Acoustic illusion: Why you often dislike your own voice in recordings

Many who have their voice in a video, are not so excited. Because unless we currently have professional voice training or don't listen to ourselves regularly in recordings, our voice doesn't sound as we perceive it.

Scientifically explained

When we hear the sound of our voice as we speak, our brain senses it in a different way than our environment. The reason for the difference in perception is that when speaking, we hear our voice not exclusively through the outer auditory canal, but also through the inner and middle ear. 

When we make sounds, sound waves travel through the skull bones to the inner ear. In so-called “bone sound,” the sound frequency travels from the larynx through the skull bone to the eardrum. The bones and layers of tissue act as sound bodies and change the pitch. As a result of this process, your voice usually sounds deeper and more voluminous than it is.

This effect is omitted in a recording. Only the sound from our mouth is true, airborne sound - the low frequencies in our heads are lost. That's why our voice often sounds strangely strange to us.

Psychology of self-perception: Accepting your voice

Our voice is an important part of our own identity. We usually have a concrete picture of what we should sound like. In our thoughts, we also speak in the “familiar” voice on which our self-image is based. If this expectation is not met in a recording, we have the feeling that we are not really who we think we are. And because the sound is very unusual at first, many people don't like the tone of their voice.

But there is good news: You can get used to this discrepancy, because the Acceptance of one's voice can be trained! The more often you listen to your voice on recordings, the more you get used to it and the more you like it.

With the right technology for high-quality recordings

With our video software StoryBox, we support you with the entire recording process of your corporate videos. For that, you need no further technology for recording and you can achieve a professional result despite the initial “acoustic illusion” of your voice.

• With templates developed especially for you, it is easy to make any recording. With tips for set-up and useful content, every user simply navigates through the video project.
• The sound is recorded directly via your recording device (e.g. your mobile phone).
• You can also record and edit individual scenes without any previous knowledge.

Would you like to see our video app in action? Contact us for a demo!

Click here for the demo