Is AI voice good enough for professional use?

It depends entirely on what professional use means for your project. For internal communications, rough cuts, placeholder reads, or high-volume content with a short lifespan, AI voice is often good enough. For anything where the voice is representing a brand to an external audience, or where interpretation and nuance matter, the gap between AI voice and a skilled human voice artist is still significant.

Can AI voice match the quality of a recording studio?

In terms of raw audio quality, yes. Modern AI voice tools produce clean, broadcast-ready audio. The quality gap isn't technical. It's in interpretation, emotional range, and the ability to respond to direction in real time. Those things don't exist in a synthetic voice, regardless of how good the audio processing is.

Will AI voice replace human voiceover artists?

For some categories of work, it already has. For the work that matters most to agencies and brands, the creative value of a skilled voice artist isn't just the read. It's the performance, the judgment, and the collaborative process that surrounds it. That's not something a language model can replicate, and it's not something clients stop valuing once they've experienced it properly.

How do I know which approach is right for my project?

The simplest test is this: will the audience hear this more than once, and does the brand relationship depend on how it sounds? If the answer to either is yes, it's worth using a human voice. If it's a functional piece of content with a limited audience and a short lifespan, AI voice may be a reasonable choice.

Does using AI voice save money in the long run?

Sometimes, and sometimes not. AI voice removes session costs, but it also removes the flexibility, the options, and the creative upside that a good session produces. Work that has to be redone because the performance wasn't right, or that underperforms because the voice didn't connect, has a cost too. For campaigns and content that matter, the investment in a proper recording session consistently pays for itself.

Can I use AI voice for a placeholder and then replace it with a human read?

Yes, and this is a legitimate use of AI voice. A synthetic placeholder can help you lock picture and get approvals before committing to a studio session. Just be aware that a real performance may take the creative in a different direction, so try not to over-edit to the AI read before the human session.

The Incomer | ADR Recording Edinburgh

ADR recording for The Incomer, EIFF 2026

We are proud to have provided ADR recording for The Incomer, the debut feature from Edinburgh filmmaker Louis Paxton, which has its international premiere as the opening film of the 79th Edinburgh International Film Festival on 13 August 2026.

The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, and Grant O'Rourke, with an ensemble cast including John Hannah, Michelle Gomez, and Emun Elliott. We recorded ADR for Emun at our studios in Leith, continuing a working relationship that spans several years and a range of feature film and television productions. It's always a pleasure to have him in the studio.

The Incomer is distributed by Focus Features internationally and Universal Pictures in the UK and Ireland, with a theatrical release across the UK and Ireland on 4 September 2026.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2026, where it won the NEXT Innovator Award. Set on a remote Scottish island, it follows siblings Isla and Sandy, who have lived in peaceful isolation for decades, until the arrival of a council official tasked with moving them to the mainland upends everything. EIFF director Paul Ridd has described it as “striking, unpredictable and beautifully acted."

Working on the project was a pleasure from start to finish. We received a lovely note from the production after the sessions wrapped:

“What a great recommendation I got for you guys. Will definitely always use you and recommend for any Edinburgh recordings."

If you’re bringing a production to Edinburgh and need ADR recording, remote sessions, or any other audio post work, get in touch with the team. We work across the full range of film and television production and we would love to be involved in your next project.

Written by David Johnston

David is co-founder of Red Facilities, Edinburgh's audio post-production studio. With over 25 years of experience working across film, television, and commercial production, he has overseen ADR sessions for broadcasters and independent productions throughout his career.

We Recorded ADR for The Incomer, Opening Film of EIFF 2026

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