Voice acting is the art of reading a script and using your voice to bring that script to life by acting or creating a character, which is then referred to as a voice-over. Voice actors are also often called voice over talents and voice artists.
You probably hear voice acting every day, but may not realize it. Voice actors can be heard on commercials, audiobooks, telephone greetings, store announcements, and more!
Anytime you hear a voice, but don’t see a face – that is a voice-over which was recorded by a voice actor.
Working as a Voice Actor
Most voice actors work right from the comfort of their own homes using the internet and some basic recording gear.
The thought of working from home, acting, and creating characters for a living seems like a dream to many, but it can also make some people feel uncomfortable. Maybe you’re thinking you’re a bad actor or you feel because you haven’t had any acting experience you’re incapable of becoming a voice actor.
It’s true some roles may be too much of a stretch for you in the beginning stages of acting. Maybe you feel silly or embarrassed acting like someone you’re not. That’s understandable.
But if you think you don’t have any characters inside you, think again!
One easy way to get around this fear of being silly when you’re just getting started as a voice actor is to audition for roles that are similar to your own personality. By voicing a character that is similar to you, it’ll be much easier for you to relate with the character and in turn, you’ll be a better fit for that role. This way you aren’t acting like the character, you are the character.
If you do have some acting experience, that’s great – you’ll be able to use your skills to land a broader range of jobs.
But the truth is … you don’t need an Academy Award to get started as a voice actor.
The ability to act is like many skills. You start small working with what you have, and with ongoing practice, you get better and better. As you improve you can try new styles and increase your range.
The Shift in the Voice Acting Industry
Years ago every voice over you heard would be the same big, deep, booming male announcer voice type. It didn’t matter if it was a movie trailer or a soap commercial, that booming voice was heard everywhere.
Luckily all that has changed! Advertisers realized people are more willing to purchase from those they can relate to and feel a connection with. The big thundering voice wasn’t connecting with the market anymore. Moms and dads relate to other moms and dads — not to some big powerful voice telling them to buy.
This led to the normal, neighbor next door, conversational style voice overs. Nowadays, you hear this voice style everywhere.
Related content: 5 Ways to Make Money with Your Voice
Types of Voice Acting
This conversational style of voice over is now in high demand in multiple areas of the voice-over industry. Here are some of the largest voice acting niches that are perfect for when you’re just getting started:
1. Radio and TV Commercials
Radio and TV commercials provide a huge amount of work for voice actors. Each spot is usually:15, :30, or :60 seconds in length so they don’t take a lot of time to record. Commercials tend to require the ability to interpret the copy, understand the point of the commercial, and create a character to match. The wide variety of commercial work available is excellent to practice with and improve your character range.
2. Educational E-learning
Do you find joy when teaching others? E-learning is great because you are training others on subjects that are important to them. Teaching a subject you aren’t familiar with yourself can be a challenge. The more you do it the more comfortable you’ll become with e-learning. Character acting is usually less called for on e-learning projects, instead of delivering the material in a manner that keeps the listener engaged over an extended period of time is key.
3. Audiobooks
Love reading books to your children? Since audiobooks usually take weeks to create, they are a great source of long-form work and income. The style of voice-over will depend on the subject matter. Common audiobooks are self-help, romance, and fiction. One common theme with audiobooks is the voice actor needs to be a great storyteller.
Related Content: Make Money Narrating Audiobooks From Home
4. Phone Prompts
Businesses large and small use phone prompts to assist callers in finding the right person to speak with. Phone prompts also keep customers from being bored when they are put on hold. These on-hold announcements often promote services provided by the company. Phone prompts can be heard when calling medium and large-sized businesses (like a credit card company) and the vocal style is usually a friendly conversational voice.
Required Skills
Here are four important skills voice actors use every day:
1. Ability to Act
No matter what type of project you are voicing you first must relate to the script. It’s important to determine who is speaking, who is your character speaking to, and any emotion your character is experiencing. Being able to interpret the script is essential.
2. Computer Skills
Since voice talents work from home, scripts are received and voice-overs are sent via email. You also need a simple audio recording software. So knowing how to use a computer is a must.
3. Communication
Like any successful business, communication with clients is important. You must keep communication with the client open in order to be considered a reliable voice actor. Make responding to emails and phone calls a top priority in order to keep work coming in. If you’re spending time with the kids, have your email on your phone, so you can keep clients in the loop on expected turnaround times.
4. Business
The business side of voice acting is just as important as the talent side. As an independent contractor, you’ll be responsible for setting rates, quoting projects, auditioning for jobs, invoicing, and following up with clients.
