Getting Started
Create a Successful Voiceover Career in Five Steps
The fact that you’re here means you’ve already started. You’re actively pursuing the first two steps to creating a successful voiceover career. You’re researching (1) your voiceover coaching (2) options. You’ve figured out that owning a microphone doesn’t make you a voiceover talent any more than owning a stove makes you a chef. To be a professional at anything you have to move. Do something. Don’t just wait for stuff to happen. Professionals aren’t passive people. They take action. They commit and persist.
Here’s your five-step action plan to get you started in voiceover:
Step 1: Research
The internet is chock-full of "experts" who have never spent one minute actually doing voiceovers. Look for advice from professional voice actors who have been in business for a long time, and then analyze that advice. Consider the source, the intent, and whether the information you glean applies to you.
Be cautious of Facebook voiceover groups that are filled with misinformation and moderated by amateurs. Forums and blogs can be fun and educational but find resources provided by working voice actors. Ensure the author is a real working voice actor and not just someone throwing content at the internet as clickbait or to boost SEO ranking.
Step 2: Hire a Voiceover Coach
You've decided to pursue a voiceover career. Excellent! Now hire a voiceover coach. Find someone who can help you discover and develop the unique qualities of your voice, teach you how to analyze a script, show you how to affect meaning by adjusting the way you deliver speech, and provide tips on how to run your own voiceover business. Work with reputable coaches like us who are still doing voiceovers. This way, you're getting experienced mentorship from true professionals.
Step 3: Record Voiceover Demos
Voiceover demos are your calling card and a must for your website. The demos are samplings of your voice and vocal delivery. They give clients a chance to hear what you can do behind that mic. You will need to get one or more demos professionally produced. This should always occur at the end of a training program when you and your coach decide you're ready!
It may be tempting to put together your own demo. We strongly discourage you from doing so. Talent agents and production directors are adamant about talents getting demos professionally produced before submitting. Clients find us all the time when they search for voiceover talents online. There is nothing better than getting paid work from a client who listened to your demo on your site after a Google search!
Step 4: Buy Voiceover Recording Gear
Don't go crazy spending money on gear before mastering performance skills. Focus on learning how to do voiceovers first. When it comes time to purchasing gear, start with reasonably priced microphones suitable for professional voiceover, preamps, and headphones. You don't have to sell the farm for good equipment. Your recording space is just as important, if not more important than any brand of microphone. Engineer Jan Anderson is on our team and does a killer home studio setup session.
Step 5: Start Marketing
Once your training is complete and you have your demos, it's time to get those demos in front of talent agents, producers, video production directors, eLearning/explainer video companies, etc. First, create an online presence so that your demos have a home. Your own professional website is essential. Start social media accounts for your voiceover business with links to your website, especially on LinkedIn. Then, don't sit on your demos. Nobody is going to show up at your doorstep with a bucket of cash because they heard a rumor about your golden voice. You have to put in the work. Cold calling, emails and occasionally, in-person meetings are all a must. And become part of the voiceover community. Get to know other voice talents and network with them. Sometimes they aren’t the right voice for a project, but you just might be the right voice. Talents refer projects to other talents all the time.
Why Should You Choose Universal Voice Talent Coaching?
Every coach on the UVTC staff has more than 15 years of experience being an actual working voice actor. Yes, we mentor new talents, but we still make our primary living doing voiceovers. We didn't try it, fail and then decide to coach for a living. This is extremely important when searching for a coach. If for any reason we’re not the right fit for you, you’ll still want to find a coach who has worked in the voiceover industry in the last few years and understands the current voiceover market, any trends, and the state of the industry today.
Finally, we also don't disappear once you're finished with your training. We provide a lifetime of customer service to our students. We are passionate about steering new talents in the right direction while providing the necessary tools to give each one the best chance of success.
Are You Ready for the Next Step?
Visit our voiceover coaching programs page to view pricing and details on UVT Coaching options. We look forward to working with you!