Because we produce a lot of training and demonstrations videos for companies, we are sometimes asked what the pros and cons are of using an AI voice versus a human voice as a way to reduce the overall cost of production of certain projects.
We will always recommend a human voice for a high-quality voiceover and audio descriptions to convey the right message. Human voices are still better at making an emotional connection, add personality, passion and/or humor for the end-user to enjoy.
But, understanding that human voice actors and voiceover services can be costly, take a lot of time and effort to get the performance right, companies are conducting due diligence by exploring AI voices for their voice projects instead of real voice actors.
It is worth weighing the pros and cons of both AI and real voices, so you know which is best for your project. We have put a few together to help start the process.
AI Voices
PROS
Quicker Turnaround Time
Even with a professional voiceover service it can take a while to get the voiceover for your project completed. This is normal, but it cannot compete with the speed of an AI voice. With AI speech there is no script practice, voice recording or editing to be done. It is especially speedy if an audio transcript file already exists for your project.
Less Expensive
Because there is no need for a human voice actor and studio quality recording equipment, AI voiceovers are generally less expensive.
Adjustment Ability Control
With synthesized speech there is often additional software available from the AI voiceover companies. This kind of software gives you easy control over editing and changing content yourself, rather than having to request updates from the voiceover agency.
CONS
No Regional Adjustments
You are unlikely to be able to have specific regional accents with AI voice overs. They may offer English spoken in the main accents such as English itself, Welsh, Scottish, Australian, American etc. However, the advantages of regional accents and dialects in conveying certain messages is important to your audience. AI voices have limited appeal as a voiceover or fail to convey the intended message.
No Substitutions
A professional voice actor will be able to replace certain words with words that sound better, or that fit the timing of the text better. You cannot have this type of on-the-spot flexibility with an AI voiceover, as it simply converts the text on the computer into sound.
It Doesn’t Really Sound Like a Person
Despite the technology being much more advanced than it was, the fact is AI voices still do not sound quite like human voices. That’s a pretty major disadvantage when people still very much prefer a human voice when it comes to communication.
Human Voices:
PROS
Emotion & Personality
With a human voice you get the distinct emotion and personality only possible through the voice of a real person. This is invaluable when it comes to conveying your message in marketing, advertising, training or other types of corporate video.
A Unique Voice That Is Just Right
With a voiceover service, you have a huge range of vocal talent to choose from so you can find a voice that is just right for your project. That indefinable quality that comes from individual human voices in a range of accents. This gives you much more flexibility when it comes to the tone, age, personality and character of the voice in your content.
Greater Ability to Convey a Message
As humans we can only take in so much from an AI voice before we are distracted by the fact it is not a real person and tune out. For a strong message that is well-received and understood by your audience, human voices can speak to an audience on a different level then an AI voice.
CONS
Higher Cost
Inevitably it does cost more to have a human voice over on your project. However, for the benefits and quality of an excellent voiceover by a professional voice artist, that investment will pay off. The costs are also more competitive than you might think. It is worth comparing these as well.
Longer Production Time
It can take longer to record a human voiceover, but that is often only because of the vast amount of input you can have. You have time to browse different voices, choose different accents, get sharp, professional vocals recorded, then tweaked and adjusted depending on your needs. Yes, extra time is spent, but only to deliver a high-quality production.
Extra Equipment
If you are planning on recording the voiceover yourself then you do have to consider the extra cost of equipment. Even equipment rentals for recording can be costly, add to that the sound engineer costs and other technical needs, and it can be quite expensive. Usually, it is less expensive to utilize a professional voice overservice who will include recording and editing in the overall price.
These are some of the pros and cons to both AI voices and human voices, and as we stated earlier we will always recommend a human voice for a high quality production, but ultimately is depends on the type of project and budget. It is our opinion that AI voices still do not currently sound like human voices and do not resonate with people in the same way real human voices do, but they are getting better all the time.
