The Verdict on Voiceover: Is Voice Acting a Good Career?

PrinceOfLove/Shutterstock

Voice actors do exactly what the job title implies: they act using only their voice. Unlike other acting jobs which may require actors to perform onstage, in front of a live audience, or for a camera, voice acting is typically done entirely in a studio—often without the performer even needing to leave their home. 

From audiobooks to video games, there are plenty of opportunities available to voiceover performers. Some fields that employ voice actors include:

• Animation
• Video games
• Commercials
• Audiobooks
• ADR 
• E-learning

As with all types of acting, different aspects of voice acting are going to appeal to different people. Here are some of the benefits working voice actors have to say about their job.

• The freedom to explore: L.A.-based actor Jon Root, who has worked in commercials, animation, audiobooks, and video games, thinks that one of the best parts of voice acting is the freedom to play around in the recording booth. “It’s very rare that anything is finalized with either the animatics in video games or the animation for anything you are doing when you’re recording, unless you’re over-dubbing something that already exists,” he says. “So that means that what you bring to the recording is not only going to affect the final vocal presentation, but could also drastically change the animation, based on your performance. Take big swings, make strong choices.”
• Working from home: Audiobook narrator Chris Ciulla, who has also worked extensively in commercials and video games, enjoys being able to do his job from the comfort of his own home. “If you have kids or pets to take care of, you’re able to tag-team nicely with a partner and make it work,” he says. “If you’re alone, you get to chill in your favorite jammies all day, since they don’t rustle.” 
• Playing a variety of characters: For Carrie Brewer, a Nashville-based actor who works primarily on audiobooks, the best part of voice acting is the ability to play roles she’d never be considered for onstage or in film. “I love going on the entire journey of the book as all of the characters—and you don’t have to worry about what you look like or who’s watching you,” she says. “You can just get lost in the story.”

Daria Lukoiko/Shutterstock

While working in your pajamas and playing an entire cast of characters may sound appealing, it’s important to understand that, as with other performance-based careers, voice acting is hard work. If you’re considering a career in voice acting, here are some of the challenges you may face:

• Inconsistent scheduling: As with other types of acting gigs, it can be hard to maintain a consistent schedule with voice acting. ”If I could record every day I would,” Root says, “but unless you’re a main character on an animation series or you’re on a major commercial campaign, there’s gonna be a lot of down time.” 
• Vocal fatigue: Don’t be fooled into thinking that voiceover work isn’t as physically taxing as other types of performance. You may not be required to engage in stage combat, but your voice will still go through a workout. “There are certain gigs that are referred to as ‘blood throat’ gigs,” Root says. “As in, you’re going to feel like your throat is bleeding by the end of this session. Those are almost always video game sessions, because you end up screaming for hours. I’ve never lost my voice in my life, but I got really close when I did ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts.’ ”
• Divided attention: Many voice actors will specialize in one type of work, which can make focusing on other areas of your profession challenging. “If you work in multiple categories of [voice acting], giving all those categories the proper amount of attention [is tough],” Ciulla, who works primarily in audiobooks, tells us. “When you work in one category that much, it’s hard to address systemic deficiencies on the marketing or agent sides. If you need a new agent in a certain market, there’s no time to research and pitch yourself, never mind retooling a demo to match your updated skill set.”
• Competition: According to Brewer, while the ability to work from home can be enticing, it also means competition within the voiceover industry can be fierce, requiring a lot of effort to remain on casting directors’ radars. “Since the pandemic, so many more great actors have home studios,” Brewer says. “So you really have to keep on top of your marketing and relationships to stay in the forefront of people’s minds.”
• Making a living: As with most other artistic careers, it can be hard to make a decent living as a voice actor, especially starting out. “It’s difficult to make money from it,” Ciulla says. “It’s difficult to keep your momentum.”

While voice acting can be a pretty flexible career, there are a few must-haves for any serious voice actor, including:

• A home studio: “The in-person audition days (in all facets of the industry) are pretty much over, so you need to have a good home-recording situation,” Root says. “It doesn’t have to be a full booth (though that helps); it just needs to be good quality.” Fortunately, creating your own home studio doesn’t have to break the bank, as there are plenty of affordable home-recording options on the market. 
• A strong voice: A successful career as a voice actor requires you to put in a lot of work on making your voice as strong and clear as it can be. Even before you book your first job, you should be regularly working on improving your voice and becoming more articulate so that you can meet any vocal challenges that come your way.
• A solid demo reel: Your demo reel is the first step to finding work as a voice actor and should highlight your strengths as a performer. Make sure your reel is good quality and puts your best foot forward, but also don’t stress too much about making it absolutely flawless. “Do not spend tons of money on getting a perfect demo reel,” Root advises. “Your demo reel’s main purpose is to get you representation, not work.”
  Related

  How to Make a Voiceover Demo Reel

Yes! Voice acting can typically be worked in around other acting jobs. As a matter of fact, that’s why some actors get into voice acting in the first place. 

