Voice-over recordings can enhance your video production by adding narration, commentary, or character dialogue. However, to achieve a professional and engaging result, you need to edit and mix your voice-over tracks to match the video pace and tone. In this article, you will learn how to do that in six simple steps.
Before you start editing and mixing, you need to have a good quality voice-over recording that suits your video content and style. You can record your own voice or hire a voice actor, depending on your budget and preferences. Make sure you use a decent microphone, a pop filter, and a quiet environment to avoid background noise and distortion. You also need to have a clear script that matches the video length and structure, and that conveys the message and emotion you want to deliver.
I'm still trying to figure out why people are freely giving away their years of experience and knowledge to an AI script? Give it freely to people that you mentor and want to teach but this is just "giving away the farm".
One thing I found helpful is to place a noise reduction plug in on the vocal. This for me irons out any noises. A pop shield is essential too
The next step is to import your voice-over and video files into your editing software of choice. You can use any program that allows you to work with multiple audio and video tracks, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. You need to sync your voice-over track with your video track, so that they align with the visuals and the transitions. You can use markers, cues, or timecodes to help you with this process.
When you import the audio into Adobe or other make sure the snap quantized is off, sometimes you need to make minute adjustments when placing audio to match either video, with video software , you need this flexibility to get the vocal to sit right.
Once you have synced your voice-over and video tracks, you need to trim and split your voice-over track to remove any unwanted parts and adjust the timing. You can use the razor tool, the trim tool, or the cut tool to cut out any silences, breaths, mistakes, or noises from your voice-over track. You can also split your voice-over track into smaller segments that correspond to different scenes or sections of your video. This will make it easier to edit and mix each segment individually.
The next step is to adjust the volume and the fade of your voice-over track to create a balanced and smooth sound. You can use the audio mixer, the gain control, or the volume keyframes to adjust the volume of your voice-over track relative to the video track. You want to make sure that your voice-over is loud enough to be heard clearly, but not too loud to overpower the video sound or music. You can also use the fade in and fade out effects to create smooth transitions between your voice-over segments and the video sound.
The next step is to apply EQ and compression to your voice-over track to enhance the quality and clarity of your voice. EQ stands for equalization, which is a process of adjusting the frequency spectrum of your audio signal. You can use EQ to boost or cut certain frequencies, such as bass, midrange, or treble, to make your voice sound more natural, warm, or crisp. Compression is a process of reducing the dynamic range of your audio signal, which means making the loud parts quieter and the quiet parts louder. You can use compression to make your voice sound more consistent, powerful, and professional.
If the source audio recording was OK, really all O would recommend is rolling off so e of the bass frequency, say around 50/60 hz, this gets rid of any rumble and should make the vocal sit well with any music. Compression- if in doubt use a standard voice over preset.
The final step is to add reverb and other effects to your voice-over track to create a sense of space and atmosphere. Reverb is a process of adding reflections of your audio signal to simulate the sound of a room or environment. You can use reverb to make your voice sound more realistic, immersive, or dramatic, depending on the type and amount of reverb you apply. You can also use other effects, such as delay, chorus, or distortion, to add some creativity and variation to your voice-over track. However, be careful not to overdo it, as too much effects can make your voice sound unnatural, muddy, or distracting.