What accents should my voice actor use?
For some voice over jobs I've done I've actually provided input as to what accent I should use for the work I'm about to do, and the most suitable accent will depend on a number of factors.
Whether you like it or not, accents carry stereotypes and emotional reactions in your audiences.
A posh British accent might be used for comedic purposes, or for talking about certain themes.
If you want a piece of content to sound more "authentic" you might want to not use a posh accent and instead use a regional accent, which could connect your product to a certain area like the Scottish highlands.
American and British accents can sometimes be used universally, but certain markets do actually have a preference for certain accents, and you can use that to get a different subtle emotional response with your audience.
Let's say you have a video that's targeting South-East Asia. A British accent works very well there, but so does an Australian accent.
If you want to regionalise the content to what your audience is more likely to recognise and understand, then the accent can make a difference.
Even in Europe, certain markets seem to "prefer" different accents. Could be British, could be American, could be neither, could be both!
You may want to use a "General European Accent" because you want it to feel more connected to mainland Europe, as opposed to defaulting to a British accent.
So what would I do about it? I'd research, ask what's most popular, also try to understand how consumers feel about e.g. the UK, the United States.
If you need a professional voice actor who can perform authentically in multiple accents, you're in the right place! I've worked in British (my native accent), American, Mid-Atlantic, Australian, Regional UK Dialects and others!
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