What are the biggest challenges you've faced in voice-over work, and how did you overcome them?

Starting out, the biggest obstacle was my fear that the work would take longer than I thought it would.  I made the job into something much bigger than it was and then emotionally I was bogged down.  Then, I wasn't expecting so many requests for revisions, sometimes 3-4 times for something that stemmed from poor communication on the client's part from not knowing or being able to tell me what they wanted for tone and speed.  But the client is always right, as long as you still help them value your time.  Currently, I am having another issue with thinking I have enough time and having to commit more to get the project to the level that I expect for myself.

And always:  external noise that is unpredictable.  I am unable to filter out loud low wave noise so any planes, lawnmowers, leaf blowers, big trucks etc.  I have to wait for them to pass by before I can continue recording.

I struggle with bad electrical installation and some static interferences I just can't control. They come and go and I can't find out what is actually causing them.

I might eventually get a USB noise killer to filter those interferences. I didn't seem to have these issues with Firewire, but my Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 is really not meant to be used with Windows 10.

It isn't always easy to take direction over text.  I can usually provide what clients need, but sometimes, a client asks for something more dramatic or exciting, and the reading I give is not what they want.  I often find that reading it intuitively and not trying to follow directions works better.  Something about trying to follow the directions takes away the natural flow of the read for me.  I get fewer revision requests when I treat the script the way it feels it needs to be read.  

There are some!

First was to sound natural doing a good interpretation. This is the search of many voiceovers. The way I have solved it was to study, to participate in workshops, trainings, and practice a lot. This is a no end journey.

The second big challenge was that my voice changed a lot from morning to afternoon and that brought a lot of insecurity because I was difficult to imagine start a job in the morning with a voice and afternoon continue with a different one. Or, you become insecure to get a job, because you are not happy with your "afternoon voice" and you prefer to record just during morning time. This was a tough one. To sum up, I've found that I was suffering of a silent reflux and that was causing some mucus on the vocal cords and that reduced the quality of my voice. To solve that I had given up some food like bread, coffee, milk; to visit a doctor more frequently; loose some weight and pay attention to my body.

Those are the biggest ones in my opinion.

Imposter Syndrome.

If you're not familiar with the term, it means feeling as though you are not worthy of the job or that you are not good enough. When I first started doing voice over, I was afraid my family and friends would make fun of me. So, I kept it to myself and didn't tell anyone. It wasn't until maybe a year into it, and once I had done multiple voice over jobs, that I felt confident enough to call myself a voice actor. Because hey, if people are willing to pay me (sometimes quite a bit!) to do this, I must be a professional, right?

At the beginning, it's hard to feel like a professional. Especially since this isn't something you go to school and get a degree for. You just decide to be a voice actor one day, and that's it. I was also afraid that other professional voice actors might mock me and call me out as an amateur. However, that never once happened. I took my time, did the voice over jobs I could get, and slowly built my business and name as best I could. Don't be discouraged. This takes time, but you will get through it, and you will eventually find success.

The biggest challenge I faced in voice-over work was leaving my high-paying job as a marketing director at a software company to pursue this career full-time. I overcame this by dedicating all my effort to voice acting on Fiverr and beyond, treating it like a business, and meticulously tracking everything to ensure I maintained, if not improved, my quality of life. I'm happy to share that I've never looked back and now do voice acting full-time. I'm proud to have overcome my fear of leaving the traditional workforce and regained my most precious asset: time!

Mouth noise and a stuffy nose, buzzing, heat and airplanes.

Mouth noise or a stuffy nose is a product of many issues like not drinking enough water, eating something that gives you mouth noise, being tired, taking certain medications, eating too much or not enough, being nervous and who knows why! The best thing to know is how to perform with less mouth noise.

• Stretching my mouth and jaw muscles is huge! It will cause my mouth noise to almost disappear!
• Drinking bubbly water also seems to stimulate something right.
• I also know the things that seem to make mouth noise terrible and that is milk products, processed foods and sugary treats. I avoid these in the morning and wait until after I have recorded my work.
• I also pay attention to when my voice feels clear and perfect and may run to the studio and record something because I know it will sound clear. I take advantage of the ebbs and flows of my physical state.

It's challenging so just have a keen awareness of what is happening to your mouth and adjust accordingly. Experiment.

I also invested in editing software that would cut mouth noise but spare other frequencies that are important, Izotope RX Standard about $200. But don't rely on it...just use it as a light tool.

Buzzing or a low grade hummmm will drive me crazy!! Here is what I found were the problems in my recording space:

• cheap cables
• a dying audio processor
• my refrigerator turning on
• a fan or air conditioner being left on in the house
• someone doing yard work with machinery outside
• my computer fan turning on because I am forcing it to processes too many things at once
• noise coming up through the house floor and walls
• and even the neighbors pool equipment turning on

1. I finally invested in a proper audio processor, Apollo Solo, about $400. My Scarlett was replaced 2 times and I was over it.
2. I ditched the cheap $5 Amazon cables and bought the best cables for voice over, about $50.
3. After being tired of things falling on me all day and inconsistent sound being picked up from everything that's normal in a all of our lives, I invested in a professional Whisper Room, about $8,000. I was tired of letting everyone know I am recording. BUT, I made a lot of money in my funky recording space! I just couldn't stand it one minute longer!

Heat and yes, it's a thing!

With the rise in global temperatures, so is my recording space in the summer! AND I added to the challenge by having a MAC laptop that's fan would automatically fire up when the processing was too crazy.

1. I finally invested in a computer that could process a lot of data so the fan wouldn't turn on, a MAC M1 about $1,500...game changer.
2. I bought a rechargeable fan and use it once I stop recording, about $15. You can also use this in any hot and stuffy recording space.
3. I try to record before it gets too hot in my house but sometimes you can't predict when you need to record.

Airplanes and NO, even a professional recording studio rarely cuts out the noise of a plane above your recording space. I live under a commercial flight path AND near a military base. The sounds of planes and helicopters are a daily occurrence. There is NOTHING I can do except watch my audio wave when I am recording. I can see the low rumble in the audio wave at the very bottom. I have to stop and wait until the plane passes to record again.

There are amazing audio engineers on Fiverr who may be able to help determine the root of your audio issues! Once you get your sound dialed in, don't change anything! Also, if you are new, your software settings may need to be created by someone who is a voice over audio expert...not someone who creates music because the sound is TOTALLY different.

Noise is a problem for all voice talents! You are not alone. Try everything and be willing to invest in better everything. You will make more money and enjoy a better reputation.