Author: voiceov

How to Get Voice Over Clients?
A word you’ll hear over and over again in your voice-over career is “niche.” You’ll find yourself being advised to “find your niche” and admonished to do “niche marketing.” (You can pronounce it “neesh” or “nitch.” Either way is fine.)

A voice-over niche describes a very specific area of the voice-over industry. In other words, a drilled-down segment of an overall market.

For example, one market in the voice-over industry is narration. Niches in that market can include:
- corporate narration
- documentary narration
- medical narration
- e-learning narration
Another example is audiobooks. Niches in that market can include:
- fiction
- self-help
- historical
- romance novels
Another is television commercials. Niches in that market can include:
- senior citizens/retired persons issues
- teen and tween products and programs
- automobiles, men’s toiletries, power tools
- hospitality, travel, and tourism
If you’ll look at each example here, you can imagine that the voice, the delivery, the gender of the voice actor, the tone of voice, the age, etc. are all very important considerations in the creation of each of these audio products.

A self-help audiobook on overcoming anxiety for senior citizens would require a very different voice and delivery than a television commercial for back-to-school clothes for teens. A PBS documentary on World War II would require a very different voice and delivery than a television commercial for laundry soap.

Your actual voice, that is, how you sound, your gender and your delivery will certainly influence which niche you can apply yourself to.

For example, if you naturally have a high, squeaky, quirky voice, you may be perfect for cartoons, animation, or video games. However you may find it challenging to find work in corporate narration which may require a more mature, authoritative, or business-like tone. So taking into account your natural talents and strengths can be a great help in finding your niche.

Your personal background can also play a part in what segment of voice-over you apply yourself to. If you have familiarity with technical or medical terms, counseling or therapy experience, teaching, equestrian, or travel experience for example, your own life experience can be a great help in determining your niche, or niches.

Your expertise in a particular field can lend itself very nicely to finding a niche in voice-overs.

And the idea of having a niche is a VERY good one. Again, a “niche” being a genre of voice-over that you specifically target, as well as a particular clientele that you formulate your marketing efforts around. For instance, if you excel at medical narrations and wish to specialize in that market specifically, you need only aim your marketing strategies at medical clients.

This is not to say that a voice actor can’t have numerous delivery styles and work in many different types of voice-over. Many voice actors work in a number of different niches. However, generally speaking, you’ll find the most successful voice-over artists usually focus on one or two specific areas of the business. For example movie trailers, animation, or fiction audiobooks.

Focusing on a specific niche also makes delivering your services more streamlined.

If you do the same kind of work every day, you know exactly what to do and how to do it. You know the delivery style the client wants, the recording and editing techniques necessary, and what rates to quote that the industry will bear.

The obvious advantage of having a niche (or niches) is that you can appeal to a very specific voice-over client: High-end beauty spa voice-mail recordings. In-store radio networks. Employee safety videos for human resources. Mass transit voice-overs (bus, train, etc.). Web-based product descriptions. Meditation and relaxation videos. The list is endless!

And many voice-over clients these days are looking for very specific demos from voice actors. If a client is looking for a soothing voice for a relaxation video they’re creating, they won’t want to wade through your detergent commercials or corporate video spots on a demo. You’ll be much more appealing to them if you have a demo that is specifically formulated for their needs: Five or six different spots highlighting your wonderfully soothing and calming voice in a showcase of relaxation audio.

So if you’re wondering whether having niched voice-over demos will benefit your career, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

Now, here’s the other side of the coin: Not all clients want to hear only one type of voice-over from you. Many clients will want to hear your range. They’ll want to hear what you’re capable of, from the warm friendly next-door neighbor to the hard-sell automobile ad, from the thoughtful nature documentary to the sexy fashionista.

An ad agency is a good example of a client who’ll want to hear more of your complete range. They have a lot of different customers with many different needs so they’ll want to hear a broad range of your abilities, not just one specific talent. A prospective agent will also want to hear more than just one specific type of read. Having demos that also showcase your entire range is a very good idea.

So here’s your best strategy:
1. Have a number of niched demos. That is, demos that specifically target a particular market and contain only recordings that fit into THAT particular niche: Corporate voice-mail recordings, high energy retail commercials for teenagers, romance novel audiobooks, political ads, etc.
2. But ALSO have demos that showcase your range of abilities within each market: A narration demo that includes corporate narration, documentary narration, medical narration, and e-learning narration. And a commercial demo that includes high-energy spots, thoughtful health-related spots, dialogue with the opposite sex spots, spots that include wry wit, humor, and emotion.
Expand your voice-over client base by appealing to both voice-seekers: Those who want to hear only one type of delivery from you, as well as those who want to hear your entire range.

Maxine Dunn, voice-over artist and award-winning motivational writer.

Maxine was named one of 2011’s “Top 10 Most Influential Voice-Over Writers” in a Voice123 online survey and named a winner of Constant Contact’s 2011 All-Star Award for her weekly online newsletter, “The Creative Business Advisor.”

Her voice-over marketing advice is featured in the premier voice-acting book “The Art of Voice Acting 4th edition” by James R. Alburger, and her articles are featured regularly on VoiceOverXtra, the voice-over industry’s online news, training and resource center.
14 Jul, 2021
How to Become Voice Over Artist?

Voice over is a business that can be very unfriendly to the faint of heart. If you cannot take constructive criticism, if you’re impatient, if you hate to lose, if you can’t handle rejection, then these traits will not work in your favor when seriously considering becoming a voice over artist.

To begin with, the competition is fierce. At the top of the food chain are the union voice actors, then the independent professional self-contractors, and finally all of the amateurs or “wannabes” looking to make a quick buck.

The internet is saturated with the latter, which is unfortunate. Particularly for the experienced talent who strive to maintain a standard. Most professionals have their own websites in order to promote themselves online.

There are also the numerous talent pools, many of which charge for membership on their sites. Inclusion into the more recognized “voice banks” is like attempting to join an exclusive golf club. Very few are selected for admission.

