A career in Voice Acting involves voicing commercials, characters for cartoons and video games, narration for films, television and radio, e-learning content, and other projects. Typically, you perform from a studio or your home. Whether you have experience with non-voice acting or other forms of performance, a strong voice is essential for success in this field. However, a successful voice actor isn’t solely defined by his or her unique timbre, but also by a suite of soft skills including flexibility, the ability to take direction from a director, dialogue editor, or recording engineer, and working well outside your comfort zone.
While you’re getting your bearings in the industry, consider taking acting classes and/or hiring a voice coach to level up your skills. Your coaching will help you adapt your vocal style to a variety of types of performances and help you eliminate distracting noises like popping (the sound of consonants registering too hard on the mic).
When you’re ready to audition for roles, be prepared to work for free or at minimal pay at first to build out your demo reel. This will show potential clients the range of your skill set and the type of work you’re able to deliver. It’s important to define your niche and the different roles you’re able to perform for, because large-scale productions will be unlikely to hire a new voice actor without a proven track record. Once you’ve established a reputation in the industry, your rate should increase as your clients and the number of notable brands you’ve worked for grow.
