As I continue down this path of learning all I can in the world of voiceover, one thing is abundantly clear, there are many people out there who are intrigued by the ‘easy living’ some people make behind the mic. I mean, all they do is talk, and then they get paid ridiculous amounts of money, right? Surely, you have been told by someone, maybe many people (as I have) that you have a great voice, and would be able to make a great living just based on that one thing, right? So all you need to do is buy a mic, start speaking, and become an instant superstart, right?
WRONG! WRONG! AND WRONG!
It’s anything BUT easy. There are so many little subtle and nuanced things that one must train in and practice to even be competitive in this space. Established pros may make it look easy, but anyone who is tenured in this space will tell you that they spend countless hours training, studying, getting coaches to refine them, and then practicing…and this NEVER ENDS! Fact is, you always need to stay fresh in this business. Demos need to be refreshed every so often, because the voice or the approach that sold yesterday, is not necessarily what will work today, or in the future. A voice actor needs to always keep his or her finger on the pulse of the recent trends, and flow with them. If you don’t adapt in this business, you’re done. It’s just that simple. Others will do what you are not willing to, and they will move on, while you fall out.
A successful voice artist must invest in themselves. Time, money, effort…as with any other career or profession. So to those that think this is easy money, and think they can just get behind a mic and get paid…think again. This is NOT easy. It’s VERY DIFFICULT! It can be done, but not without commitment. Financially, one is not likely going to be able to get a VO career of the ground without some other form of work to help pay the costs of getting started. This means that VO, for many, is a side-gig to their primary income. It’s almost necessary to do things this way, becuase unless you’re sitting on a pile of cash that can last you for some time, there will be little to no income from VO for a while. Anticipate that. Know that it WILL be a struggle early on. This business is not like other jobs where you’re hired and then you’re receiving a paycheck regularly. This is a tough game.
For one, it’s competitive. The cost of being a voice actor has come down over the years. The cost of the tech has dropped, and so the cost of entry into this space is great, but you still have the expenses related to things such as your coaching/training, conferences, and other factors that will require investement. All that said, it’s still relatively easy for anyone to just walk in off the street and get started. As such, there is a FLOOD of people jumping in. Many will not make it, but the competition will be stiff, and you’ll need to be at your best to make a serious run at this.
Another thing, it’s a slow grind! You will not…I repeat…NOT jump into this game and be an overnight success. Many successful people in VO today admit that they took upward of 100 auditions before even landing their first job…and this is not uncommon! Those who find success only do so because they stuck through a long period of getting no attention, taking whatever low-ball job offers came, and just generally had to fight through being ignored for a LONG TIME before actually starting to gain traction and make a name for themselves. If you’re not in this thing for the long haul, then just forget even trying. I’ve seen too many people jump in for 2 or 3 months and quit because they made a total of $10 in that time. This is common. Like I said, this is not just speaking into a mic. This is a specialized area that requires a lot of work to get off the ground.
One last thing I’ll mention…you need to be a business-minded person! A VO career is a business. You’re running your own company. You’re like a consultant/contractor. You are responsible for taking requirements, delivering a product, and then billing. You have payables, receivables, and all that fun stuff that goes along with running your business. You’ll need to set up your business entity, handle all the legal stuff that comes with that, and then keeping up with it. You’ll need to have a grasp on finances, how they work for a business vs. your personal life, and how to separate the two. As a business, you’ll need to be able to properly market/advertise your product. You can be the greatest voice in the world, but no one will find you. Forget that notion. You need to market yourself and go out and find the work! You’ll need a website. You’ll need a social media presence. You’ll need to keep up with multiple platforms. Oh yes…there is a LOT of work involved!
So if you feel this is a get-rich-quick deal…then let me stop you right there, because that is NOT what this is. This life may appeal to you, and it may intrigue you, but as someone who already makes great money in my primary job, I’ll tell you this…if not for my comfy salary to support me, and also my wife’s income, starting from scratch (with no other form of income) would make this a nearly impossible feat to accomplish. If you want to get into this line of work, do your research. Read as much as you can on it. Watch as many videos as you can on this (there are many). I’m fortunate for things in my life to set me up so that I can take a crack at this, but if my circumstances were not what they are, this would be a steep uphill climb. Don’t get me wrong, it still is, but I have some things going for me that makes the climb possible. All that said, it CAN be done, just know that it won’t be simple or easy. If you can understand that going into this, then you will save yourself the shock when you get in and see how much work this really takes.
There are many great blogs and videos out there on this very topic. I’ll link to one HERE by VO Talent and Coach, Bill DeWees.
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