When you think of a voice that resonates across Egypt’s media landscape, chances are you’ve heard Nadeem Khaled — even if you didn’t know his name. With over 15 years in the industry, Nadeem has built more than just a career; he’s built a movement. From voicing iconic brand campaigns to founding Evolution by Nadeem Khaled, his journey reflects grit, growth, and an unshakable commitment to creative excellence.
In this interview, Nadeem opens up about how a single line in a basketball commercial changed his life, how being bilingual gave him an edge, and why he believes curiosity is his greatest asset. He also shares the story behind his VO community-turned-professional platform, his evolving definition of success, and how he continues to challenge the boundaries of what a voice over artist can be.
Get ready to step into the mind of a creative disruptor who’s not just finding his voice — but amplifying it for a generation.
Can you give us a brief introduction about yourself?
I’m Nadeem, a voice over artist who’s been immersed in the art of voice over for over 15 years. What I bring to the table is a mindset of constant questioning—I’ve always asked whether things were truly invented the way they should be, or if something was overlooked in the process. That curiosity has shaped my journey. I’ve learned a lot simply by questioning everything.
Along the way, I discovered that many professionals had insightful methods for working full-time as voice over artists—how they monetize their work, set their rates, define their terms, and understand how they should be treated. This knowledge played a huge role in the growth of my business.
A close friend of mine, a sound engineer, and I decided to dive deeper into the audio production industry. We opened a studio, which kept growing. We expanded our work into sound engineering and mixing, and eventually, talent advocacy. Over the years, we’ve collaborated on numerous projects with major global brands through both local and international agencies.
Eventually, I was offered the franchise of Gravy for the Brain, which significantly deepened my understanding of the industry. Teaching others what I know has been a learning experience in itself—when you teach, you’re often asked great questions that push you to grow even more.
Today, I describe myself as someone on a journey of continuous learning—questioning everything, and learning from everyone, including those I teach. Most recently, I stepped into a new role: I delivered my first commercial copy as a creative director and executive producer. So now, in addition to being a voice over artist, I’m also expanding into creative direction, and my company is launching a new line of high-quality commercial and advertising productions.
Can you tell us where you’re from and how that has influenced your work in the voice over industry?
I was born in Cairo, Egypt, and I was fortunate to receive a good education. My parents spoke English well, so I grew up with strong language skills. Because of that, my accent isn’t immediately identifiable—people often can’t tell I’m Egyptian. Some have even assumed I was American, though I’ve only visited the U.S. once for a voice over conference.
That bilingual ability gave me a significant edge as a voice over artist. There weren’t many bilingual voice over professionals in Egypt—not because others didn’t speak English fluently, but because the local industry focused more on Egyptian Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic. Very few were targeting neutral or transatlantic English voice over projects, and that’s what helped set me apart.
So your parents played a significant role in your journey as a voice over artist?
Definitely. My dad is a gynecologist, but he also has a wealth of business and commercial experience. He influenced the way I negotiate and communicate—he’s a brilliant businessman. That foundation helped me approach my career not just as an artist, but as an entrepreneur too.
What was your motivation to become a voice over artist?
I can honestly say that I never thought about working in the voice industry—let alone in the creative industry. I never imagined I’d be here. It all happened by complete coincidence.
I used to play basketball, and one day they were looking for someone to do a commercial. Someone asked me, “Are you interested?” and I was like, “Okay.” I got the role—it was a funny commercial—and that led to another ad, and then another. On the fourth one, I happened to jokingly repeat the tagline of a juice commercial while sitting in a car. It was for Johanna, a juice brand. The director turned to me and asked, “Hey, do you do voice overs?” I said, “I don’t, but… I’m here.”
He took my number, and I was very lucky that one of the very first commercials I ended up doing was for Vodafone. That director, Omar Hillel, is a legendary figure. He’s directed a movie and thousands of commercials. He’s an inspiring person in the creative industry. He’s a good friend now, but I still admire his work from a distance.
Would you say he’s one of your biggest artistic influences?
He’s someone who recognized something in me that I wasn’t even aware of. By giving me that opportunity, he unknowingly started my journey in voice over—while I was still an architecture student at Cairo University. I actually graduated as an architect and practiced professionally for about five or six years, alongside voice over.
Eventually, I reached a point where I said, “Okay, I’m not doing architecture anymore. I’m going to focus on voice over.” And thank God for that decision.
Why was that? Is voice over more lucrative than architecture?
If the question is whether voice over is more lucrative than architecture, I wouldn’t say one is necessarily more lucrative than the other. It really depends on the opportunities you get. But what I do believe in is evaluating the sweat versus the reward—the effort you put in compared to the results you get.
