Voice Reel vs Voice Tape vs Voice Demo

Starting out on your journey to become a Voice Artist can be challenging. Getting to grips with the different terminologies is often the first hurdle. The first question you might ask yourself when it comes to voice reels is: “What’s the difference between a voice reel, voice tape and a voice demo?”

Well surprisingly the answer is kind’a simple… Essentially they’re all the same thing.

Where it began

We won’t bore you with the history. However, it won’t surprise you that the voice industry has been around since recorded audio was readily available to the mass market.

we have stretched far beyond the traditional means of advertising and the demand for recorded voice has increased exponentially.

Starting out in radio, the recorded voice quickly became a valuable tool in all types of advertising across a broad range of media, from radio to film and television. In the 21st century however, we have stretched far beyond the traditional means of advertising and the demand for recorded voice has increased exponentially. The voice industry has grown to such an extent that it now penetrates many aspects of business and day-to-day life. You can find voice over in corporate training, public services, accessibility, and the infinite possibilities presented by the internet. As the demand for voice actors grew, actors and agents in different parts of the world developed slightly different terminologies to describe that piece of audio used as a voice actors audio CV

It is no doubt this long history that has led to the evolution and confusion between the terms voice reel, voice tape and voice demo. Though they all essentially mean the same thing–a piece/pieces of audio, used as a voice actors audio CV–for fun, let’s try to create some clarity on where each term came from:

What is a voice reel?

Naturally, as the industry evolved and demand increased so too did the reputations and portfolios of voice actors. With voice actors’ unique abilities and characteristics, ‘tone of voice’ became much more than just a marketing strategy for the written word; it grew to include the literal spoken voice, a holistic approach to entire campaigns and means of connecting with audiences. And that’s just from a commercial perspective. There’s a completely separate evolution of spoken word from an entertainment perspective, starting out in radio drama and spanning all the way through to the now ubiquitous audiobook and podcast.

As the portfolios of voice actors grew, a pattern emerged whereby they could lean on their back catalogue of previous voice work to secure new voice work. It is this back catalogue that is called a voice ‘reel’ in which a selection of work is played back-to-back in quick succession to demonstrate the various range and abilities of a particular actor’s voice. It’s no different to a show reel, where agents can present a video of an actor’s skill and performance capabilities to different casting directors and producers.

What is a voice tape?

We’re not exactly sure where this distinction came from. We have two theories. Most likely ‘tape’ has a heritage in the fact that audio used to be recorded on ‘tape’ and so a ‘voice tape’ is literally just that, a voice recorded onto tape.

This interpretation could also extend to that of the ‘cassette tape’. During the commercial boom of the 80s where analogue technology was readily available and digital tech was on the rise, it was relatively cheap and easy for actor’s to get hold of tape machines and cut together their own reels for agents to pitch with.

As technology developed however, so too did the expectations of audio quality expected from voice reels. And now, unfortunately, sending an analogue cassette tape of your voice to agents won’t cut it (excuse the pun).

What is a voice demo?

It might be obvious, but ‘demo’ is just a simple abbreviation of the word ‘demonstration’. And so a ‘voice demo’ is just that, a demonstration of your voice. In this case whether your voice reel is on analogue tape or in digital format (it should never be analogue now!), then it is also a demo because it demonstrates your voice and range. In that sense, it’s the least specific of the terms.

Some people might say that your reel is only a demo until it is cut together with samples from your professional work as a voice actor. But we think this is exclusive and full of snobbery – everyone has to start somewhere! There is no hierarchy when it comes to building a career in the voice world, there are only those who have experience, and those who don’t. And you can’t get experience without giving it a go and first making a demo.

To summarise:

1. A voice reel is a selection of audio extracts that you have specifically put together to demonstrate your voice in various contexts.
2. A voice tape is an antiquated term to describe a voice reel recorded onto analogue tape.
3. A voice demo is a piece of audio that demonstrates your voice. It’s not very specific in its nature and can take any shape or form. You might even say that any recording of your voice is a demo because it does just that – it demonstrates your voice (not to repeat ourselves).

Personally, we prefer the term ‘voice reel’ because we think it is the most accurate at describing your efforts. In this sense it is more discerning at describing your intention. And a high quality, professionally produced voice reel is essential for anyone hoping to work (or work more) as a voice over artist.

To understand the various types of voice reels you might be interested in, have a look at our post, What kind of voice reel should you make?.