Voice-Over Equipment and Software for Beginners

If you want to try yourself as a voice actor, you are definitely going to need the equipment for your home studio. The quality of the recording differs depending on the tools you have. You don’t have to spend a fortune to buy the voice-over recording equipment. Retailers tend to sell the tools in packages. That is usually cheaper than buying the gear separately. Read our article to find out the voice-over essentials and decide what you really need.

Disclaimer: We use affiliate links to the products mentioned on this page. When you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we receive commissions. If you want to support our portal, you can use the links. Otherwise, you can find the recommended products using a search engine.

A microphone is one of the most essential voice-over equipment for quality sound. You should pick a microphone that will fit your voice and budget. Choosing the wrong one will influence the quality of the recordings. That’s why you should check out the microphone at the retailer before you buy it. Don’t be shy to record your speech and try out different gear. This will save you money.

There are three types of microphones:

• Condenser microphones are usually used in studios or very quiet homes. Don’t buy it if you are going to use it in a noisy place.

• Dynamic microphones are the most common type. It won’t record the background noise. Some intonations or trembling of your voice may also not be recorded though.

• USB microphones are less professional. They are getting popular with beginners in voice-over, vloggers, and podcasters. USB microphones are put in the USB port of your computer.

Check out microphones on Amazon and choose the one that best suits you:

Hearing yourself while recording is important. Though listening to your recording via speakers can ruin the quality of the sound. To hear the true sound, use quality headphones.

There are two types of headphones that you can use for voice-overs. Closed-back headphones are more preferable for recording a voice-over as the outside part of the headphone cups is solid. It prevents sound leakage. Open-back headphones have a back of ear cups open. It can lead to unwanted noise in the recording. You can find the headphones that suit you best on Amazon:

The microphone should be placed on a special stand to get rid of vibrations and noise. Depending on the way you prefer to record voice-overs, there are several types of mic stands. If you like standing while recording, you’d better get a microphone floor stand. If you prefer sitting at the table, you should have a desk stand which will be attached to your table.

The shock mount is a gear that prevents a microphone from recording the unwanted sounds. The type of shock mount depends on the type of microphone you have.

Pop filters are useful to lower the popping sounds. These sounds occur when pronouncing the plosive consonants like “p”, “b”, “t”. The filter helps to dismiss these sounds. You can place the screen a couple of inches away from your microphone. The filters are usually made of metal, which is more expensive. Cheaper types are made of nylon.

Another voice-over machine is a preamp. It is a tool that amplifies the low-level signals to standard level signals of your recording equipment. The preamp also adjusts an electronic signal to the language that your computer will understand. Don’t go for a very cheap preamp, as it will influence the quality of the recording.

Among the home voice-over studio equipment, you can use acoustic panels to reduce the room ambiance. They prevent external sounds from other rooms. Panels also make the recording sound more clear and don’t let the microphone capture noise.

Creating and editing audio also requires good software. Editing a file is important as it will make your voice-over sound smooth and professional. Here is a list of popular programs for editing your voice-over.

You can record and edit your voice-over in Movavi Video Editor. It’s convenient to edit your videos and add audio comments to them in one program. You can record audio using your microphone. The app has an intuitive and simple interface suitable for beginners. Edit the volume and speed of your recording. Normalize audio, remove noise, and add effects. Save your voice-over in popular audio format.

You can create, mix, edit, and restore audio using Adobe^® Audition^®. The program has all the necessary tools for creating a smooth sound. You can also remove undesirable noise. To manage different voices, there’s a multitrack option. Adobe^® Audition^® works with any kind of voice-over equipment.

This app is very simple to use, which is great for home usage. You don’t have to learn how to use the program. You can record a voice-over, edit it, trim, and put markers at any moment of the recording. It’s very easy to start the recording – just click the Record button. After you are done creating and editing your project, the audio will be saved in the Documents folder on your computer. Rename the files and share them with friends or colleagues.

Audacity is a popular audio editor. There is a wide range of editing features. Record your voice-over by clicking the Record button. Edit the recording, crop it, cut out the unwanted parts, copy, and delete sections. The program has a multitrack option for working with several audios simultaneously. You can also apply different sound effects, change the speed and pitch of voice. Audacity is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. The app has a user-friendly interface which makes work very simple.

WavePad is an audio-editing software with many features. Create a high-quality voice-over using this app. It supports all the popular audio formats like MP3, WAV, WMA, M4A. Among the editing functions, there is split, copy, paste, silence, and pitch shifting. The program is compatible with Windows and Mac. Apps for iPhone and Android are also available.

Podcastle is an all-in-one audio and video production software, which allows you to record, edit and enhance your audiovisual content in one place. The best part is that it offers a separate AI voice generator for those who want to create professional-sounding voice overs quickly and easily. You just need to paste your text in the text editor and convert it to speech with your own voice, without having to record yourself manually. Podcastle also offers a variety of already-available female/male AI voice skins to cater to your specific project needs.  

GarageBand is a music creation studio where you can also create a voice-over. You can record audio and edit it in the app. Trim, split, delete, and copy parts of the track. Change the rhythm and tempo of your recording. Use the multitrack to record voice together with musical instruments or different voices. The program is only compatible with Mac computers, as it’s designed by Apple. You can upload your projects to iCloud to proceed to work on the audio on any of your Apple devices.