Wishing You a Successful Voice Acting Career

We hope that you’ve found the Professional’s Guide to Voice Acting to be a useful resource.

Now that you’re finished reading this guide, you’re prepared to go forth in the voice acting industry armed with a thorough insight into what makes an effective voice over business tick.

Here’s a roundup of the main points we hope you take away!

Professional’s Guide to Voice Acting Overview

• Voice actors used to have to go into a professional studio to record their work. Now, operating a voice over business from the comfort of one’s home is more accessible and affordable than ever.
• Voice talent now regularly double as their own sound engineers, business managers, and marketers.

Finding Your Voice: Identifying Your Signature Sound

• Your signature voice or ‘money voice’ is the voice that you are most commonly hired to perform, and the voice that audiences are most likely to associate you with.
• Identifying your signature sound involves determining your vocal range and distinct vocal qualities, as well as finding your niche within the voice acting industry.
• Actors with iconic voices have become so well-known because their voices don’t sound put-on. They sound completely natural.
• It is also entirely possible that the signature voice that you build your professional career on will stand in stark contrast to your personal, everyday voice.

Developing a Voice Over Business Plan

• A business plan will help you stay motivated, keep track of your budget, and assess where you need financial aid to achieve your goals.
• Some elements to put in your business plan include a market overview, a list of your voice over services, your work experience, your vocal qualities, and a summary of your financial plans and goals.
• Mistakes that are commonly made when composing business plans include drawing on antiquated information, biting off more than one can chew, and using inaccurate financial data, failing to recognize your weaknesses, and not knowing your target market.

Upgrading Your Home Recording Studio

• A vast number of voice talent now record auditions from home in rooms they’ve built or repurposed as DIY recording studios.
• The quality of your vocal delivery will be impacted by the physical specs of the room in which you’re recording. This is why you should carefully select the right room, install insulation, hang heavy fabric, check your sound absorption by doing a clap test, and carpet the entire room.
• Portable isolation booths are a perfect solution for actors who are asked to record a quick turnaround project on the fly.
• Your voice over microphone is the most important piece of equipment you’ll have in your home studio, and it is important that you test out an assortment of mics before deciding on the right one for you.

Updating Your Voice Over Demo

• When you’re putting together a new and improved voice over demo, keep production elements to a minimum, use dry voice samples, employ script direction, and adopt a vocal warm-up routine.
• The following are telltale signs that you should update your voice over demo: vocal changes, outdated times or cultural references, music and sound effects that need to be updated, or a demo that has simply gone out of style.
• Be careful about using sample clips of past jobs in your demo, because they can be considered a copyright infringement. Make sure that you have the rights before you use anything.
• Showcase your demo on your website and upload it to Voices profile.

Voice Over Audio Production Techniques

• It is beneficial for voice actors today to be skilled sound engineers who can mix and master their own audio, and operate tools like audio expanders and compressors.
• In today’s online marketplaces, slating the beginning of your audition has become a redundant practice and is no longer required unless stated.
• You should familiarize yourself with different audio file formats and how to convert files from one to the other. The most widely used digital audio format is mp3.

Voice Acting Auditions Online: Audition for Voice Acting Jobs From Home

• Along with the audition that you record and submit on an online marketplace, you will have the opportunity to submit a written proposal that asserts why you are right for the job.
• Carefully follow the directions stated by a client when performing your script treading; don’t disregard their criteria or simply submit a generic demo.
• Don’t audition for every job that comes your way. Doing so will cause you to grow ‘audition weary,’ which will shine through in the sound of your voice.

Voice Over App: Using Voices’s Mobile App to Audition On the Go

• With Voices’s mobile app you can edit your profile, apply for jobs, record custom auditions directly on your device, communicate with clients, access your payments, and more.
• To get the best quality reads, you can purchase an attachment mic that connects to your mobile device and provides studio-quality recording.

Getting a Voice Acting Agent in Major Markets

• Getting agency representation differs depending on whether you’re hoping to break into a major market (New York, LA, Chicago, Montreal or Toronto). Most major market agents want talent who have already gained some industry credits, while smaller market agencies are typically willing to take you on if you have a professional demo or vocal training.
• Before meeting with an agent, you should be well-versed in past work their agency has completed, the standards of agency contracts and trial periods, and the typical commission an agent requires.
• It is important that you maintain a good relationship with your agent. Your agent will make zero profit unless you’re booking work, so your relationship is mutually beneficial.

Building Relationships with Clients

• If you’re easy to work with and make a good impression on your clients, then repeat work will come your way: either via that same client, their recommendations to their professional network, or through the testimonials they provide.
• Treat each job like it is your first ever, and your number one priority, regardless of its size or how much it pays.
• Keep in touch with clients after you’ve worked with them by sending handwritten thank you notes and holiday cards, staying in touch through social media, and using newsletters effectively.

Building a Website for Your Voice Over Business

• The goal of your homepage is both to provide an online destination where the entirety of your voice services are clearly stated, and to succinctly and compellingly capture your brand story.
• All of your site’s content should be strategically laid out in order to lead your client to your contact info.
• You can build up your personal brand and enhance your prospects of ranking in search engines by maintaining a voice acting blog, and adding text and multimedia content to your site with a mindfulness to SEO practices.
• Your voice over business website also provides the opportunity to hone your sonic brand and visual identity.

Advertising Your Voice Over Business Online

• You can advertise your voice over business by modifying your content to rank organically, or through paying to target ads toward specific audiences and search results.
• A savvy voice actor should continuously monitor their advertising efforts and test out various marketing methods to determine what works best for their voice over business at a given time.
• Fleshing out your Voices profile is a great way to get noticed online.

Personal Branding Tips: Using Social Media to Promote Your Voice Over Services

• You should maintain professional social media accounts separate from your personal ones, specifically for promoting your voice over business.
• Consider building a professional presence on all the major network, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Make sure to determine which platforms make the most sense for marketing your voice over business, and assess which ones to prioritize so that you make the most of your limited time and resources.
• Be consistent with brand imagery and your username/handle across all social media accounts. Cross-promote your websites and social media profiles.

Now that you’re equipped with an arsenal of tools to forge your way as a professional voice actor, it’s all up to you. Take action. Go for it!

We’re here to help you along the way. If you have any questions, comments, or stories to share with us, please email [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help in any way we can.