Getting voice over jobs has never been easier. Although this significant improvement in the availability of online gigs has been partially a result of covid-19, the worldwide voice over market was already on the verge of a big boom. The pandemic restricted studio productions and the voice actors could record and produce from home as long as they had a home set up.
However, this doesn’t mean that getting voice over job is a work in the park. Like every other entrepreneur, you will have to put in serious effort. This doesn’t also mean that you should audition for every voice over job posting you see, you should put serious effort into combing out the jobs you think your voice is best suited for.
While being a freelancer means more freedom and flexibility, it is sometimes not rosy. The average freelancer spends two to three quarters of their time on job searches, something a nine to fiver will not envy.
This post is meant to make help you cut all that time to the barest minimum. Here are some tips that should come in handy when you’re looking for voice over jobs.
Tips on how to get voice over jobs
1. Get trained: This may be the most important thing said in this post and the most important thing you need to know on your way to getting your first voice over jobs. It isn’t just about how good your voice is, most of the time it is how much command you have over your voice. You will need to enroll yourself in one or two voice over classes.
On your own, you should practice reading out loud more often. This will help you get to know your voice and own it. You should also practice your breathing; this will help your articulation too. In short, do whatever you need to do to improve. Getting training can also help you discover if voice acting is the best line for you.
2. Produce your Voice Over Demo: This is like the voice actor’s resume, or more like their ticket. If you are not trained in audio production, you may have to hire someone to get this professionally done for you. Your demo goes to places as your representative, if it doesn’t do well, you might not be getting any voice over jobs. Read how to make a demo yourself here.
3. Work for free: This might sound a little off, but it is one of those things a freelancer has to do to break into the market. First, note that we mean this from the angle of volunteer work, and not free work. You may need to do some work for non-profit organizations, charities, or as a contribution to any cause you believe in. You may also want to consider working under an established voice actor. This may be the key to getting voice over jobs.
4. Network with Other Voice Actors: The importance of networking to any freelance or entrepreneur career cannot be overstated. Join online communities, local meetups, and conferences. You will find much more than people who are just colleagues; you will find information that may be critical to your growth as a voiceover actor. You will also get referrals because, on many occasions, voice actors get jobs that may not suit them, they tend to move these gigs on to their connections. You should also maintain a great online presence.
5. Be Selective: Okay, this may sound a little weird, but you need to understand that not all voice over jobs is for you. You need to analyze and decipher which job your voice is most suited for. This is all rooted in the first tip… training.
You will notice that most job listings have varying criteria; you should look out for these when you are gig hunting.
Like every aspect of life, patience and persistence are very important to your success as a voice actor.
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