How to get started in voiceovers

Want to get started in voiceovers? This is not intended to help anyone that is already in the business of providing voiceovers. I wrote it to guide a person that asked how to get started. Also note, that although I specialize in broadcast promos, my advice for someone starting is to go for local advertising and similar.

Steps to start a career in voiceovers by Sean Caldwell. 7/2011

1. Listen to the radio and TV and find some advertisements that use a voice similar to yours. Record it on a voice recorder or similar. Consider texture, pitch, emotion, excitement. Find three advertisements for this.

2. Write out the scripts and start practicing. Ask yourself, why did they emphasize here and there; are there similarities between the three? Differences? Imitate the flow and sound of each one. You don’t want to become them, but you do want to understand the various styles that are being ‘bought.’ Do this for one week, practice 5x a day or more for 15 minutes at a time.
3. Now find three more advertisements and do the same. Are you quicker to learn the styles and imitate them? If so, you’re making progress.
4. Ready to record your demo. Take the scripts you copied and record them, have it produced up. Listen to it for a few weeks. After you hear it 100 times (seriously!) you’ll find things you wish you would have done differently. Re-record the demo.
5. Send it out. Send it to local cable companies, advertising agencies, friends in the media, people that use voices for on-hold messages.
6. You’ll need a studio to use. Or build one for $2,000 to $10,000. Speed is key, when someone wants a voiceover recorded, they can’t wait 3 days for you to make arrangements. How will you record your work?
7. Don’t expect to get rich. You might make $25 for a voiceover, or you might make $150 for a voiceover. It will probably take 5 years or more to be able to make $25,000 a year at this. Many people never make it to that level…the market is saturated with people trying to make big money with their voice. It can happen, but it doesn’t happen often.