The best software for voice over editing- Voice Over Series - Part 1

Voice Over Series

Author

Master Editor
October 10, 2024

Welcome to the first post of Voice Over Series.

In this voice-over series, I will discuss what you need to pay attention to for a professional voice-over.

The series focuses on professional voice-over work. However, if you consider audiobook narration or podcasts, those are voice-over work, too.

The tips & tricks I discuss in this series apply to any type of voice-over. But it is 100% targeted towards professional voice-over work (where you expect to earn money).

The question I will try to answer today is: what is the best software for professional voice-over editing?

Are there any differences between audio editing software?

Will my voice sound better in any particular software? Let’s explore the possibility.

The majority of my followers are Audacity users. Audacity is free, and that is the main reason many people start using it.

Audacity allows people to explore voice recording territory without paying for software.

Though it is free, it is powerful enough to do any kind of professional work.

That is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is you can explore and grow without any paid software.

So it lessens the barrier to entry.

The bad thing is that it makes you wonder why you use paid software.

Why spend money on the same thing if something can be done for free?

Well, being free has its downside. I will discuss that in a moment.

Now, which software is the most used for professional voice-over work? Adobe Audition.

Many beginners do not want to use Adobe Audition for 2 reasons:

  1. It is not free (it requires a paid subscription)

  2. The user interface is complex compared to Audacity

Let’s try to find some answers by comparing Audacity & Adobe Audition.

  • Does recording in Adobe Audition sound better than Audacity? NO

  • Can I get exact pro-quality audio in both software? Yes

  • Does Adobe Audition have a better set of audio effects than Audacity? Yes

  • Do I need such effects every time? Not every time, and other 3rd party plugins have better effects than Adobe Audition

  • Is Adobe Audition more stable than Audacity? Yes 

From the above comparison, the last point of stability matters most. If you are into professional voice-over, you aim for a handsome income.

In such a case, stability matters a lot. Audacity is free but unstable in many cases.

However, there is some workaround to bypass the stability issue in Audacity.

Audacity sometimes does not work with 3rd party plugins well, but there is a workaround for that.

You have to go back and forth your audio file in different free software for 3rd party processing.

Of course, that is not a very comfortable arrangement.

Adobe Audition is a much better option for such cases, as you can do everything in one place.

For professional voice-over work, Adobe Audition will give you less hassle than Audacity.

This is true for any paid audio editing software like Reaper, Pro-Tools, Logic Pro, etc.

Any paid audio editing software will be more stable than the free software Audacity.

So, paid software wins Audacity for stability.

But is stability the only determining factor?

Well, for professional voice-over artists, using paid software is not only a matter of stability.

It comes down to credibility. Paid voice-over work can generate a handsome income like $100k+ or $200k+ or, in some cases, $300k+ a year.

Of course, not everyone earns such, but many make it into that stage.

You must take your things seriously when you are targeting such income.

You have to let other people know that you take your work seriously.

You have to convince them that you know what you are doing.

Who are these “Other People“?

Well, in voice-over work, these people check your auditions or give you voice-over jobs.

When you use paid software for audio editing, you create a vibe that you are a professional.

You know your craft, and you are serious about the voice-over work.

So, a significant advantage of using paid software over free software Audacity is to establish credibility.

Adobe Audition is the most popular software for voice-over work among paid software.

For professional work, it is paid vs free.

Free software can make you look like a dummy, even if you are committed to your work.

Then there comes the learning curve. Audacity has a simple interface and gets you up and running very fast.

Paid software has a complex interface, so many people get discouraged early.

Not every paid software has enough learning materials available to beginners. Typically, the tutorials on their website assume you already know something.

You will need a bit more commitment to learn it well.

So, if you wish to be a professional voice artist (want to earn money doing voice-over), my suggested steps would be like this:

  1. Use Audacity to learn the basic recording and editing process

  2. Choose a paid software (Adobe Audition, Reaper, Pro-tools, etc.)

  3. Find learning materials on that software

  4. Commit some time to learning that software well

  5. Always remember, pro-quality editing wins over confused editing

I know some people have a mental barrier against using paid software.

Because you are not earning something now and are unsure if you can make it.

But we live in a competitive world. It does not matter how good your voice acting is if your demos fail to illustrate that.

Modern equipment has allowed us to get professional-quality audio from our home recordings. But that does not mean it will happen automatically.

You must invest your time, effort, and money in the process. Investing does not mean just investing; it’s about the right balance.

It does not mean you will need audio engineer-level expertise if you want to be in professional VoiceOver.

But you must know how to do the required processing with the software properly.

If you are wondering which software is best (paid), there is none.

It depends on how comfortable you become with the software.

You have to choose one and practice it for some time.

Using the paid software for a week will make its interface less intimidating.

Here is a pointer between three paid software:

  1. Adobe Audition: Most popular for voice-over; subscription required

  2. Reaper: Only $60 one-time payment, learning curve high, little online resources

  3. Pro Tools: Complex interface, costly, many professional studios use it

In the rest of this series, I will talk about the editing approach for voice-over.

If you have any questions about choosing a paid software, feel free to let me know.

For voice-over editing, I have an Audacity Bundle and an Adobe Audition Bundle.