Short answer
Choose the accent of the country where viewers live. For many countries at once, use neutral Latin American Spanish for training and explainers, and local accents for advertising.
01Start from where the viewers are
The cheapest mistake to avoid is a voice that sounds foreign to the audience. Viewers forgive a neutral accent more than a clearly wrong one.
- Spain
- Castilian Spanish. Uses vosotros and a distinct c and z sound.
- Mexico
- Mexican Spanish, the largest single Spanish-speaking market, with its own vocabulary.
- Several Latin American countries
- Neutral Latin American Spanish, built to avoid local words and accents.
- Hispanic audiences in the United States
- US Spanish, mostly neutral, with English terms kept where people use them.
- One specific country
- That country’s own accent, such as Argentine, Colombian or Chilean.
02When neutral Spanish is enough
Neutral Spanish works for training, product explainers and corporate video that will play in several countries. It avoids slang and local words, so it ages well and travels.
For advertising it is weaker. A national campaign sounds more convincing in the accent of the audience.
03Details that change with the country
Choosing the accent is only part of the work. These points are decided with the script, before anyone records.
- Tú, usted or vos: some countries use voseo in speech, and advertising copy follows the brand.
- Vosotros is only used in Spain; Latin American scripts use ustedes.
- Everyday words differ: the same object can have a different name in each country.
- Numbers, dates and currency follow local habit.
- Length: Spanish runs longer than English, so time the adapted script against the picture.
04How to brief the casting
Tell the casting who the audience is, not only the country. Age, region and the register of the brand narrow the shortlist faster than the word “Spanish”.
Name the country or countries
If there are several, say which one matters most.
Say how the brand talks
Formal, friendly or playful, with an example line.
Send the script
Each shortlisted actor reads a few of your lines in the chosen accent.
Check with a native reviewer
Someone from the target country checks the words and the takes.