Why should I direct a voiceover session live?
Once you’ve selected your voice artist, it’s worth asking them if they’re open to a live directed session.
Without exception, the sessions where the most magic happens are where the client or appointed creative lead engages with and directs the voice talent live. In my many years as a voiceover, I have been instrumental in workshopping scripts, refocusing creative directions and reimagining final scripts thanks to throwing around ideas in a live scenario - recording as the magic happens.
Rather than going back and forth with multiple rounds of recordings and feedback over email - sometimes over days or even weeks - you can provide real-time direction, try out new ideas on the spot, and even get final client sign-off all in a single session. It’s a win-win that saves time, avoids confusion, and can significantly improve the final product.
Quality concerns?
The live session lets you monitor the performance, the actual recording is happening at full quality on the voice artist’s end in high quality flawless 24/48 wave files. You’ll receive the final clean audio files after the session. The quality of the audio in the session can vary depending on connection speed, but it’s enough to get an idea of the vibe and the nuances of the read.
Toby Ricketts Conducts a live-directed voiceover session in his world-class home studio
It can be as Simple as a ZOOM call…
At their simplest, live-directed sessions can be a standard video call via Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, where the artist selects their high-quality recording microphone as the input, while recording in high quality on their end. You listen in, direct them in real-time, and get to hear the read as it evolves. What can really help with call quality is a strong, wired internet connection, and using headphones to listen rather than speakers. If everyone has speakers on this can lead to a chaotic listening experience, making it harder to give precise feedback. If you are using headphones, make sure to disable noise reduction features for better quality audio. Zoom has a great feature in settings called ‘Original sound for musicians’, which will deliver high quality original audio without the artefacts from noise reduction.
…Or go PRO for High-End productions…
For larger-scale or commercial productions, you might work through a professional recording studio. In these cases, the studio can use dedicated audio streaming software such as Source Connect, CleanFeed, SessionLinkPRO, or ipDTL. These platforms provide broadcast-quality connections that allow real-time monitoring, syncing, and recording on both ends. With these tools, the commercial or video can even be mixed as soon as the voiceover is recorded, letting clients instantly review the final work with the VO already laid in. This kind of immediacy can often mean instant client approval and final signoff.
Get the Talent to Serve and then Play Creative Tennis
How should you structure a live directed session? One of the most efficient formats starts with the voiceover talent doing a full read of the script for “Take 1.” This gives the VA a chance to get all the words out and discover the text, and gives everyone a baseline to direct from. After that, clients, directors, or creatives can offer feedback or suggestions. Maybe you want a warmer tone, a slightly faster pace, or more emphasis on specific words. The talent adjusts, and you iterate from there.
Once everyone is generally happy with the overall take, you can go back and re-record any lines that need extra polish. These individual lines can be edited into the best full read later.
Sessions should ideally be kept under an hour - 45 mins I find is perfect for most projects. For longer scripts (over 15 mins of reading) divide the work into manageable chunks and schedule a 15-minute break every hour. This helps prevent fatigue—both for the voice talent and for your own ears. And remember, you don’t have to use the full hour. If you get a great take early and everyone’s satisfied, wrap it up and enjoy the time saved in the edit suite!
Note Takes and Take Notes
During the session, ask the voice artist to “slate” each take—that is, clearly say the take number before reading the script. This will help immensely during post-production. Take notes as you go, marking which versions you liked best and why. Even if you’re sure you’ll remember, the details can blur later, especially after multiple takes. Keeping track during the session ensures that the editing process is quicker and more accurate.
The More Fun, the Better the Outcome
Finally, enjoy it! Live directed sessions aren’t just about getting the job done—they’re a chance to build rapport with talented creatives and form lasting working relationships. A bit of laughter and experimentation often leads to a better final result. After all, we’re lucky to work in a creative industry where collaboration, conversation, and even a little chaos can spark something special.
