Hey everyone! Back at the blog again with some thoughts to share!
So, in the VO world, there are many different genres/niches where a VO artist can find work. Some specialize in one (or favor one), and others just get the work wherever they can, genre/niche be damned. I don’t know that I have a preference, but there are categories such as commercial, e-learning, audiobook, corporate narration/training, explainer videos, character voice work. ADR/dubbing, and more. If some project needs a voice, then it will fit into some category. My question is, how do I know which one suits me?
Well, some of the best advice I have heard thus far was from Bill Dewees. Bill shared some very wise words, which basically boiled down to “Follow the money!”. If you want to be profitable in VO, then don’t get your heart set on any one category. He states that it’s fine to have a favorite, but if you want to be in commercial VO, but people are knocking your down for your corporate narration work, THEN DO THE CORPORATE NARRATION WORK! Market broadly. We’re in this business to turn a profit, so follow the money! I totally feel that! It’s not about choosing your niche, but rather letting your niche choose you! If you spend enough time in this business, it will certainly start speaking to you. Listen to the people who hire you! If the vast majority of your business comes from one niche, then follow it. I mean, you don’t have to if money is not the object here (hobbyist types), but most are in this to make a living, so it only makes sense to follow the money! I mean, sure, I can still have a preference for a particular type of VO, but if another niche is giving me the ability to feed my family and keep a roof over my head, you’d best believe I won’t be crying over the fact that I’m not getting to work in my “chosen” niche.
So that’s really about it for this post. I had to share this, because it was something that was on my mind for some time, and Bill gave some of the best advice on how we, as aspiring VO artists, should see things! Made a LOT of sense to me! If you’d like to see Bill’s video, catch it here:
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