#VOLife aka “The Life of a Freelance Voice Over Talent”
VO Frequently Asked Questions? (click FAQs)
- “But seriously, what is voiceover?”
- “Isn’t voiceover a hard Industry to get into?”
- “People say I have a great voice, should I get into voiceover?”
- “I can do some really great impressions…”
- “Do I need a voiceover coach?”
- “Do I need a voiceover demo?
- “I’ve taken the classes and have a demo, now what?”
- “Is just recording on my phone good enough?”
- “But how do I get actual voiceover work?”
- “So how much money will I actually make doing voiceover work?”
- *Free Resouces* (Podcasts, Youtube, & Interviews oh my!)*
- “Is voiceover really your job?”
Whenever I tell people that my job is working in voiceover full-time there are at least 3 things that will usually happen…
- They will have no idea what “voice-over” means.
- They will want to hear me do a certain kind of “voice” for them.
- They will confess that VO is their secret dream job and want to know how to break in.
Whether they already work in the arts or have a desk job, many people see voiceover as this elusive job of their dreams. Once upon a time that may have been true, and I used to think the same way, even though voiceover was my very first job ever. Now that I have been working in this industry for over 10 years, I still consider it to be my dream job, but I also know that it was nothing I expected it to be.
I’m not a coach, I don’t have any guaranteed strategies, and I’m always actively learning new aspects of the business daily, but I thought I’d answer some Frequently Asked Questions here about what #VOLife is like.
My goal is to share some things to think about, based on my experience so far, that I hope can be helpful to anyone interested in voiceover life (full or part-time), whether you’re just starting, or need some encouragement!
#VOLIFE FAQs
“But seriously, what is voiceover?”
I know that the first thoughts that come to mind when someone says voice-over are usually
- Anime & Cartoon Characters
- Video Game Characters
- or “Is that you that I hear in that commercial?”
Voiceover, or VO, has been around for ages and can cover anything where you hear a voice but don’t see the person speaking. Thinking of it that way can open your eyes to how often skilled voice actors are needed.
There are many different genres and subgenres in the voiceover industry, and thanks to innovations in technology, new opportunities for voice actors are always being introduced.
Besides cartoons, video games, and commercials, there are also e-learning courses, audiobooks, podcasts, movie trailers, documentary narration, talking toys, phone messages, virtual tours, and live announcements… to name a few.
Once you start paying attention, you will hear voiceover possibilities everywhere!
“Isn’t voiceover a hard Industry to get into?”
Voiceover is such a huge industry that this is not an easy question to answer, but I would say “yes” and “no”.
Thanks to the internet it is much easier to put yourself out there on the interwebs as a voiceover talent and work remotely with clients worldwide, without going through impossible barriers. Yes, it will be competitive. Many parts of the industry are much harder to break into. If your dream is to be a Disney Princess or the official network voice of a major network, then that is a very ambitious goal. At the same time, if you’re open to the diversity of the industry, then there are many ways for you to find voiceover work.
Possibilities are literally everywhere!
“People say I have a great voice, should I get into voice-over?”
Umm… Maybe?
Don’t get me wrong, having a voice that people like to hear is an asset, but at the same time, it’s extremely subjective. Also, a nice voice doesn’t necessarily mean you have the right voice for a particular job. I think it’s more important to know whether or not this is something you could have a passion for.
Are you a skilled actor? Are you a great storyteller? Are you hilarious or engaging when giving commentary? Are you someone who makes things easier for people to understand when you explain it to them? An industry this diverse needs a diverse talent pool to make it work well, and your unique style, more than just your vocal quality, will likely make you successful in voiceover.
“I can do some great impressions and sound just like (Insert trendy celebrity or famous cartoon character here), so should I pursue voiceover?”
A part of this industry occasionally focuses on voice-matching, but there’s much more demand for original voices. It’s a cool trick to sound like others, but it’s more valuable to sound like yourself. If you’re more of a mimic than an actor that skill may not get you very far for very long. I’m impressed by accurate impersonators, and having an “ear” to voice match is awesome, but I’d think of that as an additional skill.
In my opinion, being comfortable with what your unique voice can convey is a much better incentive to pursue voiceover as a career.
