For a second, let’s think about your favorite movies, kid’s favorite shows, that commercial that keeps coming on Pandora, the commercial that interrupts your binge-watching on Hulu. These all have something in common. A person is doing the voice over for each of those. That person is making money because they have learned to leverage something we’re all born with: Their VOICE.
Next time you hear a voice over, pay less attention to the message and concentrate on the voice. Does this person have an incredibly charismatic voice? A “radio voice,” if you will? In most cases, they do not. Most companies these days are striving for authenticity. The person you’re hearing is meant to be relatable and easily understood by you, their target audience. That person could be your neighbor, your friend, your coworker. And because they are relatable to you, you are more receptive to what they have to say.
Listen to voice over samples from commercials to video games as voice over actors play their part in the media production.
For that reason, literally, ANYONE can be a voice actor. Little did you know, but there are companies out there with voice over projects looking for someone with your exact voice. They would choose you in the voice casting process to represent their products or services, but they need to know about you for that to happen.
At this point, you’re probably wondering how much you can expect to make in the voiceover industry. It will likely start slow as you audition, apply for, and interview for various vo projects as with any artistic career. This process will pick up in speed as you become more recognized and as you create relationships with clients and companies. Typically, we see voice actors making anywhere from $35 for a small radio spot to $100k+ for a national TV ad campaign. There’s a big range in there! It’s safe to say that many possibilities open up to you if you’re willing to put in the work.
What is that work? First things first, you’ll need to polish up that beautiful, uniquely “you” voice. Most of your daily conversations take place at the same timbre, same vocal tone. When doing voice-over, you’ll need ways to mix that up and emphasize different words or phrases of the message. Enthusiasm, excitement, security, and even fear are emotions you’ll need to practice relaying as you read a script.
The Voice Shop was founded to help you with this part of the process. Our mission is to help establish and develop all the vocal skills that you will need to succeed in the world of voice over. We’ve stacked our teaching roster with some of the most seasoned and industry-savvy voice over actors. We can elevate you from your current level to a higher plane by signing up for one of our classes. We recommend starting with “Fundamentals of Voice Over” for beginners. If you get value from that class, which we know you will, you can continue through our courses with intermediate Essentials and Advanced Techniques.
Mike George, voice coach at The Voice Shop, trains voice actors from beginner to advanced techniques.
The beauty of taking these voice over classes is that you can improve yourself before heavily investing in the physical capability to record your voice. But that will be necessary as you take your first steps into the professional realm of voice over talent. You’ll need to cover these essentials at the very least: Microphone, Preamp (audio interface), Headphones, Mic Stand, Pop-screen/filter, and very importantly: Recording and Editing software. Depending on which tools you decide on, you can reasonably obtain all these assets for $500-$1,000. In comparison to any other artistic venture, this is extremely affordable. Imagine getting into music where you’ll likely spend $1,000-$2,000 on just your instrument, much less all the heavier equipment needed to record that instrument. In relation to other freelance efforts, voice over has what we call a “low barrier to entry,” and anyone can get their feet wet and get serious at a reasonable investment level.
Okay, so your voice is polished to a glorious shine. Your remote voice over home recording studio is waiting for action. How do you go about finding voice over work? Finding voice over projects will likely be the most challenging part of your journey; it’s what separates the wheat from the chaff. In other words, the way you approach this step is what will distinguish you above your peers who are your competition in the voice over space. Have you ever heard the phrase “It’s all about who you know” before?
Luckily, by following the steps in this guide, you’ll have made connections with Creative Media Design, the sister company for The Voice Shop. But perhaps more importantly, you’ll have made personal connections with voice over professionals who currently operate in the voice over industry. They bring home the bacon and can be your guide to breaking into the scene. They’ve done it and continue to do it. Follow in their steps, and you’ll know which path is best for you, whether through a union, personal marketing efforts, or hiring an advertising or vo agency. How involved do you want to be? How proactive are you? Choose the path that is best for you and the time you have available today. That may change down the road but START NOW!
The Voice Shop will be happy to help you get there.
