Intro to Voice Acting

Below you will find information about:

• Tips to get started, step-by-step!
• Vocal Health Tips

• Home Studio Resources

• Tips to Avoid Scams

• Voice Acting Classes

• Demo Reel Info

• How & where to find VO jobs

If your goal is to break into the voice acting industry, then this is a great place to start! Truthfully, you can find LOTS of resources online through various websites (some of which I have linked at the bottom of this page), but I understand it can get overwhelming to sift through, and there are many scams that you may not know to avoid. So I created this page to sum up voice-over topics and professional resources for beginners.

Keep in mind that this industry is always evolving, and this information may vary depending on the specific voice acting market and genre you plan on pursuing.

(DISCLAIMER: My experience is based in the U.S. and I primarily work in the professional character voice acting industry specifically. Voice-over industries vary across the globe, and every genre of voice-over works differently. If you would like to contribute to this page and help expand the information beyond my own expertise, please contact me HERE.)

So you want to be a voice actor?

Voice acting is ACTING. This job is more than putting on a voice. Acting skills are a must.

While it’s possible to practice on your own, self-study can only get you so far, especially as a beginner. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent. You need to learn how to practice well first, and that requires some guidance. If we start moving forward without knowing which way to go, we could be going in the wrong direction. We need a teacher to put us on the right path BEFORE we start exploring. Self exploration is a big part of this journey, but a coach can help guide you in the right direction so that your journey is smooth sailing. Coaches offer industry insight, personalized feedback, and guidance that is essential for an actor’s career. Some people come into this industry with natural acting instincts, but they still need to refine their skills through training and practice.

A list of VO classes, workshops, and private coaches can be found HERE.

I always ask aspiring voice actors:

"WHY do you want to be a voice actor?"

These are the answers I hear most frequently:

1. "I'm good at impressions"

2. "I have loads of voices"

3. "People say I have a good voice / that I should get into voice acting"

4. "It seems easy enough"

5. "I'm pursuing this for some extra money as a side hustle"

If any number of those responses sound like you,

please read with the corresponding number below:

(If not, you can move on to the next section)

1. We hear this phrase A LOT, and it's common for aspiring voice actors to assume that this type of skill is the most important. Many assume that being able to do impressions will be a quick way to show off your skills. However, acting skills are what truly sell a performance. Don't focus on impressions. Impressions and voice matching go far beyond "copying" some well known catchphrases. It's great if you can manipulate your voice to sound like an iconic character or celebrity, but you have to be able to SUSTAIN the voice (continue to sound accurate) all while taking direction well and delivering a believable performance. It is also important to mention that you are competing with professionals, and sometimes that includes the actual actors of the voices you are trying to mimic, and those types of auditions are typically only sent through agencies or established talent pools. Voice acting is MORE than being able to do fun voices. More often than not, the director wants to hear YOUR voice, not an impression.

2. Having "loads of voices" is not enough in this field of work. Though it can be a beneficial skill, acting skills are more important. It's not enough to have hundreds of voices available at the drop of a hat. You need to be able to PERFORM those voices on a professional level and be able to take direction well, adjusting your performance however the director needs.

3. While having a nice sounding voice can be an asset, it's only one piece to the puzzle. Something I hear most often from people is "My friends and family say I have a good voice" and "Everyone keeps saying I should get into voice acting" — Most of the time these are non-pros telling you this, so you have to take it with a grain of salt. This doesn't always mean that their encouragement is misplaced, but this industry is MORE than just having a cool sounding voice. You need to seek out more reliable confirmation of your talent and capabilities, whether it's from a casting director, voice director, or professional voice actor. You have to remember that this is show business, and the job requires more than a nice voice. Being able to perform proficiently, take direction well in a fast paced environment, and have good creative instincts; all great qualities that could potentially be developed with a good amount of training with the right people. Your vocal versatility will be beneficial in what types of roles you'll be suited for, but the way you perform is the most important.

4. Show business is NOT easy. Never underestimate any form of acting, including voice-over. This can be a very competitive field, and the job requires a LOT of auditioning.

5. This is not a quick or cheap journey, and it is not usually the solution people think it is when they're looking for a new source of income. Considering the investment that's involved, the start of your VO journey could be quite the opposite. If you're wanting to get into this field for a little extra money, you'll realize rather quickly how expensive it is just to get started. Though there may be some cheaper routes to explore, in most cases pursuing voice-over can get extremely expensive. Acting classes and workshops can cost HUNDREDS of dollars, recording equipment can be pricey depending on the quality, and getting a decent demo reel produced can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 each! So be prepared to spend some money at the start, and be prepared to audition on a regular basis (auditions are unpaid). Choose this path wisely. If a coach/teacher ever promises you a lucrative career, this is a very common red-flag to be wary of. Don't believe those false promises. This is a competitive career and nobody can guarantee you any voice acting jobs, no matter how good an actor you are.

"Hows do I become a voice actor?"

While the most important part of this job is having acting skills, there are other qualities necessary to the job of a voice actor that need to be considered.

