Editing Voice acting (section)

==Types==
{{further information|Voice-over|Dubbing}}

===Character voices===
The voices for animated characters are provided by voice actors. For [[live action|live-action]] productions, voice acting often involves reading the parts of computer programs, radio dispatchers or other characters who never actually appear on screen. With an audio drama, there is more freedom because there is no need to match a dub to the original actor or animated character. Producers and agencies are often on the lookout for many styles of voices, such as booming voices for more dramatic productions or cute, young-sounding voices for trendier markets. Some voices sound like regular, natural, everyday people; all of these voices have their place in the voiceover world, provided they are used correctly and in the right context.<ref>How to be a voiceover in todays world {{cite web|url=https://thevoicefinder.com/todo/how-to-become-a-voice-artist/|title=How to become a Voiceover Artist – the Voice Finder|access-date=9 July 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918064951/https://thevoicefinder.com/todo/how-to-become-a-voice-artist/|archive-date=18 September 2017}}</ref>

===Narration===
In the context of voice acting, narration is the use of spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience.<ref>{{cite web|title=Narration in Poetry and Drama|author-last1=Hühn|author-first1=Peter|author-last2=Sommer|author-first2=Roy|work=The Living Handbook of Narratology|year=2012|publisher=Interdisciplinary Center for Narratology, University of Hamburg|url=http://www.lhn.uni-hamburg.de/article/narration-poetry-and-drama|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218060329/http://www.lhn.uni-hamburg.de/article/narration-poetry-and-drama|archive-date=18 February 2015}}</ref> A narrator is a personal character or a non-personal voice that the creator of the story develops to deliver information about the plot to the audience. The voice actor who plays the narrator is responsible for performing the scripted lines assigned to them. In traditional literary narratives (such as novels, short stories, and memoirs) narration is a required story element; in other types of (chiefly non-literary) narratives (such as plays, television shows, video games, and films) narration is optional.{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}

=== Commercial ===
One of the most common uses for voice acting is within commercial advertising. The voice actor is hired to voice a message associated with the advertisement. This has different sub-genres such as television, radio, film, and online advertising. The sub-genres are all different styles in their own right. For example, television commercials tend to be voiced with a narrow, flat inflection pattern (or [[Prosody (linguistics)|prosody]] pattern) whereas radio commercials, especially local ones, tend to be voiced with a very wide inflection pattern in an almost [[overacting|over-the-top style]]. Marketers and advertisers use voice-overs in radio, TV, online adverts, and more; total advertising spend in the UK was forecast to be £21.8 billion in 2017.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} Voice-over used in commercial adverts had traditionally been the only area of voice acting where "de-breathing" was used.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gravyforthebrain.com/gravytimes/commercial-voiceover-when-should-you-debreath/|title=Debreath your Voiceovers the Human Way|date=2 June 2016|website=Gravy Times - Voiceover Blog|language=en-GB|access-date=6 July 2016}}</ref> This means artificially removing breaths from the recorded voice, and is done to stop the audience being distracted in any way from the commercial message that is being put across.{{Citation needed|date = March 2017}} However, removal of breaths has now become increasingly common in many other types of voice acting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timbickvoiceover.co.uk/are-you-afflicted-with-heavy-breathing/|title=Are you afflicted with heavy breathing?|date=30 January 2023|website=Tim Bick Voiceover - Voiceover Tips|language=en-GB|access-date=8 November 2023}}</ref>

===Translation===
[[Dubbing|Dub localization]] is the practice of [[voice-over translation]], in which voice actors alter a foreign-language film or television series. Voice-over translation is an [[audiovisual translation]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=USA|first1=Translate|title=Voice-over Translation|url=http://www.usatranslate.com/voice-over-translation-funny-way-of-translation/|website=USATranslate.com|date=17 December 2014|access-date=31 December 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231132326/http://www.usatranslate.com/voice-over-translation-funny-way-of-translation/|archive-date=31 December 2014}}</ref> technique, in which, unlike in Dub localization, actor voices are recorded over the original audio track, which can be heard in the background. This method of translation is most often used in [[documentary film|documentaries]] and [[news report]]s to translate words of foreign-language interviewees.{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}

===Automated dialogue replacement===
{{main article|Dubbing#ADR/post-sync}}
Automated dialogue replacement (ADR) is the process of re-recording dialogue by the original actor after the filming process to improve audio quality or reflect dialogue changes, also known as "looping" or a "looping session".<ref>{{cite web|title=ADR: Hollywood Dialogue Recording Secrets|url=http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/adr-hollywood-dialogue-recording-secrets|work=Creative COW Magazine|publisher=Creative COW|access-date=30 July 2012|author=Cowdog|year=2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815105431/http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/adr-hollywood-dialogue-recording-secrets|archive-date=15 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Dark Knight Without Heath Ledger: How will Warner Bros. sell a summer blockbuster marked by tragedy?|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/hollywoodland/2008/01/the_dark_knight_without_heath_ledger.html|work=Slate|publisher=The Slate Group, LLC|access-date=30 July 2012|first=Kim|last=Masters|date=31 January 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620093828/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/hollywoodland/2008/01/the_dark_knight_without_heath_ledger.html|archive-date=20 June 2012}}</ref> ADR is also used to change original lines recorded on set to clarify context, improve [[diction]] or [[Synchronization|timing]], or to replace an accented vocal performance. In the UK, it is also called "post-synchronization" or "post-sync".{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

===Automated announcements===
Voice artists are also used to record the individual sample fragments played back by a computer in an automated announcement. At its simplest, each recording consists of a short phrase which is played back when necessary, such as the "[[mind the gap]]" announcement introduced on the [[London Underground]] in 1969, which is currently voiced by [[Emma Clarke]]. In a more complicated system, such as a speaking clock, the announcement is re-assembled from fragments such as "minutes past", "eighteen", and "p.m." For example, the word "twelve" can be used for both "Twelve O'Clock" and "Six Twelve". Automated announcements can also include on-hold messages on phone systems and location-specific announcements in tourist attractions.

