A day in the voice-over booth: recording an Arabic radio ad

In a small studio in Riyadh's Olaya district, a voice-over artist sat at the microphone to record a thirty-second radio ad for a local restaurant chain. At first it looked simple: a short script, one voice and some background music.

Preparing before recording

Before going into the booth, the voice artist went through the script with the copywriter and the session director. They discussed the dialect, the tone of voice, the words to stress and how to say the brand name.

• Dialect: a neutral Najdi accent that a wide audience understands.
• Tone: warm and friendly, as if you were inviting a friend to dinner.
• Pacing: exactly 30 seconds, including the brand name at the end.

Inside the booth

More than twenty takes were recorded, and each time the director asked for a small change: a clearer smile in the voice, a shorter pause before the offer, or a slightly quicker final line. These fine details are what separate an ordinary ad from one that sticks in the memory.

The microphone hears everything, even your mood. So I go into the booth having left my phone and my worries outside. — voice-over artist

After the session

The team picked the three best takes, and the sound engineer combined parts of them and added music and effects. The next day the final mix went to the client for approval, and then to the radio stations.

If you are thinking about getting into voice-over, record a short sample in three different tones and add it to your ModelGo profile. Many clients pick voices straight from samples, without an audition.