How to Get More Bookings as a Voiceover Artist

How to Get More Bookings as a Voiceover Artist

It’s no secret that voiceover artists are in demand. More and more people are turning to podcasts, audiobooks, and video games for entertainment. Due to this, there is a constant need for an array of voices from all walks of life.

However, It can be challenging to get started as a voiceover artist with so many different avenues out there. Here are some tips on increasing your bookings as a voiceover artist.

How to decide what vocal type suits you best

Generally speaking, most voiceover work out there falls under three categories: Commercials, Narration, or Animation/Imaging. The easiest way to find out what vocal type suits you best is to record yourself.

The next stage is to listen back to your voice recording and pinpoint your strongest suits. Is your voice caringly or animated or, perhaps, tranquil? Also, can you do different accents well? Make sure to take good notes as this knowledge will be helpful to start in the industry.

Create a professional website

A website is a great way to look professional, sound professional, and have an outlet for all your voice work. Consider uploading an online reel of some clips you have recorded. These can be in mp3 or wav formats if possible, and make sure to include a range of styles on the website so casting directors will know what you sound like.

Give yourself an edge by adding links to your website from your social networking sites. This way, casting directors can easily find your work.

Make sure you have the right equipment

This is a pretty big one for new voiceover artists because if you can’t record or edit your audio, it doesn’t matter how good of a voice you have! So, make sure that you buy yourself a decent microphone and good audio editing software before you begin anything else.

Don’t go for the upsell when shopping around for your equipment. Plenty of shops online will try to sell you all kinds of extra gadgets you don’t need, so shop around to see what is best!

Get involved with online communities

Voiceover artists are a tight bunch, and there is a vast range of different groups online that you can join to network with other people in the industry.

Another awesome thing about being involved in online communities is that you can offer your services as a voiceover artist and get involved with free projects – all while building up your reel.

Bottom line

Nowadays, there are many different types of voiceover work, and if you’ve never done this type of work before, it can be challenging to know what precisely you’re looking for. Thus, make sure to stay humble and don’t bite off more than you can chew. You will need time to build yourself up in this industry, so patience is vital!

Five Essential Apps for Voiceover Artists

Five Essential Apps for Voiceover Artists

Voiceover artists come in all shapes and sizes. Some prefer to work from home, while others may work for a specific studio or agency. It would be best if you had the right tools to be as successful with this career choice. In this blog post, we will cover five essential apps that voiceover artists should have!

Voice Memos

Voice Memos is a great way to record your voice and then edit it using the app. It is a perfect app for recording sound bites, like interview clips, and when a voiceover artist needs to record or send audio files. The tool is free and easy to use. Moreover, it doesn’t matter if you’re on an iPhone or iPad. It’s also helpful in recording your voice to listen back and practice. This helps artists improve their work and even use the recordings for auditions.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a file hosting service. It’s available on desktop and mobile devices. Hence, it’s one of the most versatile apps for voiceover artists. It allows you to upload work from any device with an internet connection. It also gives you access to version control on files and shared folders that other people can access. And because Dropbox automatically syncs, you can be confident your files are safe.

Audacity

Audacity is a free audio editor used by beginners or professionals for editing. It is effective because it’s a simple, easy-to-use software with a wide variety of features. Additionally, you can record live vocals and edit them using cut, copy and paste. You can also change the pitch without changing tempo and add various sound effects. These tools help edit out distracting background noise and clean up audio quality.

Shazam

Another tool for voiceover artists is Shazam. It is a music discovery app that allows you to identify songs through sound and draws results for tracks with matching sounds when recording a song’s audio. It’s handy for voiceover artists to know the music playing in a commercial or TV show. It can help give them ideas to create a more appropriate voiceover.

Garageband

Garageband is an excellent app for voiceover artists and a great alternative to other professional software because of its high-quality audio recordings along with its many features for voiceover work. These include sound effects libraries, unlimited tracks per song as well as virtual instruments. You can also share your recordings with people anywhere in the world.

Final Thoughts

Voiceover artists are always looking for ways to better their craft and improve the quality of their work. These five apps for voiceover artists can help improve their work. If you’re in search of tools to help organize your voiceover gigs, check out our other blog posts!

Tik Tok for Voiceover Marketing

TikTok for Voiceover Marketing: 4 Creative Ways to Leverage it

TikTok is an app that has taken over social media by storm. It’s a video-sharing platform where you can upload short videos and share them with your friends. The best part? You use only 15 seconds of video, so it’s easy for voiceover artists to promote themselves on the go! Here are four creative ways to leverage TikTok for voiceover marketing!

Upload videos of you reading scripts or narrating demos

As a voiceover artist, it’s essential to be active on social media. TikTok is now one of the most popular platforms for performers and creatives to show off their work.

