Now that you have made up your mind concerning starting your voiceover business, you will need some guidance in order to make it a reality. In this article, we are going to discuss six basic steps that every aspiring voiceover artist needs to follow in order to get started the right way.
Becoming a voiceover artist can be fulfilling and rewarding, especially if your voice acting skills are great. But if you don’t yet have the skills, there many resources out there that are helpful in learning how to become one.
Step 1 – You Need to Get Familiar with the Industry
You are not just going to become a voiceover artist by picking up your phone and recording yourself reading a text. Well, that is part of the job but you really need to know how the voiceover industry works. The first thing to do is a lot of research about voiceover and voiceover actors. Learning a bit of history might help. Google the famous voiceover actors and you will be delighted to find many of your favourite actors (old and new) on the list. You need knowledge and education if you are serious about kickstarting your voiceover business. Like every business venture, jumping into one without fully understanding how it works will only cost you money and time. Try to learn about every aspect of voiceover from how to find clients to best practices and marketing your voiceover business.
Step 2 – Training
Voiceover really does sound like something that can be fun and easy to do. While this may be the case, you definitely do need some training. Yes, starting a voiceover business sounds like fun, but have you really thought about the level of skill that you might need to start the right way? Everybody needs one form of training or the other in order to become successful at anything, and a voiceover business is no exception. You need to approach your voiceover business with a professional mindset, and if some coaching or DIY sessions will help, then go for them.
Step 3 – Recording Setup
It is true that there are many mobile apps that allow voiceover artists to record on the go, but you may need a little bit more. Even though you are starting on a tight budget, there are some essential tools that you need to meet your goals. The key objective is to become the best voiceover talent that you can be, and without having the most equipped recording studio. Because at the end of the day, your skill is what really matters. You tools should be a good microphone, headphones, a desktop computer/laptop, recording software (paid or free). You don’t necessarily need a studio. If you can’t afford one just yet, just stick to the basics. There is absolutely nothing wrong starting small. Some of the best voiceover actors started really small and they still turned out great. You can set up your recording rig in the quietest corner of your home.
Step 4 – Sound Professional
Remember that you need to approach your voiceover business professionally. So if you must send in a professional demo for an audition, we recommend using a professional demo production. But if you have mastered how to use the recording software, then you can give it a go.
Step 5 – Promote Your Business
Now that you are in the voiceover business, it is important to put your skills out there. You need to connect with voiceover agents who will then connect you with clients or brands that need your services.
Step 6 – Audition As Much As You Can
Since opportunities rarely come to people, you are just going to have to go out and get them. What this means is that you need to audition as many times as you can. It is really a numbers game; the more you audition the higher your chances of getting a voiceover gig. If you are looking for a voiceover platform that can help people looking to kickstart their own voiceover business, Voquent.com is a good place to start.