What advice would you give to aspiring voice-over artists looking to break into the industry?

Man, there is so much great advice on this question!

I am answering this question not as someone who has "broken into the industry" but because I have been working at Voice Over for the last couple of years and I've developed a really healthy side-hustle. 

My advice on VO would be the same as my advice on starting a YouTube channel. You need to be patient and consistent. There are a lot of frustrations and ups and downs to this industry. You have to realize that sometimes you're not going to get as much attention as you want (or even deserve!) but if you're patient, you'll outlast most of the competition. As far as consistency, you need to show up, learn, and keep putting in auditions. Find places to audition and share a demo. 

There is so much information to be gained from YouTube videos for FREE. And once you've exhausted that, maybe take some paid courses. But be patient and consistent. Keep showing up and doing the hard work. But most importantly, GET STARTED! This career is so much fun! You'll do an awesome job. 

Just start. Seriously, don't worry about what others will think, and just do it. Create yourself an account on Fiverr, hang out your shingle so to speak, and go for it.

Now, more specifically, find a good, quiet spot in your house that doesn't have a lot of echo or reverb. Closets full of clothes are perfect for this. Get some moving blankets for cheap on Amazon and hang them up around you to help deaden the sound in the room. Then, get some basic recording equipment (see other questions in this forum about what you need), and just start recording for fun. 

When you have a handle on how to record with your equipment, get started on Fiverr. I had serious imposter syndrome when I first started. I didn't tell anyone I was doing it because I was afraid people I knew would laugh and make fun of me. But I did it anyway. Once I had a few jobs under my belt, I felt more confident telling people that I was doing voice overs on the side. I wouldn't have been able to do that without Fiverr. Fiverr makes it super easy for people to find you and hire you for a voice over job. Yes, you may need to start out cheap, but you can raise your prices over time.

I'd also follow Anthony Pica on YouTube and social media. He posts a lot of content about how to be successful on Fiverr, and you'll learn a lot. 

Once you start getting work, you can branch out to other pay to play sites, start looking for an agent, promote yourself on social media, set up a website for yourself, etc. Start small, and take it one step at a time. You'll get there!

Listen to TV & radio advertisements, then try to emulate them. 

Either use advertising copy or download scripts online and practice reading them.

Play with your delivery of the same text giving different emphasis each time on the words.

Get comfortable with sight reading, you need to be able to look at a script a couple of time and be ready to deliver it.

Record your delivery and learn how to use the software to assemble  and remove sounds like breathing etc.

Once you have the basics, do gigs for free, hospital radio, websites anyone who is willing to give you a shot. This is where you will start to create your portfolio of finished work that you can start to sign up to voice sites.

You will not get an agent unless you have a voice that is vastly different from the norm and commercially viable.

It will take time to gain traction and you won't earn a lot straight away, if ever, but it is an enjoyable job if you can.

Get on LINKEDIN and connect!

Learn, Learn and Learn from those who are rocking in the industry!

Get involved with groups like the VO Dojo!

Learn how to wear all the hats you'll need to effectively run your business and your business's tools including accounting, audio editing, always delivering exceptional customer service 100 percent of the time!

Attend great voiceover conventions like, the "That's Voiceover Career Expo", "One Voice", "MAVO" and "VO Atlanta", etc.!

Get on Youtube and learn from vetted pros of the industry.

Listen to podcasts on voiceover!

IMPERATIVE! Take acting lessons as great voice artists are great actors!

Be the nicest, most loving, fierce human and citizen you can be; trust me, casting directors and potential clients hear y/our humanity. 

There is no good or bad voiceover.  There is no good or bad voiceover artist.

There is simply what the client wants, and whether you gave them that or not.

Refuse to feel bad about yourself. Just ask yourself if you truly can do what they want.

If you can't, no worries. Let them know that. No one can "do it all."

There are other things you can do. Do those things.

In voiceover, I mean. Do the voiceovers you can do.

Don't do the voiceovers you can't do.

I mean, do try every once and awhile to test yourself, to see if you can do something you first thini you can't.

You might find you could!

Or you might find you were right to begin with.

Lastly, work with people who respect you. If someone is wanting to work with you but showing signs the person will not respect you, stay away from that person and turn down the job. If you're not going to stay away from that person and that person's job, then in taking that job, own any hassles you experience later.

PS One person's "breaking into the industry" is another person's "regularly working." I wouldn't consider myself part of any voiceover industry, but I work regularly in voiceovers. The phrase "breaking into the industry" is somewhat meaningless to me.

Seek a mentor that has actually worked and is still a full time voice actor.  If you can not find the real work someone has done and yet they are constantly handing out advice, then ignore them.  The rest of us are actually working. 

Also don't do it to be famous or fancy.  Much of the bread and butter VO work is not broadcast or animation / gaming.  It's a lot of rather mundane jobs that add up to a healthy living, then the large fancy jobs come later.  

The hardest truth in this industry is to learn to accept rejection. Let me explain - 

You could be the 'best' voiceover artist in the world, but you're still going to get rejected. The reality of the voiceover industry, just like any other performing art, is that client's are looking for a specific sound/look/style for their project and you might just not fit that bill.

It's so important in a creative industry to make sure you have thick skin, else you'll be getting knocked down at every possible opportunity and you'll burn out very quickly. Dedication and commitment are key to making it as an artist - learn to love rejection and take it as a sign that you're just better suited elsewhere and you'll see your confidence flourish at every corner.

Wow!! An amazing question. Find someone you trust in voiceover and is willing to be a mentor who will help you along the way. You can absolutely pay for coaching too. There are fantastic coaches here on Fiverr. It’s even better if you have an acting background or public speaking. It’s all about projecting confidence and being your beautiful self. It’s about using the natural voice you were born with and have used your entire life! 

Voiceover is not a get rich quick! It’s like any other profession. You must do your research about equipment, your recording studio or space, your editing software, a powerful enough computer. All these issues can take time but it’s fun to actually go through the process. 

Get behind a microphone and go for it. Practice! Get comfortable hearing your own voice. I wouldn’t buy a microphone until you have tried many. Go to your local equipment center and try the demos. If you don’t have access, find others with microphones. I bought the wrong mics at twice because someone said they were great… but not for my voice.

Let’s talk volunteering your voice! Give your beautiful voice to others. Seek out places or platforms that have a good community and learn from them. 

What about those DIY voice over demos? All mine are DIY! When you are starting out, you don’t need to pay for demos! Your skill will change rapidly and there goes your demo that you paid for that no longer sounds like you. You get better and better! When someone wants to pay you for your voice over, you need to be able to sound like your demo. If you paid a pro to mix it and write scripts and use all the bells and whistles, then you better to be able to reproduce it in YOUR recording space. Since Covid, most people have home studios. It’s not sustainable to expect to go to an expensive studio and record your voice overs. The industry has changed.

You can always reach out to me and ask a few questions. My response time is very fast lol. 

And by the way… when I started on Fiverr, I knew NOTHING about voice over. You can learn and grow all on your own. There are also vetted trainers on Fiverr who can help you too. 
 

You got this!!