1. Have decent reading skills:

Most of what voice actors do is read straight from a script, so they have to be able to read full paragraphs out loud with zero to minimal stumbling as they speak. While it's not impossible to work in this field with a reading disability, know that it will be challenging and require diligence for those who struggle with this skillset.

2. Speak clearly:

The audience needs to be able to understand what an actor is saying, otherwise key information could be missed when telling a story and the message will be lost to them. It's important that an actor does not slur their words unnecessarily, so enunciation can play a huge role in achieving that goal. While a character's emotions can still come across without dialogue, if an actor has to speak written words to convey a message, those words need to be spoken clearly.

3. Take direction well:

Actors have to be adaptable and easy to work with, which includes being able to adjust how they read their lines. When working with notable clients, actors will typically have a voice director telling them what they want from their performance. Sometimes they have very specific needs, so the actor will have to be able to understand what they're asking for, remember ALL of the director's notes, and be able to deliver the desired performance in a timely manner.

4. Be creative:

There is often more than one way to read a line, and this job is all about being creative, so it requires vocal creativity and experimentation. And when we say "vocal creativity", this doesn't just mean being able to explore various types of voices/vocal prints. A big part of this job is about being creative with cadence. Being able to deliver variations of a read so that the director has options to choose from, which is a major part of video game voice acting specifically, but can be applied to all genres of the job. Actors stand out when they go above and beyond.

Important Qualities

The First Steps

1. Check your motivation

When I first started pursuing the art of acting, I was always told: "If you can imagine yourself doing anything else, do that instead." They wanted me to truly weigh my life ambitions and dig deep into WHY I wanted to do this, because your motivation is very important. It's imperative that you're pursuing this for the love of acting. Enjoyment is always the best reason to pursue this craft. I do not recommend pursuing this career if the only intention is money or fame. It's also important to establish your goals:
• Do you want to pursue voice acting as a side hobby? Or do you want this to be a full time job?
• What genres do you want to pursue? (Animation, Video Games, Commercials, Narration, etc...)
• Are you willing to financially invest in this pursuit? (Classes, demos, recording equipment, etc...)
• Are you open to relocating if needed? (this isn't always necessary. It depends on the kind of industry connections you want to make)

2. Acting training

• Like any career, training is important. In addition to performance training, the educational aspect is equally as crucial. Learning how this industry operates, the do's and don'ts of this business, and knowing the necessary terminology of this field will be incredibly rewarding when taught by the right people. However, you do not need a degree to succeed in this industry. It will be more beneficial for you to learn from professional voice actors and directors who are currently working in the professional industry and in the specific area you want to pursue (example: voice acting in video games, anime, commercials, narration, etc...)
• I recommend participating in on-stage productions. Get involved with your school's theatre department or local theatre. Build your acting resume and grow in the art. I also recommend improv training. It trains you to think on your feet, invent material on the fly, recover from mistakes in the moment, and overall nurture your imagination.
• There are also a lot of accomplished voice actors who teach constructive voice-over classes! Here's a list of some trustworthy VO coaches / teachers / instructors that I recommend:

> www.themorganberry.com/classes-workshops
• And here is a link to a list of things to be wary of when searching for a VO coach:
> www.themorganberry.com/red-flags

3. Recording equipment

Many companies will require you to send auditions from somewhere other than their studio, so having a decent home studio is crucial, especially when you're expected to record for a job remotely. However, you won't need anything super expensive when you're just getting started. Here is a helpful website to give more insight on the matter:
www.themorganberry.com/home-studio-info

4. Have a demo reel

Eventually, once you have enough voice acting training, you will need a demo reel to showcase your abilities as a performer and to pitch yourself to potential clients, studios, and agencies. If you don't have the funds to get a demo reel professionally produced, you could potentially make a "sample" or "starter demo" yourself. However, sending a low quality sample is not ideal to submit to agencies or notable studios. A sample is more used for submitting to small indie studios and online VO jobs through pay-to-play sites. Your next step depends on your individual circumstance and your current goals.
[click HERE for more demo reel info]

Helpful Info & Tips

1. Identify your goals

Establish what you want from this pursuit, whether you want to focus on just one genre of voice-over for fun, or if you want to make this a full-time job with the goal of voice-over being your only source of income. If your goal is the latter, then it will be more beneficial for you to branch out to more than one genre of voice-over. While character voice work is fun, pursuing that genre alone rarely provides a financially stable living. In addition to character work (animation, video games, anime, etc...), there's the marketing/promotional genre of voice-over (commercials, trailers, promos, etc...), and the industrial genre (corporate training videos, e-Learning guides, interactive voice response "IVR", tutorials, announcements, narration, audiobooks, etc...) ~ Some of those options may not sound fun to some, but it is necessary to broaden your options in order to enhance your chances of booking work.

2. Building confidence:
One major way to build your confidence is to LEARN. The more you learn about the process of voice acting and hone your skills through consistent practice, the more confident you will become. Jumping into unknown territory can be scary, but once you learn more and become familiar with the subject, it becomes easier to navigate. Confidence comes from knowing what you're doing and knowing what to expect. There may still be moments of fear on this journey, but being prepared can greatly increase confidence and reduce anxiety. Many voice actors learn on the job, but if the work isn't rolling in, it can help to practice with a professional voice acting coach.