You can upload videos reading scripts or narrating demos for your followers. This is a great way to share content with them in an entertaining, engaging way.

Add hashtags to your posts to increase visibility with relevant audiences

TikTok has an in-app search that helps you find posts with specific hashtags or phrases. Then, it displays your selected hashtag in the post’s description and tags it with other related content like videos.

TikTok will then alert users who search for these popular hashtags near any of those specific posts. This will help you get more visibility. Additionally, the right audience will see your voiceover marketing content, and you won’t have to spend any money promoting it outside of TikTok.

Use the editing tools in TikTok to make yourself more recognizable as a voiceover talent

You might think this would be a waste of your time, but the editing tools inside can help make yourself more visible as a voiceover talent. TikTok was initially designed for lip-syncing or playing with filters. But now, it’s a great social media marketing tool for voiceover artists.

Filters such as the “Old School” filter can look great on a video of you reading words in a script and the different stickers available. You can work with backgrounds or speech bubbles with messages that match your voiceover work. These make it easy to identify where you are coming from.

Tag brands who are looking for voiceovers in their posts

TikTok’s success has led to more opportunities for voiceover talent. It’s beneficial for artists looking to use this new platform as another way of marketing. Artists can create fun and engaging TikTok videos and tag brands looking for voiceovers in their posts.

A great use case is to show your versatility by showcasing different voices in one video. You can then tag a brand that offers many character voices or accents and organizations with specific needs.

Final Thoughts

We hope you found these tips helpful. It’s essential to try different strategies to see what works and what doesn’t. If you are a voiceover artist, using TikTok for voiceover marketing may be what you need. Whether it’s an introduction to who you are as an actor or showing off some of your acting chops in character, TikTok can help get more people interested

Five Lead Generation Ideas For Voiceover Artists Guaranteed To Boost Your Business

Five Lead Generation Ideas For Voiceover Artists Guaranteed To Boost Your Business

The voiceover industry is booming and has many opportunities for those who want to work in the field. Obviously, there are many ways to generate leads and convert prospects into clients. This makes it challenging to decide which ones will actually work for your business. Here are five lead generation ideas for voiceover artists to help you grow your client list!

Network with other voiceover artists

Voiceover marketing can be challenging. So, anything you can do to build connections with other voice actors will be beneficial. The first step is identifying your contact pool and figuring out who would engage with you. You can join voice acting groups and attend local meet-ups and voice acting conferences.

Offer yourself up as an expert on social media platforms

Social media is evolving, and you must know how to use these platforms to grow your business. There are several ways you can use voiceover marketing and drive traffic to your site. The platform you choose depends on your target audience’s demographic and your services.

Create a blog that showcases your work

A blog is a great way to show off your voiceover acting skills and generate leads. If you don’t have the time or knowledge, you can use templates for creating blogs and customize them. Sites like WordPress also offer free blogging platforms with features and popular themes.

Get testimonials from satisfied customers to show off your skills

Showcasing testimonials is a great way to make clients feel confident. Once you get those testimonials, all that’s left is for the client to call and book you. To get testimonials from satisfied customers, you can send a quick email or give them an easy link on your website with instructions.

Use audio clips of yourself performing different types of voices

Posting audio clips of yourself performing different types of voices on your website can help your voiceover marketing efforts. It helps prospective customers see what you can do with your voice. Additionally, you could also include video clips of yourself reading scripts to give a new perspective on your offer’s quality of work.

Final Thoughts

Have you used any of these lead generation ideas for voiceover artists? If not, try them out and tell us how they work for your voiceover business. The key to a successful marketing strategy is understanding what works for your audience and giving it to them.

Consider Business Insurance for a Voice Over Business

Consider Business Insurance for a Voice Over Business

When you start a voice-over business, you may not think about all the things that could happen to it. You are happy to have some work to do, and you are just taking clients as they come your way. However, as your business grows, you may get anxious. You may start to fear your business’ future.

This is a common fear for many business owners. They step back, look at all they have done, and do not want it to go away. Unfortunately, it can be compromised in just a blink of an eye.

People are suing others much more than they used to. Whenever they find a reason to sue, they often take it to the courts before they try to settle it one-on-one. This can exasperate problems rather than solve them. While this is the case, there is nothing you can do but get a lawyer when someone decides to sue. 

There are many reasons why someone may sue a voice-over artist:

  • Copyright issues: Someone may accuse you of taking his/her work and using it as your own.

  • Confidentiality: Giving away information about the clients’ customers or using it to benefit your own business.

  • Breach of contract: This means that you signed a contract, but then you did not follow the conditions outlined in it.

