Scratch tracks, also called temp tracks, or guide tracks are a temporary voice over recording placed in a video, usually a “rough cut” of a production.
They’re basically a placeholder VO so that producers and clients can start putting their video together, and envision the finished product.
Before AI voices were widely available (and cheaper than humans) producers would get someone from their office to record the script on their phone.
Whether they use a human or not, they then put the VO in their video timeline to see how the words line up to the video.
This allows them to assess the pacing of the voiceover, and to see if the script fits. It also helps to see if the voice actor will need to speak faster or slower in certain sections and to see if certain words should coincide with particular frames.
Let the Scratch Track Be Your Guide
Scratch tracks are useful to the producer, and that’s why they make them. But scratch tracks can also be really helpful to voice actors.
When you get a scratch track or guide track, you’ll know exactly where you should be taking the script.
Even though the reads are often flat, if you pay attention, you can still hear what words were emphasized. You can get a good overall idea of the energy, pace, and style they’re expecting, and that’s super helpful.
I can’t tell you how many times I tried to reinvent the wheel with a script. But in the end, the producer just pointed to the guide track and said, “Can you hit this word?”
I’m not saying you shouldn’t use your creativity – you’re still doing your own thing – but there’s a lot to follow in the guide track.
This isn’t always easy, as a scratch track read might be very flat. But it pays to give it special attention, because the scratch track has a lot of info that can save you time during your recording session.
Here’s a little aside: Did you know our VO auditions often get used as guide tracks? If they’re not using our audition, it’s probably because the recording wasn’t the right pace, or their script wasn’t final, or they weren’t creating a guide track for their project.
The Problem with Scratch Tracks
Before AI, clients were requesting guide tracks from me. And I’m sure this was happening to others as well.
Usually, they were asking this as a favor. In other words, they wanted you to record it for free….But you’ve already recorded the audition for free!
AI obviously took this away, and I hate to say it, but it’s not a bad thing. Because now they hear how bad AI is! I’ve found that clients are so much more appreciative of real human voices…
When the Audition Becomes the Scratch Track
As I mentioned above, sometimes you might want to treat the audition like a scratch track. To do this read the directions very carefully. And if you can, ask for any production elements they might have, like a rough cut of the video, or music choices.
If you go this route, the audition could be used in the rough cut, and make you the favored candidate. It also gives you a head start on the production because when you record the actual gig, it’ll be like you’ve already done the first take!
My name is Lili Wexu. I’m an actress, a voice talent and an author. To learn how to make $$$ in VO, read my e-books about Voice Acting & Announcing.
