Professional Narration Demo Reels:
British Narrator Martin Whiskin

Use Cases For Narration

Documentary narration

Documentary voiceover narration is used to guide the audience through real-life stories with depth, directness, and when appropriate - emotion. Historical events are given new life, nature and the animal world brought right into our homes, and true crime investigations can tingle our spines.

 

It can be thought of like the bridge between visuals and understanding. It enhances what we see or hear by providing context, drawing out emotion, and delivering exactly the right information at exactly the right time.

 

A great documentary voiceover captivates with it's nuance, allowing us as viewers to go on journeys we may never experience otherwise.

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Corporate video narration

Whether it's presenting company values, explaining detailed processes, or introducing new practices to staff, corporate narration delivers information with a warm authority.

 

But it's not just about delivering the facts. Brand building, creating impact, and reinforcing trust reflects the image of the organisation. It might be a different kind of audience, a professional one, but engagement is no less of a priority.

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Audiobook narration

Audiobooks have allowed audiences new and old to become absorbed by a story in a completely different way than before. Indeed, the written word can still transport you into worlds unknown, but when you add a voice, allowing the listener to truly sit back and melt into the tale, something special happens. Another level of human connection is formed.

 

A skilled narrator doesn’t just read, they embody the narrative and the characters, making each book an exciting prospect to invest your time in. Words stop being just words and become image filled unforgettable adventures.​

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E-learning narration

What would you rather do? Study from a book? Or watch/listen to something with a voice, music, sfx, animation, and etc!

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The answer is pretty obvious to me. 

 

Whether used for in-house training videos, compliance modules, or lessons for non-English speakers to learn English, e-learning narration aids comprehension by breaking down complex topics in a palatable way.

 

When the human voice is used with long-form content, users stay more engaged. There's dynamic flow, reinforcement of key concepts and ideas, and all the tones under the sun to suit different learning goals.

 

You can make studying so much more interesting with an e-learning voiceover narration. Interactive quiz? Why not?! 

 

Education should be immersive and effective for all audiences.​

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Podcast narration

Podcast narration can take a couple of different forms. One of which becomes closely linked to documentary narration. The joy of this media format is that you can produce podcasts about anything. It might be two friends chatting about films. But it could be a dive into listener submitted ghost stories. 

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The narrator can take on the role almost of a presenter, introducing segments of the show like vox pop interviews, providing context for what's coming next and pulling the listener through the episode.

 

Or the voiceover narrator could be the sole voice you hear. Telling stories, recounting moments from the past or wrapping up the top news stories of the week. As with all voice acting, the better the performance, the longer they'll listen.

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​​​Meditation narration

Delicate. Gentle. Easy listening. Meditation voice over narration is a bit of an artform. To guide listeners into a state of calm and mindfulness, the narrator must become almost invisible. So deep inside the ears and mind of the one meditating, that they become part of their consciousness. 

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Soft and gentle, measured but still intentional, this could take the form of guided visualizations, body scans, or affirmations, where the narration seems effortless (but isn't!) yet remains entirely resonant.

 

Each pause, light inflection, and breath will carry just the right amount of weight to help shape a soothing voice narration that is undeniably personal. It's felt, deeply.

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​​​​​Poetry narration

A voiceover for a poem is one of the most powerful things you'll ever hear. Focussing on the rhythm, tone, and underlying meaning takes the words beyond the page. It could be capturing the quiet intimacy of reflection for a loved one, or the urgency of protest, the voice drills right into your soul. Bit heavy, but it's true!

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The ancient art of poetry is finding new life in podcasts, Youtube videos, and immersive media, and the voice is central to the impact they have. ​​

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​​​Youtube narration

This is more or less a catch all. Youtube has videos in every shape, size, and style. You'll find everything I've mentioned above but you'll also find things like vlogs, quizzes, would you rather, tutorials, demonstrations, news, top 10s, stories, comedy, DIY, unboxing, tech reviews, ASMR, fails, social experiments and more and etc! 

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All of these have scope for a voice actor to do their narration thing. And from these examples, you can see how varied narration is. It's not JUST narrating!

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​​​British Pathé newsreel style narration

You've likely heard this in documentaries, or maybe even a comedy sketch show. That clipped, authoritative delivery sitting on top of a grand orchestral swell. It's the voice of history, drama, and stiff upper lips.

 

A Pathé-style voiceover is the total opposite of a subtle read. It declares and it cuts through.

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You can use a newsreel-style delivery to transform a script into something more unique. It can lend weight to archival documentaries, inject humour into modern parodies, or add an ironic contrast in marketing content that plays on nostalgia. This is the very definition of a British sweet spot. Bold and unmistakable, and when used right, brilliantly tongue-in-cheek.

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Imagine using it in a commercial. Think how it would stand out compared to all the other ads!