“Do I need a voiceover coach? Isn’t that a scam or a waste of money?”
I am an advocate for voiceover coaching, but I understand why people can be skeptical.
For every good coach, there are several bad ones, but the good ones are invaluable.
Some people are convinced that the beauty, power, sexiness, or quirkiness of their voice is enough to get their foot in the voiceover door. That may be true, but it’s certainly not the norm.
Even if it does happen to you, are you convinced that once you get your foot (or rather voice) in that door you will be properly prepared for what’s expected of you?
Some of you are experienced actors or singers so you may feel confident that you can just wing it. Those skills have definitely come in handy for me personally, but voiceover in many ways is a completely different world.
Learning the different genres of voiceover is like learning a completely new skill, just like learning different genres of music. Jazz is very different from Opera which is very different from Hip-Hop… or think of how acting is different for the stage than it is for television or film.
I’ve found that having an expert help guide me in finding what I’m good at, what I should focus on improving, and how to stay competitive in the current voiceover industry, is absolutely worth it. Once you get training with a good coach who is a good match for you, or several coaches, you will probably learn a lot of things that you didn’t know you didn’t know.
I started my voiceover career with previous experience in acting, singing in-studio, and even voiceover, but coaching with Anna Garduño (www.voiceforward.com) led to me getting consistent VO work. Most working voiceover professionals will have coaches they can recommend. Most working voiceover professionals continue to get coaching themselves, just like a professional athlete wouldn’t just rest on their past wins and expect to stay competitive.
Try a few sessions out, whether in person or online. Invest in your potential!
“Do I need a voiceover demo? Why are they so expensive?!! Should I just record my demo reel myself?”
Yes, you will need at least one competitive and preferably professionally made voiceover demo, and please don’t rush into getting one, or assume your homemade demo is good enough. That being said, maybe your homemade demo will be good enough. Confusing? I know.
I say this as a person who believes there is always more than one way to do anything.
The expectation is that you’ll at least have one industry-standard pro demo that represents what you do well, and most homemade demos rarely fool anyone. Arguments can be made for how necessary it is to spend a lot on a demo, but know most working voiceover professionals will have at least one but probably several, which sets a standard of expectations, and ignoring that may mean being overlooked, talented or not.
It’s also a huge waste of money to rush to make an expensive demo before you’re ready.
Overall, knowing the industry well and your voiceover strengths when making your demo is the key to making a good one.
Also, make sure your demo showcases what you can actually do. Be sure you can easily perform what is on your demo when requested, as it can often be a great reference for clients seeking a particular performance from you that they heard and liked. Don’t hide your voice behind filters, sound effects, or overpowering music. This is what you would pay a skilled professional demo producer to do right for you.
A great pro demo can also get you voiceover work without an audition, or great agent representation.
As opposed to a poor amateur demo, which could ironically detract from showcasing your talent or be memorable for the wrong reasons.
I know we live in a DIY world, but there’s a reason why professional photographers, sound engineers, and media producers exist, and that includes demo producers.
Making your own demo may be good practice for recording at home, or showcase your production capabilities, but I wouldn’t rely on that being your best representation in an industry full of people showcasing their very best.
My advice is to think of a home demo as a possibly flattering selfie and don’t mistake it for a professional headshot. There may be situations where all you honestly need is a selfie to represent you, but walking into a professional setting with just a bunch of selfies can also make you look like an amateur… unless your last name is Kardashian, then “Touché”.
There’s also a whole social media world out there where you can be heard and showcase who you are as a talent and bypass demos altogether.
Don’t let the high price of a demo be the one thing that deters you, but don’t underestimate it being well worth the investment!
“I’ve taken the classes and have a demo, now what? Do I try to get an agent, join the union, go to the studio, and collect my inevitable big money checks?”
That would be awesome but don’t depend on it.
I’m sure you’ve already guessed that there are other skills that you will have to get good at, or fairly comfortable with, to build a successful career. You are potentially building your own sustainable business so things like marketing, self-recording, customer service, and bookkeeping are very important. Every skill that a general freelancer needs, you will need. That’s part of the fun of working for yourself, right?
At least until you can hire someone else to do that stuff for you.
