Male or Female Voice Actor: Why It Matters and Which Is Better for You

Choosing between a male vs female voice actor for your voice recording — be it for an explainer video, a voice greeting message, or any other purpose — is crucial to its success.

The mere way a voice greeting message sounds can invite listeners to tune in more attentively and assimilate the message better.

The truth is that even the most compelling message in the world can fail if the voice over that delivers it isn't appropriate.

And we all instinctively know this because our brains are hardwired to associate meaning to the human voice.

Thus, if you want to make sure your voice greeting message achieves its goals, carefully consider whether a male voice actor or a female voice actor would be more suitable.

If you're unsure how to make the best decision and objectively analyze the situation, don't worry.

This article is going to help you understand the benefits of male and female voice overs.

Plus, it will give you a couple of invaluable decision tools so you can make the best choice every single time.

For those who haven’t had a chance to develop their voicemail greetings yet, check out this article about the best tactics for wording a professional for your business before you start selecting a male versus a female voice over.

What are the benefits of choosing a female voice actor?

A research study conducted by the marketing experts at CXL revealed that female voice overs inspire significantly more trust.

The finding verifies the option according to which feminine voices track better for soothing messages or information that comes to us in stressful moments.

There's a reason why Apple chose a female voice over for Siri since it's been proved that in frustrating situations, feminine voices can be calming and reassuring.

That's probably also the reason why most computer systems or technology AIs are voiced by females.

In fact, another study recently found that 66% of internet video viewers prefer a female voice actor than that of a male.

The reason for this is that listeners find women's voice overs more trustful.

Plus, it can also have a biological/evolutionary motivation, as females are usually perceived as not a threat.

Even more interestingly, a study conducted by business2community.com discovered that, due to evolution, the human brain trusts high-pitched voices more.

Ultimately, a woman's voice over can trigger positive associations with the nurturer in our life, making us more willing to put down our walls and listen.

What are the benefits of choosing a male voice actor?

When prompted what they associate male voice overs with, most respondents answered things such as" authority"," factual", and even" neutral".

There's something inherently decisive about the pitch of male voice over that can make listeners agree with a message more quickly.

Moreover, male voice overs can add a new layer of depth, thanks to their resonance.

That means that a male voice over can better capture attention or cut through the clutter in noisy environments.

For example, male voice actors still dominate the landscape of political ads.

However, the most recent research suggests that female voice overs could be just as compelling.

This proves that while certain characteristics make male voices distinctive, it all comes back to what message you want to send across.

Why does it matter whether you choose a male or female voice actor?

Choosing the right voice can make the difference between your greeting message being heard and interpreted correctly or failing to hit the target.

Of course, while the success of any voice greeting message depends on a complex network of factors, the tonality and depth of the voice matters.

The timbre, pitch, and resonance of the voice drive the first reaction from your listeners.

And, more importantly, what triggers the first emotions, which are crucial for voice greeting message adherence.

If you choose the correct gender for your voice actor, you'll start on the right foot and be halfway to reaching your goals.

However, if you opt for a voice over that doesn't resonate with your audience or greeting message, and it will be almost impossible to recapture your listeners' attention and trust.

Choosing the correct gender for your voice over will help you achieve two essential goals:

1. Cut through the clutter and connect with your audience.

2. Instill trust and create a connection.

These are the two main ingredients that can ensure that your voice greeting message lands right on the spot.

But before you make a decision, you need to hear a lot of voices.

The best way to go about this is by reaching out to a professional voice talent agency such as Amazing Voice.

We have a variety of male and female voice talents from which you can choose.

We'll even help you make the right choice. Here's how.

How to determine which voice, female or male, is better for you?

To determine whether you should opt for a female voice actor or a male voice actor, you need to carefully consider several aspects.

More precisely, you should analyze specific information related to your business, audience, and the message and purpose of your recording.

Here are the essential questions that can help make the best decision.

1. What is the voice over for?

The purpose of your future recording is the first thing you should consider, as it can help you clearly pinpoint an option from the get-go.

Your choice will differ depending on whether you're recording a radio commercial, an educational video, an audio manual, an audiobook, or in-flight entertainment.

At Amazing Voice, we have experience with all of the above — and more.

