Do Voice Overs

 

A Voice-Over Artist

A voice-over artist is a an actor who uses their voice to create characters, tell stories, communicate vital information, and connect with an audience. They might narrate for commercials, animation, audiobooks, video games or educational content. They do impressions, mimicry, or character voices. They are called voice actors because it takes a bit of acting to make people “buy” your voice. Since voice actors are never seen on-screen, their voice is their only way of connection to their audience. Hence, a great voice actor knows that their power lays in their voice.

A voice actor records in a vocal booth or any where sound proof, depending on the project requirements. They must be able to switch tones and character from gig to gig. You’ve probably hear voice-over artists in cartoons, animation films, video games, commercials, narration, audiobooks and more. Some professional voice-over actors set up a soundproof home studio which they use for recording.

The Pros of Becoming a Voice Artist

Even though the voice-over industry is competitive, there are great benefits to this career choice, if you can become established. Here are some of the benefits of being this business:

• Work from home
• Flexible working hours 
• Your own boss
• Faceless work

The Cons of Becoming a Voice Artist

While voice acting has many benefits, there are some cons. Here are a few of them:

• Competition
• Isolation
• Unstable income
• Hard on the voice

Required Skills to Become a Voice Artist

To start a successful voice-over business, it’s not enough that you can read a script. You need to cultivate and elevate some crucial elements to your persona as you record your projects. Here are some of the elements you should practice and master:

• Natural pauses
• Consistency of your volume
• Articulation
• Voice control 
• Breathing control
• Authenticity
• Acting 
• Confidence

Create A Business Plan

If you are serious about becoming a voice actor, you should create a business plan. Just a simple one pager will suffice. Businesses that have a plan are over 60% more likely to succeed. So take time to think about your hopes and goals. A clear vision of the goal will keep you motivated to succeed.

You can save a lot of time and money by starting your voice-over business the correct way. You want too avoid newbie mistakes so you can have a good first impression of your newly chosen career path. I’ve made list of some of the things you want to consider and put on your to-do list as you head on your voice-acting journey:

• Voice over training
• Practice reading out loud
• Do some demos
• Choose a business name
• Form a company
• Register your company
• Open a business bank account
• Set up accounting
• Create a marketing plan
• Create logo
• Create your website
• Create social media profiles
• Market yourself
• Join voice-over service platforms

The Required Equipment

I will not advice you invest in a lot expensive equipment when you first get started. There’s plenty of room for investing in your business as you grow. The goal is to start of with a budget that is affordable, yet professional enough to get the job done. A home studio is the first step to towards your goals. Here’s a list of the primary things you will need to build your first home studio in a soundproof room:

• Microphone
• Computer
• Recording software
• Mixer

The Home Recording Studio

The most essential element to for you to be able to record high-quality work for your clients, is to build a sound proof home recording studio. Firstly, consider which room would make the most suitable recording space. The room just needs to be large enough for you to comfortably sit in. Voice-artists can get quite creative with which spaces they convert into studios. Everything goes. From garages to toilets, there’s really no limits. As long as you get a sound proof recording, you’ll have a great end result. So, it’s really not about the budget, but rather how creative you can get. Start of by watching some YouTube tips and tricks videos for building home studios. So, keep it simple:

• Your recording space can be in any given room. As long as it is quiet and soundproof so you can record professional quality results.

• Soundproofing doesn’t have to be expensive. You can use blankets to absorb any unwanted reverb unwanted sounds. 

• Recording equipment doesn’t have to be expensive. Start of small and invest as you go along and as your business grows.

Improve Your Vocal Skills

Great voice actors consistently work on their voices. You need to stand out from the competition. Practice. Better yourself. Spend time reading out loud. Every day. Even it’s just for 10 - 15 minutes.  Take any and every opportunity to become confident in your own voice. It’s almost like you get to know your voice. Also, take time to listen to other voice performers. Listen to commercials and audiobooks. Really listen. Learn from them. What are their qualities? What made a company choose that specific voice? Practise your acting. As a voice artist, acting is required. You’ll have be able to get into a new character for each gig. Take a short course in voice acting if necessary. Your investment will be well worth it once you land a good job. Then learn to balance things and choose the right character for the given project. Not all gigs will require a high level of acting. Some gigs may need you to use your own voice in a natural and personal way. Meaning using a voice that’s very close to that of your daily ‘regular’ voice. If you can learn to do give the client what they want and jump between the above spectrums easily, you have the chance of making a career from the voice acting industry.

The Start Budget For A Voice-Over Business

As already mentioned, my advice is to start small and go big as you go along. I would say a low budget to get your freelance voice-artist business started is around $500. Assuming you already have a computer.

• Microphone $149
• Computer $0
• Recording software $199
• Mixer $179

Software Requirements 

As the recording quality of your recordings is incredibly important, make sure you invest in popular software with a good following of happy customers. Read their reviews. Watch YouTube videos where they compare software. Find one that works with your computer. Remember, that your voice over demos and auditions need to present your vocal skills in a professional and well recorded manner. Some of popular recording programs/software include:

• Logic
• GarageBand
• Pro Tools
• Adobe Audition
• Audacity 
• Sound Forge

The Voice Over Industry

The voice over industry has infinite niches that you need to be prepared to deliver your service to. Each new client will have new needs and wants. You will have to accept  their different expectations on what constitutes a good vocal performance and end result. Be patient. Be customer minded. Don’t argue with them. Change things to please them. They know what they want. These clients can be producers, directors, copywriters, ad agency executives, TV network producers, video game developers, and many more. It will help you to be mentally prepared for the different niches you might do projects in. The main types of voiceover niches are as follows:

• Narration
• Audiobooks
• Gaming
• Narration
• Documentaries
• Animation films and series
• Phone Messages
• Commercials
• TV
• Radio
• Movie Trailer
• Training videos
• Explainer videos
• Podcasts

Your Voice-Over Business

Remember that you are in control. Travel at the paste your feel comfortable. You decide what clients you accept. Which projects you get into. Remember, many freelancers earn a good living doing this alone. The first step is building your portfolio and showcasing your voice with well-recorded samples. Make sure to expand your network by joining voice-over platforms such as fiverr.com and upwork.com. For even faster results you can advertise on social media. Join Facebook groups that specialise in voice over work. Connect with people. If you are persistent, you’ll land your first voice over job in no time and will be on your way to being independent and having a self-employed business.