Make Money as a Voice Actor
Are you curious how to make money as a voice actor? You aren’t alone.
Voice acting is a growing industry that offers exciting opportunities for actors. Whether you want to record short audio clips for websites, narrate audio books, or appear in commercials and video games, voice acting can provide an exciting new source of income. There are many kinds of voice actors working in the industry today.
1 Voice Actors Are Involved in Many Projects
Some specialize in voice-over work for commercials and advertisements. Others may be more interested in recording audio books or even providing voices for cartoon characters in animated shows or movies.
Whatever your interests and goals as a voice actor, you can find success by leveraging a variety of different strategies to help boost your earnings and career growth. When thinking about make money as a voice actor, you need to identify projects in your area.
Making money as a voice actor isn’t just about getting gigs, it’s also about setting yourself up to get even more gigs down the road. As you continue practicing your craft and perfecting your technique, these tips will help you land more voice-over jobs and increase your hourly rate as you grow as an actress.
2 Voice Actors Can Bring in the Money
As a voice actor, you can make money in several ways. You could record advertisements for local businesses or create an online portfolio to market yourself as a voice actor. Even better, you could take the time to build your reputation in the voice acting industry. Make money as a voice actor by getting your voice out there so casting directors search you out when they need someone with a specific range and style of voices.
As a voice actor, you have the opportunity to work from home and set your own hours. However, like all other jobs, it also requires dedication, practice and persistence.
To become profitable as a voice actor, it’s important to understand why you’re doing it and what your goals are. That way, you can identify which opportunities are worth your time and which might not be right for you at this point in your career.
3 Research Before You Book Gigs
Before you book any gigs as a voice actor, you’ll want to do your research to ensure that you’re booking the right types of voice over jobs for your skill set. Try to avoid booking any jobs that require you to use an accent that you aren’t 100% comfortable with.
Doing so can significantly increase the amount of time needed to complete the project, which could lead to a lower hourly rate or even result in you turning down the job altogether.
While some jobs may pay more than others, it’s important to remember that you are in control of how much you make. If you accept a low-paying job that takes you longer to complete, you’ll end up making even less than you would have.
Taking the time to research each project and setting boundaries for the types of jobs you are willing to accept can help you avoid over-extending yourself and help you maintain a healthy work-life balance. To make money as a voice actor you need to align with projects that fit your interests and boundaries.
4 Network and Collaborate
One of the most effective ways to get more work as a voice actor is to network with other actors. You can do this in a variety of ways, including joining local or online groups, attending industry events, or even creating your own social networks.
Some voice actors may be more willing than others to collaborate, so it’s important to respect the wishes of your fellow actors. If you reach out to someone for a collaboration and they are not interested, be respectful of their decision and move on.
You can make networking even more effective by being a good partner. While you might think it’s more social than make money as a voice actor, what you will quickly find is helping others will help you.
Offer to help others get work as well, such as sharing auditions that you think might interest your partners and letting them know about auditions and projects that you think they would be perfect for. Letting your peers know that you are open to collaboration can help you get more work, as well as provide valuable networking opportunities.
5 Build a Professional Demo
A professional voice over demo is the perfect introduction to any casting director or potential client. It allows you to showcase your voice acting abilities and give potential clients an idea of the types of projects you would be well-suited for. People need to hear you and a demo will easily bring your voice to their ears.
Making a professional demo can be a significant investment, but it is one that is well worth the cost. While you don’t necessarily need to spend thousands of dollars on recording a pro audio demo, you’ll definitely want to avoid using your home recording setup.
You should also avoid using a free online recording service, as they won’t give you a high-quality recording to use. You can either invest in a professional studio or rent one, or opt for a paid online services where you can get a professional recording for a set price.
6 Get Involved in the Profession
If you’re looking to make money as a voice actor, it’s important to get involved in the profession and network with other actors. Joining a group like The Voice Acting Alliance or attending a convention like Voice Con is a great way to meet other voice actors and learn more about the industry.
Keep an eye on industry publications or read industry blogs to keep up to date on the latest news, tips, and trends. By staying informed and connected with the industry, you’ll have a better idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lie, which will help you create a better plan to get more auditions and secure more work.
While it can be intimidating to enter a new field and make new connections, don’t be afraid to reach out to voice actors you’d like to meet. Many voice actors love sharing advice and enthusiasm with new people, so take advantage of this helpful community by reaching out to others. Let them know you want to make money as a voice actor and ask them questions you have about the business.
