At least once a week, someone asks me how to get into voice-over. Every. Single. Week!
There are so many misconceptions about becoming a VO artist. Everyone has a voice, right? And if you’ve been told you have a good voice, what more do you need? Hey, you can read? How hard can it be?
You wouldn’t show up to a construction site with a hard hat and expect to be put in charge. And yet, many people think that plugging a USB mic into a laptop, or worse, speaking into their smartphone, is enough to get them into this competitive, professional business. I’ve seen too many newbies fumble their way into voice-over without learning the basics. They’re behind before they even get started and most of them give up. Bottom line: you need skills to compete with professionals for work.
I wrote a comprehensive guide titled, How to Get Started in Voiceover – Launching Your VO Career with Little Money & Lots of Knowledge. It costs $5. at Gumroad and you can access it HERE.
Freebies to Get You Started
There’s a lot of free info out there, too, and here are some trustworthy resources. Please, DON’T sign up for a course that popped up on YouTube or Facebook or TikTok, promising fast results and a six-figure income. They are LYING. It doesn’t work that way. Voice-over is insanely competitive and no one can guarantee success.
Also, please don’t skip over the stuff that seems hard, like training. It’s not optional. Remember, what you hear in a voice-over professional’s work has been edited and perfected. It can be a messy job behind the scenes!
My friend Rachel of Voiced By Rachel has written an excellent blog post about How to Get Started in Voice Over. Read it HERE.
Bill DeWees built his successful business from the ground up. He offers loads of excellent, practical info on his YouTube channel HERE.
Check out websites and videos by Marc Scott, Paul Schmidt, Kim Handysides, Carol Monda, and other reputable, currently working coaches and trainers.
Google someone before you take their advice. And for goodness sake, please don’t crowd-source questions on Facebook groups. Most of the people who will take the time to answer only want you to do what they did. Not necessarily what’s best for you.
Good luck!