The same goes for the top talent agencies. Unless you can fill a specific “hole” they may have, you will be passed by in a heartbeat. Not to mention they’re first obligation is to cater to those already represented. Discouraging as it may sound, seeking representation can lead to many dead ends. Even if you are unique enough to be accepted by an agency, they will only do so much for you in terms of auditions and getting you work.

Therefore, the road to any success in the voice over industry involves a ton of self-promotion. Firstly you should have your own website, where potential clients can listen to your voice over demos. This also demonstrates that you are legitimate and genuine.

Anyone can create a voice over page in social media, or post a video portraying oneself as a voice artist, which are paths of least resistance in terms of cost.

Paying for a membership with a well known voice over website could be an additional option. In these cases, one would have to audition for voice over jobs posted by voice seekers, some of which may not be trustworthy or reliable. There’s a degree of risk involved since there are no guarantees of securing work.

Levels of membership can also pose a problem when it comes to receiving the same quality leads as the highest level. Signing up for a profile is free on a number of voice over sites, but ultimately paying a fee is required to audition through them.

Self-promotion also entails contacting production companies who have used independent voice talent on their projects. Blogging is another option. Sending emails announcing your services to businesses that advertise is still another option. Networking through social media too. Investing in AdWords could be another way to go, and many are already taking that route. In any event, getting your name out there should be your primary goal.

Be prepared for competition once you’ve established a degree of online presence. You will be going up against many of the big guns who are repeatedly sought after by the same clients.

Fortune may work in your favor though and you’ll get a paying gig within a few days, or a few hours of your site being visited and your demos found and heard, or it may take much longer depending on demand and what you bring to the table in terms of talent.

Finding new sources of voice over work is difficult, but not impossible thanks to the internet which reaches around the globe. Overseas can be a great source for voice over projects, but be prepared for possible communication gaps, unless you speak a dozen languages. American voice over actors are highly sought after across the pond however, so this could be a direction to pursue. The UK, India, China, the Netherlands, and Japan have all used American English speaking voices.

Chances are, if you have decent search engine ranking for some of the important voice over search terms, you’ll be contacted by overseas voice seekers. Potential projects include independent films, major and small events, wedding videos, animation, radio imaging, documentaries, and corporate websites to list a few. Question now is, how do you compare to the competition? Do you sound believable?

You can’t sound like you’re reading. Sounding like an announcer, unless specifically requested, can also be your downfall.

Having a deep voice isn’t always an advantage either. Currently there seems to be a trend of leaning towards more college age voices, but the conversational, natural sound wins out on a consistent basis. The storyteller, “guy next door” approach is without doubt in the highest demand today. It’s not as easy as it sounds, and involves the ability to act, or to “pretend” to sound genuine, sincere, and realistic.

We’ve come a ways now in this discussion, but have still to talk about the actual recording end of it. You can’t depend solely on opportunities to record at a professional, multi-million dollar studio that talent agencies send talent to for auditions, even when one has representation.

You have to have your own studio at home, or wherever you can afford to assemble and have room for one, no matter what and where the source of business situation. You have to have a microphone, preferably a condenser mic, an amplifier, a compressor, and an interface for starters. Then you’ll need editing software installed on your computer, ideally a PC with plenty of ram.

You’ll need a method of delivering finished audio files, and of course a way to accept payment. Practicing reading while recording yourself, then listening back for objective critique is an ongoing process, even for professionals, and someone other than your mother should provide the feedback to your reads.

This is where a vocal instructor could come into play. Microphone technique is an art in itself, and must be incorporated correctly during recording. It must become second nature so it doesn’t distract from interpreting the script. The main focus needs to be on what’s being said, keeping in mind who it’s being said to, and how to say it in a convincing manner. One-on-one is a term often used in the industry.

In other words, sounding NATURAL, while avoiding breathy pops, and clicking sounds while speaking. Staying hydrated and maintaining breath control are integral to the whole process of recording in front of a microphone.

What about categories of voice over, and should you concentrate on a single genre? The variety of voice over projects is limitless, but all invariably fall under specific categories or “genres”. They are, in a nutshell, commercials, promos, narrative, radio imaging, movie trailers, and animation. Just about any application of voice over will involve one of these concepts.

The goal of the voice over artist is to evaluate and decide in which category one’s strengths mostly lie, those which one’s talents are best suited for maximum impact. In other words, finding your “niche”.

Attempting to cover them all could lead to an exercise in futility, so honing your skills to excel in one area might be the better approach to take. This only comes with practice, and more practice, and being critiqued by an objective party. It takes time and patience to eventually succeed, and most success stories don’t happen overnight.

Rejection is a large part of the business, so be prepared for that. It’s all mostly a matter of opinion anyway, so what sounds inadequate to some, may sound like the best thing since sliced bread to others. You can’t take any of it personal. You need to stick to your guns, and believe in yourself.

Believe you have what it takes, and you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. If it’s professional voice over, then needless to say it takes a lot of commitment and drive.

Should you hang in there long enough to build up a respectable clientele through your pursuits, gaining invaluable experience along the way, then the realization of it all having been well worth the time invested will subsequently become your primary motivation to be the best at what you do. Again, there are no guarantees of success, but unless one gets in the mix, there’s no way of knowing for certain.

13 Jul, 2021
Doing Freelance Voice-Over Work at Fiverr?

Before choosing a new life path, we often explore the idea in imagination. Let’s imagine voice-over work. Everybody has a voice. Most want to be heard. Most are also shy about being seen. Voice-over work might appeal to many people, if they thought about it.

Does using your voice to earn money-and command a little attention-interest you? It’s often just as much fun as it sounds, resembling, as it does, what we loved to do as kids. (Occasionally, it is also work.)

I started a voice-over gig at Fiverr.com after retiring from private practice psychotherapy. I wanted to improve the audio when recording video classes at home. Instead of paying $15,000 to develop my voice-over technique, I decided to freelance, learned voice work, earned $7,000, and had a grand adventure.

I became the voice of newsmen and presidents, generals and soldiers, assorted aliens and video-game voices galore! Now, I make my own video classes that incorporate what I learned by being the voice for other people’s messages.

