Doing Voiceover Work from Home

Doing Voiceover Work from Home

Nowadays, most voice over artist work right from home with the help of the internet and some basic recording gear. Working from home as an actor might seem like a dream, you may be thinking that you are a bad actor because you have no acting experience to become a voice actor.

Some roles might be difficult in the beginning this might be you feel silly or embarrassed acting like someone you are not. That’s understandable.

But if you think so, think again!

On the other hand if you have some acting experience; that’s great, you can use your skills to land a broader range of jobs. But remember you don’t need an Award to get started as a voice actor.

Shift in the Voice Acting Industry

Earlier, the voice over used to be the same big, deep, booming male voice. It was always same for a movie trailer or soap commercial.

It has completely changed now. Now advertisers want to purchase a voice that can relate to and feel a connection with the brand. All this had led to the normal, neighbor next door, conversational style voice over artist.

Types of Voice Acting

The conversational style of best voice over is now in high demand in the voice-over industry. Here are some of the largest niches that are perfect for getting started:

1- Radio and TV Commercials

You can find huge amount of work for Radio and TV commercials. A spot there is usually 15, 30, or 60 seconds in length thus takes less time to record.

Commercials require the ability to interpret the copy and also understand the point, and create a character to match. You can find huge commercial work available to improve your character range.

2- Educational E-learning

If you love teaching; then E-learning is great as you will be training others on subjects that are important to them. Teaching a subject that you are not familiar can be a challenge. The more you will do it the more you will become comfortable with e-learning. You just have to deliver the material in a manner that keeps the listener engaged over an extended period of time.

3- Audiobooks

Audiobooks require weeks to develop; but they are a great source of long-form work and also provide good income. Style of voice-over depends on the subject matter. The common theme required in audiobooks is the best voice over needs to be a great storyteller.

4- Phone Prompts

Small and large businesses use phone prompts for assisting their callers to find the right person to talk to. With the help of phone prompts customers are also kept engaged so they don’t feel bored when they are put on hold. It can be anything like promoting services of the company.

Also Read: Professional Voice Over: Why the voice talent you choose matters

Required Skills

Here are some important skills required for voice actors:

Ability to Act: Whatever project you are working on you first must relate to the script. You must determine who are your character speaking to, and the emotion required. Being able to interpret the script is essential.

Computer Skills: Since most voice over artist work from home, scripts and voice-overs are sent and received via email. You would also require simple audio recording software. Thus computer knowledge is a must.

Communication: Communication is very important. Your communication with the client must be open in order to be considered a reliable voice actor. Responding to emails and phone calls are of top priority to keep work coming in.

Business: The business side is just as important as the talent side. You will be responsible for setting rates, quoting projects, giving auditions for jobs, invoicing, and following up.

Required Equipment

Few things required to start working from home as a voice actor are:

  • Quiet space to record
  • Good quality microphone
  • Well-performing computer and fast internet connection
  • Audio software to record, edit, and save audio

Conclusion

Becoming best voice over actor provides various benefits: you can work from home, have a flexible schedule, work full or part-time, and get paid really well. The downsides are that some projects have tight deadlines, you can experience rejection, and also it is a competitive field.