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2019: What's ahead for Voiceover and Content, and how to stay relevant?

Versatile Voiceovers

2019 looks to be another year of rapid change in voiceover and content. For those at the coal face, it may seem like the wheel turns slowly.

We only have to look back 5 years ago to see how vastly different the landscape was. We are hearing voices in commercials, corporate films, e-learning modules and animation and gaming projects today that were consigned to the periphery for so long. This injection of energy and change is needed.

Change is always on the horizon, especially so in the digital and media industries.

Here are some things to come in 2019:

1. Digital Advertising becomes King over traditional broadcast advertising

Traditional TV advertising is on its’ last legs as the dominant form of advertising. The rise of Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) and changing consumption patterns spell the death of the old ways of consuming traditional advertising.

The DRUM believes that there is still life in the 30 second ad (read it here). However, by 2020 Digital Advertising will command 50% of the total advertising market with growth rates that are in double digits compared to the flat or little growth in television advertising. (read that here)

Radio and TV will not yet become dinosaurs. However the rise of Digital advertising reflects so many things: different consumption patterns, changing tastes, the desire for different voices, relevance, immediacy.

All hail Digital advertising the king!

2. VR and AR

VR is still in early infancy. It’s mass take up and adoption has not reached a tipping point yet, like with the early days of the internet, online shopping and Digital Advertising.

It’s been around long enough though, there are myriad developers in the space, and the availability and affordability of headsets is wide spread.

This is the year that there is will be a sizeable shift of attention to the medium, requiring a flood of energy to the space in terms of content creation and voiceover artists who can work in 360 degrees.

3. AI and Voiceover

The robots are coming, especially for the voiceover artist. While they still are not up to par with a real human in terms of emotion, depth and humanity, expect the divide to be narrowed significantly.

Applications like lyrebird in which there is a noticeable artificiality to the recordings should improve considerably. They will begin to eat into areas where quality and humanness is lower, like IVR / phone on hold messaging systems.

4. Demand for Female Voices

The demand for female voices will outpace demand for male voices. Currently the male voice commands over 50% of demand for voices. This tends to favour dialects of English (British / American / Australian).

As we are entering an age calling forth the rise of the feminine, the demand for female voices will reach parity with the demand for male voices this year, a year or two earlier than expected. In subsequent years demand for female voices will outstrip that of male voices.

5. Direct to voice artist becomes the reality

Acquiring a voiceover for your project usually required calling an agent who would suggest and recommend their clients. Then came Pay 2 Play sites that meant you started to self-manage the process yourself. As a lot of these companies have deployed unethical practices that favour themselves above both clients and talent, 2019 is all about curated lists.

This means having go to artists with professional home studios that you know and trust to deliver for you allowing you to steer a new, easier and better path in exceeding the expectations of your clients.

6. Two boom Areas

E-learning and Internet Videos are booming seeing 10.4% and 13% growth respectively with Elearning predicted to become a $200billion industry by 2024.

These two areas will experience the greatest demand as companies seek to train their employees with content that matches “Game of Thrones” like production values as they canvass for new customers with internet videos that are slick and well voiced.

7. Voiceover becomes integral to Brand Voice

Voiceover will be seen by clients and creators of content as an essential element in conveying the message and tone of a piece. It used to be that voiceover was an important component to a project, but not always essential.

With the rise of the relatable / conversational and guy / girl next door voice, voiceover becomes essential to a project as a tool of engagement and representation of brand voice.

Welcome 2019!

If you like, please share.

Paul Mclaughlin © Versatile Voiceovers

www.versatilevoiceovers.com


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