Voice recording is an easy freelance skill to deliver since our voice is a “wind instrument” that-unlike the oboe-we all practice daily. You can begin with whatever microphones and skills you find lying fallow about the home and then learn like crazy on the job. Study, while you are doing the work, is easier; concepts are more immediately relevant in this teachable moment.

Fiverr freelancers, and millions more, are earning while learning (whatever skills they want to perfect). Voicing can be as simple as reading an announcement or as limitless as the world of voice acting. For those who are part performer and partly shy, voice acting lets introverts perform while hiding.

Einstein used his famous “gedankenexperiments,” or “thought experiments,” to explore bold new ideas, and, since I like dropping his name, let’s use a thought experiment to imagine how you might first consider doing voice work. We’re just thinking out loud here. This is only a pre-test; do not adjust your mind-set. We’re only “pre-preparing” for voice work.

Can you imagine using your voice as a tool? Did you ever love reading stories to someone? Have you had a seductive encounter with a microphone’s power to magnify and transform your voice and, therefore, how you experience yourself? Even if you normally avoid attention, is there not some part of you that, at the least, longs to be listened to, and maybe even to perform?

How to imagine “Audio Acting” and/or Renting your voice to “Announce.”

1. Listen with new attention to television voice-overs, and to radio (all voice-over, all the time). Can you imagine yourself doing some of those parts? Repeat a line or two now and then. What do you feel?

2. Discover announcers with voices similar to yours and study how they “use their instrument.”

3. Imagine voice acting in which you become different characters. What characters would appeal to you?

4. Experiment by reading aloud from a short script or poem or story that lets you bring one or more characters to life. Does that bring you to life? Observe your enthusiasm.

5. Record yourself “announcing” a few different kinds of information, and dare to listen, repeatedly.

6. Find your natural voice. Broadcast style has evolved from a pompous grandiosity to more “authentic-sounding” voices. Unusual or imperfect-seeming voices sometimes benefit from their uniqueness.

7. Explore your not-so-natural voices! Play at voice-performing several different characters. Record, listen, and notice what you notice. Keep checking for hints of excitement. Return from imagination when ready.

If voice-over work still or increasingly intrigues you, it might be worth looking into. There are many places to freelance online. You can explore Fiverr or search on “freelance” and “voice-over” to investigate further. The skills you develop freelancing at Fiverr can later be used to compete for higher-paying online voice work as well as other projects.

If this imaginary “test drive” speaks to you-notice the voice in which it speaks because we all have an interior voice-over commentary! Another important discovery to observe. All things begin in imagination. You can now choose to leave voice-over work right there, or begin to imagine some audio adventures in your future.

12 Jul, 2021
Overview of the Voice Over Industry

Voice over is a very distinct niche within the entertainment and audio recording industries.

Similar to an ecosystem, there is a natural order of things and diverse relationships that take shape, many of which are symbiotic, or, mutually beneficial to the parties they involve.

Take humans and trees for example.

Trees produce the oxygen we need to breathe. When we exhale, or breath leaves our bodies, carbon dioxide is produced as a result. Following our exhalations, the trees then breathe in our CO2, which is their source of air, and the cycle thus continues as they instinctively produce more oxygen rich exhalation for us to inhale. We then exhale carbon dioxide and the tree is nourished… you get the picture.

Just as in nature, many relationships within voice over are complementary and there are very few self-serving relationships. For those that do exist, they are a necessary part of our voice over ecosystem, and without them, there wouldn’t be a balance.

That is just the nature of things.

Let’s take a look at the roles we’ll be profiling this week with a brief overview on each, starting at the base of the ecosystem.

Voice Actors

A voice actor is the producer of the creative vocal work that is recorded and used for a variety of applications including commercials for radio, television, telephone, podcasts, video games and more. The voice actor uses their natural gifts, predominantly their voice and mastery of it, to infuse life into the written word. A voice actor is a creator of voice overs, and a voice over is the audio component of a media application commissioned by a client. Voice actors are also known as voice talents, voice overs, voice over artists, VO, VA, narrators, announcers, orators, and so on.

Voice Over Coaches and Instructors

A voice over coach or instructor is a person who is either a teacher of voice, voice acting, or has extensive practical experience working as a professional voice actor. These people are trained to educate and are often associated with beginning voice actors or voice actors who are seeking to enrich or expand their voice over abilities through private coaching or workshops. There are fewer voice over coaches than there are voice actors and their profession is in many cases related to the theory of Publish or Perish. The nature of a voice over coach is to teach but this person may also perform or cast (pick) voices for other projects.

Audio Engineers and Producers

An audio engineer is a person who is highly skilled in the field of audio production, including recording, editing, mixing and mastering. As an audio engineer, this person is usually employed by a larger recording studio or can also be a freelance producer who works independently, running their own production studio. There are schools where people can be trained to acquire skills in this technical aspect of the voice over business. For voice actors who are not as savvy technology wise, these recording engineers and audio producers are heavily relied upon to help them produce their voice over demos or record broadcast ready work for clients.

Voice Over Agents and Talent Agencies

A voice over agent is a person who promotes and represents a voice actor, presenting their voice over work for consideration when a job that the voice actor is suited for becomes available. An agent can be independent or part of a talent agency that operates similarly to a talent agency, meaning a company that employs several people as agents to build a brand and manage a variety of talent, not just voice actors. Agents usually represent voice actors who are either union or non-union depending on the agreement an agent has and if they are affiliated with a union. Agents take a commission on the work they acquire for their voice actor clients, usually in the 10% – 15% range for their services; this could be a commission on top of what the voice actor makes or taken from the earnings directly. A Finder’s Fee is also a term that applies to some agents and agencies.

Casting Directors

A casting director, specifically a voice over casting director, is someone who has an ear for picking the best candidate for a particular job. It is the responsibility of the casting director to “cast” the right person in a role for a client who usually has little interest, ability, or lacks the confidence to “pick” the right voice to represent their company, project, or brand. The casting director wants to get the best possible performance out of an auditioning talent. It is their goal, in fact, to make a voice actor feel at ease because they need to evaluate all of their options in the best light to pick the most appropriate voice for their client’s campaign or project. A casting director charges a fee to the client for their time and expertise.

