How to become a voice actor? You have to take acting classes, hire a voice acting coach, and listen to professionals to become a voice actor. Auditions are the most important part of the voice-acting process. Someone said that the real work of an actor is auditioning. Voice acting is an occupation or art of performing voice-overs to represent a character in animated films, dramas, feature films, etc. Great voice acting requires hard work, tenacity, and patience. A good voice is not enough for becoming a voice actor. Decent acting skills are complementary to become a great voice actor. If you have a unique voice and you love acting, then it may be a right career for you. The Voice acting industry is very competitive but there are many advantages of becoming a voice actor.
Who is a voice actor?
A voice actor is a performer who uses his voice to entertain people. A voice actor uses his voice to represent the characters of animated films and audiobooks. A voice-over actor provides his voice for cartoons, anime, video games, commercials, narration, audiobooks, dubbing, e-learning, and promos. Voice actors are also cast as the character’s singing voice. Along with great voice, a voice actor must have unique acting skills. Voice actors are rarely seen on screen and their voices are the only way to represent them. The voice actors do most of their work in studios and they can work independently.
How to become a voice actor?
Seven steps can help you to become a great voice-over actor.
Develop your talent
If you want to become a voice actor then you have to develop your talent. You can develop your talent by following five steps. These five steps are given below.
Read out loud
Read books, magazines, or articles out loud. Spend at least 30 minutes a day reading something aloud. Practice this on regular basis to get more comfortable with it. This will help you to improve your voice.
Record and listen to your voice
Read something, record it, and hear it. This step will tell you that what changes you have to make in your voice.
Use your diaphragm
Find out the source of your voice, nasal, chest, mouth, and diaphragm. Nasal voice is very unpleasant and whiny. The chest voice sounds pleasant and the mouth voice sounds very quiet. But the diaphragm produces the most powerful and the best sound. Practice breathing deeply to develop the diaphragm voice. Make sounds that are produced from the diaphragm such as laughing and yawning.
Do vocal exercises
Practice vocal exercises and this can help you to control and improve your voice. Also practice some tongue twisters like “Red leather, yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather.”
Feel the character
You are giving your voice to a character and to become a great voice actor you have to feel that character. When you will feel the character, you will better realize the emotions of your character and then the quality of your voice will be much better. This is the most important step in developing your talent to become a voice actor.
Take voice lessons and acting classes
Take voice lessons on regular basis or at least once a week. Taking voice lessons will expand your vocal range. You must take voice lessons from several voice teachers to find the best fit for you. A good voice teacher will not only help you to control your voice but also will help you to find your unique voice.
Voice acting is not about reading words on a page but it requires great and unique acting skills. If you have a great voice but you are nil in acting then you can’t become a voice actor. Taking acting classes will help you to refine your abilities, making you a believable performer and more confident.
Hire a voice acting coach
A voice acting coach will help you to improve your technical skills like breathing. You will learn pronunciation, articulation, and how to deliver your voice from the acting coach. In this way, you will know how to perform each line as best as possible.
Learn the sounds of famous voice actors
If you learn and practice the voices of famous voice-over actors then this will help you to increase the flexibility of your voice. You can become more versatile by doing this and this will also improve your acting skills.
Record a demo reel
You have to work to get work. Create a demo reel that must be short and no longer than one or two minutes. Give your best in this reel. You can upload these demo reels to the auditions sites and send your reels to look up talent agencies to find a good voice acting job.
Auditions
Audition is the most important part of the voice-acting process. Only auditions for the roles that suit you to avoid unnecessary rejections. Also, submit your auditions on dedicated voice talents websites on the internet to find a job. Don’t smoke or drink acidic beverages before recording an audition, otherwise, these two things will ruin your audition.
Network
You have to expand your social network and this can increase the chances an opportunity may come along through someone you know. Networking is a two-way street. It is important to help your connections in any way you can. Whatever you have to bring to the table, use it generously to let your contacts know you care about their success.
Summary:
How to become a voice actor? You have to take acting classes to become a voice-over actor. Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to represent a character in animated films, dramas, feature films, etc. A great voice is not enough to become a voice-over actor but you must have unique acting skills. Voice actors used their voices to entertain others. If you want to become a voice actor, then you have to develop your talent first. Taking voice and acting classes, hiring a coach, Recording a demo reel, and auditioning are the most important steps in becoming a voice-over actor.
