When learning how to become a voice actor, it’s difficult to know what to expect, and even where to start.

Voice actors can be performers, entertainers, narrators, and amazing impressionists. It’s still possible to be whoever you want and express yourself authentically under the wide umbrella of ‘voice acting.’

But there’s a problem…

You can’t just jump into anime voice acting on your very first day. Even after the acting classes, lessons from a personal voice coach, and tons of practice, you still need to record a demo and audition for voice acting gigs.

It starts small – usually with the realization of your acting skills, or perhaps a compliment from a stranger about your awesome speaking voice.

And then it hits you, for the first time, that you may actually have a future as a voice actor, but how do you go about it?

This is a comprehensive guide that contains everything your need to know about how to become a voice actor.

Your Life as a Voice Actor

If you are reading this, chances are that you have already pictured yourself performing a voice-over for a successful animated show, or something along these lines.

From the outside, the life of a voice actor seems easy enough. Keep a clear voice, have really good recording equipment, and show up to work whenever it is convenient for you…

But before you make the decision to quit your day job and pursue a full-time career as a voice actor, you should know that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

how to become a voice actor

Is There Demand for Voice Actors?

The golden question – how legitimate is a career in voice acting?

We will not get into too much detail here since you may have already made up your mind about becoming a voice actor.

However, in case you need some motivation, here is a comprehensive guide on voice-over jobs that will alienate any doubts you may have.

Every Day in Different in Voice Acting

As a voice actor, at least before you establish your niche, you might find yourself reading scripts from different industries. A public service announcement today and a quirky radio commercial the next day – you never know the type of client you will get.

How to Get into Voice Acting

Most of the guides you read on the internet about ‘how to become a voice actor’ offer the same solutions, usually in the same order:

  • Take a class or hire a voice coach and train your voice to sound consistent and clear.
  • Practice, practice, and practice some more.
  • Get professional equipment and set up a studio at home.
  • Record demos to build your portfolio.
  • Work on your marketing and networking skills.

There is nothing wrong with these solutions, but this is not going to be one of those articles that fail to give practical advice to its readers.

Read on to find out exactly what you need to do to become a successful voice actor.

Calling All Beginners in the Voice-Over Industry

The voice acting industry is a wide and deep sea that keeps on giving. You will find professionals just as talented as you, trying to reach for the same clients you are reaching out to.

What sets you apart from every other voice actor?

If you are struggling to answer this question, you are probably going about it the wrong way.

Your journey as a voice actor begins when you make the conscious decision to join the industry, fully aware of the challenges that come with the job.

You won’t find that one thing that sets you apart on the first day. In fact, you might even struggle to master some of the basic voice acting skills.

Allow yourself to take those first baby steps, to stumble without giving up on what might blossom to be a lucrative career.

How much do voice actors make?

Here is a step-by-step practical guide on how to become a voice actor:

Start with a Simple Online Search

You can’t be a great voice actor without knowing what great voice acting looks like.

Voice acting is a wide field, and like any other industry, it is also fragmented. When you start diving deeper into your research, you will uncover the full variety of voice-acting…

…and this shouldn’t overwhelm you one bit.

If anything, you should have more fun.

Listen to different voice-over samples and try to copy the performer. Check out some ADR and voice dubbing projects and learn how to lip-sync.

Perhaps you are good at narrating audiobooks.

There is so much you can do as a voice actor, and you shouldn’t limit yourself to one thing unless you are ready to build a niche skill. You can choose to do radio scripts, commercials, e-learning projects, telephone and IVR jobs, and even video games.

Here are some practice scripts to get you started:

Develop Your Skills (Take Baby Steps)

You can as well learn without a voice coach, but don’t try to watch all the YouTube videos you find at once.

Being a good voice actor also means taking care of your body and your voice.

Are you getting enough sleep, for instance? Have you been cooped up in your booth all day without a single break? And do you have a glass of water handy?

All these things contribute to the performance of a voice actor.

Then we come to the technical skills involved in voice-acting.

We are talking breathing techniques, pronunciation, and having control over your voice.

And remember, it takes time. You need to actively practice your voice-acting skills so that you can discover your voice.

You have three options when it comes to developing your voice-acting skills:

We recommend using some combination of these three methods to hone your voice-acting skills. It’s always a bonus to learn from the best in the industry.

Reading and Interpreting Voice-over Scripts

There is a popular debate that members of the voice-acting community will have at some point in their career: is voice-acting ‘real’ acting?

Well, both professionals play with their voices and body language in order to pass a message to a targeted audience.

“As voiceover artistes, we don’t transcribe; we translate. One has to communicate what the character is feeling, and introduce humor where needed with a regional flavor that the audience can relate to.”

– Rajesh Khattar

Voice actors bring films, audiobooks, and documentaries to life. Every script has a purpose and intention, and to read it well, you must bring out this intention to the audience.

Learn how to read voice-over scripts like a pro.

Set Up a Home Studio

You will need the right equipment and software the set up a home recording studio.

Where to Find Voice Acting Jobs

Considering you are a beginner with virtually no experience, it might be hard to get voice-over jobs at first.

Your first few google searches will reveal a huge market for voice acting professionals, but without a portfolio and referrals to back up your talent, you might not land the best jobs.

But there is a way around it…

Work with Bunny Studio

Being a voice actor means working as a freelancer, and working as a freelancer means constantly looking for new clients…

But what if the clientele could come to you?

You need a unified platform that you can trust, and Bunny Studio is it.

Outsourcing websites have one job; to connect qualified professionals with eager clients, but it shouldn’t end there.

What sets Bunny Studio apart from other outsourcing websites?

You get a free subscription, support from our quality control team, and the cherry on top of the cake – you can set your own rates.

Bunny Studio also pays you for every project you submit, regardless of whether the client accepts it or not.

All you have to do is deliver high-quality work and keep up with the changing trends in voice-over.

“Bunny Studio Voice put me into the mindset necessary to be competitive and desirable in the voiceover industry. Creating a consistent routine of turning around professional audio in a timely manner not only accustomed me to the breakneck pacing that projects tend to have, but also incentivized me to hone my strengths – and improve my weaknesses – to ensure that speed did not also hamper quality.”

– Sean Chiplock, Bunny Studio Pro

how to become a voice actor

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

You can land a few jobs as a jack-of-all-trades, but specializing gives you access to opportunities that may not be available to ‘general’ voice actors.

More often than not, clients look for something specific.

For instance, a deep voice, an emotional read, or an excited undertone. Part of your skill as a voice actor is to decipher the script, using context and your understanding of both the brand and the audience to deliver a message.

As you practice, you will find out the kinds of jobs that are best suited to your voice.

Don’t be afraid to try.

To help you get started, here is a voice application sample script that could win you your next gig.

Build a voice-over demo reel to show proof of your quality and consistency.

Welcome to Bunny Studio Voice

Can you record professional-sounding audio in a captivating voice? Do you take your projects seriously? Are you a good communicator?

If you answered yes to all these questions, it’s about time you claimed your rightful spot as a member of Bunny Studio Voice.

Our rules are simple; quality, availability, and speed.

Jobs come fast – apply as a Bunny Voice Pro today and try to keep up with our pace.