4 ways to use Descript Overdub for better voice overs

This article is originally published on descript.com.

Typical voice over software requires you to step behind the mic each time you need to make an edit, fix a mistake, or simply record something new. But Overdub isn’t your typical voiceover app, and it can expand what your voice overs are capable of. Here are four ways to use Overdub to record better voice overs. 

Quickly correct errors in voice over scripts

Your company or organization is about to launch a new, amazing product, and you’ve just spent hours learning how to do a voice over. After multiple takes and a whole lot of polish, your team has created a series of brilliant, engaging videos that will work wonders on social media.

Four days before launch, top brass says that because of legal concerns, the name of a core feature in the product must change. Designers spring to work making all the necessary changes. Your marketing director sends you an email: “We need to fix those videos.”

Normally, that would mean hours of painstaking voice over editing, but Overdub will allow you to make changes in voice over scripts in minutes. Import the voice over into Descript, search for the old product name in the transcript, and type in the new one. Overdub will do the rest, and your marketing director will be amazed at how efficiently you work.

Create scratch tracks for video games, animation, or scripted podcasts

If you work with animation, video games, or scripted podcasts, scratch tracks are an essential tool. Often, a project’s visuals are locked, but there might be hundreds (or thousands!) of lines of voice over to work through. The timing, pace, and rhythm of each line edit varies, and you’ll need to test how they sound before committing to the final recording. 

Normally, creating scratch tracks involves rapid, repetitive recording. It’s a necessary, but labor-intensive practice for making sure your final recording is the best it can be. You know what they say: “Measure twice, cut once.”

Instead of getting in front of a microphone to record a dozen lines of slightly different script, type those lines into Descript and let Overdub do the work of generating the audio. You’ll be able to create scratch tracks in much less time, which means you’ll get to your final cut faster.    

Add conversational dialogue to marketing or instructional voice over

Conversational dialogue is an excellent way to jazz up a voice over, especially if the content you’re producing is ongoing or part of a series, like marketing or instructional videos or podcasts. Naturally, recording traditional dialogue requires two people — which isn’t always possible, depending on your recording setup and workflow. 

Overdub means you don’t need to have a second person to record dialogue. If you’re part of a team that uses Descript, your colleague can share their Overdub Voice with you, so you can add their dialogue to your voice over by typing in their parts. 

Streamline educational and distance learning content

For educators, teachers, and professors, creating and editing voice over is an increasingly necessary skill to have. Video and podcast content is vital for distance learning and virtual classrooms, but even in a traditional classroom or lecture setting, they make an excellent resource.

At a large public university, a professor might record an introductory lecture series to use as evergreen content for students to return to at their leisure. This material can retain its value for years, with small changes made to account for current events or changes in the field. Traditionally, editing content like this would involve re-recording entire sections or overdubbing in small changes. Overdub allows you to update this kind of content in minutes.

Recording a podcast is ideal for supplemental or asynchronous learning content. If students need help digesting certain material that doesn’t fit neatly into a curriculum, a short podcast is a great way to help them. Overdub is a quick solution for the inevitable small updates you’ll need to make — you could even use it to generate the whole podcast.

Take the pain out of your voice overs

Unless you’re a professional voice over artist, recording and editing voice over isn’t a painless experience. Download Descript and try Overdub for free to see how it can make your life easier.

Watch can watch the full tutorial on recording and editing your podcast in Descript over on the Wit & Wire YouTube channel