How to find voice over jobs for beginners

Voice over jobs for beginners are the first few jobs that a voice actor who is new to the industry will get. But don’t voice actors need experience? Yes, but getting voice over jobs for beginners is becoming a popular and viable career option, especially as 70% of full-time employees work remotely. And with a correctly set up home studio, you can join their ranks by easily recording top-quality voice overs and auditions to land voice over jobs. 

However, the job market is competitive in any industry. That’s why it can be helpful for you to audition on trusted casting sites or agents like Voice123. Our customer success team often gets asked, ‘How do I get started as a voice actor, and how can I find voice over jobs for beginners?’ Our answer: A six-step process: Research voice over jobs, get advice from pros, get the necessary voice over equipment, hone your voice over techniques, be persistent in your search for voice over jobs, and create short voice over job samples. Let’s break down each of those steps in more detail.

Research voice over jobs for beginners

Researching voice over jobs for beginners will help you to learn and understand the who, what, when, where, and why of the voice over industry. Subsequently, the more you know about voice overs and voice acting, the easier it will be to navigate auditioning for casting projects, negotiating voice over rates, and understanding the different voice over broadcasting and usage types.

Get advice from pros

There’s a wide variety of online educational resources created by voice over pros to help you get familiar with the terminology, pricing, usage, and rates, as well as tips and best practices. Resources such as Gravy For The Brain or Voice123’s voice over resources can be handy. Beginner voice actors may also choose to work with coaches to develop their vocal skills since these coaches have valuable industry know-how or attend voice over conferences. Whichever avenue you choose, be careful before investing money, and do your due diligence.

Get the necessary voice over equipment

To get voice over jobs for beginners from home, you need a home studio setup that caters to your voice and environment to be able to produce top-quality voice overs. This doesn’t mean spending a fortune on a sound-proof studio. A DIY booth or even a closet that you’ve modified can work just as well if you have the necessary equipment that suits your voice. These items include:

  • Computer/laptop
  • A microphone that suits your voice
  • A pop filter 
  • DAW
  • Audio interface
  • Studio headphones
  • A recording space with acoustic treatment

Getting voice over jobs for beginners from home involves effort at first but having the right tech will help you to produce quality voice overs that compete with the best and stand out from the rest!  

Create top-quality audio with help from experts! 

Hone your voice over techniques

Voice acting involves more than just reading scripted lines because different voice over techniques is used depending on the type of voice over job. For instance, a voice actor specializing in Japanese anime sometimes needs to voice characters with a good deal of screaming and acting to bring real emotions, such as rage and happiness, to life. So, if you’re looking for voice over jobs for beginners, learning different vocal techniques, exercises, and how to care for your voice can enhance your voice over techniques. More importantly, it teaches you how to avoid putting undue pressure on your vocal cords since protecting your voice is just as vital as using it. – link to the how to take care of your voice place

Part of my story is that it took me four years to book my first job with my agent. Four years of consistent auditioning before seeing anything payoff. It's been over a decade since that first booking, and my career has grown every year since, but there still are ups and downs. - Heidi Rew

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Be persistent in your search for voice over jobs

Not every door you knock on will open when you start looking for voice over jobs for beginners. As you start out, it will take time and effort to learn the best genres that suit your voice, how to finetune your auditions, and which voice over projects might be the best for you. However, the more persistently you knock, the better your chances are of finding more job opportunities.

So, don’t let rejection get you down emotionally. Instead, use it as a stepping stone to improve and prepare for your next audition. Look ahead by considering what you could do differently at your next audition. This will help you concentrate on your end goal.

Create short voice over job samples

Short voice over job samples is like a passport to the voice acting world. Although it involves a bit of technical know-how and preparation, it gives potential clients a deeper look at your skills and range as a voice over artist. Each sample should be around 30 seconds and showcase different facets of your voice, genres, and past work. All the little nuances that are unique to your ability. This is your first impression, so it has to be top-quality voice over work! Get more info on how to make the best voice samples.

What do voice over jobs from home pay

Like most freelance industries, there are no one size suits all voice over rates. Ultimately, many variables determine a voice actor’s pay, including union and non-union rates, project size and usage, and especially broadcasting rights. So, it’s vital to read up on voice over rates and consult respected rate guides like the GVAA. In addition, as you continue to audition and book work, remember to build connections and create lasting relationships with clients that lead to recurring work.  

The voice over industry may take a little effort to navigate initially. Still, it’s 100% possible to get voice over jobs for beginners from home. No matter how you want to approach the industry, investing in learning, getting a suitable home studio setup, and honing your voice acting skills, are just some of the things you can do to create the foundation for a sustainable and long-term voice over career.

FAQ

Voice over jobs for beginners are the first few jobs that a voice actor who is new to the industry will get. And as a beginner voice actor, these jobs are the most important and can be the stepping stone towards recurring voice over work.

According to ZipRecruiter, a voice actor earns on average $81,166 a year. Be sure to consult respected rate guides like the GVAA to learn more about voice over rates and check out our post on how much do voice actors make.

Yes, you can get voice over jobs for beginners from home if you have a correctly set up home studio and you spend time doing research on voice over jobs, getting advice from voice over pros, and honing your voice acting techniques.

"People think about voice work, and they think it's this inaccessible thing. It's very accessible but just like anything, it requires some work and you gotta roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty but it's totally doable."

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