Being the hired talent is the fun part of voiceover, but the expectation from most clients is that you can record broadcast quality audio from your own space, that you have time flexibility and the needed tech capabilities, and that you are easy to communicate with and work with overall.
This can be a very different experience than showing up to a set, or studio, or theater, ready to work.
Those jobs still exist, but they are much rarer than they used to be.
This is why it’s important to learn the standard expectations those hiring you will have and be able to meet them completely, down to the invoice.
“I have a mic but it’s collecting dust. Is just recording on my phone good enough?”
Figuring out how to send quality recordings yourself is now expected as a voiceover talent, so just doing a quick voice memo on your phone will rarely be good enough to be competitive.
You will need a quiet, sound-treated space to record yourself at home.
Before you let this intimidate you because you can’t afford a Studiobricks or Whisper Room just yet, know there’s more than one way to accomplish this and there are plenty of examples online to show you just how folks have done this at home, in closets, and even on vacation.
Here are just a couple of inventive examples in the links below
How I built my Voice Over booth for under $500! – Cherie B Tay
or check out George the Tech‘s free resources page for more specific questions
“But how do I get actual voiceover work? Where are the auditions? I’m ready now, so where are the jobs?”
This is probably the hardest question of all to answer.
It may sound like a specific question but it’s like asking “Where can I buy food?”
If you want breakfast you may want to grab a box of cereal, grab a bacon-egg-and-cheese from the corner bodega, or blue apron a frittata recipe, or you may want to hold out for brunch and bottomless mimosas with BFFs.
This is an answer that will require you to narrow down what specific goals you have and often do your Google deep dives. I can give you a few examples of where work can be found in general but the more research you do the more you will learn that everyone’s voiceover journey is unique.
Your strategies for finding voiceover work may include:
Voiceover Representation – Getting an Agent or Manager
Having a voiceover website with strong SEO so potential clients can find you
Joining a production company’s personal voiceover roster
A Membership to online voiceover casting sites – known as Pay-to-Play (P2P) sites
Search general freelancer and job search sites
Go to networking events specific to voiceover or related industries
Network on sites like Linkedin or even on general social media sites
Researching specific potential clients and reaching out to them directly
Build a strong social media presence/following
Write a blog or make a podcast to promote your voiceover journey
Have your friend tell her friend at a bar “Hey, my friend does voiceovers and you should hire her” #truestory
I wish there were a fountain of voiceover jobs where we could all take our amazing voices and drink our fill. However, like the ever-elusive money tree forest, it does not exist.
Some strategies will be the perfect fit for you and others won’t. Don’t get discouraged about what may not work for you and lean into your strengths.
Maybe you can’t get an agent immediately but you’re making great connections on Linkedin. Maybe after 100 auditions you haven’t booked a single job but emailing 1 production company leads to ongoing work. Remember, what didn’t work yesterday may work tomorrow. I think having as many different strategies as possible simultaneously is the key, but maybe all you need is one great manager. This is a question that ultimately only you will be able to answer and the answer will likely change and evolve as your business grows.
Check out some podcasts and interviews with working VO pros to get a feel of what this voiceover industry is really like.
Not every success story you hear will be the same, and you can learn a lot from hearing different experiences while also hearing many common threads and a few exceptions to the rules.
Here are some voiceover podcasts and YouTube channels I follow or have found value in over the years: *click each title for links*
The VO School Podcast A compressive guide to the VO industry with Jamie Muffett
Voice Over Body Shop Tech Tips and interviews with Dan Lenard & George Whittam
The VO Meter Navigating the world of voiceover with Paul Stefano and Sean Daeley
The VO Breakfast Show Carin Gilfry and Jamie Muffett’s casual morning VO chats
The Making Wavs Podcast Voiceover Interviews with Kevin Kilpatrick and Bobbi Maxwell
The Voiceover Gurus Podcast “Real Talk” about the voiceover Industry with Linda Bruno
The Voiceover Social Podcast UK perspectives on VO with Leah Marks and Nic Redman
Voice Acting Mastery (& Field Report) Interviews and VO Insights with Crispin Freeman
VO Boss Podcast Business Strategies & Tools with Anne Ganguzza and guests.