Unions

A union is a governing body that regulates terms of employment for their customers. Unions may take action on the behalf of their clients in cases where agreements are breached. A voice actor pays union dues or fees to be affiliated with a union in order to receive particular services, benefits, or opportunities exclusive to the union. While some unions have an open door policy allowing anyone to join so long as they meet membership fee requirements, there are other unions that are “invitation only” or other criteria. Being part of the union is not mandatory and there are more non-union voice actors in the world than there are unionized voice actors.

Voice Over Marketplaces

A voice over marketplace is a location, typically based online, where voice actors can feature their voices and audition for job opportunities to acquire voice over work. As the term “marketplace” implies, portals that perform this function connect buyers and sellers, for the purposes of this article, buyers and sellers of voice over services. Voice over marketplaces serve both the buyer and seller, and in some instances, facilitate communications and or transactions between the two. As a voice over marketplace consolidates both talent and job opportunities, it is an integral part of any voice actors marketing efforts as well as the most convenient and effective source for clients to find voice actors and buy their services.

Clients Who Purchase Voice Overs

Clients who purchase voice over services can be from any industry, country, and speak a variety of languages. Since the need for audio production is universal as well as the need for voice overs, the global market of clients creates an enormous demand for voice actors who provide quality voice over recordings to represent their company, organization, or event. Clients hire voice over talent to record for television, radio, podcasts, video games, audio books, film, animation, telephone, corporate presentations, and other purposes.

11 Jul, 2021
Tips For Successfully Hiring Professional Voice-overs

9+ Tips For Successfully Hiring Professional Voice-overs

1. Use trusted and experienced talent from a reputable company

The voice-over market is highly crowded these days; anybody with a microphone and a voice can enter the arena and publicise themselves on the web as a so-called “professional voice-over”.

As with any easily accessible marketplace, a flood of options is not always great for the end user. Quality, getting a professional recording and the voice-overs ability to deliver on time is far more important than having a million options to explore and consider.

As Google acts as a filter for billions of web pages, using a reputable supplier of trusted and accountable voice-overs is essential for homing in on a talented voice artist capable of delivering your project. A supplier or agent who has multiple voice-overs should be able to offer you a variety of options and their experience of the intricacies of voice hiring means that you have a professional and trusted company to be held accountable should anything turn out different than you expected.

2. Avoid Massive Voice-over Directories

Ok, you may find a talented voice-over for your project, however, being able to automatically post your job to thousands of voice talents in one go is not always the best idea. Many of these large sites have thousands of members because they allow anyone and everyone to join and pitch for jobs. Their business model is to let as many voice-overs as possible pay to join the site. In my experience, voice-overs who are established and credible avoid using these sites due to the overwhelming amount of amateur contenders.

3. Don’t look for a cheaper option!

Fact! If you get a quote for a professional job in this industry, you will not have to go far to get a cheaper quote. As I said earlier, the market place is accessible by anyone with a microphone and a voice. Opt for the cheapest contenders and you may well have to start again with one of the higher priced quotes. I have seen this happen so many times! As with most things, you get what you pay for and it is better to go with a respected company.

4. Treat the demo as the starting point!

So, you have found a voice-over and their demo reel sounds great and well produced. That is all you need to know… right? Wrong! There are numerous studios that will record and produce show reels for budding voice-overs. These can be fabricated to sound like previous jobs. This is not necessarily an issue, however, if you want to hire one of these voice talents you have got to bear in mind that the recording they produce without the assistance of a producer may be significantly lower in production quality than their professional demo / show reel.

The way to get round this is to use a reputable supplier of voice-overs. If you are dealing directly with the voice-over, ask them for an example of a recent job that is similar to yours and was recorded in their own studio. For example, if you are expecting them to record an audio book, ask them for an example of a previous recording. Their professionally produced montage of adverts, corporate narrations and on-hold messages may not necessarily demonstrate their ability to narrate your audio book in their own studio.

5. Be Clear and be fair

When requesting the services of a voice-over make sure that you are clear about your project requirements, your budget and your expectations. A good voice-over company should be able to explore the scope of your project and ask the right questions in order to get an accurate quotation from suitable vocal talents. However, it is your responsibility to give a clear overview of your project and its distribution / exposure. If the scope and involvement of the voice-over increases over the duration of the project, it is only fair that they may have to charge more than initially quoted. Ideally have a script or transcript available for the purpose of the quotation or estimate.

6. Allow a realistic time scale

This sounds obvious, however, it is a very common mistake to underestimate the time it takes to prepare a ‘ready to record script’, to listen to different voice-over demos, to record the first draft and to cover any re-records. For instance, it is no good rushing a finished script through at the last minute, 10 days after it was initially due, and then expecting a result the same day. Doing this right takes a predetermined period of time and requires booking in advance. Any voice-over that is sat there waiting to record your script on a moments notice is obviously not busy. Good voice-overs are always busy and have to manage their recording schedule carefully.

7. Don’t believe the lies…

This is just talking into a microphone, easy money! Not true! A professional voice-over has had years of experience in talking at the right tone, pace and speed. The position of the microphone also has to be given careful consideration to get the tone and professional sound that is required. They make it sound easy, but it isn’t! This is a professional skill that develops over many years, and even the most experienced voice-overs do numerous takes before sending the version(s) they are happy with.

The recording is just part of the process…removing the noticeable breaths, gaps, plosives / pops (caused by b’s & p’s) and saliva noises requires skilled audio editing techniques that require years of practice or can require the skill of an audio engineer. Ten minutes of produced voice-over does not equal ten minutes of talking into a microphone!

Many long running voice-over jobs can be exhausting for the voice-over; this is because most voice-over narrations are done in an unnatural style. For example, you would not naturally talk with a permanent happy tone or a permanent smile on your face. Often, voice-over jobs require this for extended periods of time. If you don’t believe me, try reading this article into a microphone in a voice-over style and then listen back to your efforts.

