[FAQ]

I’ve been working on some doco-style videos for my channel, and while I love the research and scripting part, I really don’t like the sound of my own voice on camera. I’ve been looking into some of the new AI voice generators, and a few of them sound quite realistic.

My main worry is whether this is actually okay to do. Will YouTube penalise my channel or affect my ability to get monetised if the voiceover isn’t a real person? I’m also concerned that viewers might find an AI audio track to be a bit soulless and click away, even if the information in the video is good.

Just wondering if anyone has had success with this or has strong feelings about it one way or the other.

[Jeff Bullas]

This is a very relevant topic given the advances in AI.

Quick Answer: Yes, using an AI voice is permissible under YouTube’s policies, but its impact on your channel’s success depends heavily on the quality of the audio format and how it complements your visual content.

Your primary concern should be whether this audio format enhances or detracts from the overall viewer experience.

While YouTube’s policies allow for AI-generated voiceovers, the platform is focused on penalising low-effort, spammy content. Therefore, the viability of this approach hinges on the execution of your content formats. Firstly, the audio format itself must be high quality; a robotic, monotonous text-to-speech voice will likely harm audience retention, whereas a modern, high-fidelity AI voice with realistic intonation can work well. Secondly, your visual content, whether it’s custom animation or well-edited documentary footage, must be strong enough to carry the video and keep the viewer highly engaged. Finally, your text content, meaning your script, becomes even more critical, as it needs to be exceptionally well-written to compensate for the lack of authentic human personality in the delivery. The goal is to ensure the combination of your audio, visual, and text formats creates a valuable, professional product that doesn’t feel auto-generated.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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