Become A Voice Over - FAQ

What are you thinking...

"How do I get started?"

Unless you are already famous for some other reason or have contacts in the World of TV and radio, you will most likely need a voice over agent, if you are going to make voice overs your primary income. Get experience using your voice in different styles and make a demo/showreel to send to voice over agents.

"How can I get experience?"

Have you considered voluntary work? It's a great way to gain experience, contacts and get in the door! Schools may accept volunteers to read to children. Hospital radio can offer unpaid work on a voluntary basis and there are many libraries and organisations for the blind that may require readers. It is also worth contacting local radio stations to see if you can do work experience. You might also wish to take a look at radiodaddy.com - you won't get paid, but you'll get lots of invaluable experience & audio for your show reel.

"Do you recommend any training courses?"

Any experience is an advantage - but no course or lessons can guarantee that you become a successful voice artist. If you're determined to do a course, pick one that gives you a good standard of training and includes providing you with a showreel CD in the price, as it's pointless paying for anything twice.

"I'm not an actor. Does that matter?"

Many successful voice over artists were never trained as actors and indeed not every script requires an "acted" read. However, in addition to familiarising you with many of the things you may encounter during your voiceover career, acting classes can teach you how to convey specific emotions. This is particularly useful if producers and writers want certain emotions to be exhibited in their scripts. Acting can also train you in using your voice to it's full potential, although stay away from theatre acting if you are considering becoming a voice over artist. On stage it is necessary to "project", so your voice can be heard at the back of the theatre without the need of a microphone. This can lead to a habit of over-projecting into the microphone once you get into a sound studio and failing to deliver the voice that is required. A lot of radio presenters that have no theatrical training have successful voice over careers.

"I do loads of accents/funny voices! Can you use them?"

You never know what might come in useful, but voice over is largely based on your natural voice. Listen to any documentary, telephone voice menu system or even television commercial and you'll probably hear the voiceover speaking in their natural accent. If producers want someone with a certain accent or type of voice they will hire someone who speaks that way naturally. Make sure any training you do teaches you to use your natural voice first. Having said that, if you are exceptionally good at accents and characters, then voice overs are used in animations and cartoons. But, remember you have to be able to sustain the character or accent.

"Can you record my showreel? What do agencies look for? "

The simple answer is no, however, we will assist whereever possible.

On any demo, agents require a selection of commercial reads. If you have not made any professional commercials find some magazine adverts with plenty of copy in them and read this out as it would sound on television or radio. You can also record your own version of existing adverts, but beware of sounding inferior to the original version. The second requirement is a documentary piece. For this, you will need to watch a typical documentary or reality style show and copy their script when recording. In the past, agents used to ask for narrative pieces, but these are rarely used nowadays, as clients want to hear how you would sound if you were to actually record their show. More and more voiceovers are asked to give examples of their voices recording continuity reads, promos for TV and radio, telephone messaging and podcasts.

Feel free to include anything else you think an agent would like to hear, such as impressions, accents or singing - but only if they are of a strong enough quality vocally and in the recording.

Agents are looking for variety and range. You must prove that your voice is strong, versatile and adaptable. You do not need to produce a professional showreel - although it can help make a better first impression. At this stage a CD recorded at home would suffice, providing one can clearly hear your voice. However, an agent will expect you to make a professional reel if they take you on.

"How do I get my voice heard by an agent?"

You should send your CD (with a CV) via post, as this is the preferred method of receiving demos. Most agents have a busy office and while wishing they could devote time to welcoming potential new artists in person, unsolicited visits end up being an inconvenience at best. In addition, please note that emails with large sound files attached may be deleted without being heard, especially if you get an artist who has sent their email over a weekend and has blocked up an agent's in-box and caused them to lose mail!

Be aware that the chances of acceptance are slim. As we've already pointed out, this is a very competitive industry. The most common reason for returning a demo is simply because it is too similar to a voice already represented - it doesn't mean you're not any good!..

"Can Air Talent Online represent me?"

Currently Air Talent Online is not an agency. We do not send your demos out to potential clients, they find you.

We hope this has been helpful and we wish you the best of luck for the future. If you question was not listed then please contact us. To sign up as a voice over, click here.