Looking to the Future of Voice Over

This is an industry that has seen a lot of change in recent years. Technology has driven a lot of the growth that the industry has seen, making it possible to work from home, send in demo tapes instantly, and to connect with potential clients even from hundreds of miles away.  This growth isn’t expected to slow any time soon, but there will be increased competition among those doing voiceover work. Why is that?  Because all of that convenience means that more people want to break into this line of work.  With more new voices joining the profession each day, the level of competition is going to undoubtedly get stiffer.  That simply means that you must be prepared to face off against other talents, making yourself the more attractive candidate.

Before you Read, Try to Understand the Writer If you can get into the head of the script writer (figuratively speaking, of course), then you will be much better prepared to give a winning reading of the script.  After all, there is a tone, an approach that the writer and the team had in mind, even if they didn’t realize it initially.  Understand their vision and you can give them the winning voiceover.

Create a Winning Home Studio A home studio is fairly essential these days.  Once upon a time, a voiceover talent had to commute to a professional studio each time her or she had work to do.  That has changed.  Home studios – in large part because of better technology – are more than adequate for creating professional sounding recordings.  It will require, though, that you do a bit of work to create a sound-proof space, with a good microphone and the right recording software.  The most important thing is that you block out as much background noise as possible, to prevent excessive editing. Of course, I'm simplifying a bit but there is lots of information out there about building a great home studio.

Select the Right Voice Coach A voice coach can be a powerful ally, helping you to continually improve your talent, helping you find valuable acting classes, and even leading you in the direction of casting calls.  You have to choose a voice coach, though, that will stick with you through the long haul, one that is becoming- or has become a fixture in the voiceover industry.

With healthy doses of intelligence, talent, and effort, you can continue your climb to the top of the voiceover industry, despite increased competition. You just have to be dedicated to what you are doing and persistently going after VO work to be taken seriously and stand out from the crowd.