8. Re-records don’t take 2 minutes!

Re-records can be very time consuming; it is best to avoid them if possible by triple checking your script before recording starts. If you miss as little as one word this can result in a line, sentence or even a paragraph having to be re-recorded. It can be difficult for a voice-over to recreate the moment and get the flow and tone the same as in the original take. It is near impossible to record one word and drop it in. Also, any new audio has to be blended into the original recording, which requires intricate audio editing.

9. Expect a variety of fees

Voice-overs are like actors, the more well known they are, the more they charge. If they have just got the gig to do a long running series of ads on mainstream TV, it is unlikely that they will still be working for small fees. Furthermore, all voice-overs have different career structures and are able to charge whatever suits their industry position and current timetable. For this reason, it is near impossible to get a ballpark figure that applies to all voice-overs; it is nearly always necessary to get a quote per job based on the specific job details. A good provider of voice-overs should be able to efficiently get the job details and match your budget to the most appropriate voice-over(s).

10. Give Feedback…but be nice!

It is common for clients to be very communicative during the quotation and recording / production stage. However, it is not uncommon for the client to go quiet at the end of a project when they have what they need. This is ok, although the client that the voice-over remembers well into the future is the one that takes the time to pass on their appreciation and thanks. A simple thank you over email is nice and takes no time at all. If you let the voice-over know how pleased you are with their work they will be more likely to go the extra mile when you need their help in the future.

Finally…

If you consider all of the points above, you should be able to manage your or your clients voice-over requirements very successfully and above all, you should enjoy the creative process of choosing and using a professional voice-over.

Lee Pritchard is the founder of Media Music Now, a high quality Royalty Free Music library that offers a variety of music, voice-over and audio editing services to the media industry. Lee also has a keen interest in music licensing and is excited about the future of independent music on the internet.

10 Jul, 2021
Voice Over – A Beginner’s Guide

IT ALL STARTS WITH YOUR VOICE

If you have ever been told that you have a great voice, then you may have thought of making use of that great voice in a professional way – as a singer, announcer or as a voice over talent. Voice over, or adding your voice to advertisements and recorded messages, can be a very lucrative field for a trained talent.

In the commercial world all kinds of voices are needed: low voices, whiny voices, gravelly voices, flat voices and even average voices. So, even if you don’t have a classic “good voice” you can enter the field if you have determination.

First, explore your instrument. Not just your voice, but your whole being. Do this by taking an acting and/or improvisation class at your local college/learning annex/community center. Stay with it for 3 months. Aside from freeing yourself up, you’ll probably meet some fun people.

Why acting classes? You need to know how to create the characters who “speak” in a commercial. Just taking an animation class won’t do it. You need to start the process organically. It’s not about the voice, just yet, it’s about the intention behind the voice that gives the voice a shape.

After you’ve opened yourself up for three months in an acting class, it’s time to move into specifics with a voice over class.

This is where I’ll begin to speak to two types of people: Those who want to move to L.A., New York, Atlanta, Chicago, or San Francisco and pursue a union voice over career, and those who want to create an internet voice over career right there in Smalltown, USA. For simplicity sake, we’ll refer to them as Red state and Blue state… Actually, I think CITY (union) and COUNTRY (non-union/internet) might be better.

CITY:

This part should be very easy for you. Just do a search for “Voice Over Class” and “your city” with Google. Of course, there may be classes offered at your local universities and performing arts centers. Ask around for good word-of-mouth about them. Then sign-up with the best and attend! (Avoid classes that end with you paying another $1000 for a demo reel).

A comprehensive resource is Voice Over Resource Guide It lists all the studios as well as classes In addition, read some books on the subject.

COUNTRY:

Here’s where you will find some challenges. Try your local college/learning annex/community centers to see if one is offered. Also ask your acting teacher if they know of any coaches who do voice over coaching. It may even be your own acting teacher! You might have to drive a bit to the next big town to find a class or coach. But, it’s imperative to get some formal training. Just reading a book won’t do it for you.

You need a “director” in the beginning to help you become aware of where your technique is weak or failing. By all means, read books, too! They will give you great insight into the mechanics. But, it all comes down to those sound vibrations and how they land on the listener’s ear.

In addition to your voice over class, start practicing at home. Listen to any and every commercial on the TV and radio. Mimic them. Pick up magazines and read the ad copy aloud as though it were a commercial. Get so used to your voice that silence sounds wrong.

Most people want to skip this whole part and get right to the money making part. Believe me, if you skip this part, no one will want to pay you for what you’ll be offering. Ego and confidence are not a substitute for talent and technique.

Some books on the subject:

There’s Money Where Your Mouth Is: An Insider’s Guide to a Career in Voice-Overs – by Elaine A. Clark

Secrets of Voice-Over Success: Top Voice-Over Actors Reveal How They Did It – by Joan Baker

The Art of Voice Acting: 2nd Edition – by James Alburger

The Page You Made: Word of Mouth -by Susan Blu, Molly Ann Mullin

Work in Voiceover Acting: written by a Casting Director

FINDING YOUR RANGE AND NICHE

Once you’ve gotten a handle on your voice, you need to know what your range is and, by association, what your market is.

Are you the classy BMW voice, the GenX hamburger guy, the Don Pardo game show host? You could be all three and more. Knowing all that you can do will help you promote yourself with confidence and direction.

Start with your normal speaking voice. What does your coach say? Are you the “everyman” voice? The “hip, edgy” voice? The “natural announcer” voice? Whichever comes the easiest may be your bread and butter. Foster it. What you and your coach decide will become the centerpiece of your promotion.

But don’t stop there! Now start stretching your voice. Try accents, character voices – both broad and subtle (this is where the acting classes come in handy). Anything you can do with your voice may be called upon for any one of the different voice over market niches out there!

Here are the main areas you might find work:

Radio/television commercials
Promos/trailers
Business narration
Cartoons
IVR/voice mail greetings
Web audio

If you’re COUNTRY you probably won’t get much cartoon work and if you’re CITY you probably won’t get much IVR/voice mail greetings work. But ALL of these areas may require ANY TYPE of voice style! So, the broader your range, the broader your work potential.