“I chose [voice acting] at first to complement my pursuit of film and TV jobs while I was living in L.A.,” Ciulla explains. “In the pursuit of ‘full-time working actor’ status, [instructors] teach you to find all the work that is right for your type and skill sets.” 

Voiceover work can also help you meet SAG-AFTRA eligibility requirements in order to earn benefits such as health insurance and a pension. As a matter of fact, even if you’ve never voice-acted before, many agents will still pitch their clients for voice-acting jobs if an opportunity crosses their path which they think might be a good fit.

Anton27/Shutterstcok

Voice acting is much more than simply talking into a microphone or reading aloud. It’s a skill that requires a lot of effort to hone. “To be a voice actor is to be an actor,” Ciulla says. “You’re making a commitment to the craft of performance. So, respect it as such.”

1. Take classes. “Take acting classes with reputable teachers,” Ciulla advises. “One of the good things to come out of the last few [COVID-19] years is everyone who is anyone is teaching on Zoom or some other video streaming service. You can learn about the craft from the comfort of your home office, or even your sofa.” 
2. Listen with a critical ear. “Listen critically to everything,” Brewer says. “Audiobooks, commercials, video games, etc., and learn from the best.” 
3. Record yourself. “Record your voice every chance you get and listen back to it,” Root says. “Where could that voice exist in the commercial world? Do you have characters that sound unique? Record them! Listen back to them. Refine them. Eventually, those characters will get their moment to shine.” 
4. Practice your technique. It’s one thing to know what your strengths and weaknesses are, and what good voice acting sounds like. It’s another to actually train your voice to get better. From pencil exercises to tongue stretches, there are plenty of techniques to strengthen both the way you speak and the overall quality of your voice. 
5. Take care of your voice. It doesn’t matter how many tongue twisters you practice if you lose your voice when it’s time to record. Practice behaviors that prioritize vocal health so that all your hard work can pay off.

When it comes to the specifics of what to expect from a voiceover career, the answer to how much it pays is a resounding “it depends.” Entry-level voice actors may bring home just a few thousand dollars in their first year, while established voice actors can earn six-figure salaries or more. 

That said, some types of voice acting do tend to pay better than others. Voice-acting spots for radio ads or local commercials may only pay a couple hundred dollars, while audiobooks may bring home a few thousand if you’re narrating the entire book. Featured roles in video games and feature films tend to have the most earning potential, with average rates of $200 or more per hour.

The time commitment required for a voiceover gig varies depending on project size, number of lines, and re-recording requirements. For example, providing voiceover for a 30-second commercial will look very different from narrating an audiobook or voicing a character in a feature-length film. You can expect to spend at least two to three hours in the studio for every one hour of finished audio. Established voice actors can typically expect to work at least four hours per day, or 20 hours per week.

PrinceOfLove/Shutterstock

For some actors, breaking into voice acting is a long process, while for others, it can happen practically overnight. For Root, a voiceover opportunity arose from his work onstage. “I was approached by an agent who saw me in the Broadway show Avenue Q in which I had to do several character voices,” Root says. “I realize this is not the normal pathway into voiceover, but I started doing national commercial campaigns pretty quickly after.”

Ciulla also didn’t have a hard time getting his first voice-acting role after working as an actor in other areas, but cautions that breaking into the field and making a living in it are two very different things. “It wasn’t difficult to get into voice acting,” he says. “[But] it’s more difficult to be successful in it.”

Meanwhile, Brewer’s path was more gradual, although the jobs she booked still stemmed from her other acting work. “For me, it was a very slow entry. I’ve been an actor for a long time and the voice-acting gigs came as a byproduct,” Brewer says. However, she doesn’t begrudge the longer process. “Now that I’m concentrating on audiobooks, I’m grateful for all those years of acting work and training.”

A common theme in these voiceover stories is that the performers were all taking their acting craft seriously well before booking their first voice-acting jobs. If you’re looking for voice-acting work, we have plenty of resources to help you book your next role.