Salary of a voice actor
How much does a voice actor make? Of course, the answer to this question is not simple. The payment of voice depends on the type of work, size of the project, your experience, and many other factors. The annual income of a voice actor greatly varies from person to person and from year to year. When you start voice acting, you have to invest in your studios, demos, and marketing efforts. But once your portfolio of clients is completed, you will see that your regular earning grows.
Voice actors get paid based on per job or per project. The salary of a voice actor ranges from:
$35 for a small market radio spot
$150 for a 15-second recording i.e. a small website
$250 to $350 for a 30-second major market radio commercial
$2000 to $5000 per audiobook
The expected salary of an average voice actor is $31,400 per year. The expected salary of a beginner is $18,390 per year and the expected salary of an experienced voice actor is $90,000 per year.
The average salary of voice actor
Top 10% of voice actors earn more than $90,000
Top 25% of voice actors earn more than $51,000
Median voice actors earn more than $31,400
The bottom 25% of voice actors earn more than $21,700
The bottom 10% of voice actors earn more than $18,390
How to find voice-over work?
There is a diverse range of job opportunities in the voice-over industry. You can work in radio, TV advertising, animation, or video games. There are many other industries (such as the education industry and business industry) that hire voice actors when they need a professional delivery of a script. So being a voice actor, you have to invest your time in developing business skills, artistic skills, and technical skills. Demo and audition is the most important part in finding a job. Voice over demo is essential to get voice acting jobs. Voice over demo is your calling cards.
Demo
Produce a demo for each style of voice-over you provide and in each language, accent, and dialect.
Don’t waste your time introducing yourself. You have just a few seconds to impress the listeners so give your best to ■■■■ the listeners.
Use your real voice to provide an authentic performance.
Your recording levels are properly set.
Choose the right script to create your demo.
Auditions
Once your Voice profile is completed, you can start looking for work and auditions. Here are some tips to nail your voice-over audition.
Audition for the job which suits your personality.
Pay attention to the language and accent in the job posting.
Pay attention to the rate of pay and the deadline to submit an audition.
Summary:
The salary of a voice actor depends on the type of work, size of the project, your experience, and many other factors. The payment in the field of voice acting varies from person to person and from year to year. There is a lot of job opportunities in this industry. You have to create demos and give auditions to find out a perfect job for you in the voice-over industry.
How to become a voice actor at home?
If you want to become a voice actor at home then you have to develop a home studio. Microphones, headphones, and software are very important in becoming a voice-over actor at home.
Set up a home studio
A voice home studio is essential to provide high-quality work to clients. You must choose the most suitable recording place to build your home studio. Your home studio needs to be large enough for you to comfortably sit in it. Your home studio must be soundproof. Soundproofing is the most important in producing high-quality work for your clients. You do not have to break the bank for creating your professional home studio. You can save money by following some steps. These steps are given below:
Soundproofing and insulation should not be expensive. You can use heavy blankets and comforters to absorb unwanted sound.
All the recording equipment should not be expensive. You can buy second-hand equipment and this is the best way to save money.
Your home studio space must be simple. It can be as small as a closet. You can perform well in a simple and small home studio.
Microphone
Different microphones are available in the market but you have to find the best one for you. The process of choosing the best microphone depends on the quality of your voice. You can have a booming voice, a low-pitched voice, or a raspy voice. Each voice type may need a different type of microphone. Keep in mind that the most expensive microphone doesn’t need to be best for you. You can find the best voice over the microphone for you by following some steps. These steps are given below:
Try microphones of different brands before you settle on one.
Test mike in space before buying a microphone.
Choose a microphone that highlights the details of your voice.
Don’t buy a microphone having handheld mikes.
You can also get advice from audio experts in choosing the best microphone.
Headphones
You have to spend a little bit of your home studio setup budget on a good set of headphones. Recording with headphones helps you in hearing the unwanted sounds you are making with your mouth. With the help of headphones, you can also hear all the unwanted sounds picked up by your mike. You can buy a decent pair of headphones is $100.