I suppose if someone is equally talented in both fields, the returns could be similar. But for me personally, I felt I was more of a voice over artist than an architect. Once I recognized that, I decided to go all in—and that allowed me to grow faster in one direction.
Would I have been a great architect if I’d chosen that path instead? I don’t know. But for me, voice over definitely wins that battle.
Can you share the inspiration behind “Evolution by Nadeem Khaled”?
It’s actually a funny story. Along the way, as I kept questioning everything, I began to wonder why there wasn’t a rate guide or voiceover coalition in Egypt—something professional we could all agree on to help grow the industry, build its future, and support others in learning the craft.
So, we started something small called EVU—the Egyptian Voiceovers Union. It wasn’t an official union; we were just a group of professionals talking and trying to make things better.
I had the idea to create a group where I could invite my clients, and any talent willing to learn and follow a standard rate guide could join. Clients would post a project, and talent could send in their samples. It created a form of healthy competition based on actual skill—not just on rates or how cheap someone was willing to work for.
Of course, some people broke the rules and undercut others to land projects, and we had to deal with that. But overall, it brought a lot of value to the Egyptian voice over industry and significantly changed the market.
And if you pronounce “EVU” a certain way, it sounds like “EVO”—which made me think of “evolution.” That’s exactly what happened. The market evolved.
I began to wonder: what would voice over look like if it continued to evolve? What would the entire creative industry look like if it was constantly improving? Evolution, in that sense, is about always accepting that there’s a better way—better processes, better tools, better budgets. It’s about never settling.
That’s where the name Evolution came from. And the “by Nadeem Khaled” part is just to make it clear—because there may be other companies called Evolution, but this one is mine. It’s the evolution I created and built from the ground up.
At what point in your career did you see yourself as successful?
In the beginning, it was honestly about the glory—having a commercial on national television where everyone could see it. My father is a really good businessman, and he’s from a generation where voice over is something you do on the side, not something you take seriously. He’s a doctor, a businessman, and also an engineer. So when I told him I wanted to do voice over full-time, he was like, “Really? You want to be a clown?”
And I responded, “Why not?”
The first moment I felt proud of this path was when we were watching TV together. Because I had told him about my interest in voice over, I developed the habit of pointing out who voiced which ad. He got curious and started asking, “Who did that one?”
One day, we were watching one of the most important shows in Egyptian history. During the commercial break, he asked, “Whose voice is this?” And I said, “That’s me.” We laughed about it.
But the real turning point came when we were buying a car and met an engineer who worked with the CEO of a petroleum company—I can’t remember the name. My dad said to him, “Can you believe he left architecture to do voice over?” And the guy replied, “Would you rather him be one of the top 20 architects in Egypt, or the leading voice over artist in Egypt?”
That hit home for my dad. He said, “Yeah… I guess leading something, being at the forefront of something, is more successful.” That’s when his perspective shifted. He’s always been proud of me, but from that point on, it was a different kind of pride. And honestly, thanks to him, I kept pushing myself harder. I’m grateful for that.
I wouldn’t go as far as calling myself the leading voice over artist—there’s no real metric for that, and I wouldn’t claim it egoistically. But I’m proud to say I’m one of the talents that agencies and clients across the region trust. I record daily—ads, explainers, corporate narrations—and that’s what a voice over career should look like. Thankfully, I have a healthy business, and I’m thankful to keep going.
How has your style changed over time?
It’s changed significantly. You’d laugh so hard if you saw the very first few times I did voice overs compared to now. It’s not just about the end product; it’s about the process—the way you prepare, how fast you respond to direction, how creatively you use your voice. The difference between the journey of recording a commercial in 2010 and in 2025? It’s wild. I’m not exaggerating—you’d crack up watching the early ones.
But it was good back then. Good enough that I kept getting jobs.
The one thing I focused on early was avoiding free work. I didn’t want to build a brand where people thought I was the “free voice over guy.” If you’re looking for something of low value to pay for, then I wasn’t the right person for your project.
That mindset, I believe, was the secret ingredient. Some people say, “I just need one commercial on TV, and then work will pour in.” I completely disagree. That’s not how it works.
Fun fact: I’ve worked with over a thousand clients—government agencies, private companies, you name it. But no one ever says, “Oh, you worked with X? Great, we’ll hire you.” They say, “Nadeem, can we hear a demo?” What matters is what I can do today—the quality, the experience I bring, how I make them feel safe, comfortable, and heard.
So for me, it’s never been about collecting brand logos—it’s about the value I can offer right now.
As a starting voice over artist, you built a reputation around not working for free. Wasn’t that a risky move?
A lot of people are afraid that quoting a specific rate will make the client walk away. They think, “If I ask for too much, I’ll lose the job.” And sure, I’ve had those thoughts. But that’s not how I operate by default.
