Your voice over samples are audio snippets that tell the epic story of your acting powers. Each one reveals unique facets of your voice, showcasing your vocal talents to directors, producers, and other clients. So, having a killer collection of voice samples is key to making your mark in the voice over world. In this part of our Platform Education series, we’ll discuss how to optimize your voice over samples on Voice123.
What are voice over samples on Voice123?
Voice over samples on Voice123 are a collection of short audio clips you can upload to your profile; they can include excerpts from past projects like commercials, narrations, or character voices. Think of them as a digital portfolio that clients listen to when scouting potential voice actors. While voice over samples portray your real-life work, they differ from demos, which are longer recordings created in perfect sound environments. Creating voice over samples from third-party scripts is also an option, but it’s best to get permission before uploading them to your website or Voice123 profile. Depending on client preferences, you can also upload specific voice acting auditions to your profile as samples. Learn more about adding voice over auditions to samples in this FAQs for Voice123 Auditions.
Optimize your voice over samples playlist
Your voice samples playlist is similar to creating a music playlist for different song categories. On Voice123, you can organize your voice acting audio clips by uploading relevant voice samples to specific category playlists. So, you can add your Commercial, Explainer, and Animation samples to your Commercial playlist. Use our step-by-step guide on how to upload playlists and samples to get started.
If you already have voice samples, you can optimize them with keyword descriptions and choose the best categories for each recording. And since you wouldn’t send the same résumé and cover letter to every new job application, it’s better not to have the same description for each voice sample. Each one must clearly represent an aspect of your voice acting ability so you can appeal to more clients while showcasing your vocal prowess.
Should I describe my work or my voice?
How many notable clients have you worked with? Will describing the project type give the clients more answers, or more questions?
You should prioritize whichever option has the most weight for you. You can describe your experience, especially if the projects are highly recognizable, but if you’re starting out, then describing your voice might be a better option. You could even combine both descriptions with “American narrator for National Geographic environmental documentary.” *Using the brand name is optional.
Potential clients looking for voice actors can now imagine exactly how your voice sounds in a specific context. Keep sample titles clean and simple to show clients what they want.
Just like you wouldn’t take a dirty, crumpled resume to a job interview, don’t upload poor quality samples that don’t reflect your vocal skills or recording studio capabilities. – Nacho Peñalver
Best practices for your voice samples
What should you put in your sample name?
Depending on what the sample is about, you have different options:
Write about your character or role and the project category.
- Video Game samples
- – Superhero – All-American – Confident
- – Joker – Maniacal laugh – Deranged
Keep sample names direct and state the company name followed by the project.
- Commercial
- BMW commercials
- Medical commercials – PharmaMed
If you have no samples, you can use demos instead; list them in a single playlist using your name.
- All my samples
- Jack voice actor – commercial demo
- Radio Ad demo
You can also state if your samples are non-broadcast, like audiobooks, cartoons, or podcasts.
- Corporate / Non-Broadcast Narration
- Corporate Casual Explainer
- Corporate narration
What search keywords should I use?
It’s best to think strategically about how you want to present yourself to potential clients. You can choose up to 3 descriptive keywords to express your vocal qualities. Consider descriptions that reflect your vocal tone (e.g., warm, authoritative, friendly), industry expertise (e.g., medical, technology, finance), or specific character traits (e.g., quirky, sophisticated, energetic). You can also include famous vocal styles that are similar to your own (e.g., Morgan Freeman, David Attenborough). Keywords push your profile to the front of the line when clients search for voice actors with your specific attributes.
How many voice styles can I add?
You can add up to 2 voice styles to your profile to demonstrate your range and flexibility. So, if you deliver touching narrations, include descriptions like warmth and heartfeltness to illustrate your storytelling emotion. You can use descriptions like resolute, diabolical, or inspiring and sinister for quirky personalities like villains and heroes. With contrasting voice styles, you can appeal to clients seeking diverse vocal performances from voice actors because your profile demonstrates that you have the skills and versatility to meet their needs effectively.
Can I describe an accent?
Absolutely! Voice123 allows you to add up to 2 accents or ethnicities. So, whether you can portray regional dialects, international accents, or cultural nuances, specifying your accent capabilities enhances your marketability to clients seeking authentic and culturally relevant voice performances. So, for regional dialects, you can indicate accents like Southern American, British Received Pronunciation (RP), New York City, or Australian. If you have experience with international accents, you can include French, German, Spanish, or Italian.
Boost your voice over work opportunites with a paid Voice123 membership
First-time paying members are eligible for a discount
Improve your audio quality with Voice123
To help you improve your audio quality – we’ve set up a Sound Check service with specialist sound engineers.
Now, you can benefit from their expert ears and advice as they assess your audio profile, troubleshoot issues, and provide a technical, detailed report of best practices.
This will help you improve your sound quality and optimize your work opportunities.
Get started today!
- Request a free profile assessment – our team will advise how the Sound Check service can help you.
- Complete the payment and receive a full technical report within a week detailing specific audio areas for improvement.
- Take the necessary corrective steps and start producing high-quality deliverables.
FAQ's
No. Having a variety of samples can be advantageous as long as each sample showcases a specific part of your vocal work or abilities. When choosing the descriptions for your samples, be accurate and specific because samples that reflect their descriptions will positively affect your chances of being found by clients.
If a client is looking for options, the more samples and playlists you have, the better your chances of matching the VO style they’re looking for.
It first considers the keywords used in each field, then, the sample name, and clients can filter samples by the following fields: voice gender & age, language, voice styles, accents & ethnicities, and the purpose of the recording.
Share this post!
A blog owner yourself? Relevant links to quality sites will help your performance on search engines. If your readers will benefit from the services or information on The Booth's Voice over Guide, please consider linking to this post or the guide itself.
