script?

By: Nate Myers

In November 2022, OpenAI’s ChatGPT (https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/) was launched to the public. This caused a huge stir in the online community and made some writers nervous. Will ChatGPT replace copywriters? Marketers? Journalists? For those (like us) in the Voice Over industry, what implications does this incredible new technology hold for us?

 ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by
OpenAI launched in November 2022.

The most common use of written copy in the Voice Over industry is creating scripts for commercials, ads, and such. A few of us also write articles to help our subscribers stay up-to-date and learn more about our industry. Could ChatGPT replace people like me? Selfishly I would say “no,” but of course, we can dig a bit deeper than that.

Let’s put it to the test!

Writing prompt:

How can a new microphone increase the quality of my voice overs and get me more gigs?

Me:

Microphones are all unique, and there are many different kinds. Whether one is better or not for voice-over depends greatly on your recording environment, other equipment in your signal chain (audio interface, sample rate, hardware), and your ability to edit post-recording. In most cases, I would argue that if you have invested in a decent microphone for around $100 or more, you will get diminishing returns and can instead improve the quality of your voice overs by practicing, receiving training, and learning more about the editing capabilities in your DAW.

Getting gigs will happen because of your control over your voice and how you respond to director feedback. Larger gigs will take place in person, at a professional studio, rendering investments in your at-home rig useless in many cases.

ChatGPT:

Investing in a new microphone can significantly improve the quality of your voiceovers and help you attract more clients. Here are some reasons why:

1. Improved Sound Quality: A high-quality microphone will capture your voice more accurately and produce a clearer, crisper sound. This can make a big difference in the overall quality of your voice overs.

2. Reduced Noise: A good microphone will also have better noise-canceling features, which can help reduce unwanted background noise in your recordings.

3. Greater Versatility: Different microphones are designed to capture different sounds. Investing in a versatile microphone that can handle a range of frequencies and sound sources can help you expand your repertoire and appeal to a wider range of clients.

4. Professionalism: Using professional-grade equipment, such as a high-quality microphone, shows that you take your work seriously and are willing to invest in your craft. This can help you establish yourself as a professional voice actor and attract more clients willing to pay for your services.

5. Stand Out from the Crowd: By having better sound quality than your competitors, you can stand out in a crowded marketplace and increase your chances of getting hired for gigs.

Investing in a new microphone can be worthwhile for voice actors looking to improve their sound quality, expand their capabilities, and attract more clients.

So! What do you think? There are valid points from ChatGPT, to be sure. And what’s more, I feel that it is true, useful information. The limits of ChatGPT have more to do with a lack of context about the person you’re speaking to, a lack of industry knowledge on subtle differences and standard practices, and a lack of the ability to infer what would be best for the person reading.

In this situation, neither ChatGPT nor myself know what kind of microphone the reader might have. But by reading my answer, a reader can use that $100 benchmark to determine whether their microphone is good enough or needs to be upgraded. ChatGPT will always assume you should spend more to get a better-quality microphone. That is a dangerous path to follow, however. Your equipment is good enough at a certain point, and spending money will often be a waste.

Neither of us is absolutely correct, but I’ll let you judge which of us is more helpful!

Practice Voice Over With Sample Scripts

By Nate Myers

If you're looking for voice-over practice material, The Voice Shop has compiled a bunch of different voice over sample clips, speeches, and monologues here for you from various flavors of media. As you're giving them a read, remember these things:

1.    Always, always, always record yourself!

2.    Consider the brand and the voice the brand wants as a representation. Do your best to represent the brand in an authentic way

3.    Vary your pitch, pace, and breathing pattern

4.    Repeat the take several times and listen back to identify your best voice over take. Learn how to emulate your best VO takes to improve consistently!

Voice over sample scripts are often used in voice-over training classes like The Voice Shop offers with VO industry experts. Our Voice Coaches have spent countless years honing their craft. In a live or remote setting, they can listen to your take and provide instant feedback to help you improve. This guidance will (no exaggeration) save you hours of time and set you on the right path to continue improving.

Voice over coach Mike George, guiding a voice acting student at The Voice Shop.

Nike: Greatness. It's just something we made up. Somehow, we've come to believe that greatness is a gift. Reserved for only a chosen few. For prodigies and superstars. And the rest of us can only stand by watching. Well, you can forget that. Greatness is not some rare DNA strand. It's not some precious thing. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We're all capable of it. All of us. Greatness is nothing more than a belief system. Do you believe?