If I’m going to do this work and be happy doing it, I need to earn enough. I studied the GVAA Rate Guide, the Gravy for the Brain Rate Guide, and others. They helped me develop a sense of what’s fair. I’d say to myself, “If I get paid X, I’ll be happy.”
When you’re desperate, you’ll accept any price. But if you set a minimum, you’re setting a standard. Maybe I aim to get $500, but I’m okay with $300. I don’t tell the client that—I just tell them my rate. And if I’m the right fit for their project, they’ll find a way to meet it.
One time, I was quoting for a perfume ad in the Gulf. The client’s representative was Egyptian like me. I quoted somewhere between $400 and $500. She was shocked: “I’ve never paid that much to any voice over!” And I said, “Just because you haven’t doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.”
I offered to take it down slightly as a first-time discount. She still wasn’t sure, but the next morning we were recording. I didn’t say “I told you so.” I just showed her why it was worth it—clean recording, multiple takes, editing, branding, professional delivery.
And that’s the difference. If you want a $50 job, that’s fine. But if you want this level of quality, this is what it takes.
I’ve probably done low-budget jobs in special situations. But generally, clients come to me saying, “Nadeem, we hear you’re expensive.” And I say, “Let me send you a quote—then decide.” Most times, they reply, “Actually, that’s reasonable.”
If they think you’re expensive but your quote surprises them in a good way, that’s great. It’s better than them expecting cheap work and getting suspicious when your price is too low.
What inspiration can you give to beginners in the industry?
My advice to beginners is: stop trying so hard to get people to notice you too early—especially when you’re not quite there yet.
Instead, work so hard that when people hear you for the first time, they’re left wondering, “Where have you been? How did you develop all these skills?”
Because the impression “Wow, how have I never heard of you before?” is so much better than, “Well, you have potential… maybe with some work you’ll get better.”
That first impression matters. If I meet someone for the first time and I’m impressed by how they speak, how they handle their business, how organized and professional they are—it makes me think, “How did we not work together before?” That’s powerful. Much better than, “You need to keep working on yourself.”
I actually had someone email me recently. He met me while accompanying another voice artist in Saudi Arabia. He said, “I didn’t get a chance to share my samples with you, but I’m very talented and I’d really love for you to hear them.” So I did.
Here’s the thing: most people starting out can’t hear themselves properly. They don’t know how to access the full range of their voice—especially the bass. When I talk to you now, my voice sounds bassy. But I don’t even hear it that way because I compare myself with people who have even deeper voices.
A lot of men especially try to force that deep, wide sound: “I can do voice over because I have a deep voice.” But that often comes off as artificial. Only a few people can truly pull off that “salesy” tone naturally.
Don’t focus so much on sounding beautiful or sexy or like you’ve got a perfect voice. If your voice is beautiful, thank God—that’s a gift. But you didn’t earn that. What you can be proud of is learning to use that voice to connect with people. Be proud of improving your accent to compete in global markets. Be proud of building a professional website with world-class demos that can actually get you work.
Take pride in what you’ve worked for—not what you were given. The things you were given are blessings. Be grateful for them. But the things you work on—those are what define your career.
Your voice can improve. Just like going to the gym builds muscle, practicing out loud improves your voice. It builds stamina, improves breath control, and helps you deliver longer, clearer sentences without running out of air.
So yes—be proud of what you’ve earned. And be grateful for what you’ve been given.
As our conversation with Nadeem Khaled draws to a close, one thing is unmistakably clear: his voice is more than just sound — it’s vision, courage, and connection. From humble beginnings to reshaping Egypt’s voice over landscape, Nadeem’s story reminds us that creativity isn’t just about talent — it’s about heart, discipline, and community.
Through his honesty, passion, and wisdom, Nadeem has shown us what’s possible when talent meets intentional growth and a deep sense of purpose. Whether you’re just finding your footing or you’re a seasoned professional, his journey is a powerful reminder that the voiceover path is more than a career — it’s a calling.
But this is just the beginning. There’s so much more to explore, learn, and be inspired by. Stay connected with Nadeem and follow his creative journey through his platforms: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tiktok, his website and Evolution by Nadeem Khaled.
Let this not just be a blog post — let it be a spark. A spark to believe more deeply in your voice, to build with intention, and to keep creating boldly. The conversation doesn’t end here. Engage. Follow. Be inspired.
Here’s to finding your own voice — and using it with purpose.
Thank you so much for this read. It’s been quite insightful. As a voice-over who has been trying to burst into the scene myself for some time and still recording and posting contents. I desire to leverage on the knowledge of such greats in the industry and use my voice not just to tell a story but connect with everyone.