Has it always been a dream of yours to earn a living by using your voice? With so many tools at your fingertips, it’s never been easier to learn how to become a voice-over artist. But it’s not simply a fantastic voice that makes great talent; it requires a person with unlimited drive, refined talent, and good business acumen.
If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at voice acting, you’re not alone. This career is one of the most exciting and fulfilling job options out there, especially when you’re considering the broad range of customers, the flexible work schedule, and the freedom to audition and work remotely.
How Do You Become a Voice Actor?
Getting started on learning how to become a voice actor begins here, with the fundamentals. A voice-over actor is an actor who utilizes their voice to entertain, narrate, or advertise things in commercials, animation, audiobooks, video games, interactive media, and learning materials.
Along with impressions, mimicry, and character voices, a voice actor must also be a conventional actor. Since voice actors are seldom seen on-screen, their sole means of expressing their emotions is through their voice.
When learning how to start voice acting, you must study and rehearse devoutly, constantly honing your vocal abilities in order to improve your performance.
What Do Voice Actors Do?
A voice actor reads and records text, scripts, or other written material in a vocal booth, either directly (as in a basic narration) or performatively (as in portraying an animated character), depending on the project’s demands.
To achieve the show’s desired performance or soundbite, they must modify their inflections, delivery, enunciation, and intonation.
To further your research on how to be a voice actor and see what it takes to launch a successful career in voice acting, we’ve created a beginner’s guide.
Of course, when first discovering how to become a voice-over artist and how to get voice acting jobs, everyone will approach the following list of milestones in a different order based on where they are in the process.
Treating Your Voice as an Instrument
Have you ever been told you have a wonderful speaking voice, imitate accents well, or produce hilarious sounds? Numerous people are capable of these skills but do not pursue careers as voice-over artists primarily because they don’t really know how to get started in voice acting.
Bear in mind that when learning how to get into voice acting, there will be some fun challenges since you must express everything verbally. In contrast to physical film acting, you do not have props, your body, or other performers to assist you in communicating what you are saying.
Therefore, you need to learn if you can listen to your voice and know how to “play” it. You must enlighten yourself on your vocal range and train to command your voice more effectively.
Building a Solid Foundation of Vocal Techniques
As you’re learning how to get into voice acting, you’ll gradually gain a rich understanding of the many tactics for controlling your tone. This includes anything from warming up your voice to using breathing techniques and adjusting your amplitude, tone, and pitch to your liking.
Voice acting students benefit from professional singing courses or workshops as a means to explore their vocal range.
Acquiring the Ability to Read Scripts
When learning how to get into voice acting, the first thing you’ll want is a good collection of real, professional scripts. You’ll find a plethora of excellent lines to practice with online or at your local bookstore.
Bear in mind that time management is critical when reading scripts. Therefore, record yourself and play it back. Develop critical thinking skills, and enlist the assistance of friends to provide candid feedback. When learning how to be a voice actor, the critical component is practice, practice, and more practice.
Learn How to Record Your Own Voice
For those learning how to get into voice acting, setting up a professional home studio is affordable for most people. A well-equipped home studio enables you to record your voice and create your own demo reels. You’ll use these to apply for lucrative jobs with producers all over the world.
A standard voice-over studio is best described as a dedicated, soundproofed room that’s acoustically fitted and equipped with the proper sound gear.
There are various ways to create a home studio, and most of them will rely on the amount of studio space you require and can afford.
When learning how to get into voice acting, knowing ways to save money on your home studio construction can be a big help. Here’s how:
- Use hefty blankets for soundproofing to absorb undesirable noises
- Use simple spaces like a closet (as long as it’s silent)
- Acquire affordable recording equipment secondhand and/or upgraded
You’ll want to familiarize yourself with two critical talents: the ability to record and the technical know-how of editing your voice. While learning how to get into voice acting, you might even want to consider working with a good sound engineer at a more advanced level, which will most certainly increase your sound quality and output.
Exploring How to Create a Showreel
Keep in mind while learning how to get into voice acting that the first impression voice directors will get of you is through your showreel. When you’re seeking work, your showreel is where and how you demonstrate your abilities. Most casting directors are unconcerned with your appearance. They are looking for a voice that fits their project.
