by Voice-over artists bring scripts to life for radio, TV and other platforms. They may be selling you something on TV, delivering news on radio, explaining how to use your smart speaker, providing online training or voicing a cartoon character in an educational game. They may also be the person that you hear at the till in a supermarket, telling you your train is delayed or asking you to hold when you call customer services. They may be professional actors or just someone with a distinctive, attractive or compelling voice.
There is a huge amount of competition in this industry. Getting work can be very difficult and even established voice-over artists will go through periods when they struggle to find work. This means that it takes time, commitment and practice with a coach to become a good voice-over artist. You need to have clear diction and be able to pronounce words correctly. Being able to imitate different voices and characters is a useful skill too. It will help you to stand out in auditions.
It’s essential to create a demo reel that showcases your range of skills. This will include recording you imitating voices from a range of scripts. It’s also a good idea to make sure you can deliver emotion in your recordings as companies will expect voice-over artists to employ their acting skills when they are reading a script.
There are a number of different options for getting work as a voice-over artist, including being self-employed and working for yourself or joining a talent agency. When you meet an agent it’s important to be well prepared – ask the right questions, be professional and confident but not cocky. voiceover artists
