Voice Over Reads: Why Asking for an A, B, and C Pays Off

In nearly every voice over session, the director, client, or project manager will say, “That’s great. Can we try one more? I’d like to get an A, B, and C.”

I love that moment, because it means I’ve delivered what they asked for, and now we can explore what else might be hiding in those words.

A take that meets spec is useful. It’s clear, on time, and on brand. But the read that perks up a client’s ears usually isn’t the one the team planned. It shows up when I try the line a little warmer, or a little drier, or like I’m telling one person a secret.

When we’re fine-tuning, it’s time to play. Let your creativity out! I don’t give you the same read three times with slightly different pauses. A stays true to the read we talked about. B leans in a different direction: more smile, less polish, a faster pace, a different pause. C is my favorite. It’s the wild card, the swing, the one that might be too much, or might be exactly right. More than once, C has been the one that made it to the final cut.

Take a simple line like “We treat your pets like family.” A is warm and steady. B grins through it because we're happy to treat them like family. C reassures with utter confidence you can trust. Same words, three different promises. Sometimes you don’t know which one your brand is until you hear them side by side.

That’s also why options save time in a voice over session. Choosing between three reads can settle in one round what might otherwise take three rounds of notes. Picking from choices is much easier than imagining a read that doesn’t exist yet.

I’ve been told this is one of the things clients like about working with me, and I take that as the best kind of feedback. Nobody hires a voice over artist to sound like a machine screw... perfectly uniform every single time. They hire a person who can hear what the script is trying to do and find a few honest ways to get there.

The consistency of the machine screw has its place. I’ll always deliver clean audio, hit your timing, and match what we agreed on. But within that, I’d rather give you options than a carbon copy.

If you have a script and aren’t sure what tone it wants, send it over with a few notes on who’s listening. I’ll record it a few different ways, and we’ll find the one that fits. Reach out through my website to book a voice over session.