The Everyday VOpreneur Podcast VO business-specific tips with Marc Scott
Making It To The Mic Interviews about getting a start in VO with Stephanie Pam Roberts
Voiceover: How did you DO it? Voice Actors and industry Pro interviews with Ian Kleinfeld
The B-Hive Interviews focusing specifically on Women in Voice Over with Kay Bess
Atlanta Voiceover Studio VO Tips and Inspiration with Heidi Rew & Mike Stoudt
Ask Dave Fennoy Anything VO Industry Interviews with Dave Fennoy
Kickin’ It with Daree’s ColorVO Series and her VO Mentor videos
Take Time Out With Tre Mosley Podcast conversations about VO Life and off the mic time.
Tim Heller’s 2nd Cup Podcast has great VO artist interviews and other interesting guests
Check these sites to
An often recommended site is I Want To Be A Voice Actor!
Dee Bradley Baker’s comprehensive beginners guide to going pro in VO
And great general resources can be found here too at VOcation Conference Resources
The Voiceover Resources Guide is a curated list of services for the Voice Over Industry.
Just to name a few! These kinds of resources are a great way to get inspired and get realistic. (I’ll try to keep this list updated)
“So how much money will I make doing voiceover work?”
This is another question that has no one-size-fits-all answer.
Different genres of voiceover will have different standards when it comes to rates and how they are determined.
Unlike a job with a set hourly rate or a known salary, freelance voiceover work often means working on a gig-by-gig or client-by-client basis.
A client may approach you with a set budget. You may join a roster or casting site with specific rates listed. You could be asked to give someone a personalized quote for your services.
If you have no idea where to start when making a quote for your voiceover services, there are references like the GVAA Rate Guide or Gravy For The Brain Rate Guide that can give you a broad range of current VO industry standard rates.
When researching voiceover work in a specific genre, pay attention to common rate standards, like commercial rates including session fees and “usage” or “buyout” terms, e-Learning paying per word or PFM (per finished minute), or Audiobooks paying PFH (per finished hour). It’s ultimately up to you to decide what your rates will be. I suggest being open to negotiating without ever selling yourself short.
Starting this vo journey may feel slow and like you aren’t making much money, or you may book one or two high-paying gigs and then nothing else for months. It can take time… maybe years… to get consistent work, or figure out what your VO strengths are. This may differ from what you thought initially as you learn what kind of jobs you book the most and target those opportunities more.
I think your ultimate goal for the most consistent work should be “repeat clients” who love working with you and may even recommend you to others. Keep being professional and proactive but patient.
Don’t get discouraged by comparing your VO Journey to someone else’s, and know that although this industry can be very competitive the voiceover community overall is super supportive of each other. I highly recommend joining online voiceover communities for support and guidance. Search the countless groups on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Clubhouse that may be a good community fit for you.
Voiceover Conferences (in person or virtual) can be another good way to feel part of a larger community and connect with people who you admire or who are on a similar voiceover path. Both can be inspiring.
One great community to consider joining, and that I’m proud to be a member of, is NAVA (National Association of Voice Actors) which was created to advocate and promote the advancement of the voice acting industry through action, education, inclusion, and benefits.
Ok, One more question…
“So voiceover is really your “job”?”
Yes, it is, and I’m not alone. Many people have made providing voiceover services their full-time careers.
Some of my friends call me “Tommy” 😆 and some assume that I’m just hanging out in my PJs all day with “no job”, but even though I no longer work 9-5 (ok, more like 10-7), I do have to often put in extra hours of work since I am solely responsible for making sure my VO business runs smoothly. It can be super isolating, it may require long and unpredictable working hours, and as much as I love it it may not be for everyone.
My voiceover journey hasn’t always been predictable, but I prefer it over feeling stuck in a monotonous routine, and all the work I’ve put in continues to pay off.
This VO industry can be intimidating and empowering, and I look forward to what else this journey will have in store for me!
Hopefully, my perspective helped you get a better idea of what #VOLife can be like!
I’m asked about VO often so I hope sharing my thoughts encourages those interested in starting their voiceover journey.
And, If you ultimately decide to pursue #VOLife for yourself, I wish you all the best!
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