When it comes to multilingual voiceovers, depending on what content you're creating, you need a voice and accent to match. If you're a Swiss private bank, then a jovial, jokey voice won't cut it — you'd want to convey trustworthiness and dependability. Likewise, if you're advertising a sporting event or a pop concert, you wouldn't want a stuffy, professional-sounding narrator voice. But how do you decide? There is a wealth of research on how various voices and accents affect audience engagement.

Accent Bias: The Science Behind Voice Perception

Whether you like it or not, we live in a hierarchical society. Research shows it takes listeners just 30 milliseconds to form an opinion about what a person's accent reveals about the speaker's ethnic and social background. This process comprises an element of bias and assumption. These assumptions can encompass sexuality, ethnic identity, socioeconomic status, and even character. Listeners react differently to different accents, even if there is no evidence on which to base these assumptions. Knowing how this process works will help you identify which type of narrator voice and accent are most suitable for your content voiceover.

In the UK, received pronunciation (RP) — often called "BBC English" — is the term for what many would call an upper-class accent. BBC broadcasters used to train in this accent to convey authority. Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher ditched her north Lincolnshire accent and deepened her narrator voice to convey authority in what was then a male-dominated arena. Going in the opposite direction, upper-class politicians have been known to adopt a more working-class accent to appeal to a wider section of the electorate.

Attitudes to Accents Across Cultures

Accents that are commonly perceived to be standard — whether that's Beijing-accented Mandarin or RP — are perceived to be of higher prestige and thus are better suited for higher-status professional content. One element of standard pronunciation that has been proven is that listeners generally think speakers with this accent are smarter than the general population. This is true across various cultures. For example, in Singapore, which has a sizeable Chinese population, research shows citizens perceive Taiwanese, Beijing, and Singaporean-accented Mandarin differently. Beijing-accented Chinese is viewed more favorably than the local accent.

The World's Most Trusted and Attractive Accents

In a recent global poll of 2,500 single men and women, Scottish men and Spanish women were determined to have the world's sexiest accents. These findings tend to change with each new survey, but they illustrate how powerfully accents shape perception.

Women's favorite accents: Scottish (86%), Irish (77%), Italian (68%), French (61%), Spanish (56%), Brazilian Portuguese (48%), Queen's English (47%)

Men's favorite accents: Spanish (88%), Brazilian Portuguese (76%), Australian (72%), French (69%), American (62%), Kiwi (54%), Czech (47%)

In Asia, one study found that listeners expressed a positive perception of Taiwanese-accented Chinese, even though it is thought of as a non-standard dialect. These nuances matter enormously when selecting voice talent for multilingual content.

Multilingual Voice-Over Tips

Match Voice to Brand Personality

Your voice-over should reflect your brand's personality and values. A luxury brand needs a voice that conveys sophistication and exclusivity. A youth-oriented brand needs energy and authenticity. Before selecting voice talent, define your brand's voice characteristics and use them as criteria for selection.

Consider Regional Dialects

Within a single language, there can be significant regional variation. Spanish spoken in Spain is different from Spanish spoken in Mexico or Argentina. Mandarin spoken in Beijing is different from Mandarin spoken in Taiwan. Always specify the regional variety you need, and work with voice talent who are native speakers of that specific variety.

Test with Your Target Audience

Before committing to a voice, test it with a sample of your target audience. Play them a short sample and ask for their reactions. Does the voice feel trustworthy? Does it feel appropriate for the content? Does it feel like it belongs to someone from their culture? This feedback can be invaluable in making the right choice.

Plan for Consistency

If you're creating ongoing content, consistency is crucial. Using the same voice talent across all your content in a given language helps build brand recognition and trust. Make sure you have a long-term relationship with your voice talent, or at least have a clear brief that can be used to find a matching voice if needed.

How Into23 Can Help

At Into23, we have a network of over 300 professional voice-over artists covering 50+ languages. Our multilingual voice-over services include voice casting, recording, editing, and integration. We work with both male and female voice actors who are native speakers of their target languages, and we pay close attention to regional dialects and accents to ensure your localized audio sounds authentic in every market. Whether you need voice-over for eLearning, corporate video, marketing content, or any other application, we can find the perfect voice for your brand.