When marketing their skills, a lot of voice acting experts tend to know the right words to use to attract attention.
“I will record a dynamic, deep, and well-spoken Australian male voice-over.”
Sometimes, all it takes is an impressive demo reel and a great description on your bio, but it’s understandable if you are a little skeptical.
After all, the competition for voice talent is high, across multiple platforms. As a beginner, you need to believe in yourself more than anything.
Hopefully, this article gives you hope for the journey ahead.
A Voice Acting Career – Breaking it Down
Your career in voice acting can either be part-time or full-time, but you have to take it seriously either way.
Meet your deadlines, and keep an open line of communication with your clients.
Why You Should be a Voice Actor
A career in voice acting can be fulfilling.
Your voice can bring characters to life and inspire the masses. Voice acting is entertaining and informative – brands, film companies, and video game creators will go crazy for a voice actor that can leave an impression in the minds of the customers.
You also get to set your own rates and schedule.
A lot of voice actors work from home. You can turn your voice into a business, and when you are your own boss, there is no limit to your earning capacity.
But voice acting also comes with challenges.
It’s not all fun being inside a booth all day, recording away. Building a legitimate voice-acting career takes time and practice.
Besides, you need to set up a home studio. You may not need flashy equipment to get started, but it will still cost you.
Overall, the choice to pursue a voice acting career is personal.
Is a Voice Acting Career Lucrative?
Today’s digitized world offers more opportunities for voice actors to find work.
There is always a demand for confident and rich voices in advertising, film/video game entertainment, and even e-learning.
In terms of money…
Voice acting salaries vary depending on factors such as experience, the type of work, and the size of the projects.
While established voice actors can make up to six figures in income, the average actor makes about $90,000 annually. The expected earnings of entry-level talents are about $14,000.
Voice acting pros using outsourcing websites earn about $30 per commercial.
It can be slow at first but with time and hard work, you can grow your voice acting business.
We have an in-depth guide on voice acting jobs: where to find them and how much they pay.
What it Takes to Make it in Voice Acting
It’s neither easy nor hard to make it as a voice actor. You simply need to find what works for you and stick with it. Voice acting is a wide field and it is unlikely that any two success stories will be the same.
However, you can learn from the experience of those who came before you and avoid the mistakes they made.
Narration Voice-Over
Sir David Attenborough is a British broadcaster and natural historian well known for his distinctive and recognizable voice.
Many have tried – and failed – to capture his unique hushed whisper.
If you are looking to get into documentary-style narration, this is definitely the guy to look to for inspiration.
Work with the best Sir David Attenborough voice impersonators.
Voice Acting is about Personality
Milana Vayntrub is a comedian actress that became famous for her role in AT&T girl.
She showed brands how to create iconic characters and use humor for advertising.
Her creative performance captured millions of listeners, elevating her career to an even higher level.
Milana’s story is an inspiration to a lot of voice actors because it proves that anybody can do it. It also shows the value of doing a good job every time.
Never underestimate the clients you have; you never know which project will make a difference in your entire career.
As you start your voice-acting career, it might be hard to pick a niche.
And you don’t have to.
There are many types of voice-over work – from commercial scripts to high-energy sports voice-over.
Tara Strong, a Canadian-American voice actor, has done voice work in animation, video games, and live-action. She has also lent her voice to anime voice acting.
“Whenever you do an animated project or a voice-over project, it’s inevitable that part of your personality comes into play.”
– Tara Lyn Strong
Seth MacFarlane successfully voices the characters of an adult male, a toddler, and a dog (among others) in the show Family Guy.
A voice actor’s role changes based on the script and context of the project.
Deep voices are not just for trailers and documentaries. Scripts that get creative with their characters allow voice actors the opportunity to grow from new challenges.
Start Small
A lot of famous voice actors didn’t know they would grow to become icons in the industry.
It’s okay to start your journey even with limited skills and equipment, and do you really need that voice acting degree?
People grow, and voice acting has a lot to offer those who are consistent with their efforts.
Steve Blum, referred to as the real space cowboy made a mark in the voice acting industry with his distinctively deep voice. Over his career, he has massed a solid resume of video game performances.
“I started out doing improvised voices when I started working in a program where I read for kids in schools. I had some kids and they asked me if I would mind doing it. That’s where I got my training before I went to the public. I did that for several years. It was actually the best vocal training I could have had.”
- Steve Blum
Be Yourself
Have you heard of H. Jon Benjamin?
Or perhaps watched the animated TV shows Archer and Bob’s Burgers?
Voice actors are tasked with bringing characters to life and to do this, they have to play with their voices. Actors sometimes change their entire speech patterns when reading scripts.
Not H. Jon Benjamin.
This voice actor was able to portray the characters of a small-town father and sexy spy using the same voice, give or take a few variations.
Instead of trying to invent a whole new voice for a TV or radio ad, maybe you should try using what already works – what people are familiar with.
If your voice is good and you connect to the script, your audience will easily relate to your content.
Still having doubts, we have a guide that can help you decide if a voice acting career is for you.
Bunny Studio Success Stories
If you are thinking; “all these voice actors are famous and I can’t relate to their experiences,” we have something for you.
Our very own Bunny Studio voice acting success stories.
We have been working with voice-acting talents since 2012.
Bunny Studio is home to freelancers with a passion for voice work and with the ability to breathe life into their performances.
Before joining Bunny Studio, a good number of our voice-acting talents struggled to find jobs. This was not because they lacked the necessary skills to get the job done but because they faced various challenges such as lack of fulfillment, lack of recognition, and difficulty in marketing themselves.
When you are unsure and unprepared, voice acting can be exhausting and time-consuming.
Bunny Studio elevates its freelancers by helping them find their spark of inspiration – we are invested in both your personal and professional growth.
For our voice talents, the platform has created an environment for them to thrive, providing endless opportunities for auditioning and a wide range of clients to work with.
It’s important to feel a sense of belonging in your place of work
Grow Your Voice Acting Talent with Bunny Studio
We have enough room to help you master your skill and attract bigger and better clients. With Bunny Studio, you are guaranteed to get consistent voice work.
Join our professional voice acting talents today.
What all the Pros have in Common
Voice acting is not a skill you can master overnight. It takes time and intentional practice. Even professional voice actors are always learning something new.
Trends change over time, but voice acting techniques rarely go out of style. You should always aim to be the best voice actor you can be, and this means mastering all the skills necessary to succeed.
Some of the qualities it takes to build a successful voice-acting business are:
- Great voice-acting skills
- Consistency
- Versatility and adaptability
- Vocal range
- Clarity and exceptional enunciation
- Good pacing and natural articulation
- Confidence and enthusiasm
You may also need to learn some business marketing skills and basic sound editing techniques. Post-production work can make or make a project, and knowing how to navigate voice-over software puts you at an advantage.
There is a lot you can learn from voice actors who have established their careers.
For starters, it doesn’t matter what your background is.
Actors, presenters, and even sports players can all pursue voice acting as a career.
It is not limited to certain professions. You can learn and excel as a voice actor as long as you have the passion and drive to succeed.
It takes a lot of courage to put yourself and your voice out there, but you should do it because the industry could always use more diverse, versatile voices.
Looking to Hire Voice Acting Talent?
We have access to a large and professional pool of voice actors who are ready to diligently work on your project.
Submit your project with Bunny Studio today and work with the best voice actors in the industry.
