SO YOU WANT TO BE

A Voiceover?

Have you ever been told you have a great voice? Maybe you love mimicking characters or have a natural knack for storytelling. Whatever your reason, the voiceover industry is an exciting and rewarding career path — but breaking into it takes more than just a great voice.

Becoming a voice actor is about talent and commitment. It’s an extremely competitive industry so be prepared to hear a lot more No’s then you do Yes’s.

This guide will detail the steps needed to get yourself ready to become a professional VO.

STEP 1:

WHAT TYPE OF

VOICEOVER

DO YOU WANT TO BE?

Before you invest in voice reels or training, the first thing to do is your research.

Work out what types of VO are out there, what is involved, what money is there to be made and what are you most interested in doing.

Are you great at character voices and would love to voice a video game? Does your natural voice have that edge that you hear on commercials? Do you have a knack for storytelling so audiobooks might be more your thing?

If you need some guidance, Robert at CreateMyVoiceReel offers a free consultation to discuss your options and demystify the industry.

Step 2:

Get Professional

Voiceover Training

Yes you use your voice every day, but Voice acting is acting — and like any skill, it requires training.

Even natural talent needs coaching to master breath control, tone, pacing, and delivery. Training will also help you master your style.

One of the best places to begin is with a professional voiceover coach or workshop.

Jude at VoiceOver Coach UK provides 1-to-1 coaching as well as masterclass courses to help you develop your voice and learn industry techniques. She can also work remotely and has clients from around the world.

Other great options include:

  • Gravy for the Brain – Online voiceover training courses.

  • The Showreel – London-based coaching and demo production

Read some more about the importance of voice training.

Step 3:

Record a

Professional

Voice Reel

Your voice reel is your audio CV, showcasing your voice and range of styles to sell yourself to the casting director. Whilst your natural voice is a big focus, if your dream is doing funny voices for an animated character, it’s important the reels reflect this. There’s no point in selling yourself as a character voice with a back catalogue of accents when your reel is a corporate script.

There are many companies that make voice reels that it can be difficult to know where to go, but you must do your research before investing in this. You may be able to knock something together yourself but this could be the difference in securing a job or not, so they must be high quality - these people work in audio so they can tell the difference.

Most companies don’t just record and mix your reel, they will discuss your goals, direct you through the session and curate a tailor made reel to give you the best chance of securing VO work.

Check out our Voice Reel page for specific companies we recommend.

Step 4:

Invest in an

appropriate

SETUP

A lot of jobs are still happening in physical studios so home set ups are not a necessity. However, certain genres are more likely to need VO’s with a home studio, for example audiobooks and corporate videos, so it depends on what type of work you are looking for.

The work is becoming more regional, but the main bulk is still in London. So, if you can’t easily travel in, a home set up will make you more desirable to work with.

It’s also handy when being asked for auditions to be able to record from a decent quality mic instead of your phone.

You don’t need to spend a fortune on this, start small and upgrade as you grow.

Here are some guides for equipment and easy set ups:

Robert at CreateMyVoiceReel has created a guide to home recording

Chris at VirtualVOStudio has a handy blog for setting up your home studio

Step 5: YOUR VOICE IS

YOUR BUSINESS

At this stage you may think the only way of securing work is by getting an agent. You may send your reel to every agency you can find and be disheartened when you don’t hear back. Lots of agencies books are full and only open occasionally when they are looking for specific voices they don’t already have. As mentioned, it’s a competitive industry, and agencies adapt their roster depending on the types of work they get in.

It’s important you do your own research into what agency you should join, have a look at the types of work they have got existing artists, what clients do they have? Does it match with what you are into? Look at who they have on their books, are they missing someone like you?

While you are waiting to hear back from agents you should be building your own business:

  • Online presence - Set up separate social media accounts and a website so clients and agents can find you. A Spotlight account is ideal if you are acting as well as voice acting.

  • Casting websites - Voice123, Voices.com, Bodalgo, Mandy Network - although be careful to not undersell yourself. Check the rates page for guidance on minimum rates.

  • Direct Outreach - Contact production companies, ad agencies, and game developers. Many companies have castings you can sign yourself up for. You will need to write up your own contract, Gravy for the Brain have some info on what to include.

  • Networking - Join LinkedIn groups, Facebook groups and attend industry events.