The reality is that the legal system is so complex that there can be a reason to sue for just about anything. This is why business insurance can be helpful. It is just like protecting your car, home, or other assets.

What Business Insurance Can Do for You

With business insurance, you may escape the costs that come with an attorney and court fees. If the court finds you guilty, business insurance can cover the penalties.

Before just choosing any policy, though, you need to find one that covers you for the types of lawsuits that may be filed against you. There are many policies available, and they all come with different premiums. It is best to speak to as many business insurance carriers as possible to find the policy that meets your needs for a price that falls within your budget.

Additional Information for Business Insurance for a Voice Over Business

For more information on business insurance and its benefits for voice-over artists, read what the U.S. Small Business Administration has on its website.

Protect yourself and your business. Start researching business insurance today.

 

voiceover SEO

Voiceover SEO: Ways to Make Your Voice Acting Business More SEO-Friendly

In this time and age when people use the Internet to search for virtually anything, voiceover SEO should be an indispensable tool for any voice actor. SEO stands for search engine optimization, which basically means re-structuring your online presence so that you are easily found on the search engines.

But as a voice acting professional, how do you start doing this? Do you really need to invest in an expensive website or a viable social media presence?

Outlined below are some helpful tips for any voice actor in attaining successful voiceover SEO:

  1. Never underestimate the importance of keywords. Search engine optimization is important because as a voice actor you want to widen your market and make your voice acting services better known to the bigger public. But to do this, you need to know which words your potential clients are using when searching for a voice actor or voice acting services. In the SEO world, these are more specifically known as keywords.

With ample research, you will discover which words your clients are typing into search engines. Keyword tools such as the Google Keyword Tool are also useful. You may tailor the keywords that you use on your site according to the content of each page, the topic, and the specific service that you offer.

  1. Invest in an engaging website for your voiceover services. Successful voiceover SEO cannot be possible without a working and engaging website. A website is a way to market your voice acting skills to the world. As a voice actor, you may use your website to showcase your portfolio of past works.

For a website to stand out, it must be well designed and have valuable, engaging content. In other words, your website must offer something to your visitors that compels them to come back, visit your site, and avail of your services again. All this helps establish long-standing relationships with booth old clients and new prospects.

  1. Cultivate a social media presence. Finally, your work as a voice actor should also be visible on social media. You can create a Facebook page, a Twitter handle, or a LinkedIn profile. You can also contribute blogs and articles to voice acting websites, where you may place an outbound link that directs readers to your own website.

You can make your voiceover business more SEO friendly with a lot of planning and research. An important thing to remember is that voiceover SEO should be consistent and attuned to the times. After all, it will be your voiceover career that reaps all the benefits once you have a stable and optimized presence on the search engines.

Effective Ways to Use Skype for Voiceover Projects

The Benefits of Skype for Voiceover Work

Although Skype is well-known for making free calls over the internet, it has also proven to be highly advantageous for many voice acting professionals. It is especially beneficial for budding voice artists – any voice actor can use Skype for voiceover work, from demos to client-directed live sessions and more.

Skype for Voiceover Demos

Demos are especially important for a budding voice actor. If you are new to the industry and a client decides to interview you through Skype, you can take the interview session one step further. Instead of emailing them a prepared demo, you can actually provide the client a live sample of your voice capabilities during the same Skype session. This is an efficient means for clients to evaluate the versatility of your skills as well as your ability to improvise on-the-go.

Skype for Voiceover Live Sessions

Once you get a job as a professional voice actor, you may also use the various tools and configurations available through Skype to record a live session with your client at the other end of an ongoing call. This is a convenient alternative to recording in a live booth and having your client physically around to give you directions. Skype for voiceover is a great option in this set-up since you can work with your client even if you are countries or continents apart.

Skype for Your Voice Acting Business

Skype is even more valuable once you are starting to grow your voice acting business. Business professionals across various industries find the messaging app to be a cost-effective means at communicating over the Internet. With almost everyone having a solid web presence and Skype connectivity, it will be easier and less costly for you to get in touch with your team or your clients.

The Internet has clearly revolutionized the way people do business. A growing number of voice artists are using Skype for voiceover projects. Given its high portability, this software allows you to manage your voice acting career from anywhere in the world, provided you have a stable Internet connection. Whether you are looking for a less costly means to follow up with your contacts or conduct a live voiceover session, Skype is a great alternative to more expensive tools available on the market.

 

Why Digital Watermarking is Essential for Voiceover Work

When you work as a voice actor, you may be inclined to share your materials online as a way to draw in clients or establish yourself as a professional in the industry. Unfortunately, this can also expose your work to dishonest individuals on the web. Without digital watermarking of your work, anyone can use your voiceovers without paying for your services or at least seeking your permission.