You should know the difference between closed-back headphones (used for recording tracks) and open-backed headphones (used for mixing) to decide which one is best for you. Here is a list of the best headphones recommended by famous voice-over actors.
Extreme Isolation EX-29
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro
AKG K 701
Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
Focal Spirit Professional
Shure SRH 1540
Software
After buying the perfect microphone and headphones, it is time to think about the software which is essential to create professional-grade recordings. The software makes the quality of your voice better and the quality of voice is incredibly important. The cost of the software and the compatibility of the software with your device and equipment are the factors that need to be taken in choosing software. Different types of software are available in the market. Some popular software programs are given below:
Adobe Audition
Pro Tools
GarageBand (standard software on Macs)
Sound Forge
Audacity (free software)
How to become a voice actor in anime?
Voice actors do not need formal education to start their work. If you want to become a voice actor in anime then you have to develop your voice by studying characters in anime and finding a balance between the character expectations and an original portrayal. You need to explore some of the big film titles, anime series, especially the different genres. Listen to popular anime voice actors and try to replicate the voice. You have to focus that how an anime voice actor is making those voices. The important part in finding anime voice-over jobs is the audition Anime voice-over jobs are fun and can be an exciting part of the industry to work in. Work hard and you could be the next rising anime voice-over star.
Summary:
You can become a voice actor at your home but you need to set up a home studio. You need microphones, headphones, and software for working from home. A variety of headphones and microphones are available in the market. You can buy according to your budget. If you want to become a voice-over actor in anime then you have to find out a balance between the character expectations and an original portrayal. You should listen to popular anime voice-over actors and you should try to make voices like them.
Benefits of becoming a voice actor
There are many benefits of becoming a voice actor.
Work from home
One of the most beneficial aspects of the voice-over industry is the ability to work from anywhere that has an internet connection. You can prepare a schedule that works for you. Some of the most famous voice-over actors expressed gratitude for their ability to create a work-life balance that works for their family, as well as their schedule. You can record sounds for your clients in your home studio. The home studio gives you the freedom to work from home and avoid commuting and parking fees.
Be your boss
Being a voice actor, you don’t have any boss. You can set your schedule. You can decide which jobs to accept or decline. Once you start working continuously, you can become more selective about the types of projects you pursue.
Permanent clients
In the field of voice acting, you interact with many producers and directors. If you work hard and become successful in impressing your clients then your clients will love to work with you again. In this way, they can become your clients.
Freedom to make as much money as you like
A voice actor is often an entrepreneur, his voice is his business. Although it is not easy to become a successful voice actor by doing hard work you can become a successful and great voice-over actor. You can accept projects according to your choice and can make money as much as you like.
Disadvantages of becoming a voice actor
There are also some disadvantages of becoming a voice actor.
Unsteady work
It is very difficult to find steady work in the field of voice acting. The job is mostly freelance and it means if you don’t work hard to find opportunities, you may not work at all.
Heavy competition
Finding a job in the field of voice acting is difficult because there is so much competition from aspiring, intermediate, and veteran talent. Even experienced voice actors enter periods where they struggle to find work for themselves. You must be prepared for rejection before giving an audition.
It can be ■■■■■■■ the voice
Voice actors must take care of their voices to keep them healthy and in working shape. They can prevent any vocal strain that can severely impair their ability to use their voices correctly.
Time costs
This field takes a lot of time from developing skills, getting acting and voice classes, setting up your home studio to auditioning, and finding jobs. Sometimes you can get a job after a short period but sometimes you have to wait for the best opportunity.
Emotional and isolation costs
For becoming a voice actor, you have to sit inside your home studio for many hours to practice scripts. This may affect your mental health. Audiobook narrator Ilyana Kadushin said that you have to take frequent tea breaks. This will boost up your mind, protect your voice, and help you to avoid burnout.
Monetary costs
The monetary cost of the voice acting business depends on your lifestyle and whether you’re looking to make voice acting a full-time job or a part-time side income. If you want to make it a full-time job then you need a high-quality home studio, professional-grade expensive equipment, and an understanding of general business and marketing practices. You have to need a large amount to invest in all these things.
