Are AI voice overs as good as human actors?

Human actors have been providing voice overs for audiobooks, video games, e-learning materials, and TV shows for decades. With the development of technology, however, we’ve witnessed a rise in artificial intelligence (AI) voice overs.

Through algorithms, voice clones, and speech synthesis, AI technology is slowly replacing human voice actors. But is this technology good enough to revolutionize the voice over industry and replace real people and professional voice actors altogether? This article will provide the answer.

A history of voice overs

The history of voice overs begins with Reginald Fessenden in 1900. Fascinated by Alexander Bell’s invention of the telephone, Fessenden wanted to find a way to communicate remotely without using wires.

He succeeded in 1900 when he recorded the first voice over ever: a brief message with weather information. Six years later, Fessenden recorded Christmas messages and Bible texts that were heard by ships along the Atlantic northeast coast.

The second and perhaps most popular act in the history of voice acting, was performed by Walt Disney in 1928. Disney was the first to give life to a cartoon character. He was the voice over artist behind Mickey Mouse in a cartoon named Steamboat Willie.

A year later, Looney Tunes, a cartoon series produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and distributed by Warner Bros., appeared in cinemas. Looney Tunes features a voice talent who would become popular in the following years: Mel Blanc, also known as The Man of a Thousand Voices.

Even today, Blanc is considered one of the industry’s best-ever voice actors. He gave life to characters such as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, the Tasmanian Devil, and many others.

Blanc also changed the way people perceive voice actors. Namely, he asked the producers to add his name to the credits, a move that gave voice actors worldwide recognition for their work.

During the next few decades, the animated movie industry flourished. Professional voice actors were needed not only for the movies themselves but also for trailers, promotional videos, and commercials. This led to significant growth in the number of professional voice talents.

Perhaps the most prominent figure in the voice over industry in the 1960s and the 1970s was Don LaFontaine. After recording his first voice over for a movie trailer in 1962, LaFontaine set the standard for how trailers should be written and voiced.

By the end of his long and successful career, LaFontaine recorded thousands of trailers and commercials.

Fast forward to today, and the public is used to seeing celebrities doing voice overs for commercials, audiobooks, animated movies, TV shows, and cartoons.

In recent years, we’ve seen a boom in AI technology and machine learning. With text to speech (TTS) technology and synthetic voices, experts have managed to mimic human speech and create human-sounding voice overs in no time.

AI vs. human voice overs

Some believe that AI voice technology will never be able to fully replace humans because they lack the human touch and emotions, while others disagree. Let’s look at the advantages and drawbacks of both.

Quality

Both AI and human voice overs can be of high quality. What may distinguish the two is the human touch of real voice actors and their ability to convey the right message. On the other hand, AI voice overs could be better in terms of consistency.

Time management

Time management is an area in which AI-generated voices can’t be beat. AI technology allows faster recording, editing, and processing, letting recording studios and producers to achieve more in less time.

Human voice overs are much more time-consuming and require more organization and effort.

Pricing

Pricing is another important factor to consider when it comes to recording voice overs. Hiring professional voice over actors for an audiobook, commercial, or animated movie is significantly more expensive than using an AI voice generator.

Accuracy

When it comes to accuracy, both human voice actors and AI technology have their advantages. While real actors may make mistakes while recording, they are able to deliver the required language tone and intonation to convey a certain message.

AI voice overs may not “know” how to deliver a specific message. Consequently, some of them often sound robotic and unnatural, which many people don’t like.

However, as we’ve seen with ChatGPT, Amazon’s Alexa, and Apple’s Siri, AI-generated voices are sounding more and more natural.

But can AI voice overs fully replace human voice actors? In many cases, yes. Artificial intelligence offers the speed and accuracy most human actors can’t match.

Try Speechify for natural-sounding voice overs

Many people avoid using AI voice overs because some of them sound robotic. If you’re looking for a voice over service that can produce quality, natural-sounding voiceovers, Speechify is the way to go.

The platform allows you to create a voice over of any written text in only a few clicks. All you need to do is go to the platform’s website, paste the desired text, and select “Generate.”

You can customize the pronunciation, speed, pitch, pauses, and other elements of your voice over. What’s more, with Speechify, you’ll have access to over 200 voices and 20 languages. If you want to listen to your voice overs offline, you’ll be happy to know the platform lets you download your files on the mp3 format.

Try Speechify now and learn more about its impressive features.

FAQ

Is voice acting better than acting?

As they’re two different disciplines, it’s impossible to compare them. Some people prefer voice acting due to less public exposure.

Is voice acting a natural talent?

No, voice acting can be practiced and developed.

What is the most realistic AI voice?

One of the most realistic AI voices is Speechify.

What is the difference between voice acting and voiceover?

These two concepts refer to the same thing.

Is voice acting a good job?

Voice acting can be great for those who enjoy the creativity and versatility that come with the job.