Nike: Find Your Greatness - YouTube 

QMEXA: Do not use QMEXA if you have certain medical conditions. QMEXA may cause new or worsening urinary retention, problems with controlling your body temperature, and blurred vision. Call your doctor to find out if QMEXA is right for you.

Kay Jewelers: For all the moments. For love. Forever. Find the perfect piece for whoever you've fallen for. Only at KAY.

Planet Fitness: Right now, join Planet Fitness for just $1 down, $10 a month, no commitment. So, you don't have to try and squeeze a gym into your apartment. Planet Fitness. Leave the gym to us!

Bai: 5 calories, antioxidants, and tastes amazing? None of this makes sense.

DirectTV: When your cable company keeps you on hold, you get angry. When you get angry, you go blow off steam. When you go blow off steam, accidents happen. When accidents happen, you get an eye patch. When you get an eye patch, people think you're tough. When people think you're tough, people want to see how tough. And when people want to see how tough you wake up in a roadside ditch. Don't wake up in a roadside ditch. Get rid of cable and upgrade to DirectTV. Call 1-800 DirectTV.

Funny DirecTV Commercial "Get RID of Cable" 

AT&T: It's not complicated. Bigger is better. And AT&T has the nation's largest 4G network.

Cars.com: Get the right car without the drama. Cars.com All Drive. No Drama.

Fantasy Script (Demigod): Why would I bargain with a mortal? I don't think you grasp the meaning of immortality. Even in captivity, I will outlive you. I will outlive your children, your children's children, and so on for as many generations as it takes. And if I am not freed, then I will simply wait for the stone of my prison to crumble, the metal of its bars to corrode. Even if it takes one hundred millennia, I will be free. So, by all means, keep me captive for as long as you wish. No amount of time you can fathom compares to the eternity I have and will live.

Carl's Jr: Introducing the all-natural burger. The first ever in fast food. With no antibiotics, no added hormones, and no steroids. Only at Carl's Jr.

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Film): Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all the you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!

Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Book): "Arise, arise, riders of Rohan! Fell deeds awake, fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered! A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now, ride to Gondor!"

And because it is our favorite show at the time of publishing (and because the writing is incredible). Here are four incredible monologues from the TV series: Andor:

Andor (Nemik): The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that. And know this: the day will come when all these skirmishes and battles, these moments of defiance, will flood the banks of the Empire's authority, and then there will be so many. One single thing will break the siege. Remember this.

Andor (Kino): Right now, the building is ours. You need to run, climb, kill! You need to help each other. You see someone who's confused, someone who is lost, you get them moving, and you keep them moving until we put this place behind us. There are 5,000 of us. If we can fight half as hard as we've been working, we will be home in no time. One way out! One way out! One way out!

Andor (Maarva): But we were sleeping. I've been sleeping. And I've been turning away from the truth I wanted not to face. There is a wound that won't heal at the center of the galaxy. There is darkness reaching like rust into everything around us. We let it grow, and now it's here. It's here, and it's not visiting anymore. It wants to stay. The Empire is a disease that thrives in darkness. it is never more alive than when we sleep. It's easy for the dead to tell you to fight, and maybe it's true, maybe fighting is useless. Perhaps it's too late. But I'll tell you this: if I could do it again, I'd wake up early and be fighting these bastards from the start. Fight the Empire!

Andor (Luthen): Calm. Kindness. Kinship. Love. I've given up all chance at inner peace. I've made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts...What is my sacrifice? I'm condemned to use the tools of the enemy to defeat them. I burn my decency for someone else's future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I'll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror of an audience or the light of gratitude. So, what do I sacrifice? Everything!

Hopefully, these voice over sample scripts gets you off to a great start. You could practice voice over in dozens of categories. The most important criteria are that they stretch your abilities and inspire you to practice and improve your craft. Monologues and speeches are great practice if you struggle to "get out of yourself" and put on the skin of another personality. This skill will suit you well in a voice over career in narration, animation, or other genres where character-building depends entirely on that ability!

So, give it a go! If you have other voice-over scripts you'd like to include here, feel free to send them to us at info@voiceshopcoaching.com, and we can add them to the library!

Keeping Vocal Cords Healthy

By: Nate Myers

If your livelihood depends on your voice, it must always be ready and in the best of health, especially if you’re performing for long periods of strain or stress.

