How to become a voice actor/narrator

Create a sample recording. This is how voice actors show off their talents when applying for jobs. Sample recordings can contain your own original voice or your voice parody of an existing character/scenario. Owning a quality sample recording is very important, to assert yourself and show your qualifications and skills. You can record yourself or go to a professional studio. If you’re recording yourself, pay attention to the sound quality and make sure to do it in a place where there’s no background noise. You certainly don’t want anything to distract you while you’re recording. ^[14]

• Getting a professional sample recording can cost you hundreds of dollars. Money does not make the sample recording better, but only ensures the quality of the output sound. The content of the sample recording is the most important. You can still make quality recordings with just a good microphone and a quiet room at home.
• Get off to a great start, unleashing your full potential in the first 30 seconds of the tape. Potential employers will likely only listen to the tape for about 30 seconds, so you need to make the most of this opportunity. The length of the sample recording should be short, one to two minutes maximum, and straight to the point, succinctly showcasing some of the typical vocal styles. ^[15]
• If you are creating a sample recording for the purpose of applying for the position you want, you need to make sure the content of the tape is related to the job. For example: If you are choosing a male character, of course, the employer does not need to listen to the actor impersonating the old woman’s voice.

Write a resume . Often you have to have work experience to apply for a job, which is quite challenging for a beginner. Try to recall and include in your resume any relevant experience. Take acting classes, attend seminars, create a YouTube channel to upload original recordings, build relationships in a community theater group, apply for a position as a school newsletter reader, narrate e-books Or simply find any voiceover job you’ve had in the past. This makes the candidate look older in the eyes of the casting director and helps develop skills. ^[16]

• In the field of dubbing, a resume is much more important than a close-up. Professional close-ups are beautifully edited, but cost hundreds of dollars and are of no use to casting directors because looks have nothing to do with voice acting.

Find a talent agent. Like any other type of actor, an agent will represent and support the voice actor’s career. ^[17] The agent will announce the audition schedule and help the actor find the right role. They are responsible for promoting the image and managing the actor’s career. They help actors negotiate salaries and earn commissions from it. They know a lot of jobs you can’t find on your own. Send samples and resumes to a talent agent near you. Choose someone you can trust and give yourself peace of mind. ^[18]

• The agent will help the actor’s career advance. You need to develop your voice and define what you want to do before you find an agent.
• Find a rep with expertise in voiceovers. Decide if you want to work for a TV station, film studio or radio station and find an agent with expertise in that industry.

Send sample transcripts and resumes to the studio. Find a studio near you, then email them a sample transcript and resume. If you don’t mind traveling, you can even submit sample transcripts and resumes in person. Be prepared to wait for a response and face multiple rejections. The studio gets hundreds of samples and your product may or may not be what they’ve been waiting for. However, just because they haven’t responded right away doesn’t mean they’ll never be interested. Maybe they don’t have the right role right now, but they still like the sample recording and will consider casting you in the future. ^[19]

Create an online profile. An impressive set of online resumes can support your career. You can create a personal website using the WordPress service, show off your skills on YouTube, or create a dedicated work account on a social networking site. More and more casting directors are using the Internet to find talent. If someone has heard of what you do, you’ll want them to find and track you easily online. An online site dedicated to voiceover work will assist you in promoting yourself.

Choose the right location. If you’re serious about pursuing a career, you may need to live in a city with a thriving dubbing industry. While the Internet has made this less of a necessity, being present in the dub capital is always helpful. Some of the top cities for voice acting in the United States include Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, and San Francisco. ^[20]

Join an open audition. Even if you don’t have an agent and haven’t heard back from the studio, you can still participate in an open audition. Anyone can participate in this audition. Be prepared for only a short audition because there are so many people there. Even if you’re not sure about getting the role that day, it’s still a good time to practice and get used to the auditions, and get your casting director’s attention. ^[21]

• To find an audition near you, check out the list on backstage.com. ^[22]

Online audition. Since dubbing can be done simply with a microphone, even home auditions are possible. There are various job listings online, such as at voices.com. Online marketplaces are changing the way auditions work, and online auditions are a good option for people who don’t live in a big movie city. ^[23]

Audition as much as possible. It is said that an actor’s real job is to audition. That’s because the acting field is very competitive. You’ll probably need to go through a lot of auditions to get a role, and then have to start auditioning again as soon as you’re done. Therefore, you must learn to stick to the audition process and participate as much as possible. This makes you quick and keep your voice until you get the part. The more auditions you participate in, the more career opportunities you have.

• Try auditioning for a role that might not be right for you. You never know what the casting director is looking for.

Prepare in advance. Make sure you warm up and keep your voice moist. Make sure you’ve prepared your script and know how to read it. Some auditions only require reading a single line, so it’s important to read that line well in advance. This also alleviates anxiety in a pressurized audition atmosphere. Prepare other lines not included in the script in case the casting director wants to consider it further. ^[24]

• Try to put yourself in the position of the character and create beyond the framework of the script. Who is this character? What is important to them? Why do they say these words? It might help if you jot down some of your comments about the character to better understand the important aspects of the character. This helps to breathe life into the character.

Be on time. When it comes to auditions, punctuality is the key to success. To ensure you are on time, plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. This puts you at ease and gives you time to review the script. ^[25]