Remember that your most fabulous material should be toward the beginning of your showreel and should be relevant to the type of work you are pursuing.
Guidelines for creating an outstanding voice-over demo:
- Prepare a demo clip for each voice-over type and language/dialect you offer
- Lose preconceptions and express your truth with an authentic performance
- Optimize your recording levels so everyone can understand you
After receiving adequate guidance and creating a professional demo reel, you will be prepared to meet agents and casting directors and promote yourself to potential clients.
How to Get Started in Voice Acting: Where and When to Promote Your Talent
As a newcomer to the voice-over profession, you’ll need to learn how to get voice acting jobs. Having a well-crafted strategy will significantly boost your chances.
If you’ve completed all of the preceding steps, you’ll have experimented with your equipment and voice and created a high-quality showreel. At this point, you should consider developing your personal brand.
Seek out a platform where people can learn about you, listen to your work, and understand who you are. Ideally, you’ll want to establish a presence on major social media channels, construct your own personal website, and host your showreel on several sites.
Additionally, when learning how to get into voice acting, you must study and identify connections in the niche sector of the industry in which you wish to operate. It is more effective to focus on a single industry than pursue anything or everything.
How to Rock an Audition
You’ve made it to the thrilling stage of being shortlisted. This is the pivotal moment in how to get into voice acting. The more you prepare, the better your chances of success. Several points to consider include the following:
Prepare ahead of time, rather than in the waiting room. Reread the screenplay several times, further immersing yourself in the role each time. Make intuitive judgments about the script, determining the appropriate tone and cadence. Consider your audience and how to perform effectively.
Avoid complicating the procedure. Instead, maintain a calm demeanor and remain focused on your voice director’s instructions.
Everyone has a horrible audition now and again, but part of how to get into voice acting is learning to audition correctly. Prepare yourself each time, and you’ll set yourself apart from the crowd.
The voice-over profession is exciting and fast-paced, with numerous advantages for those who can confidently land voice-acting work:
Work from the Comfort of Your Home
After learning how to get into voice acting, you can use a home studio to eliminate lengthy commutes, traffic jams, and parking fees, allowing you to learn, work, and grow from home.
Unlike other acting gigs, where you are sometimes required to travel for months at a time, most professional voice acting jobs can be accomplished right from home, near your loved ones and familiar surroundings.
Set Your Own Schedule
After studying how to start voice acting, many voice actors get their feet wet by working in the industry part-time while maintaining a full-time job.
Determine Your Income
Once you’ve learned how to get into voice acting and have worked as a professional voice actor, negotiating your rates is a perk of the trade.
The more high-profile clients or projects endorse your work, the more your work will be worth. In many cases, commercial voice-acting gigs can be pretty lucrative, offering hundreds or thousands of dollars for quick commercial spots on national radio and television ads.
Finding the Right Voice Acting Coach
Voice acting coaches work with voice actors to identify and maximize their unique vocal abilities, polish their trade, and overcome any particular challenges they may encounter when learning how to get into voice acting.
Experience and knowledge of the current and potential state of the voice-over profession are two essential attributes in a coach.
Before teaching you how to get into voice acting, most coaches will provide a complimentary consultation session to assess your skills, so it’s a good idea to meet with several and compare their opinions.
Putting It All Together: How to Become a Voice Actor
Learning how to get into voice acting is about first knowing where to concentrate your creative efforts. Each step toward obtaining the necessary skills is a step closer to realizing your dreams. After reading this brief introduction, you have a better knowledge of what it takes to thrive in the voice-over industry.
The information offered here, however, is only the tip of the iceberg. Voice acting is a profession and a passion that requires continuous study and dedication. After a while, you’ll naturally go from searching “how do you become a voice actor?” to “how do you become an even greater voice actor?”
You’ve begun your voice-over career on the right foot by acquiring the knowledge and abilities outlined above. While natural talent is an excellent starting point, solid business sense and a working knowledge of recording equipment are required for a successful voice acting career.
Now you know how to get into voice acting. Happy auditioning!
Phina Pipia