This is an important step. It is here that you determine your whole approach to your career, whether it be CITY or COUNTRY.

For example, you have a gravelly, low voice that’s warm. You might sell yourself as the “Your Bourbon Straight-Up voice”. Or you have a super-sweet female voice you would be “The Voice of a Princess”, etc.

It also helps to know what celebrities you sound like. See what kinds of commercials they perform voice over on. Listen closely, Alec Baldwin, Keifer Sutherland, Stockard Channing, Susan Sarandon – they all do voice overs.

You may want to specialize. For CITY folks, you can find an animation class or a promos class. COUNTRY folk will have to do a bit of self-teaching here. Read Terri Apple’s Making Money in Voice Overs.

Start collecting copy (scripts) that fit your style. Even within your style there are sub-styles. Cover them all. Also look for copy that best shows your other “stretch” voices. This all will lead up to making your demo reel.

The business starts with your demo reel…

THE DEMO REEL

Here is where it gets complicated and potentially expensive. If your going the CITYroute, you’ll want to ask around as to where to get your demo done. Where do other voice over actors go for theirs? How does their demo sound? And, of course, what’s the cost? If it sounds too expensive, than it is.

For CITY folk, the demo is primarily used to get an agent. That’s about it, as most clients/jobs/gigs will come from auditions you’ll do at the agency or local casting facility.

For COUNTRY folk, your demo(s) will continually be your selling tool on your website. You will probably want to have one for each of the markets I wrote about previously. And getting your reel done will be hard at first. In some geographical areas, there won’t be anybody who can edit them for you, let alone offer good direction. But that’s where your career will differ from CITY folk. I’ll talk more about this in a moment.

Let’s start with the basics for both CITY and COUNTRY folk.

Your demo shouldn’t be longer than a minute. Yes, a minute! Others will say 2 minutes, but no one listens that long unless you have SO MANY DIFFERENT voices.

Each clip on your reel should be no more than 15 seconds, probably less.

Each clip should show something NEW about your voice.

The clips should get shorter the longer the reel goes so the pace quickens.

Your demo should only contain things appropriate for that market! i.e. Commercials for a commercial demo, cartoon voices for a cartoon demo, narration for a narration demo.

CITY folk will probably only need a Commercial demo and a Narration demo (and Cartoon demo if they do funny voices).

COUNTRY folk should have a demo for each market listed previously.

So, the CITY folk have their reel and are ready to find an agent. Go ahead and skip to FINDING AN AGENT.

COUNTRY folk, you have some work cut out for you!

In order to have a home voice over studio business, you are going to have to learn to record yourself, edit your recording and burn CDs and also upload them to the internet. This is something you’ll be doing every day…. You might want to read this paragraph again.

In order to have a home voice over studio business, you are going to have to learn to record yourself, edit your recording and burn CDs and also upload them to the internet. This is something you’ll be doing every day….

The semi upside of this is that you will get to edit your own demo reels and save money. But, money that you will have already spent on your equipment!

BUILDING YOUR STUDIO

This is where your business comes to life! Here’s what you’ll need:

A closet or sound booth.
A microphone.
A mixer (optional).
A pre-amp (optional).
Headphones.
A music stand and a microphone stand.
A computer optimized for audio recording (processor/RAM).
A sound card or ProTools mBox.
A software program or ProTools.
Monitor Speakers (for accurate sound editing).
A website and DSL or Cable Broadband!

All this will require two other people (Helpers): One helper who knows about audio equipment and recording software (your musician friend, most likely, or the Guitar Center employee), and a web designer who can create your site and teach you how to upload audio.

Let’s break this down:

A CLOSET OR SOUND BOOTH

When you’re starting out, you’ll want to watch your money, so a sound booth shouldn’t be considered. They usually run about $1,200 or more.

However, a closet is always easy to convert. You need a space that is away from the plumbing (so you don’t record the toilet flush!) but close to your computer. Carpet the walls of the closet so you don’t get your voice bouncing around, giving that echo-ey sound to your recordings. You can buy studio insulation, but carpet’s much cheaper.

A MICROPHONE

You essentially want a microphone that records voice well. There are many out there. I use an AKG 414 and it cost me $600 on eBay. If you go to your local music store and let them know what you’re doing, they should be able to guide you towards something right for your situation. Then check eBay for better prices!

Ideally, you’d want to find someone who will come out to your house and help you put the whole studio together for a small fee (around $100) or free (buy them lunch, though).

A MIXER

Someone who knows how to make a good martini… Wait, sorry. I mean a mixer is good for being able to control your mic and headphone volume when you’re in the booth. It will also be needed if you decide to add a phone patch (a way to have someone on the phone to hear you record while they offer direction).

(A side note: You may hear about ISDN as a way of recording your voice remotely to some far away studio. The cost of equipment and installation is not worth it at this stage of your career. Wait a bit, as the technology is moving towards voiceover internet protocol [VOIP] which will render ISDN outdated.)

A PREAMP

This juices up your mic and can also warm your voice prior to being recorded, saving some EQ-ing time later. This is something to discuss with your Helper.

HEADPHONES/MUSIC STAND/MICROPHONE STAND

If I have to explain this, you might want to think about another career…

COMPUTER/SOFTWARE

Get a Mac. Any Mac that’s a G4 or G5 with 1 gig of RAM. (Yeah, I’m partial to Macs). If you want to go another way (Not Mac?!?) then talk again with your Helper. If you are not good with computers, this could become a stumbling block for you.

If you have a computer, you might be able to use it. Talk with your Helper as to which sound editing application to use. (You’ll need some tutoring from them initially). Knowing which program to use will help determine if your computer has enough processing power to handle voice recording.

SOUND CARD/mBOX

Some computers already have a sound card installed. Ones that don’t will need one, or you can get an mBox, a sort of external sound card. mBox runs about $500 and includes the software, ProTools. Again, talk to your Helper.

MONITOR SPEAKERS

Make sure you get some monitors. The main difference between monitors and regular speakers is that they don’t pump up/beautify the audio. You want to hear exactly what you sound like, not the best-case scenario. I use Roland Micro monitors. They’re inexpensive and accurate. Don’t use your internal computer speaker!!!