Summary:
There are a lot of advantages of become a voice-over actor. You can work from home, be your boss, choose work according to your personality, and make money as much as you like. There are also some disadvantages of the voice-over industry. There is unsteady work and heavy competition in this industry. You have to take extra care of your voice. You have to give a lot of time and money to this field.
Top 7 famous voice actors
Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc was an American voice actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was born on the 30th of May, 1908 in San Francisco, California, United States, and died on the 10th of July, 1989 in Los Angeles, California, United States. He was Jewish by religion. He started his career in the field of voice acting at the age of 10. At the age of 16, he changed the spelling of his name from “Mel Blank” to “Mel Blanc”. He gave his voice to many animated characters. Some of which are:
Daffy Duck
Elmer Fudd
Bugs Bunny
Tweety
Sylvester
Road Runner
Pepé Le Pew
Porky Pig
Marvin the Martian
Billy West
Billy West is an American voice actor, singer, musician, and songwriter. His real name is William Richard Werstine. He is also a radio personality. He was born on the 16th of April. 1952. He is of Irish descent. His most notable voice notes include,
The title character of Doug (American animated television series)
The title character of The Ren & Stimpy Show (American animated television series)
Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, and Zapp Brannigan from Futurama (American science fiction animated sitcom)
Bugs Bunny
Popeye
Shaggy Rogers
Super Snooper
Woody Woodpecker
Tara Lyn Strong
Tara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress. She provides voice-over work for animation and video games. She was born on the 12th of February, 1973, in Toronto, Ontario, to Syd and Lucy Charendoff. She is Jewish by religion. Tara started her career at the age of thirteen in Limelight Theater’s production “The Music Man”. At the age of 13, her first major cartoon was in the “Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater”. She worked in many animated series such as:
Teen Titans
Teen Titans Go
Rugrats
The Powerpuff Girls
The Fairly OddParents
Xiaolin Showdown
Ben 10
Chowder
Wow Wow Wubbzy
My Little Pony
Friendship Is Magic
Unikitty
Dc Super Hero Girls
She also worked as a voice actor in video games such as:
Mortal Kombat X
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Jak and Daxter
Final Fantasy X
X-2
Blue Dragon
Batman
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American voice-over actor. His career spans more than seven decades. He is known as “one of America’s most distinguished and versatile” actors due to his best performances in film, theater, and television. He was born on the 17th of January, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi. He was brought up by his grandparents, John Henry and Maggie Williams. He was given the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater in 2017. He is famous for voicing-over in,
Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Return of the Jedi (1983)
Treehouse of Horror Halloween Special (1990)
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American voice actor, actor, writer, producer, animator, filmmaker, and singer. He was born on the 26th of October, 1973, in Kent, Connecticut. He is the creator of the television series Family Guy (1999 to present) and The Orville (2017 to present). He is the co-creator of the television series American Dad (2005 to present) and The Cleveland Show (2009 to 2013). He worked in many animated series as a voice-over actor such as:
Johnny Bravo
Cow and Chicken
Dexter’s Laboratory
Larry & Steve
He made a guest appearance in many television series such as:
Gilmore Girl
The War at Home
Star Trek: Enterprise
Flash Forward
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings is an American voice actor and singer. He was born on the 3rd of November, 1952 in Youngstown, Ohio. He started his career as “Lionel the Lion and Aunt Fira” in “Dumbo’s Circus”. In 1988, he replaced Hal Smith (American actor) as the voice of “Winnie the Pooh”. He is known for playing the title character in:
Drawing Duck
Dr. Eggman Robotnik from Sonic the Hedgehog
Winnie the Pooh
Tigger
Bonkers D. Bobcat
Tasmanian Devil
He performed in many animated films on Disney Channel. These include
Aladdin
The Lion King
Pocahontas
Hercules
The Princess and the Frog
Frank Welker
Frank Wendell Welker is an American voice-over actor. His career spans more than six decades. He started his career as a comedian in 1960. He performed his first major voice role in 1969 as Fred Jones in the Scooby-Doo franchise. He was born on the 12th of March. 1946, in Denver, Colorado, United States. In 2016, he won the Emmy Award for his lifetime achievements. He is best known for voicing,
Fred Jones and Scooby-Doo himself in “Scooby-Doo (American animated series)”
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Sequel in “Epic Mickey”
Megatron, Galvatron, Soundwave in “Transformers”
Shao Khan and Reptile in “1995 Mortal Kombat Film”
Curious George in the “Curious George” franchise
Garfield on “The Garfield Show”
Nibbler on Futurama
Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, Astro, Sneezy Seal, Mushmouse, Azrael in “The Smurfs”
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Who is the highest-paid voice-over actor?
