How to Record a Voiceover in Edits

The recording room matters more than the app. A voiceover captured in a quiet space with the phone about a hand's width from your mouth will sound better than a perfect edit recorded next to a fan. Before you start:

• Pick a quiet spot. Soft furnishings, such as a wardrobe of clothes or a sofa, absorb echo; bare walls reflect it.
• Turn off noise sources like fans, air conditioners and notifications.
• Hold the phone close and slightly to the side, so breaths don't pop on the microphone.
• Have a script. Even rough bullet points beat improvising. The teleprompter tutorial shows how to turn notes into a script you can read.

Menu names can vary slightly by app version, so steps below describe controls by what they do. Look for the Voice or Audio option in the editor toolbar.

Finish your video edit before you record the voice. If you cut the footage afterwards, the voiceover no longer lines up with what is on screen. Trim, split and reorder your clips first using the trim, split and reorder tutorial, then play the finished cut a few times so you know where each scene changes.

Voiceovers suit videos where the camera did the talking silently: travel reels, product videos and tutorials. For a face-to-camera format, see talking-head videos instead.

1. Deselect everything on the timeline. The Voice option shows up in the toolbar when no footage is selected.
2. Move the playhead to the exact point where you want to start talking.
3. Tap Voice (it is described as the option to record a voiceover) and allow microphone access if the app asks.
4. Press record and speak while you watch the video play, matching your words to the picture.
5. Stop when you've finished. The recording appears as its own audio layer under your video, starting where you began.

You can record in several short takes instead of one long one. It is easier to nail a sentence at a time and place each recording beside its scene.

Because the voiceover is a normal audio layer, you can edit it like a clip. If you stumble, don't start over. Instead:

• Split the layer at the start and end of the mistake, delete the bad piece, and close the gap.
• Re-record just that line at the same spot, then trim it to fit.
• Slide the layer left or right to line a phrase up with its visual.

The same trim and split controls from the trim and split tutorial apply to audio layers.

Edits includes voice enhancement, which can reduce background noise in a voiceover. Apply it to the voice layer, play it back, and compare it with the original. It helps with hiss, hum and room noise; it cannot rescue a recording made next to loud background sound, so re-record in that case.

If you want a playful or character voice, select a clip with spoken audio and look for the Voice FX option, which applies effects to speech, with examples such as a squeaky Helium and a creepy Alien. Use effects deliberately: they suit comedy and storytelling, not a serious tutorial. For more audio controls, read the advanced audio tools guide.

Voice should always win. Set the voiceover level first so it is comfortably loud on a phone speaker, then lower the music until every word is clear. Boost a quiet recording by raising its clip volume, and let music rise slightly in gaps between sentences. Where available, a ducking feature lowers music automatically while you speak; otherwise, set the music lower by hand. The full mixing workflow is in the music and audio tutorial.

These are general voiceover practices, not Edits settings:

• Hook in the first line. The opening sentence decides whether viewers stay; state the payoff straight away.
• Speak a little slower than normal, and leave a short pause where the picture changes.
• One idea per sentence. Short lines are easier to edit and easier to follow.
• Smile while you talk. It changes the tone of your voice in a way listeners can hear.
• Add captions. Many people watch on mute, so pair your voice with the captions tutorial.

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Voice sounds echoey	Bare walls or a large empty room	Record near soft furnishings or under a blanket, then re-record
No Voice option appears	A clip is selected on the timeline	Tap an empty area to deselect, then check the toolbar again
Microphone not recording	Permission denied	Allow microphone access for Edits in your phone settings
Voice out of sync with the picture	Started recording at the wrong point	Slide the voice layer, or re-record from the correct frame
Music covers the voice	Music layer too loud	Lower the music or use ducking
Popping on "p" and "b" sounds	Mouth too close to the mic	Hold the phone slightly to the side

For other audio trouble, see audio problems, and set export quality in the export settings guide.