WEBSITE

And here is the monster! If you don’t do web design (as I do), you want to find someone who won’t charge an arm and a leg.

First, determine what you’ll want on your site. You’ll need to introduce yourself and your style. You’ll need your demos on there. You’ll want some instructions on how clients can work with you. Check out your competitor’s websites. What do you like about theirs, what don’t you like. Then, see if there are any website templates that could be customized to fit your needs. Going to a web designer with a template, aside from bumming them out, will save you lots of hours and money.

(Side note here: Make sure your designer makes your site optimized for search engines. Google “SEO” to see the ocean of info on this.)

Now that you’ve bought all your equipment, installed it, learned the software and built your website, it’s time to edit your own reels!

Yup, you can do it yourself. Listen to all the reels out there. Which ones work for you? Why do they work for you? Implement those techniques with your reels. If you’ve been practicing your voice over, taking classes, etc., then you should be fine with creating your own reels. You hear TV and radio ads all the time. Do yours sound like those? It can be that easy.

You’ll also want to find some royalty free music to put underneath the spots you created. In all honesty, you can use anything since you’re not selling the demos.

Update your demos often as you get real work.

If you’re uncertain about how your demo is sounding, get feedback from people you respect. But, take all the input with a grain of salt. It’s YOUR demo after all.

But most importantly: Just do it. Most COUNTRY folk get stuck right about here. Will you?

FINDING AN AGENT

For CITY folk, this is the hardest part. Not that the act is difficult, but the perseverance required is enormous. It may take you several mailings, meetings, etc. to land an agent. The most important thing to remember is “don’t give up”!

First, package your CD so that it represents you, your product, what you’re selling. Make it catchy. You want to grab their eye so they’ll want to pop your CD in the player.

Get the agency list from your local SAG (Screen Actors Guild) or AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) office. Mail that CD with a SHORT intro letter to every V.O. agent out there.

Also, ask your friends whom they are with. See if they’ll take your CD into their VO agent. Ask your VO teacher for a referral. Ask your barber! Anybody!

In the interim, send your CD to all the non-union voiceover auditions you find online or in your local trade paper. In L.A. and NY you would check out Backstage and Actors Access.

For COUNTRY folk, you’ll want to sign up with many agencies in many cities. They’ll email you auditions, and you’ll email your mp3 back.

I could list agencies here, but they change a bit over time. I suggest Googling “voice over agency”. There are also two major pay websites. They get the majority of non-union VO auditions. They also have 1000s of voice over artists like you. Voice123 and Voices.com. The are the gorillas in the room that take everyone on who pays. This results in 1000s of actors for each job posted, though they do use some algorithms to help keep it semi-reasonable. Avoid websites that will charge to list your site, but not offer daily auditions. For the most part you’re throwing your money down the drain.

COUNTRY folk, your biggest challenge now is to get clients. Focus on getting your website seen (pay-per-click with Google and Yahoo) and sending your link to all the local companies in your town. They’ll be happy to know they don’t have to go far to get a professional voice over for their commercial or in-house narration.

GOOD LUCK!

These are essentially the steps I took to start both my COUNTRY and CITY careers. There are hundreds of little details to everything I’ve mentioned. My intent was not to hold your hand through the process, but to give you an overview in a simple, straightforward way. Half of being good at this is the ability to learn on the job. The other half is the preparation (classes, reading, practicing).

There will be those people who will want an article to show them an easy way right to the money. Well, there is no easy way. But I’ve shown you some practical steps to get you into the game. What you do when you get into that arena is up to you. You can take a seat and watch or you can figure out how to get onto the field. It’s different for everyone. But, the opportunity is there. It’s real.

But, YOU have to take those steps. No eBook will do it for you. I wish you all the best in your new voice over career!

09 Jul, 2021
Tips For Successfully Professional Voice Overs

Pinpointing the right voice over talent is very important regardless of the project that you want them for. But the challenge that is faced by most people is how they can go about the process so as to successfully hire the right artist.

The company that you hire to provide you with voice overs should not only be affordable but also one that can guarantee quality work. In the text below, we tell you the ten most important things to take into account when hiring a professional voice artist. Read below to find out about these tips.

1. Go for trusted as well as experienced talent fished from a company with reputation

These days, there is a very stiff competition in the market of voice overs. So long as a person owns a microphone and has a voice, he or she can venture into the industry and advertise themselves on the internet as professional voice overs. Just like is the case with any marketplace that is readily accessible, having too many options is not always a great thing for consumers.

Rather, the important things, far more important than having a million and one options to choose from, is getting a quality professional voice over and recording with the ability to make timely deliveries. Because Google filters billions of website pages, it is important that you use a reputable supplier who can offer accountable and trusted voice overs to enable you home in on gifted voice artists who are capable of delivering the project on time.

An agent or a supplier with multiple voice over professionals ought to be in a position to offer you a multitude of options. Also, their experience when it comes to intricate hiring implies that not only do you have a professional but also a trusted company which you can hold to account should something not turn out as you expected it to.

2. Shy away from directories that have massive pools of voice over experts

Even though it is possible for you to land a gifted voice artist to handle your project, it is not a good thing to post your project to several talents at one instant.

Because most of the large sites will just let anybody to join them and pitch for work, they tend to have thousands of members. These sites allow as many members as possible to register because the members pay some money before being allowed. Credible and established voice over professionals will be quick to avoid the sites that have thousands of amateur contenders.

You should also do the same when choosing a voice artist. Moreover, a directory with thousands of voice over artists makes it difficult for you to zero in on one suitable artist.

3. Cheap is often more expensive so buyer beware

After receiving a quote in this industry for a professional work in this sector, you should not choose the cheapest quote. Just as I mentioned before, the market has been flooded with anybody as long as they have voice and a microphone. Professionals who deliver quality work are likely to charge a lot more compared to the yet to be established upstarts.

While the upstarts may try to lure you with their cheaper prices, it is always a good idea to choose a respectable and professional company. Just like with many other things in life, when it comes to voice overs, expect to get what you paid for. A respectable company will deliver higher quality work compared to one that is just starting out.

