Voice-over and voice actors have always been very much parts of different fields of work. Although their work may seem invisible, they are highly needed to communicate a message and convey information to all audiences.
Voice acting work is an excellent option for an extra job, and it can serve you well if you want to earn extra income in addition to your regular job. Here’s how you can do it.
- What does a voice actor do?
- What do you need to become a voice actor?
- How to become a voice actor?
- Schedule and earning expectations
What does a voice actor do?
A voice actor is a professional in charge of narrating or dubbing a text for communicative, informative, or entertainment purposes. They have a large field of work since their voice relates to commercials, internet videos, audiobooks, dub series, movies, cartoons, and video games.
Voice-over artists can perform a wide range of activities, depending on the type of training they have. Some disciplines require more than just using the voice to narrate something. The most complex fields demand voice actors to use correct inflections, neutral accents, and other techniques to personify the character they are dubbing. In the case of audiobook narrators, they even need to imprint some emotion into the text they are narrating.
What do you need to become a voice actor?
To become a voice actor, you need to take a course or workshop specializing in these subjects, but it all depends on the type of voice-over you want to do. If you will dub movies, series, cartoons, and video games, take a dubbing course to learn the neutral accent according to your language and the acting for the intention of the voice.
If you decide to be an audiobook or video narrator, you need a voice-over course. In these courses, the neutral accent is taken into account. In the case of audiobooks, they teach you to distinguish characters, accents, and pronunciation. It is important to take this course.
Once you take the proper courses to learn how to manage your voice, you will need a good computer with recording software and a specialized microphone to record you. The best recording software at the moment is Protools, with which you can learn how to record yourself easily. In addition to the microphone equipment, you will need headphones and set up a room in your home where there is no echo and no interruptions to record.
Getting the recording equipment is optional because if you work in recording studios or with specialized companies on a freelance schedule, then you can record in those studios without needing to purchase equipment. It all depends on what you want to do or what you can get.
How to become a voice actor?
There are several options to start working as a voice actor. These are some of them:
- Log in to extra-job platforms. Voice actor projects are available on various websites. Some employers post project offers on sites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr. For a little more direct option, you can also find work on platforms dedicated entirely to voice acting, such as Voices.com and Voice123.
- Search for audiobook narration projects. Audiobook narration is a different discipline and can be found not only on Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr platforms, but you can also find work on a specialized platform called ACX.com, where you can find projects dedicated exclusively to audiobook narration.
- Work with a local studio. If you live in a big city, there are probably several recording studios looking for narrators for all kinds of media, both audiovisual and audiobooks. If you have a good resume with experience and details of the courses you took, they can easily hire you to record occasionally, or when you have the time for it. And you can earn some extra money.
Schedule and earning expectations
A voice actor’s work schedule depends on the type of work you do. However, as most of these jobs tend to be momentary projects, you will have time to fit them into your schedule without interfering with any other work activity. Recording projects for a voice actor have a specific turnaround time, so you can organize your schedule around these projects and work when you have free time.
In terms of earnings, it also depends on the number of projects you can do or what you can find on the web; but on average, a voice actor who does dubbing or audiobook narration can earn between 1,200€ and 1,500€ per month. Remember that this amount can vary depending on your experience, as studios or employers are willing to pay more or less if you are a professional or a beginner. Keep this in mind!
Are you ready to become a voice actor?
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