What Does It Take To Work In Voiceover?

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I really don’t turn every email I get into a blog, but recent exchanges have asked really great questions. Most recently, a site visitor wrote me:

Hi Nikki,

I love your voice. I have been told I have a nice voice. I am interested in finding someone who can help me break-into the Voice-Over industry. I will also need a demo on MP3 or cd.

Are you in Florida? I am located in . . . Fl.
Thanks.
C . . .

I don’t care what anyone else says; it’s easier to “break into” voiceover than most people realize. That’s not the hard part. The challenge is in recognizing all the skills you need and developing those skills, marketing your talent, finding clients, running your business, and basically making a living at voiceover. Here is my reply to the email:

Thank you. A nice voice is a great start for some types of voice over services, but never as important as what you can do with your voice. Whether it’s a public service, audio book narration, marketing DVD, or animation, you’re selling a message. Doing that effectively will get you noticed. Training is important. In no particular order, this is what it takes:

* Acting or improvisation;
* Voice training (singing, voice over workshops, public speaking);
* Digital sound engineering (mic technique; sound editing, mixing and mastering);
* Marketing and sales training;
* Basic business management;
* Accounting;
* General computer skills;
* Communication skills;
* Research skills for some types of voice work, especially audio book narration;
* Grammar, writing, copy writing (basic grammar skills are important though a lot of copy breaks basic rules because people don’t generally speak using correct grammar; but you need to know the difference; although you may never write copy, having a sense of good copy helps with timing, punching key words and general delivery of the message).

Mastering your natural voice is important. Natural sells more than anything. These are just some basics. Voice work today is an Internet-based business. I don’t meet most of my clients face to face; I seldom even have to talk to them on the phone. It’s generally an query email from the client, maybe with an audition script; create and transfer a demo or custom audition clip; email exchange discussing price, direction and delivery methods; record project; do any necessary post-production on the sound files; FTP the final project; email an invoice; get feedback from the client; make any agreed upon changes if necessary; get paid via PayPal or other electronic method or a check from old, repeat clients (or get paid on balance if it’s a long project and you’ve obtained a retainer or deposit upfront).

None of this is rocket science. Like any business, it involves more than just having a good product or service (more than just a nice voice), but thousands of people manage it and when you start to develop a client base and get gigs, it can be a fairly smooth operation. Like many voice producers, I genuinely enjoy both the performance and business sides of my work. Both are essential. In fact, it’s important to be a better business owner than a performer.

There are inexpensive ways to develop the skill sets you need. Most community colleges offer performance and business courses. I’ll try to develop more posts on my web site with good resources over the next couple weeks. Please check out the “Voiceover Resources” category on my blog site. You’ll see some links now and many more to follow since I get questions like yours all the time.

My sincere best wishes in your endeavors. No matter what you pursue, with the exception of sound engineering which is more limited [industry-specific], the training needed for voice work will benefit you tremendously in hundreds of professions, business endeavors, or just day-to-day life.

Nikki

I really mean it when I say voiceover is a business. Even if you have representation, you will need to run your own show responsibly. It’s the difference between being employed and being contracted. For the most part, there are no employed voice actors who are taken care of and told what to do. Instead, there are contracted voiceover businesses. A recording session may be directed and produced by someone else, but you are still being contracted. In simple terms, you yourself have to bag, book and bill your own gig. That’s business.

I’m not saying I’m a strong businesswoman. I don’t feel I market as much as I should; I need to develop a passive income stream for when I feel the need to devote more of my time to learning; and industry veterans tell me I don’t charge enough for some services; but I definitely recognize the importance of the business side of voiceover work. To that end, I’ve decided to create a new blog category, “Voiceover Business,” which will be devoted to these issues. This blog is the first in this category.

Learning Cakewalk, Other Sound Editing Software

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I get a few emails in response to my blogs and asking for more information on voice over work and tools. Recently, I received this email from Robert in Rhode Island,which I include here with his permission:

 

Dear Nikki,
I’m trying to get started in the voiceover biz. I love your helpful approach,I’ve learned a lot from reading about your DAW.

 

I recently bought a Samson C01U microphone,which plugs directly into the computer. It came with a CD from Cakewalk,a ‘SONAR LE’ DAW.

 

The thing is, I’m not particularly computer-savvy;I do ok for an old dude (I’m 58),but this thing seems geared to people who already know how to operate a recording studio…

 

so,my question is: is the Adobe Audition you recommend that user-unfriendly too,for a novice? Do I need to just suck it up and spend six months figuring this thing out?

 

Thanks Nikki,

 

Here’s my reply:

 

Hi Robert. You can only help yourself by getting as familiar as you can with your gear and software. There’s no downside there and there are tons of online resources which will help you speed up the learning curve. I definitely recommend video/audio tutorials to learn software. There’s a great site run by Apex Web Media which I recommend to many people wanting to learn different computer programs: The link will take you to the Cakewalk tutorial page, but they have a lot of training titles.You might see other training that would benefit you if you’re not super computer savvy. Apex also has a more affordable $30 a month online training course; but if you click on the titles, you’ll see that all their intro Chapters are free demos, and you can learn a lot just from running those.

 

Two other great resources are the VoiceOverSavvy.Com forum and also Emusician.Com, which posts some of the most helpful articles in the VO and music industry. I subscribe to the magazine, but you get great stuff (and no recycling) right from the web site. Check out their section on audio editing software.

 

My love of Audition has more to do with my comfort level; it’s what I’m familiar with — and I mean years of use (from when it was Cool Edit). Sonar will do the job and it’s software you already have but my experience with it is very limited. I know there are many voice producers who use it.

 

Good luck,
Nikki

 

I want to add that, despite my experience with Adobe Audition 1.5, last year I purchased the Total Training tutorial DVD for Audition 1.5 and learned so much more, including the fact that Audition has a vocoder feature in its multitrack section, very cool. There are obviously good and bad video tutorials out there, but I’m not convinced you can learn any software or computer program as effectively simply from reading a book; it helps to see the interface and applications during instruction.

Web Audio To Boost Sales

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I came across another great article from Practical eCommerce, “Six Surefire Ways to Boost Sales.” I particularly liked tip number 4 but, as a voiceover producer, I’m probably biased, right? ;)

 

No 4 – Test Audio Instructions

 

One of the best ways to increase sales is to include an audio button on your site that tells people exactly what to do in order to buy or subscribe. Telling people in no uncertain terms to “Enter your name and primary email address in the box and click the button” has proven one of the most effective means of getting website visitors to take the actions you want.

 

Many voiceover talents offer web audio as part of their standard voiceover services. I definitely do. If you’re a voice actor, consider adding web audio to your list of services.

 

If you’re a business owner and my voice doesn’t fit your project, please consider posting your job lead for free at Voice123.com or Voices.com. Both marketplaces will give you the ability to hear other professional voice actors and obtain bids for your job. In other words, if you don’t hire me, please consider one of my many friends in the voiceover industry. I tend to be on the low side of bidding; but please remember: the lowest bid isn’t always the best voice for the job. The voice you choose will represent you and your company.