Voice Actor

Voice acting is a creative profession that involves reciting a script and recording the audio for a particular purpose. Voice actors can work on a wide range of projects, including voice-over work, narrative/creative voice acting, and dubbing.

Here are just a few examples of projects you can work on as a voice actor:

• Audiobooks
• TV shows, films, and videos (e.g., dubbing, narrating, or acting for animations)
• Advertisements
• Video games
• Radio shows
• Apps and technologies
• Prerecorded messages or announcements

Just about anyone can get started in voice acting, regardless of background or qualifications. Success is all about talent and whether your voice fits well in a particular niche. With that said, you do need strong acting and narrative skills and knowledge of voice acting techniques like vocal pacing, tone, pitch, volume, and consistency.

Voice actors often work remotely from home, although some jobs require recording at a professional studio. The pay can be incredibly lucrative for top earners, and there’s potential to access union benefits. However, it’s a pretty big commitment since you generally need to build your own home recording space that’s properly soundproofed and equipped with professional-level recording tools.

While anyone can try out voice acting, it takes a bit of extra effort to find success in this field. Here’s expert advice that will help you break into the field as a beginner.

Invest in your recording equipment

Voice acting isn’t a casual side hustle. Unfortunately, you can’t just submit any old recordings you made on a phone or laptop in your room and expect to get high-paying gigs. You don’t need to spend a fortune on your home studio, but you need to make sure you have the basic equipment required to produce professional-quality recordings.

Choose the right niche for your voice

Nobody’s voice is perfect for every type of voice acting project. A key factor determining whether you get picked for a voice acting gig is whether you have the right “sound.”

Be honest with yourself about the characteristics of your voice and what types of projects you’d best be suited to you. Asking other people for input (especially industry professionals) will also help you get an objective perspective on your voice characteristics.

Study up on voice acting techniques

Even though you don’t need a degree or certification in voice acting to get started, making it big in the industry requires in-depth knowledge of voice acting techniques. You’ll boost your chances of success by supplementing your natural talent with education from external sources, such as online courses or even free resources like blogs, podcasts, or YouTube videos.

There are several huge draws that inspire people to become voice actors:

• Work remotely from home
• Choose your own projects and schedule
• High earning potential
• No degree or qualifications required
• Access to union benefits

Ultimately, all you need is talent, determination, and some initial setup funds to start a fun and lucrative career as a voice actor. If you manage to establish a reputation for yourself, there’s potential to earn up to $1,500 per hour working a fun and creative job on your own terms.

There are several reasons why everyone doesn’t choose to start a voice acting side hustle:

• Requires acting skills and a good voice
• High startup costs
• High competition
• Unpredictable earnings

The bottom line is that voice acting isn’t an easy side hustle. You need to put in a lot of effort and money upfront even to stand a chance. After that, your odds of success come down to talent, luck, and determination. If you need a stable income or you’re not comfortable with uncertainty, then this may not be the right job for you.

Voice acting is rising in popularity, but it still remains a relatively niche career option. Here’s a glimpse into current news, statistics, and trends in the voice acting industry:

• The most common voice acting job category in 2023 was internet ads, followed by e-learning and television gigs.
• According to a survey of companies that hire voice actors, the top job category with expected job opportunities in 2024 is animation gigs.
• AI technology is a threat to the voice-over industry, with the percentage of companies using AI voices instead of human voice-over artists rising from 38% in 2022 to 45% in 2023.

The major changes in the voice industry concern the types of projects that companies are hiring voice actors for as well as the use of AI voice technologies. However, it’s safe to say that for now at least, there are still plenty of jobs out there for voice actors.