The Complete Pre-Booking Checklist for Voiceover Projects: 10 Essentials Clients Must Share with Narrators

A Single Pre-Booking Sheet Determines Most Voiceover Success

The most common problem in voiceover production is not recording quality. It is misalignment in creative expectations.
Directions like “a bit brighter,” “slightly faster,” or “calm and professional” are too vague. They often create different mental images for the client and the narrator, leading to more retakes, longer schedules, and higher costs.

That is why a pre-booking checklist is so effective. In my experience, one well-prepared sheet can dramatically improve first-take accuracy. It is especially useful for corporate videos, e-learning, web commercials, and public announcements where the purpose is clearly defined.

Here are the 10 essential items every client should share with a narrator, with practical examples you can use immediately.

10 Items Every Pre-Booking Checklist Should Include

1. Purpose and Media Placement

Start with the basic question: what is the voice for?
A YouTube ad, recruitment video, IR presentation, trade show video, and internal training piece all require very different energy.

Example

• Purpose: Recruitment video for new graduates
• Media: Website, YouTube ads, in-person company seminar
• Estimated length: 90 seconds

If the audio will be reused in multiple places, define the secondary usage scope in advance.

2. Target Audience

The voice changes depending on who you are speaking to.
A read for people in their 20s differs from one aimed at people in their 50s, even in pacing and phrase endings.

Example

• Target: University juniors and seniors
• Profile: Job seekers in the research stage
• Desired impression: Friendly 7, trustworthy 8, energetic 6

Using a 1-to-10 scale makes vague adjectives much more actionable.

3. Tone and Character

“Bright” is not enough.
Be more specific: fresh, intelligent, warm, sincere, luxurious, flat, grounded.

Example

• Tone: Sincere and intelligent, not overly excited
• Character: A calm corporate voice
• Avoid: Variety-show style or aggressive sales tone

If possible, include 1 to 3 reference audio links to speed up alignment.

4. Pace and Duration

Pacing must be specified.
For Japanese narration, a standard explanatory read is often around 280 to 340 characters per minute. A calm corporate read may sit around 260 to 300, while a web commercial may go up to 320 to 380.

Example

• Pace: Slightly slow
• Target: Around 300 characters per minute
• Final duration: Must stay within 1 minute 30 seconds

Also clarify whether duration or intelligibility takes priority.

5. Accent and Proper Nouns

This is where many revisions happen.
Company names, product names, personal names, place names, and technical terms should have accent guidance either in writing or in a short reference audio file.

Example

• Proper nouns: XX Tech, YY Solutions
• Accent: Specify initial accent or flat accent pattern
• Pronunciation: “DX” as “Dee-Ex,” “AI” as “A-I”

A shared list in Google Drive or Notion works very well.

6. Emotional Intensity and Range

Emotion is not simply on or off. What matters is the range.

Example

• Emotional intensity: 4 out of 10
• Intonation: Natural, do not lift sentence endings too much
• Peak: Raise energy to 6 only in the final message section

Rather than asking for the same energy throughout, define where the emotional peak should be.

7. Pauses and Breathing Feel

Professional quality often lives in the pauses.
For information-heavy reads, pauses of 0.3 to 0.5 seconds at key breaks help clarity. For emotional material, pauses around 0.8 seconds can change the atmosphere significantly.

Example

• Pauses: Slightly longer before headings, natural flow in body text
• Breathing: Natural, minimal audible breath
• Avoid: Artificial suspense or overly dramatic spacing

For sync-to-picture projects, timecode notes are extremely helpful.

8. Restricted Words and Expressions to Avoid

This is important and often overlooked.
Some industries have compliance limits, prohibited claims, or wording that should not sound too casual or too strong.

Example

• Restricted words: “Absolute,” “No.1,” or any claim requiring proof
• Avoid: Authoritative, overly definitive, slang-heavy delivery
• Pronunciation note: Do not make English words sound overly native

This helps control not just the script but also the delivery nuance.

9. Recording Specs and Delivery Format

Even a great performance may need to be redelivered if the technical specs are wrong.
At minimum, define the following.

Example

• File format: WAV 48kHz / 24bit, mono
• Noise processing: Light cleanup only, no heavy compression
• Delivery unit: Full read plus sentence-by-sentence split files
• File naming: projectname_001.wav

For video projects, a peak around -3dBFS is often practical, and for distribution workflows, loudness targets may also be worth sharing.

10. Revision Policy and Review Flow

Finally, define what counts as a free revision.
Without this, performance changes and script changes often get mixed together.

Example

• Free revisions: Accent fixes and minor tone adjustments, up to 2 rounds after first delivery
• Paid revisions: Script replacements or major direction changes
• Review flow: Project manager review → final approver review → consolidated feedback

Using Google Docs comments or Frame.io for centralized feedback reduces confusion.

A One-Sentence Template You Can Use Right Away

If you want to add a simple note to your booking email, this line works well:
“Please use the attached pre-booking checklist as the main reference. For the first take, prioritize tone accuracy. If the script runs long, consult us while prioritizing clarity.”

That one sentence helps the narrator understand what matters most.

Good Briefing Brings Out Good Performance

Voiceover is not a job that becomes perfect automatically just because you hired a skilled narrator.
High-quality results come from a strong match between the client’s information design and the narrator’s performance design.

That is why a pre-booking checklist is not just paperwork. It is a blueprint for vocal direction.
Move from “roughly explained” to “clearly reproducible.”
That single shift can greatly improve first-delivery satisfaction.