=== AI-generated and AI-modified voices ===
Since the late 2010s, software to modify and generate human voices has become more popular. In 2019, AI startup Dessa created the computer-generated voice of [[Joe Rogan]] using thousands of hours of audio from [[The Joe Rogan Experience|his podcast]],<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/DWK_iYBl8cA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190516141251/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWK_iYBl8cA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Citation|title=RealTalk: We Recreated Joe Rogan's Voice Using Artificial Intelligence| date=10 May 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWK_iYBl8cA|language=en|access-date=21 February 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> while video game developer [[Ubisoft]] used [[speech synthesis]] to give thousands of characters distinguished voices in its 2020 game ''[[Watch Dogs: Legion]]'', and [[Google]] announced that same year their solution to generate human-like speech from text.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ai.googleblog.com/2017/12/tacotron-2-generating-human-like-speech.html|title=Tacotron 2: Generating Human-like Speech from Text|website=Google AI Blog|date=19 December 2017 |language=en|access-date=21 February 2020}}</ref>

Most voice actors and others in the entertainment industry have reacted negatively to this development due to the threat it poses to their livelihood.<ref name="techwireasia">{{Cite web |last=Zulhusni |first=Muhammad |date=2024-01-18 |title=Why are voice actors up in arms over AI in gaming? |url=https://techwireasia.com/2024/01/gaming-voice-actors-voice-out-their-opinions-on-ai-and-its-misuse/ |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=Tech Wire Asia |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[2023 SAG-AFTRA strike]] included negotiations between the union and Hollywood studios about the regulation of AI, as well as discussions with video game studios about new terms that would protect voice actors who specialize in that field.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Matt O'Brien|agency=Associated Press |title=Voice actors face a reckoning in the age of AI—but some are leaning into the technology |url=https://fortune.com/2024/02/19/voice-actors-ai-jobs-sagaftra/ |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Quach |first=Katyanna |date=Aug 24, 2023 |title=Hollywood studios agree AI-generated content should not reduce humans' pay or credit |url=https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/24/hollywood_tv_and_film_studios/ |archive-date= |access-date=July 17, 2024}}</ref> Although SAG-AFTRA heralded the deal it struck with AI company Replica Studios as a breakthrough due to its supposed ability to give actors more control over licensing their voice and how it may be used, the deal received backlash for its actual lack of protections from prominent voice actors such as [[Steve Blum]], [[Joshua Seth]], [[Veronica Taylor]], and [[Shelby Young]].<ref name="techwireasia" /> The use of AI voices in video games and animation has also been criticized in general by voice actors such as [[Jennifer Hale]], [[David Hayter]], [[Maile Flanagan]], and [[Ned Luke]].<ref name="techwireasia" />

AI voices have caused concern due to the creation of believable [[audio deepfake]]s featuring celebrities or other public figures saying things they did not actually say, which could lead to a synthetic version of their voice being used against them.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Zotkin|first1=D. N.|last2=Shamma|first2=S. A.|last3=Ru|first3=P.|last4=Duraiswami|first4=R.|last5=Davis|first5=L. S.|title=2003 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, 2003. Proceedings. (ICASSP '03) |chapter=Pitch and timbre manipulations using cortical representation of sound |date=April 2003|volume=5|pages=V–517–20|doi=10.1109/ICASSP.2003.1200020|isbn=978-0-7803-7663-2|s2cid=10372569}}</ref> In October 2023, during the start of the British [[Labour Party UK|Labour Party]]'s conference in [[Liverpool]], an audio deepfake of Labour leader [[Keir Starmer]] was released that falsely portrayed him verbally abusing his staffers and criticizing Liverpool.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deepfake audio of Sir Keir Starmer released on first day of Labour conference |url=https://news.sky.com/story/labour-faces-political-attack-after-deepfake-audio-is-posted-of-sir-keir-starmer-12980181 |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref> That same month, an audio deepfake of Slovak politician [[Michal Šimečka]] falsely claimed to capture him discussing ways to rig the upcoming election.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Meaker |first=Morgan |title=Slovakia's Election Deepfakes Show AI Is a Danger to Democracy |url=https://www.wired.com/story/slovakias-election-deepfakes-show-ai-is-a-danger-to-democracy/ |access-date=2024-07-17 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> In January 2024, voters in the [[2024 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary|New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary]] received phone calls featuring an AI-generated voice of U.S. President [[Joe Biden]] that tried to discourage them from voting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-22 |title=New Hampshire investigating fake Biden robocall meant to discourage voters ahead of primary |url=https://apnews.com/article/new-hampshire-primary-biden-ai-deepfake-robocall-f3469ceb6dd613079092287994663db5 |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>