That's why we know that certain mediums are more suitable for male voice actors, while others require female voice actor.

The tonality, timbre, and resonance of the selected voice over talent might enhance the message.

Female voice overs might come across as more soothing and can be a better option for recordings meant to offer directions or share information in stressful situations.

Male voice actors might be perceived as more authoritative, thus tutorials with brief instructions might benefit from having a male voice talent.

2. Think about your target market

Your target market is the crucial indicator that will point you in the right direction when pondering upon the gender of your voice actor.

Practically, everything you do must cater to your audience's needs, wants, and desires — voice over included.

Thus, if you want your voice greeting message to land and have an impact, then you must select the voice over your target market would like to hear.

Essentially, the voice over has complete authority over the products or services you are offering.

For example, if you're selling care products to young men in their prime, a strong, male voice actor might be more suitable.

If you're aiming to record a call center phone greeting for the same audience, a woman voice actor might be more soothing.

To get a clear idea of what your audience would like to hear, create a detailed description of your target.

Include aspects such as demographics, interests, biases, and even common objections.

3. What emotions do you want to trigger?

The essence of your voice greeting message is the best indicator for whether or not you'd be better with a male or female voice.

Considering your voice greeting message's main idea and the emotions you want to stir, you'll be able to decide.

For example, telephone message recordings that are informational could be better served by a female voice.

Since people find female voice overs more soothing in stressful situations, having them help listeners navigate potentially frustrating situations can help tremendously.

For voice greeting messages that require aggressiveness or high energy that translates into authority, a male voice is more appropriate.

Intense, deep male voice overs can better convey power through their timbre, but that's not the only way to do it.

Female voices can also prove to be extremely convincing and can also trigger positive emotions in listeners.

Of course, both male and female professional voice talents can cover a wide range of emotions.

However, make sure to always consider the psychological aspect and think about what associations people make.

4. What's your brand's personality?

Your brand's personality is a vital aspect that you need to factor in to make a voice over selection.

If your company has been around for a while, then it probably already has a defined personality.

If you haven't yet taken the time to define it, try the following exercise: imagine your company is a person and describe it.

What values does your company hold, and what voice greeting messages does it support?

What is your company's preferred manner of solving issues, and what benefits does it instill in customers?

By defining your brand's voice, you'll have a better idea of the gender that fits it better.

For example, if your brand is candid and warm, then a female voice will be just the thing for you.

Of course, this is just one of the many aspects you need to address, so don't jump to a conclusion just yet.

Instead, follow through with the answer to question number 3.

5. Ask your product/service team

When selecting a voice actor for your voice greeting message, make sure that your marketing team communicates with the team that worked on the specific product or service you're promoting.

Your product/service team probably spent long hours analyzing audiences and getting in the depths of what they think and want.

That means they'll have plenty of valuable insights to share, shading light on what might get your listeners' attention.

So make sure you reach out to them and make this decision together.

Ultimately, this is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and the more you investigate, the better your results will be.

What if you want to go with a male voice actor AND a female voice actor?

The answer is "Definitely, go for it!"

Suppose your recording needs to send across a complex message and has multiple layers of emotions.

In that case, the combination of male and female might be just what you need.

Whether it's a dialogue or the voice overs are just taking turns, having both male and female vocal representation can broaden your audience.

In fact, the interplay of voice overs can make ears perk up and maintain listeners' attention for a longer time.

The alternation between voices can provide excitement to your voice greeting message and do wonders for your listeners' curiosity.

Why?

Because your listeners will get the opportunity to tune into what each voice is saying differently.

And they'll be even more attentive than if they only had to absorb one single voice over.

However, if you do decide to go with a mix of voices, make sure to select two voice over artists that complement each other's tonalities.

How to make sure you choose the right voice?

Once you analyze the situation using the decision tools shared above, you'll know whether a woman or male voice over would work best.

However, to make sure you choose the right voice over, test them out!

By that, we mean to listen to several options until you find one that perfectly fits your voice greeting message, audience, and brand.

Agencies such as Amazing Voice provide both the chance to listen to dozens of pre-recorded samples AND to test your own script with real actors.

Contact us today and start looking for the right female or male voice actor for your needs.

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