The owner's voice

Commercial voice over for short videos: script and versions

Fynqcast editorial teamPublished on November 7, 20264 min read

A commercial voice over for a 15 to 30 second social video works when it hooks people in the first two or three seconds, says one thing and ends with a clear next step. That means few words: around 30 for 15 seconds and no more than about 60 for 30. Below you'll find the numbers, a sample script with three different hooks and a way to make several versions, in other languages too, with your own voice or a stock one.

How many words fit in 15, 20 and 30 seconds?

FYNQ Studio estimates duration at 130 words per minute. That gives these ceilings:

length	maximum words	aim for
15 seconds	about 33	20-25
20 seconds	about 43	30-35
30 seconds	about 65	45-55

Stay under the ceiling. Pauses need room, and people scrolling past need a pace they can follow. The final test is still a stopwatch.

How do you write a script for a vertical video?

Hook (2-3 seconds). A question, a promise or a line that surprises. Never a greeting, and never the shop name as the first word.
One message. What you offer, with one concrete detail.
Call to action. What the viewer should do: drop by, book, message you.
Sign-off. Your name, said at least once.

Write with subtitles in mind as well. Plenty of people watch with the sound off, so every line has to work when read.

Example: a bike workshop that wants bikes back on the road

The business is invented: Spokes, a small neighborhood bike workshop.

Three hooks to test:

Question: "Is your bike making a noise it didn't used to make?"
Promise: "Grab a coffee. Your bike will be sorted by the time you finish."
Surprise: "That bike in your garage isn't broken. It's just been sitting."

20-second version (38 words, about 18 seconds):

That bike in your garage isn't broken. It's just been sitting. Bring it to Spokes: we check the brakes, chain and tires while you grab a coffee. The quote is free. Spokes, on Mill Street. Get riding again.

15-second version (23 words, about 11 seconds):

That bike in your garage isn't broken. It's just been sitting. Spokes: brakes, chain and tires checked while you wait. Get riding again.

Post versions with different hooks and see which one holds viewers longer. It's the simplest way to learn what works with your audience.

Your own voice or a stock voice?

The owner's voice has one big advantage: regular customers recognize it. You can record it yourself with a phone and a quiet room, or use your cloned voice. On Fynqcast, a cloned voice can only be your own. You need to be an adult with an identity document issued by an EU member state, pass an identity check and give consent, choosing the languages your voice may speak. Anything made with a cloned voice opens with a short spoken notice, "Voice cloned with AI." In a 15-second video that matters, so time the whole file. If you'd rather not use your voice, pick a stock voice.

How to do it with Fynqcast

In your dashboard, open the Studio tab (FYNQ Studio and Publisher plans) and choose the Shorts & Social category.
Under How to start, pick Create with AI and fill in Topic, Main message, Type of hook and Call to action. At the Advanced level you can set the Exact opening hook, the pace and words that must appear.
Set the maximum length (15 to 180 seconds in this category) and one or two voices.
Already have a script? Choose Paste your text instead: it's read exactly as written.
Review the text. Every part can be edited or rewritten with a short instruction, and you can give the voice an emotion. Then approve it.
Choose Your cloned voice or a stock voice and generate. You download an MP3 and SRT subtitles to upload with the video.
For a version in another language, use Translate and read, review the translation and generate again. Your cloned voice reads it only if you authorized that language.

When you post, say that the voice was generated with AI. The plans that include Studio and voice cloning are on the pricing page.