Singing, Voice Over, Narration, there are many career paths to leverage your voice. Luckily, the ways to preserve your voice and ensure a long career are the same regardless of the industry.

A quick note before we dive in: If you have a voice made of gold and want to explore Voice Over as an additional source of income, we have a series of classes designed specifically for you: http://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/class-schedule

Exercises:

Before recording or performing, it’s important to warm up your voice. Many exercises help your voice get ready without straining or damaging it. These include:

• Yawning: Relaxes your voice and extend your range

• Lip Buzz/Motorboat: Warms up your lips for precise annunciation.

• Loosen Your Jaw: Typically, when performing or recording, your jaw will want to drop lower than usual—yawn without opening your mouth to get a good stretch.

Voice acting requires warm-up exercises to get the best vocal performance. Voice coach Mike George (right) helps to refine the voice of a voice-over student at The Voice Shop in New York City.

Diet:

In general, vocalists and voice-over artists will want to maintain a balanced diet. This will ensure better overall health and, by default, better vocal health. The average diet lacks many essential nutrients. While we aren’t health experts, we can say generally:

• Do eat protein, plants and veggies, grains, and beans

• Don’t eat high-fat and oily foods

• Drink plenty of water (Vocal Hack: room temperature is ideal before recording or performing)

Before showtime, we can provide more specific guidance. Water, toast, cantaloupe, and warm herbal tea are perfect! Foods like milk, ice cream, bacon, citrus, and alcohol will hold your upcoming performance back.

Daily Routines:

The general consensus is to be careful and avoid over-training your voice. If you feel a strain in your vocal cords, always stop, take a break, or even call it a day. Practicing singing songs or reading scripts for 30 minutes a day can help improve the strength of your vocal cords over time. Just remember to warm up first.

Medical narration specialist Anne Ganguzza talks about daily vocal practices to keep your voice at peak performance.

Tips for Longer Sessions:

If you have a big performance or recording session coming up, your work begins the day before. Stay hydrated and get a good night’s sleep. Set yourself up for success.

On the day of, drink a bottle of water an hour before your take(s). Then, warm up correctly, and don’t rush it. Don’t schedule more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. Take breaks as needed. Bring water with you into the booth.

Recovery:

Advice for recovery is more straightforward than performance. In essence, use your voice sparingly and carefully. Avoid shouting or screaming (no horror movies). Drink plenty of water (if you haven’t noticed a trend yet). With proper rest and hydration, your recovery should be quick. Please note that vocal cord damage is a real concern, and if you’ve pushed your voice too hard, we recommend seeing a medical specialist.

And that’s it! Pamper your voice, and it will serve you well!

Again, when using your voice in other ways to make money, The Voice Shop offers extensive coaching on Voice Over, different niches of the industry, and navigating the audition process. To learn more, check out our home page or upcoming classes!

The Voice Shop Home: http://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/#home-section

Upcoming Class Schedule: http://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/class-schedule

Maturity and Success in Voice Over

By: Nate Myers

Here at the Voice Shop, we are dedicated to the training and success of the next generation of voice over superstars. In our diverse voice over class offerings, one of the most frequent questions is, “What does success in voice-over look like?”

This can be a tricky question for one reason: Success, or prosperity, is entirely up to your perspective. A wise man once said:

“To be prosperous would not require much of me. Because contentment is the one thing, it entails.”

            -Matt Thiessen

And there is a lot of truth to this sentiment. Success in voice over is a personal benchmark. What are you hoping to get out of it? Self-improvement? Are you hoping to make some side income in addition to your full-time job? Are you hoping to quit the corporate hustle and be 100% self-sufficient on voice over income? Or somewhere in between?

This article will talk about setting yourself up for voice-over acting success and some essential skills/learnings you will need to pick up along the way!

Setting Yourself Up for Success

It will require self-inspection and training to get to a suitable place where you are poised for success. These two techniques will take you very far: Self-evaluation and Training.

Self-evaluation is easy enough to achieve. Simply record yourself and listen back. You can do this on any smartphone these days. You may not like it at first. The sound of your voice can throw many people off. But don’t worry. It’s important for you to contextualize how people hear you and what you can do to alter that during delivery. Can you shift your pitch higher to convey more excitement? Can you change the part of your mouth you’re using to sound completely different? Listen back and see how effective you were!

