How To Become A Voice Actor
How to become a Voice Actor – by Andy Field
You’ve heard the expression “time is money.” It’s largely true for voice over as well. Remember, ALL vocations require time and money to enter them. Teachers have to pay for – and spend time on – four years of college, AND pay for professional exams so they can get certified! Plumbers have to do an apprenticeship or pay for vocational school, AND pay for gear to start their business. Even a lemonade stand requires some initial investment. Voice acting is the same. Expect to spend $3000-$10,000 over the course of your first couple of years. If you have more money, you can save yourself some time by taking more lessons, getting better gear up front, and getting great demos produced. If you have less money, but plenty of time (for example, if you’re a student, or a teacher), you can work at this slowly, and for less cost. A homemade demo is free, for example. But it also isn’t as effective as a professionally produced one.
1) Take acting classes. They don’t have to be just for voice acting, but VO classes do exist. Continue to seek coaching in this manner for the remainder of your career. Simply having been in theatre in college is not enough. Good VO coaching can be done via Zoom or Skype and $200 per hour is an expected rate for quality classes. Acting lessons tend to be cheaper and can be found in most cities, from acting professors or working actors. Remember: A successful actor isn’t necessarily a great coach! If you don’t feel like you’re learning, find a new one.
2) a) Buy a microphone. I recommend the Audio Technica AT2020 USB ($100- $150) microphone for starters: https://amzn.to/3LqmKoO. It is not a professional mic, and you should not tell studios this is what you use, but it is awesome, and I recorded many paid jobs for years on mine before upgrading to the Sennheiser MKH416. You will not need an interface with this mic, since it is a USB mic. Eventually, you’ll want an XLR mic with an interface. Many recommend the Synco D2: https://amzn.to/34UP1CY. With this you’ll need an interface and the Scarlett 2i2 is a good one: https://amzn.to/4j7DMbn . You’ll also need a mic cable (XLR is what this cable is called): https://amzn.to/4iMzyGq.
b) Also, buy a pop filter. There are really no bad pop filters. For $10-$15 you can find one. Here’s a link to one: https://amzn.to/4hQCkJu. This is that thing that looks like a small hoop with pantyhose in it, that you always see. It lessens the effect of the plosives your mouth makes when you make the “P” sound. You need one. We all do.
c) A microphone stand would be nice. I love this one: https://amzn.to/4hMlRWw. It is not super-tough, but it’s cheap, and I like it so much that I had several of them. You may need to dampen the ring in the springs with a cloth or foam. But mic stand preferences are as diverse as people; you will want to find one that works for you and your space. A lot of us use one like this for a travel rig, and it’s good in your regular booth, too: https://amzn.to/4l6idJW.
3) You need a DAW. That’s a Digital Audio Workstation. Audacity recording software is free. It is complex, and there is much to learn on YouTube about how to use it. I use Twisted Wave recording software. It is free, to some degree, and is made just for VO, so it’s user-friendly and straightforward. Other DAWs include ProTools (overkill for VO, but awesome if you have it), Adobe Audition, Reaper, and many more. Garage Band is no good.
4) Get a treated recording space. I began in a walk-in closet, with clothing hanging on either side, and mattress foam hung in front and back of me. If it absorbs water, it absorbs sound. There is a difference in sound TREATING and sound PROOFING. You won’t get sound proof without significant money and effort. This means that you likely need to record with the HVAC system off, without noisy distractions like pets, children, heavy equipment, plumbing, etc. in the background. Minimize those as much as you can, and watch YouTube videos on how to minimize them afterwards with your technology. One possible easy solution is to buy this 4×4 cabana: https://amzn.to/3E4m21y, remove the cover, and clamp moving blankets all around it. Cheap moving blankets: https://amzn.to/3uGS1hr. But you can get them even cheaper at a Harbor Freight store (sometimes less than $5 each, or free with a purchase). Spring clamps to hold the blankets on the frame: https://amzn.to/3DWi8I8. Thicker is better for blankets, and acoustic blankets from VocalBoothtoGo.com are as good as any acoustic treatment out there. Use code “votechguru-5” to get 5% off. Acoustic panels are well worth the time to build for the sound quality and the appearance. This is the best video on YouTube on how to build them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBHYiWIJhUA.
5) You need decent headphones, made for audio processing. Beatz and the like have too much bass, but will work at first. I initially used Sony MDR-7506 headphones, which are found in studios across the country: https://amzn.to/3FIsCvk. Now I use BeyerDynamic DT 770 80-ohm headphones: https://amzn.to/3DQF5wp.
6) One-stop shops. Check out Gravy for the Brain’s website. Also check out GVAA. Both of these sites are “one-stop shops” for VO and are a wealth of information via articles and reputable coaches. They also produce demos, but I have never met anyone with a demo from them. Two other similar sites are Edge Studios and Such A Voice. Based on negative feedback from my peers in the industry, I don’t recommend either of them.
7) Read all of Dee Bradley Baker’s website: www.iwanttobeavoiceactor.com. Bear in mind this site is geared around life as a Los Angeles voice actor, so some of it is not relevant to midcontinent voice actors like me, and some is not relevant post-COVID.
8) Watch all the videos you can on how to make it as a voice actor. Marc Scott has fantastic marketing materials — he sells his classes and they are worth it. Bill Dewees also has a lot of good videos on YouTube, but some of his stuff is wrong. Nancy Wolfson has a few videos on YouTube that are well worth watching. The Booth Junkie has a TON of videos about voiceover, especially the technical side of it. Good luck!
9) Join all the Facebook groups you can find. Facebook may not be your favorite social media platform, but it’s the best place for this. As of early 2025, some of these include: VO Booth Besties and The Voiceover Community. These contain more than you can read in a day, but spend lots of time reading here BEFORE you ever ask a question! A good measurement is that when someone posts a new question, and you know the answer simply from having been a member of the group, you’re getting there! Just read! Use the search feature and try to find your question. It’s been asked, I can guarantee it!
10) Pay to play websites. I’ll address three websites here: Voices dot com (VDC), Voice123 dot com (V123), and Fiverr. All of this information is my opinion as of early 2025.
a) VDC. This was a good place to get a lot of practice, and occasionally book a gig, even without a demo. Their business practices are shady, they don’t care the industry or about you as a voice talent, and they are likely selling your voice to AI. I’d steer clear of them, but if you don’t, at least wait for their Black Friday sale so you’re not spending too much.
b) V123. This is the best of the pay to plays. You can get lots of practice, and can book work without a demo here. They have several tiers of membership, and the more you pay, the better your experience will be. They’re algorithm-driven, so it behooves you to be in the top percentages of voice talent on this site.
c) Fiverr. This is the most controversial site of all, and it’s not really a pay-to-play. You do need some sort of demo to get work here, and the site is its own little world. It’s worth hiring someone to coach you on how to succeed here. It is looked down upon by most voiceover professionals, but there are people making respectable livings solely from this website. It seems that it’s run its course, and there aren’t as many people doing so now. I can’t in good conscience recommend Fiverr to aspiring voice talent, but many people do go there. Just remember that your goal is to get off of this website – it’s risky to have all of your eggs in one basket, as anytime Fiverr changes its algorithm you can lose significant income. This has happened on the other sites as well. If your goal is to one day be a big-time voice actor, Fiverr may slow you down, rather than speed you up. But it may still be a viable place for you, especially just starting out.
If you do all of the above, you will have a good start! Good luck!
Andy