However, this is not to say that you should always choose the highest bidder. Professional companies will charge a price that falls in a given range. If the price that a company charges appears way out of this range, you probably need to avoid this company.

4. Do not base your decisions on the demo as it is just the beginning point

It could be that at this point, you have identified a voice over whose demo reel appears great and very well produced. However, this is no proof that their other works are great. This is because several studios can record and then produce show reels for the upcoming voice over artists.

These can then be manipulated to appear as though they are the artist’s previous projects. This, however, is not a big issue sometimes. However, when your intention is to contract one of these talents, it is important to take note that they may produce on their own without a producer’s help may be of significantly lower quality compared to their show/demo reel.

In order to this, one should choose voice suppliers with international repute.in case you find that you are directly dealing with an artist, ask him or her to give you an example of their recent project that is not only similar but also one that was produced in their own recording studio.

For instance, if your project entails recording an audio book, insist on the potential voice overs providing you with a copy of their previous project. It is possible that their corporate narrations, on-hold messages and adverts that are professionally produced may not show their capability to narrate an audio book.

5. Clarity and fairness are an absolute a must

It is important that, when asking for the voice over services, you ensure that you are as clear as possible regarding your budget, project requirements as well as the expectations. One way of differentiating a great voice over company from an average one is because a great company will explore the extent of your job and pose the right questions so as to get the most accurate quotation from available vocal talents.

But you need to understand that it is totally your obligation to provide a clear overview and description of your work as well as its exposure and distribution. If, in the course of the project, there is an increase in the scope as well as participation in the voice over, the company could be forced to charge more money than it initially quoted. You need to have a transcript or a script just for the reason of estimate or quotation.

6. Be realistic about the timescale

This may sound common sense but many times, people underestimate the time it should take to come up with a script that is ready to record. Remember there are many things involved in the preparation of the script and these need sufficient time. For instance, you need to set time for listening to the various voice demos, covering any re-records and recording the first draft.

There is no need, for example, to rush a completed script at the last minute when it ought to have been due ten days ago and expect to get a result in the same day. In order to achieve this, it is important to set time early and even book in advance. If you have a voice expert who can avail themselves on short notice and is always ready to record your script then you should know that he or she is not busy.

One attribute of good voice over artists is that they are always busy and therefore not available on short notice. They tend to carefully manage their recording schedules.

7. Don’t be fooled by lies

So you may think that this is easy money since it only entails speaking into a microphone. Far from it! A professional artist has many years of experience and will always talk at the right pace, speed and tone. This professional also knows that in order to come up with a professional voice required, he or she must know how to correctly position the microphone.

Although the voice over experts may make speaking into a microphone appear easy, it never is. Theirs is a professional skill nurtured and developed over many years.

Even the most established profesisonals must perform several takes prior to sending the versions that they are most proud of. The recording is only one process. It does take skilled audio editing methods to be able to get rid of the gaps, plosives, noticeable breaths, pops and saliva noises.

This requires years of practicing and may sometime need to be done by a sound engineer. In short, you cannot compare 10 minutes of speaking into a microphone with 10 minutes of voice that has been produced. For instance, you cannot possibly talk while wearing a permanent smile or a happy tone on the face all the time.

In most cases, voice over jobs need this to be done for longer periods of time. If you find this unbelievable, just try to read this post over the microphone and listen on your efforts afterwards. You will realize that it is not as easy as it appears.

8. Re-records are very time consuming, avoid them completely

Re-records can consume a lot of time. If possible avoid them as much as you can by doubly checking your script just before you start to record. In case you miss even a word, it may mean that a line, sentence or sometimes a whole paragraph has to be re-recorded afresh. It may not be easy for the voice over to reconstruct the moment and hit the tone as well as the flow that was in the original piece.

On the other hand, there is no way you could possibly record a single one and then fix it in the middle of the line. Another thing is that any new audio produced needs to be blended well so that it fits in the original recording. This may require complex audio editing. Therefore, doubly check the script for any errors to ensure that you do not have re-records as they can be damn time-consuming.

9. Fees tend to vary from one expert to another

Voice overs professionals, just like actors, charge depending on their fame and popularity. If you are hoping to hire a voice artist who has landed a series of advertisements on the mainstream TV, they may not entertain the idea of having to work for small fees.

Also, it is important to understand that voice overs tend to have different structures of career and as such, may charge according to current timetable and what suits the position of their industry. Therefore, it is not possible to identify one uniform figure that can apply to all voice artists.

Rather, it is necessary that you get quotes per individual jobs and this should be informed by specific details of a particular job. Good providers are able to efficiently get the details of the job and then choose the best voice over according to your budget.

10. Always Give Feedback and appreciation if the job is done to your satisfaction

During production and recording stage, clients are known to be communicative enough. But not many of them can get back after the end of the project to report that they got what they wanted and that it was a nice job.

While there is nothing wrong with this, a voice over is likely to the client who remembers to show their appreciation and thanks. It is not something difficult. Just compose a simple email message to thank them for delivering a great job. Letting the provider be aware that you liked their work will encourage them to perform for you even better the next time.

Conclusion

Hiring professional voice overs is not easy, like hiring other professionals. The challenge here is that there are so many of the so-called professionals out there and it becomes really difficult to find the perfect one for you.

The article above explains ten things that you must take into account if you want to get the very top quality voice over. They include knowing that the price one charges is likely to differ from the price that another one charges, remembering to call back and thank the artist for great work, triple checking to avoid re-records, being realistic about the time scale and being clear in so far as job requirements are concerned among other things.

Sticking to the points above may not necessarily guarantee a flawless voice over but it can be the difference between a good job and a great one. Stick to the script and your chances of landing a top voice over professional will be greatly enhanced.

08 Jul, 2021
Radio No.32: Let’s Dance Tonight

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Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumquer nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere. At vero eos et accusamus et iusto.
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10 Sep, 2018
Radio No.29: Rock Concerts Around You

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10 Sep, 2018
Radio No.24: Raise Your Hands Up

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10 Sep, 2018