A method for customizing a voice in a multi-media message created by a sender for a recipient is disclosed. The multi-media message comprises a text message from the sender to be delivered by an animated entity. The method comprises presenting an option to the sender to insert voice emoticons into the text message associated with parameters of a voice used by the animated entity to deliver the text message. The message is then delivered wherein the voice of the animated entity is modified throughout the message according to the voice emoticons. The voice emoticons may relate to features such as voice stress, volume, pauses, emotion, yelling, or whispering. After the sender inserts various voice emoticons into the text of the message, the animated entity delivers the multi-media message giving effect to each voice emoticon in the text. A volume or intensity of the voice emoticons may be given effect by repeating the tags. In this case, delivering the multi-media message further comprises delivering the multi-media message at a variable level associated with the number of times a respective voice emoticon is repeated. In this manner, the sender may control the presentation of the message to increase the overall effectiveness of the multi-media message.