Training is the other part that will lead you down the right path at the beginning of your journey. There are helpful online resources such as other voice actors on TikTok and YouTube. If you want to take it seriously, an online or in-person class will help you progress rapidly!

Voiceover students practice reading scripts with a voice coach at The Voice Shop in New York City.

In a voiceover class, you will experience a few things: You will see other aspiring voice actors and see what they are doing to achieve a unique or better delivery. Learn from them! The other huge thing is the live feedback you’ll receive from the Voice Coach or Voice Over Artist teaching the class. With their sharp ears, they can pick up on exactly what is holding you back and tell you what to change—all within seconds. Imagine spending weeks trying to achieve a specific tone with your voice, struggling and unsure what to change—no need to suffer through that. Let someone who has walked the path guide you in your first steps!

Receive AND Respond to Coaching

So now that you’ve taken your first steps and started identifying your strengths as a voiceover artist, you can play into those strengths to deliver great takes on just about anything. So, you apply for a voice-over gig, get an audition, and deliver a fantastic take to the Director. But the Director says, “That’s way too nasally, take that out and read it again.” Crushing right?

 Voice over students receiving voice coaching lessons.

A particularly important skill to landing gigs and getting jobs is receiving feedback and responding/adjusting to match their wants. This can take years and is never fully perfected. The Director may or may not know about the technical terms for what you’re doing in the sound booth. But they will tell you what they don’t like, and it’s up to you to respond. Match what they want as closely as you can.

It’s a bite of humble pie, but it is a skill that will serve you well and lead to more opportunities and growth as a voice over artist.

Maturity: A Key Component to Success

While this section could be a whole topic in and of itself, it is of paramount importance that you recognize maturity as a necessary component of success. This is a reframing of a common misconception that affects all the arts: music, painting, voice over, singing, and musicianship; they all require maturity and time dedicated to the craft. There are common shortfalls and personality traits that need polishing, and that can only be recognized after putting in more time. These things will be impossible to see in yourself until you put in more time.

Many voice-over artists start their path in their 20s. You may take some classes, create a demo reel, and start applying for different openings/networking or even signing on with an agency. With a few jobs under your belt in your 20s, you establish a brand and identity in the voice over industry.

In your 30’s, you’ll continue this path. Continuing to not only land gigs but self-improve as the months go on. Eventually, you will start to land higher-level jobs that pay more and see some of that income become a reality.

This is, of course, a rough outline. Everyone takes their own path. But the important thing to remember for most voiceover artists who don’t get lucky right off the bat is Consistency. Continuing to practice and put yourself out there in the industry will eventually lead to more exposure and success.

Whatever that success looks like to you; we wish you all the best of luck! And if you need help with Beginner, Intermediate, or even Advanced voiceover technique classes, The Voice Shop is here to help!

Voice Over In Paradise – Edwin Oldfield

By Keith Brunson

At first glance, Edwin Oldfield looks like a tourist. He’s not.

Edwin IS living in paradise and very close to the ocean, but Lima, Peru, is his permanent residence, not his vacation. And from there, he operates his A-list voiceover business for the upper tier. Companies like Tesla. That’s right…Tesla.

“I actually made the move 12 years ago. I loved it here in South America, so I just “DID IT” and made that ex-pat move stick.”  The road as to how he got there is, of course, happenstance. “I was in the exporting business of crafts for 21 years, and I found Peru got in my heart, so I made it my new home.”

Being a voiceover artist, it didn’t matter where he lived. As long as he had the microphone and the connectivity, Edwin could have moved to the north pole because “It doesn’t matter,” he tells me.

Edwin had been around voiceover all his life in some form or fashion, but as his voice matured and his exposure increased, producers chased Edwin for his beautiful pipes, not the other way around. “But it wasn’t until things really kicked in with my voice that my independence to be “the voice” was possible from anywhere. www.EdwinOldfield.com  

And as a union SAG/AFTRA performer, the voice work Edwin did at one time would sometimes renew, which yielded yet another residual payment.

 His latest voice project is a four-episode mini-series, “EARTH X.”  Produced in 4k, Earth X, is about, well…the beauty of the earth.

“It tells the story of the planet and showcases its natural beauty.

Produced stateside, Earth X is airing on Spectrum and is an ultra-expensive production that showcases Edwin’s voice in a way that very few shows could. “It was the right place, right time.”