3. Take risks (within reason)

I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for me taking a few risks. When I competed in a voice acting competition, I almost backed out because I was so nervous and worried that I would embarrass myself. I set that fear aside, competed, and won. That win earned me an audition at Funimation. Thankfully I was ready for this opportunity. I had years of experience as an on-stage actor, so I was prepared for this risk. Another example of a risk involves me auditioning for roles that I didn't feel I could do as well as someone else. I decided to push through my self-doubt and auditioned anyway. I have booked many roles this way, to my surprise. A risk many people debate on is the choice to move to another state to pursue a specific genre of voice-over. I recommend training first before uprooting your entire life. Test the waters first before jumping in.

4. Be prepared:

As a voice actor, you are an independent contractor. Being self-employed is not always a steady career and work is never guaranteed. When you go weeks without booking voice-work, you need to be prepared financially, so it's recommended that you don't quit your day-job! One of the reasons being sometimes voice acting gigs don’t pay well. And even when you DO book, it's not going to be every gig that you audition for. As a freelancer, voice-over work is not always consistent, no matter how talented you may be. Through it all, it’s a good idea to have a job that guarantees you a paycheck each month.

5. Listen and take direction well:

Do your research on the characters that you are voicing for, but do not become attached to their characteristics. Things change and you have to learn to adapt to whichever direction the client or director wants to take the character. Be open to change and listen very closely to what the client or director wants from you. (a coach can help you practice taking direction well in a fast-paced environment)

6. Understand the truth about the audition process:

When an actor doesn't end up booking a role, they sometimes refer to it as "rejection". Rejection is a common occurrence in show business, but I feel it is best to label it more as "selection" rather than rejection. Casting is a selection process, and not booking a role doesn't necessarily mean that an actor's audition was bad. Actors are constantly auditioning for projects and it is highly unlikely that they will book every single gig they audition for, no matter how good they are. Sometimes their voice just wasn't what the client envisioned for the character. When you audition, it's better to forget about it afterwards, so as not to get too hung up on it.

7. Be okay with looking silly:

Push out of your comfort zone. As an actor, it is your job to "professionally play pretend." Sometimes you'll have to make silly faces in order to manipulate your vocals. Don't worry about being judged through your methods. Focus on the fun!

8. Marketing:

Marketing yourself online is very important in show business. The biggest marketing platform being social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc... Having a strong online presence and networking with other professionals can increase your visibility in the market and open doors to more opportunities. Being involved in the online VO community is a great start, but networking in-person can give you an even BIGGER advantage.

9. Location matters:

While there are some voice acting jobs that can be done from your home studio, it depends on the genre of voice-over and the caliber of the studios that you want to work with. Even with the pandemic shifting the industry in 2020, for character voice acting specifically (animation, video games, anime dubbing, etc...), many of the more notable companies still tend to prioritize local actors, since they require the recording sessions to be in-person at a designated studio of their choice, rather than from the actor's home, so it greatly helps to "be where the work is" in order to be considered for those types of jobs. (this can vary from client to client, and some clients are more willing to accommodate well-known actors, so an actor's notability can definitely be a factor when allowing remote recording. However, indie studios tend to be very open to remote talent of all levels, so that's a great place to start!). When pursuing character-based voice acting with larger and more prominent companies, location is often a huge factor in the casting decisions. In many cases you have to be readily available at the last minute. Studios might need you to come in tomorrow and you have to be ready to accommodate their hectic schedules. However, don't consider moving until you are ready as an actor. Acting training and on-stage experience can go a long way!
The pandemic opened a lot of doors for talent living outside of the major VO hubs, but the industry has since gone right back to the way it operated before then, so many of those opportunities were unfortunately short lived. We're all hoping that remote recording can eventually become the norm so that opportunities can be more accessible, but until then, this is where things stand specifically in the professional character voice-over industry. It all depends on the genre of voice-over and the studio executives. Before you consider a move, your acting skills need to be on-par or BETTER than the pool of talent already established and working in the industry. In addition to this, your voice-over demos must be competitive in comparison to the talent on agency rosters in order for you to garner any interest. If you don't believe you are good enough yet, take your time and focus on training before making the move. Until then, consider other genres of voice acting! There are other options that don't require making a move: There's audiobooks, commercials, e-learning, narration, and many other types of voice-over jobs to explore! If your heart is set on only character voice acting, and you're not able to move, you can still submit for projects with indie studios and online animation companies that are willing to let you record remotely. There's likely a limit to how far you can go in certain aspects of this job if you're limited to a location that's not a major acting hub (some of the major hubs being Los Angeles, CA and Dallas, TX), But it's still possible to find voice-over work if you search online and market yourself well! Click HERE to learn more about how and where to find auditions!

10. Be wary of Scams:

The internet is full of false promises. There are MANY voice-over job scams out there, whether to steal your personal information, or to use your voice for ai in ways that will be harmful to your career. Click HERE for a list of scams and red-flags to be wary of.

You can either scan the QR codes with your phone camera, or click the images below to be sent to the corresponding link.

RESOURCES