By Bailey Brown | Minneapolis Voice Actor
If you’ve never hired a voice actor before, the process can feel a little mysterious. You send a script, someone records it, you get audio back. Easy enough.
But if you’ve ever gotten audio back and thought “this is good, but it’s not quite right” — and then gone back and forth on revisions for three days — there’s a better way. It’s called a directed session, and once you’ve done one, you’ll wonder why you ever did it any other way.
So what’s a directed session, exactly?
A directed session is a live, real-time recording session where you’re patched in while the voice actor records. You can listen as it happens, give feedback on the spot, and hear the adjustments immediately. Think of it like being in the room — except the room might be a professional home studio in Minneapolis and you’re calling in from your desk in Denver.
The alternative is an undirected session, which is the “send the script and wait” approach. That works well for a lot of projects — straightforward scripts, clients who trust the voice actor’s interpretation, situations where a quick turnaround matters more than real-time control.
But when the stakes are higher — a brand campaign, a product launch, a script with tricky tone, or you just know how it’s supposed to sound — being in the room (virtually) changes everything.
Why live direction makes such a difference
Here’s the thing about voice over direction: a lot of it is hard to put into words. You might know exactly what you want when you hear it, but describing it in an email? That’s where things get lost.
“A little warmer.” “More confident, but not aggressive.” “Try pretending to jog while you say the line” These are real notes that real clients give (yes, the running note really happened) — and they make total sense within the context of the larger creative project. In an email, they’re open to interpretation. And interpretation takes time.
In a directed session, you say it once, the voice actor adjusts, you hear it back in seconds. That’s not just efficient — it’s the difference between “close enough” and “that’s exactly it.”
It also means you walk away from the session knowing the audio is right. No waiting, no wondering, no inbox refreshing. You heard it. You approved it. Done.
Okay, so what is live playback and why should you care?
Live playback is exactly what it sounds like: during the session, I can play back whatever was just recorded so you can hear it again at any point. That might sound simple, but it’s genuinely useful in ways people don’t always anticipate.
Comparing two takes side by side? Easy. “I liked something about both — can you play them back to back?” Done. Signal dropped for a second and you missed a read? No problem, we just play it back. Or maybe you thought a take was good in the moment but want to give it one more listen before you commit — live playback means you never have to make a call on something you’re not sure about.
It takes a lot of the pressure off the session. Instead of feeling like you have to make instant decisions on every take, you can slow down, compare, and actually be confident in what you’re approving. The result is a client who leaves the session feeling good about what they got — not one who’s second-guessing a choice they made in real time and can’t quite remember.
But wait — it gets better. Live editing too.
Here’s something most people don’t realize is even possible: you don’t have to leave the session with raw audio and wait for it to come back edited. I can edit live, right there in the session, so you hear the finished spot before we hang up.
That means breaths get pulled, timing gets tightened, and if your commercial needs to land in exactly :30 — it will. I can add a music bed so you’re not just approving a dry voice read, you’re hearing the actual spot as it’ll air. Pacing feels off? We fix it before the session ends. Legal tag running a little long? Done.
For commercial clients especially, this changes the whole experience. Instead of approving a voice recording and hoping the final mix comes together the way you imagined, you’re hearing the real thing — music, timing, edits and all — while we’re still on the call. You leave knowing exactly what’s going out into the world, because you just heard it.
What does this look like in practice?
The most common setup for remote directed sessions is Source Connect — industry-standard software that lets a client or director patch into a session from anywhere and hear broadcast-quality audio in real time. It’s what major studios, ad agencies, and production companies use, and it works from pretty much anywhere with a solid internet connection.
You can also do a lighter version of this over Zoom or phone patch if Source Connect isn’t in the picture. It’s not quite the same audio fidelity, but for projects where collaboration matters more than technical precision, it works great.
Now, the session goes like this: you’re on the call together, you follow along with the script, and when a line doesn’t land quite right, you say so. Takes get adjusted, breaths get cleaned up, and the edit comes together in real time. By the time we wrap, you’ve already heard the finished spot. Most sessions move fast — a script that might take two days to nail over email often gets done in under an hour live.
When should you request a directed session?
Not every project needs one — and honestly, a good voice actor will tell you when they think you do. But here are the situations where I’d almost always recommend it:
Brand-defining content. If this audio is going to represent your company for the next two years, you want to be in the room when it gets made.
Complex or nuanced scripts. Anything with shifting tone — parts that are playful, parts that are serious, lines that need to land a very specific way — benefits enormously from live direction.
Tight timelines. Counterintuitive, but true: a one-hour directed session is almost always faster than two days of revision emails. If you need it right and you need it fast, go live.
When you’re not sure how to describe what you want. This is actually the best reason of all. If you have a feeling but not the words for it, real-time conversation will get you there. Email won’t.
The bottom line
A directed session isn’t a luxury add-on — it’s just a smarter way to work when the project calls for it. You get real-time control, better results, and the confidence of knowing exactly what you approved before the session ends.
With live playback and real-time editing, what you hear is what airs. No guessing, no surprises, no “can you just redo that one line” emails at 5pm on a Friday. You leave the session with a finished spot — timing locked, breaths cleaned, music bed in — ready to go.
If that sounds like a better process to you, let’s set one up. I’m on Source Connect Standard (username: BaileyBrown) and happy to walk you through how it works if you’ve never done it before.
Frequently asked questions about directed sessions
What is live playback in a voice over session? Live playback means the voice actor (or sound engineer) can play back a recording right there in the session so you can hear it again. This lets you compare multiple takes against each other, re-listen if your signal dropped, or just give a read more consideration before you decide. It removes the pressure of having to make instant decisions in the moment — you can always say “play that last one back” before you move on.
Can a voice actor edit audio during a live session? Yes — and it’s one of the most underrated capabilities a professional home studio can offer. Real-time editing means breaths get removed, timing gets adjusted, and a music bed can be added right there in the session. For commercial spots, this means you can hear the finished, air-ready version before the call ends — not a dry voice read you have to imagine in context.
What is Source Connect? Source Connect is industry-standard software that allows clients and directors to connect to a voice actor’s studio remotely and hear broadcast-quality audio during a live session. It’s used by ad agencies, production companies, and studios worldwide and is the gold standard for remote directed sessions.
Do I need Source Connect to do a directed session? No — you can also direct a session via Zoom, phone patch, or other video conferencing tools. The audio fidelity isn’t quite the same as Source Connect, but for many projects it works perfectly well. Just ask your voice actor what they support.
How long does a directed session take? Most directed sessions are faster than people expect. A 60-second commercial spot might take 30–45 minutes including setup, multiple takes, direction, and live editing. A longer script will take longer, but the real-time feedback loop almost always makes the total project time shorter than the back-and-forth email approach.
Is a directed session more expensive than an undirected one? Sometimes, but not always. Some voice actors charge a session fee for live direction; others include it. It’s worth asking upfront. Even when there is an added cost, the time saved on revisions — and the ability to walk away with a finished, edited spot — usually more than makes up for it.
What do I need on my end for a directed session? For a Source Connect session, you’ll need to download the Source Connect software (there’s a free version called Source Connect Now that requires no installation). For a Zoom or phone patch session, you just need whatever you already use for video calls. Your voice actor will walk you through the setup — it’s easier than it sounds.
Bailey Brown is a Minneapolis-based voice actor with a professional home studio equipped for live directed sessions, real-time audio editing, and music bed production via Source Connect Standard (BaileyBrown), Zoom, and phone patch. She specializes in commercial, e-learning, IVR, and corporate work. Learn more or request an audition here.
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