Of Scottish descent, Edwin, whose Father was a professor, taught him the value of enjoying the entire world, not just the beauty of being an American. “I like how my life has evolved,” says Edwin, “and I really appreciate how the business of being a voiceover artist has allowed me to live abroad as an American while I enjoy the culture of another country.”

And that’s the beauty of life as a 60-year-old voiceover artist with a trained voice and a pleasant demeanor. “The lack of limitations opens that very door…and because of it, I’ll be able to do this at 92.” 

Voice Over and ASMR

By: Nate Myers

There are videos on YouTube with thousands, often millions of views. The titles are outlandish to the uninitiated:

“ASMR Dental Face Mask”

“Satisfying Slime ASMR”

“Fastest ASMR | Dentist, Eye, Cranial Nerve, Sleep Clinic, Lice, Ear Exam, Ear Cleaning, Makeup Spa”

Let’s talk about what’s going on in the ASMR world. What it is, popular mediums, and how it may or may not be considered voice-over work.

What is ASMR?

ASMR is an acronym that stands for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.” It’s a term to describe a sensation people get when they watch or listen to stimulating videos. Most commonly, it’s described as a pleasurable, “tingly” feeling running down your spine. It can be powerfully relaxing and even help insomniacs with sleep.

Although the term ASMR might sound very scientific, it’s far from proven science. Many people don’t understand it, can’t experience it, or don’t even care. Despite this, some content creators garner millions of views, followers, and even dollars through the art of ASMR.

ASMR’s most common content comes from soft audio created using everyday objects, conversations, and roleplay/storytelling. It can be someone whispering into a microphone or tapping, scratching, touching clothing, glass, or the microphone itself. It can be the sound of pouring a can of soda pop into a glass. Any pleasing, quiet sound can be used to create ASMR.

These “triggers” often are the title of the video. Maybe slime isn’t your thing, but you really like the popping sounds of bubble wrap or a paintbrush. ASMR isn’t inherently sexual, and although there is a sexual ASMR audience, there are similarities between ASMR triggers and sexual turn-ons. Triggers vary from person to person, and the ASMR world can span all of that to help viewers experience something.

Popularity of ASMR

Although ASMR origins are vague, it started in the 2010s and has increased in popularity exponentially. If millions of views on YouTube aren’t convincing enough, look at these stats.

YouTube Channel Subscriber Counts:

1.    Gibi ASMR: 4.45 million

2.    WhispersRed ASMR: 2.53 million

3.    Gentle Whispering ASMR: 2.21 million

4.    Latte ASMR: 1.88 million

5.    ASMRMagic: 1.44 million subs

Twitch Follower Counts:

1.    Amouranth: 6.03 million

2.    TheNicoleT: 1.26 million

3.    Leynainu: 906 thousand

4.    IJenz: 681 thousand

5.    gonsabeellla: 639 thousand

ASMR content creators, especially female ones, are killing it online, with average viewers in the thousands every time they stream on Twitch or post a new video to YouTube. IJenz has been watched for 209,125 hours in the last seven days (November 13, 2022). Her followers are putting in some serious time.

The r/ASMR subreddit has more than 258,000 members as of the time of writing.

The numbers speak for themselves! ASMR is a popular online phenomenon, and ASMR fan counts are growing month over month.

Is ASMR Voice Over?

Here at The Voice Shop, our specialty is Voice Over. The commercial voice over industry is structurally VERY different from ASMR. Voiceovers for radio ads, Super Bowl commercials, and vodcasting are usually professional in nature and operate in the world of contracts, agencies, and networking.

However, ASMR hasn’t been commercialized in a serious sense. The business case has yet to be proven. However, there is room to play for most brands. For example, TikTok often features businesses creating ASMR content using their product. An electric guitar’s natural noises can be recorded: switching pickups, knocking on the wood, turning the volume knob, etc. Results are mixed, but the viewership is there.

Okay, so Voice Over is commercial, and ASMR is usually not. However, there are many similarities. The primary similarity is through equipment needed. Both voice-over and ASMR use microphones, pop filters, sound treatment for the room, audio interfaces, and audio-editing software (DAW).

Another significant similarity is, of course, the use of the human voice. Most prominent ASMR content creators use their voice as a primary stimulant.

Conclusion? They’re not the same, but they aren’t dissimilar either.

Will there eventually be a bridging of ASMR into commercial voice over? Time will tell. But today, all signs point to ASMR being another category among narration, animation, and the like.