Required Equipment
There are a few things you need in order to start working from home as a voice actor. These include:
- A quiet space where you can record.
- A good quality microphone in order to record to your computer.
- A well-performing computer with a fast internet connection.
- Audio software (like Audacity) to record, edit, and save your audio.
How Much are Voice Actors Paid?
Rates can vary based on your experience and where the voice-over will be used. Generally, for shorter projects, a voice actor will make from $100 to $300 per minute of audio. As a freelancer, you’re able to set your own rates.
Where to Audition for Voice Acting Jobs?
The fastest way to get a paid voice over job is by auditioning through one of the many online voice casting websites, like Voices, VoiceBunny, or Voice123. You can also find gigs on sites like FlexJobs and Upwork.
Here’s a guide that walks you through how to audition and how to figure out which jobs to audition for.
These voice casting sites have job postings every day. You’ll receive an email and then you’ll audition for the job. If the client likes your audition, they’ll hire you for the project.
Conclusion
Becoming a voice actor has many benefits: you work from home, you have a flexible schedule, you can work full-time or part-time, and it pays really well. The downsides to working in voice-over are that some projects have tight deadlines, you’ll experience rejection, and it’s a competitive field.
Keep in mind, though, the more you audition, the more you’ll improve and the more jobs you will land.
If you’re interested in voice acting, check out Julie Eickhoff’s free voice-over training class here. In this introductory class, you’ll get an inside peek into the industry to see if voice acting is your career calling.
Jason McCoy is a voice-over actor who works from home. When he isn’t in the studio recording narrations, he’s wrestling and building forts with his 2 sons (+1 baby girl on the way). Jason recently launched Voice acting 101 as an educational resource to help others interested in becoming a voice actor. You can hear Jason’s voice over demos here.
The advice to audition more as a means of improvement and landing more gigs makes sense. It’s a skill that likely gets honed over time, and the more shots you take, the better your chances
I am a good communicator and I Love to converse
I love to
hi. i have a busy lifestyle working at a local supermarket. when i was younger i took 7 years of acting courses at the vernon school of drama. my teacher was antony stamboulieh. my question is my friends told me i have a voice that would be great for voice overs and cartoons. i would like to look into doing things like cartoon voices and even video game voice overs. how many hours would be preferred to make some extra income. and can i do these voice jobs from my home
Hi Jason,
For additional info that’s not included in the post — you can check out Jason’s website since that is his area of expertise.
Good luck!
I am interested in voice jobs from home. How do I go about it. Can anyone help. Thank you
Take a look at this video, she explains more on breaking into the industry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v89kTfJaykQ
Good luck and keep us posted!
The Voiceover industry is rapidly growing and demand for new voice over talent is always on the high. But, most aspiring VO artist should know that its not an easy job. a formal training can help those who want to work from home. one of the best ways to get good at it is to find out what VO format you excel at short ads or documentary or podcast types. A great guide for voice over artist, Jason, Thanks for sharing this!!
Glad you enjoyed the information, Peter!
I want do job voice over but at my home .b/c I have 2 little kidz.kindly tell me how I apply ?
Here is some info on the industry and a free training: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/narrating-audiobooks/
Hi my Name is Lacey and I am very interested in voice over acting. I have excellent communication skills and a feel like this would be a great career opportunity for me. I love to know more on how I can get involved with this.
Thank you
Hi Lacey,
Jason, the guy that wrote this post has some good information on voice acting. Check out his website: https://voiceacting101.com/
There are also lots of books on Amazon about becoming a voice actor.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Hi,
I am a voice actor from India – working since 2003 (search for tondak voice on google). And I can tell you that the worst decision one could make is to get into voiceovers just because someone said they had a “perfect voice over” voice.
Having ten fingers alone cannot make you a cricketer, and having a “sexy” voice alone cannot make you a voice actor. Many people don’t realise this and fall prey to voice over training institutes that claim anyone can break into professional voice over industry.
You see, voice acting is not a clerical job that anyone who could calculate can do. It’s an art, and only an artist can perform it. You either have it in you, or you don’t have it. If you have it, great. If you don’t, there’s no need to waste your time and money on training. Please explore other career options.
I agree — talent alone won’t be your meal ticket. It takes work, dedication, persistence, practice, and knowledge — but I believe if you have those attributes and talent — you can make a go of it.
Thanks for stopping by TWAHW!
I’m interested in voice-over jobs. I am an Indian. And interested in English voice over jobs.