Matt Stone is the highest-paid voice actor. He is also a screenwriter, actor, producer, and co-creator of “South-Park”. Matt Stone has voiced three main characters, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Butters Stotch. He also provides the voice for several recurring characters, such as Gerald Broflovski, Stuart McCormick, Craig Tucker, Jimbo Kern, Terrance, Saddam Hussein, Tweek Tweak, Mr. Adler, and Jesus. The net worth of Matt Stone is $700.
What type of degree is required to become a voice actor?
No formal education is required to become a voice-over actor. It is possible to become a voice-over actor with a high school degree. You can also become a voice-over actor with a master’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or high school diploma degree. Basic training is required in becoming a voice actor.
Is voice acting a good field?
Voice acting is one of the most exciting and rewarding fields. It is hard to find work but there are a lot of benefits of becoming a voice-over actor. You can work from home, be your boss, choose a job according to your personality, and make your timetable. You have the freedom to make as much money as you like.
How much money does a voice-over actor make?
An average voice-over actor can make $90,000 per year. An established voice-over actor can earn a six-digit figure. It means that the expert voice-over actors can earn $199,000 per year. 75th percentile and the 25th percentile can make $111,000 and $23,000 per year respectively.
Is it easy to become a voice actor?
It sounds simple, but it is not that simple and easy. If uh have a great voice and you think that you can easily become a voice-over actor then you are thinking wrong. Keep in mind that a great and unique voice is not enough to become a voice actor but unique acting skills are also compulsory in this field.
How much a voice actor can earn in an anime?
An average freelance anime voice actor can earn around $40 per short gig on CastingCallClub. However, a professional Japanese anime voice actor can earn around $540 per episode. Most of the expert voice-over actors earn $60 to $80 per hour from English animes.\
Can you make a voice acting full-time job for you?
Yes, you can make it a full-time job. If you wanted to do so, then you have to build a home studio for proper working. You have to invest a large amount in setting up a home studio, buying headphones and microphones. You have to spend a lot of time establishing your career. You have to give something to get something in this field.
How much a voice actor can earn from a commercial?
If you are providing voice-over for local radio commercials, you can expect to earn $100 and if you are providing your voice to a national television commercial then you expect to earn $10,000. Moreover, your earnings depend on your experience.
How can you become an audiobook narrator?
This requires a lot of hard work. You have to practice reading out loud, record and listen to your voice, learn to create a voice from your diaphragm, and take acting and voice-over lessons.
How much money narrators of an audiobook can earn?
Experienced narrators can expect to earn $168.25 per hour or $1,346 for a finished audiobook of eight hours. An experienced non-union narrator can earn $250 and a beginner non-union creator can earn $90 to #250.
Conclusion
How to become a voice actor? You have to take acting classes and voice lessons for becoming a voice-over actor. Voice acting is a profession of performing voice-overs to represent a character in animated films, dramas, feature films, etc. along with a unique voice, you must have unique acting skills for becoming a voice-over actor. Developing your talent, Taking voice and acting classes, hiring a coach, Recording a demo reel, and auditioning are the most important steps in becoming a voice-over actor. If you want to become a voice actor at home then you need to set up a home studio. You also need microphones, headphones, and software for this purpose. You should listen to popular anime voice-over actors if you want to become a famous anime voice actor. There are many benefits of becoming a voice-over actor. You can work from home, be your boss, choose work according to your personality, and make money as much as you like. Besides advantages, there are also some disadvantages of this industry. There is unsteady work and heavy competition in this industry. You have to take extra care of your voice. You have to give a lot of time and money to this field.
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