By: Nate Myers
Here at the Voice Shop, we are dedicated to the training and success of the next generation of voice over superstars. In our diverse voice over class offerings, one of the most frequent questions is, “What does success in voice-over look like?”
This can be a tricky question for one reason: Success, or prosperity, is entirely up to your perspective. A wise man once said:
“To be prosperous would not require much of me. Because contentment is the one thing, it entails.”
-Matt Thiessen
And there is a lot of truth to this sentiment. Success in voice over is a personal benchmark. What are you hoping to get out of it? Self-improvement? Are you hoping to make some side income in addition to your full-time job? Are you hoping to quit the corporate hustle and be 100% self-sufficient on voice over income? Or somewhere in between?
This article will talk about setting yourself up for voice-over acting success and some essential skills/learnings you will need to pick up along the way!
Setting Yourself Up for Success
It will require self-inspection and training to get to a suitable place where you are poised for success. These two techniques will take you very far: Self-evaluation and Training.
Self-evaluation is easy enough to achieve. Simply record yourself and listen back. You can do this on any smartphone these days. You may not like it at first. The sound of your voice can throw many people off. But don’t worry. It’s important for you to contextualize how people hear you and what you can do to alter that during delivery. Can you shift your pitch higher to convey more excitement? Can you change the part of your mouth you’re using to sound completely different? Listen back and see how effective you were!
Training is the other part that will lead you down the right path at the beginning of your journey. There are helpful online resources such as other voice actors on TikTok and YouTube. If you want to take it seriously, an online or in-person class will help you progress rapidly!
Voiceover students practice reading scripts with a voice coach at The Voice Shop in New York City.
In a voiceover class, you will experience a few things: You will see other aspiring voice actors and see what they are doing to achieve a unique or better delivery. Learn from them! The other huge thing is the live feedback you’ll receive from the Voice Coach or Voice Over Artist teaching the class. With their sharp ears, they can pick up on exactly what is holding you back and tell you what to change—all within seconds. Imagine spending weeks trying to achieve a specific tone with your voice, struggling and unsure what to change—no need to suffer through that. Let someone who has walked the path guide you in your first steps!
Receive AND Respond to Coaching
So now that you’ve taken your first steps and started identifying your strengths as a voiceover artist, you can play into those strengths to deliver great takes on just about anything. So, you apply for a voice-over gig, get an audition, and deliver a fantastic take to the Director. But the Director says, “That’s way too nasally, take that out and read it again.” Crushing right?
Voice over students receiving voice coaching lessons.
A particularly important skill to landing gigs and getting jobs is receiving feedback and responding/adjusting to match their wants. This can take years and is never fully perfected. The Director may or may not know about the technical terms for what you’re doing in the sound booth. But they will tell you what they don’t like, and it’s up to you to respond. Match what they want as closely as you can.
It’s a bite of humble pie, but it is a skill that will serve you well and lead to more opportunities and growth as a voice over artist.
Maturity: A Key Component to Success
While this section could be a whole topic in and of itself, it is of paramount importance that you recognize maturity as a necessary component of success. This is a reframing of a common misconception that affects all the arts: music, painting, voice over, singing, and musicianship; they all require maturity and time dedicated to the craft. There are common shortfalls and personality traits that need polishing, and that can only be recognized after putting in more time. These things will be impossible to see in yourself until you put in more time.
Many voice-over artists start their path in their 20s. You may take some classes, create a demo reel, and start applying for different openings/networking or even signing on with an agency. With a few jobs under your belt in your 20s, you establish a brand and identity in the voice over industry.
In your 30’s, you’ll continue this path. Continuing to not only land gigs but self-improve as the months go on. Eventually, you will start to land higher-level jobs that pay more and see some of that income become a reality.
This is, of course, a rough outline. Everyone takes their own path. But the important thing to remember for most voiceover artists who don’t get lucky right off the bat is Consistency. Continuing to practice and put yourself out there in the industry will eventually lead to more exposure and success.
Whatever that success looks like to you; we wish you all the best of luck! And if you need help with Beginner, Intermediate, or even Advanced voiceover technique classes, The Voice Shop is here to help!
