Leveraging the Alternative Avenues into the Voiceover Industry
“Fake it ‘til you make it!” I’ve heard this countless times whilst trying to learn more about the voice over industry. I’d like to propose an alternative method to what is considered “Industry Standard.” Content creation is not only a great way to practice your craft without having to book, but can also be seen as a notch in your belt. I like to think of this approach as “Make it til you make it”. Lets explore alternative avenues into voiceover.
Getting Started in Voiceover
I sat for years paralyzed by the “what-ifs” of voice acting. Fear of rejection, worries about pursuing a fruitless endeavor, and general laziness all besieged my day to day. It wasn’t until I accepted that voice acting is a skill and that skills are learned and developed that I began legitimately trying. YouTube became a medium through which I could simultaneously hone my skillset, and subject myself to criticism free of charge! I found that the freedom of content creation, specifically public domain audiobooks, allowed me to genuinely engage with things that I enjoy and am interested in. That helped pull me out of my self-imposed prison and get the gears turning!
Absurdly Long-Form Voiceover
Reflecting on the alternative avenues into voiceover I find myself thinking about my own experiences. For example, In my experience on YouTube, I’ve found that longer videos have started gaining a lot of traction. This may be due to people falling asleep to them or putting on something to listen to at work or some other unknown factor. I thought I could capitalize on this market by creating niche super-long audiobooks that people haven’t yet recorded. Boy was I not prepared for the workload that came with that.
Long Form Avenues – Audiobook Voiceover
Creating a project like an audiobook is a huge dedication. This is why I stress working on something you are passionate about so that the motivation to stay the course is there. Just the editing on a single chapter can take between thirty minutes to an hour or two depending on if you need ADR (you will) and the length of the text. The audiobooks I have chosen for my niche are on the upside of eighty hours long, so consistency is a must. My recommendations for attempting something this long are as follows:
- Create a reasonable recording schedule. This means one that accommodates how long you can AND want to speak / read for.
- Figure out the best mix of recording and editing. Personally, I like to record and edit a single chapter a day. This isn’t the best method for tone consistency, but with practice that will improve
- If you are practicing, give intent to your project. Assign a goal to what the completion of your project will do for you, and test yourself throughout the process.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking water does way more than most think it will.
- (Personal advice but relative) Try to avoid spicy, fried, or fatty foods the day before recording if you’re prone to acid reflux or heartburn. This kind of diet definitely hindered my efficiency.
Utilizing Alternative Voiceover Tools
If you’ve taken this somewhat unconventional, content creation path into voice acting, there are perks that you can make full use of. Building an audience is not as easy as posting a video and going viral, but if you remain consistent and diligent in posting and improving, it can be done.
After you’ve built up somewhat of an audience, it can be used to legitimize yourself as a voice actor. Don’t have a website or a demo? Social media won’t replace those (and I do recommend still investing in both), but you can use your platforms as a proof of concept to your clients. I personally have used my following to cold email clients and other Youtubers for work and have booked jobs this way.
Alternative Avenues into Voiceover Summary
To summarize; The best advice I can give to a burgeoning voice actor is to just get started. That can mean immediately auditioning for roles and gigs or just practicing to yourself for 30 minutes a day. If you’re interested in creating public domain audiobooks for practice, there is plenty of work on https://librivox.org
Alternative Avenues into Voiceover by Sondley Hemrick