Hello there! My name is Susan. I was in our local grocery store today, and the funniest thing happened! The checker told me I have a very interesting voice! I said its been different for a long time, she then made the comment ” You have the perfect makeover voice” I have never been told that before, I was quite surprised!!! I would be very interested in trying this opportunity out! My voice is deep, I’ve been called sir on the phone! I think this would be a very fun, educational experience!!!
What am I supposed to say initially for the sample voice over audio for audition .
I assume they give you a script to read, or they’ll ask you to have a monologue prepared.
I like this site. I will like to work form home as a voice over artist but i have no experience. Where can i fit in? I am an African and over 50 years of age.
Hi Tayo,
Jason has additional information and a course listed on his website.
I’m not certain what type of voiceover opportunities are available in Africa. Perhaps try Upwork. They are a global freelance platform where you can find voice acting gigs.
Good luck and keep us posted!
I would like to receive additional information about voiceovers.
Jason has additional info on his website: http://www.voiceacting101.com
Hi I am interested in the voice acting. The only problem is I am from the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda. Will that affect my chances?
I want voice job , Iam from palestine
Thanks
What kind of microphone do you recommend?
Hi Christine,
I use a Neumann TLM 103 in my studio. But I recently learned about a far less expensive mic that sounds very close to the TLM 103.
It’s the MXL V67G. You can hear a sample at http://voiceacting101.com/what-did-you-learn-this-week/
I hope that helps!
I use a Tonor BM-700 for my You Tube shows. Sound great and dosen’t break the bank.
Jason,
I have been a full-time VO artist for 7 years now. I am due with baby #1 in 7 weeks and am trying to decide when/if to get a part-time in-home nanny to help out while I am working. Do you have any suggestions or know other voice artists who do this? I have a few clients that require 3-hour turnaround time for some spots. Thanks!
Hi Danielle,
First – congrats on baby #1! That’s awesome!!
I find that client’s just like to know when to expect a voice over. So if you can do it later that night, just let the client know right away exactly when they can expect it.
Depending on how much work you’re doing, you may be able to squeeze jobs in around nap time for the first few months.
Once naps phase out or if you feel you are losing work because of your schedule, then I think it’s time to get some nanny help.
You may know of a stay-at-home mom willing to watch your baby for a few hours in the morning in order to earn some money. Then you’ll get that time to work.
Enjoy the baby! My 3rd just turned 5 months – can’t believe how quickly the time has gone by.
wow! I knew VO could be done at home, but i didnt know there were so many areas that could be worked on from home. This is great to know, as I’ve considered a makeshift, yet quality, studio to get some jobs from home. Thanks for the info!
Glad you enjoyed the article, Jay!
Voice over has many niches you can specialize in as well (commercials, on-hold messaging, e-learning…). I created a guide that may help you get a studio setup. You can check it out at VoiceActing101.com
I wish you much success!
I too wrote and recorded spots for radio. Love doing it!
That’s great, Lori. Any tips you can share for aspiring voice actors?
Awesome Lori!
How do i get involved with something like this?
Hi Mary,
The steps generally go like this:
1. Decide you want to invest the money (in equipment) and time (training) to become a voice actor.
2. Find a quiet place where you can setup your equipment to record.
3. Get training and create a demo.
4. Start finding and auditioning for voice over work.
You can get more information on become a voice actor at http://www.VoiceActing101.com
how do you do anime voice acting
RealWaysToEarnMoneyOnline.com has not failed me from the time I was first told about it. I began with Amazon Hits and a lot of general transcribing, and now have just been hired part-time for a medical transcription service, but this article is the answer to one of my dreams! I have often been told how enjoyable it is to listen to me read stories and have been interested in voiceovers for some time. I can’t wait to check out Jason’s Voice acting 101! Thank you so much Real Ways!! People are LOVING this site!
That’s great Marjorie. I’m happy to help you get started in voice over.
Yes, Anna’s site is awesome! Glad you enjoyed Jason’s article!
Working in radio for a long time I often had to write the commercials, find the right voice to record it (sometimes it was mine) get it approved by the client, get it on air, on the log & ready for affidavits to show when spot played. Of course, I didn’t do this all by myself… we had a great crew but it was work. The way it’s described here, it’s not only a piece of cake, it’s got ice cream on it!
I also worked in radio for many years so I completely understand the work involved to get a spot or promo ready for air.
As a work from home voice talent you can definitely offer services like writing copy, finding other talent, and production or just provide the acting/recording of the voice over. Not so much with radio but many other types of clients have a whole team of producers, directors and writers. So you’re just responsible for the voice over.