Ijharul Islam
An explainer video voice over is the narration that carries the explainer: about 150 words for 60 seconds, read in a clear, friendly, unhurried voice. You can record it yourself, hire a voice actor, or generate it with an AI voice from your script. Whichever you choose, write the script to time first, record the whole thing in one session, and lay the voice down before you cut the visuals.
Most explainers live or die on the voice. A sharp script read badly sounds like an ad nobody asked for; a plain script read well sounds like help. This guide covers how long the voice over should be, how to choose between AI and a human, how to record or generate it, and how to mix it. More in our AI video, voice and dubbing guides.
The short answer
Write 140 to 160 words per minute of video, read it aloud to check the time, then record it in a quiet room, hire a voice actor for a flagship video, or generate it with an AI voice for updates, social cuts and tests. Record or generate the full script in one go so the tone stays even, lay it down first, cut visuals to it, keep music well under it, and add captions from the final take.
Key takeaways
- Plan about 150 words per minute of finished video, the average US English speaking rate.
- AI voices suit drafts, updates, training and social versions; a voice actor suits a homepage video that will run for years.
- Record or generate the whole script in one session, then cut the visuals to the voice, not the other way round.
- Keep music clearly under the voice, and add captions from the final take.
- Any voice clone needs the speaker's permission.
Disclosure: we make QuickVeed and show how to do this in it, along with other ways. Details about other products come from their public pages, checked in October 2026 and linked at the end.
How long should the voice over be?
Match the word count to the length you want. The National Center for Voice and Speech gives about 150 words a minute as the average US English speaking rate, and explainers usually sit at or slightly under it so the viewer can follow the visuals.
| Video length | Words at 140 wpm (relaxed) | Words at 150 wpm (average) | Words at 160 wpm (brisk) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 70 | 75 | 80 |
| 45 seconds | 105 | 113 | 120 |
| 60 seconds | 140 | 150 | 160 |
| 90 seconds | 210 | 225 | 240 |
| 2 minutes | 280 | 300 | 320 |
Leave a second or two of silence at the start and end, and a short pause before the call to action. Check your draft with QuickVeed's words to minutes calculator, which shows the speaking time as you type, or read the words to minutes chart.
A voice over script template for explainers
Write for the ear: short sentences, one idea each, words a customer would use. This template fills about 60 seconds:
| Part | Words | Template line |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | 25-30 | “If you [do this task], you know [the pain]. [One concrete consequence].” |
| Solution | 20-25 | “[Product] is a [plain description] that [main benefit].” |
| How it works | 60-75 | “First, [step one]. Then [step two]. [Step three], and you're done.” |
| Proof (optional) | 10-15 | “[A real number or fact you can back up].” |
| Next step | 10-15 | “[Action] at [place]. [Reassurance, e.g. it takes two minutes].” |
Mark the words to stress and where to pause, and spell out anything the narrator might misread: product names, acronyms, numbers (“twenty-five dollars” or “twenty-five”?). For the whole script process, see how to make an explainer video.
AI voice or voice actor?
| AI voice | Voice actor | Your own voice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Drafts, updates, training, social cuts, many languages | Homepage and launch videos, brand voice | Founder-led, internal, authentic tone |
| Turnaround | Minutes | Usually days, plus pick-ups | As soon as you have a quiet room |
| Changing a line later | Edit the text and regenerate | Book a pick-up session | Re-record and match the sound |
| Cost | A tool plan or per-character credits | Quoted per project or finished minute | Your time and a microphone |
| Watch out for | Odd stress on names, flat delivery on long scripts | Rights and usage terms | Room echo, uneven levels |
Voice actor rates vary by market, length and how the video will be used (a website video costs less than broadcast), so ask for a quote for your finished minutes and usage. We haven't quoted figures here because the published rate guides we checked are not openly readable.
A sensible path: make the first version with an AI voice, test it on real viewers, fix the script, and only then pay for a professional read if the video is going to run for a long time. Our guide to text-to-speech voices compares voice tools.
How to record an explainer voice over yourself
- Pick the quietest, softest room you have; a wardrobe full of clothes works. Turn off fans and notifications.
- Use a USB or headset microphone a hand's width from your mouth, slightly off to the side.
- Record a 10-second test and listen back on headphones for echo, hum and clipping.
- Read the whole script standing, at the pace you timed. If you stumble, pause, and read the sentence again.
- Cut the stumbles, keep the best take of each line, and export WAV or a high-quality MP3.
QuickVeed's free voice recorder records in the browser without installing anything, and the free teleprompter scrolls your script at a steady speed so you don't look down. If the take comes out quiet, how to make audio louder without distortion covers levelling.
How to generate an AI voice over
- Paste the final script, with names and numbers written the way they should be said.
- Try two or three voices on the first two sentences. Pick the one that sounds like a helpful person, not an announcer.
- Generate the full script in one job so the tone is consistent.
- Listen for wrong stress and mispronounced names; rewrite those lines (spell names phonetically) and regenerate only them.
- Download the audio and lay it on the timeline before the visuals.
In QuickVeed, the AI voice generator has 9 text-to-speech models (including ElevenLabs v3, MiniMax Speech 2.8 and Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS), takes up to 10,000 characters a job and costs 7 to 25 credits per 1,000 characters. A 60-second explainer script is about 900 characters, so roughly 7 to 23 credits. The multilingual models speak 8 languages. You can also clone a voice from a short sample, with the speaker's permission. Voice cloning runs on third-party GPU models, so test it on a short line before you plan a whole project around it; the stock voices don't depend on it.
Mixing the voice over with music and visuals
- Voice first. Cut each visual to start as its line starts; the voice sets the rhythm.
- Music well under the voice. If you have to strain to hear a word, the music is too loud. Drop it further under speech and bring it up in gaps.
- No music at all is better than a busy track that fights the narration.
- Captions from the final take, so every word on screen matches the audio. auto subtitles transcribe the finished video and burn them in.
- Other languages: dub the finished explainer rather than re-recording it; how to dub a video into another language explains the options, and AI dubbing keeps the music under the new voice.
For general voice over tips beyond explainers, see how to add a voiceover to a video.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 60-second explainer voice over?
About 150 words at an average pace; 140 to 160 depending on how relaxed or brisk the read is.
Is an AI voice good enough for an explainer video?
For drafts, updates, training and social versions, usually yes. For a homepage video that will run for years, many teams test with an AI voice and then pay for a professional read.
What kind of voice works best for explainers?
A clear, warm, conversational voice at a steady pace, closer to a helpful colleague than a radio announcer. Match it to your audience.
Should I record the voice over before the animation?
Yes. Record or generate the voice over first, then time the visuals to it. Changing narration after animation is expensive.
Can I clone my own voice for explainer videos?
Yes, with tools that support cloning and only with the speaker's consent. Test the clone on a short line first and check names and numbers carefully.
Try it with your own video
Turn your explainer script into a voice over and burned-in captions in QuickVeed. Paste the first two sentences of your script, try three voices, and keep the one that sounds right. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.
Sources
Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.