7 Voice Actors Need Great Tools
If you want to be a successful voice actor, you need to invest in the proper tools and technology to help boost your performance and improve your quality. Fortunately, there are many low-cost options for voice actors these days, including:
- A quiet space to record. If you want to record in your home, you’ll need to find a quiet space that’s away from potential background noise. Investing in soundproofing or noise-canceling technology can help reduce outside noise and improve your recording quality.
- A quality microphone. The quality of your microphone can have a significant impact on the quality of your voice recordings. A professional-quality microphone can help boost your voice and improve the overall quality of your recordings, which can make a big difference for your clients.
- A reliable computer. A computer that’s prone to freezing or crashing during a recording session can create a lot of stress and can greatly impact your performance. It’s worth investing in a quality computer that can handle the workload of recording auditions and sessions.
- A decent internet connection. While you don’t need to have lightning-fast internet, you do need a reliable connection that doesn’t cut out or drop during a recording. VoIP technology can also help reduce potential latency issues that may arise with a slower connection.
8 Voice actors can make money through residual income
If you’re looking to make money in the long-term as a voice actor, you can consider signing up to be part of an audio network or hosting network that pays through a residual income model.
Many networks will pay a small upfront fee, followed by a percentage of the profits from shows you record for them. This model can help voice actors make money through residual income, where you earn a regular payment for work you’ve completed in the past.
Earning through residual income is ideal for those who want to make consistent money from their voice over work without having to actively seek out new clients every month.
Thankfully you don’t need to live in Los Angeles to be a voice actor, but actors, no matter where they live, can be voice actors. This cool part of the entertainment world is a very unique job.
9 Voice actors can earn money from ad syncs
Another way voice actors can make money through residual income is by recording ad syncs for companies. So what is this interesting gig? You’ll record a short clip saying something along the lines of, “For X product, go to X website,” and then the company can use your recording to promote their product or service.
Some ad syncs pay per-word and others pay a flat fee, so it’s important to do your research to find the right fit. You can also earn money by recording product reviews for companies like Amazon, which pays between $50 and $200 per review, depending on how long the review is.
10 Other ways for voice actors to make money
As a voice actor, you can also make money by providing coaching or mentoring services to other actors and helping them improve their performance. You can also record blogs or other audio content for websites, which can earn you a small fee or payment per download. If you’re looking to tap into other sources of income, it’s also worth considering selling your audio clips or recordings on places like Creative Market or Etsy.
You can also consider selling your voice over audition recordings, where you record voice clips for various actors who may be going on auditions for certain roles. This can be a great way to earn money for your efforts without having to worry about copyright issues that may come up with selling audio clips.
11 Use Voice Over Auditions to Grow Your Network
If you are just getting started in voice acting and looking to build your network, you may be able to find voice over auditions online that are looking for new actors.
While these auditions may not pay as much as working with larger clients, they are great for helping you get your name out there and start gaining experience. Many casting websites, such as Voice123 and other casting lists, host a variety of auditions that are looking for new talent.
Check out these sites, as well as any other sites and forums related to voice acting, to see if there are any opportunities that you might be well-suited for. These types of auditions can also be a great way to build trust with potential clients and gain positive reviews from other actors.
12 Take Voice-Over Lessons
As you grow in the voice acting industry, you may notice that certain voice types are more in demand than others. If you aren’t sure which types of voices you have, you may want to consider taking lessons to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
These lessons can be a great way to learn more about your voice, how to improve it, and how to better use it in different types of voice over work. You can either find a teacher in your area or, if you are looking to save some money, use an online service like Udemy or Skillshare to find affordable online lessons.
While these lessons may not be as hands-on as in-person lessons, they can still be a great tool for helping you identify your voice types and learn how to best use them in the voice-over industry.
13 Use Live Auditions to Build Your Network and Income
As you continue building your network and gaining more experience, you may want to consider hosting your own live auditions. Doing so can help you book more work and earn more money as a voice actor. You can either host the auditions at your own home or at a public space, such as a library or cafe.
While hosting live auditions does have its challenges, they can be an effective way to both grow your network and boost your income as a voice actor. Be sure to choose a date and time that is most convenient for your potential clients and colleagues.
By hosting your own auditions, you can set the terms and conditions of payment and help reduce your clients’ stress during their selection process.
Conclusion
Making money as a voice actor isn’t easy, but with the right strategy and dedication, it can be done. The most important thing to remember is that being successful as a voice actor takes time, and you should expect that it will take several years before you are making a significant amount of income.
If you are just starting out, don’t get discouraged if it takes longer than you expected to build up your network and start booking work as you focus your desire to make money as a voice actor.
Be patient, work hard, and use these tips to set yourself up for success as a voice actor. Now that you know how to make money as a voice actor, it’s time to get started! What’s stopping you?