Digital Watermarking for Online Voiceovers

Visible watermarking is a good way for photographers to protect their photos from dishonest or abusive use once the material is shared online. Digital watermarking works on the same principle. You are essentially using a special sound effect to protect your work and make your special, personal stamp audible to the hearer. Thus, anyone who listens to your material will know that it is your work and not someone else’s.

Digital Watermarking Suggestions for a Voice Actor

There are several ways in which you can use this kind of watermarking for your voiceover work, such as:

  • Stating your name at the beginning or at the end of the recording.
  • Adding a beep at any point in the recording.
  • Stating a copyright notice, albeit at a lower volume.
  • Cutting some parts of the material.

Should You Watermark Your Voiceover Work Audition?

Not all professional voice actors agree that an amateur voice actor should digitally watermark his or her recording demo. This may give off the idea that the voice artist does not trust the client.

If you are still trying to attract new clients, make sure that you interact only with those you fully trust. Also, make sure that you save a non-watermarked version of your voice recording, for easy access whenever necessary.

Protecting your Material at All Times

While the Internet has made it easier for people to connect and for materials to be shared in a snap, it has also given scammers more avenues for their illicit activities. Inexperienced voice actors who are careless with the way they share material online are especially susceptible. By using digital watermarking tools to protect your voiceover work, you can share your materials online without exposing them to unscrupulous use.

 

3 Reasons Why a Female Voice Actor Can Be the Better Choice for Business Videos

One of the crucial elements of a business video — whether it’s an explainer, a marketing feature, or a short advertisement — is the choice of a voiceover actor. Research conducted by ConversionXL showed that a female voice actor is typically preferred by audiences for business video voiceovers. But what could be the reasons for this?

Listed below are some of the advantages in using a female voice actor for your next business video voice acting project:

  1. Trustworthiness. ConversionXL’s study on the preference for either male or female voiceovers for explainer videos found that a significantly higher number of participants trusted explainer videos with female narration more than those with male narration.

Even more surprising is the fact that professionalism did not factor into the result. Regardless of whether a professional or an amateur was responsible for the voice acting, female voice actors were still deemed more trustworthy than their male counterparts.

  1. Engagement and persuasiveness. Given the nurturing nature of women, their voices are associated with teaching, helping, and non-threatening instruction, which can be more persuasive in the long run. Thus, female voices are generally ideal to use in instructional videos, commercials, and narrations.
  1. Versatility. Due to the compassionate and high-pitched nature of the female voice, it can sell or promote virtually any product or service, from make-up to refrigerators to cellphones to real estate.

While there are some products that a male voice can sell more effectively, such as cars and computers, most video marketing materials call for voice inflection, tone, and emotion in their narration. This gives the female voiceover a significant edge.

Gone are the days when business people would use software to mimic a personable style of voice acting. Today, customers demand authenticity, and this legitimacy should translate from any marketing material to an actual product or service.

While the choice between a male voice actor and a female voice actor will depend on the kind of product your business is promoting, studies clearly show that the female voiceover is preferred by most audiences in terms of trustworthiness and likeability.

If you’re looking for a female voice actor on your next business video, look no further. I combines skills, experience, and talent to provide stellar voice acting for any project. Get in touch with me today to boost both the online and offline presence of your business.

 

 

cold reading

Cold Reading: An Essential Skill for Voice Artists

As a voice actor, you need to have all the essential skills: voice range, voice versatility, proper pronunciation and intonation, and appropriate pacing, to name a few. However, there is one skill that you should keep in your voiceover arsenal at all times: cold reading, or the ability to read a script effectively even if you are viewing it for the very first time.

Cold Reading Skill as a Competitive Advantage

Voice artists who have had ample voiceover work experience will tell you that some recording sessions may proceed under not-so-ideal circumstances. Ideally, a script should be handed to you days or hours prior to recording so you will have time to practice reading. This includes finding the right voice for the material, editing the manuscript for possible punctuation errors, and highlighting certain key areas.

Unfortunately, this may not always happen with some voiceover work tasks. It’s possible for you to be called to stand in for another voice artist without prior notice, or to be handed a manuscript only a few minutes before recording. When this happens, you need to be able to cold read.

How to Practice Cold Reading as a Voice Actor

The best way to practice and improve your cold reading skill is to read as wide a variety of materials as possible, on a daily basis. The more varied the material, the better. You may practice reading product labels, magazine feature articles, or even the random pages of an old novel.

In addition to reading, you will also need to improvise. Think about the script’s audience. Think about the character who is speaking through you. Then, adopt the most convincing style of voice. As much as possible, expose yourself to a variety of authors and various kinds of texts, from objective journalistic pieces to emotionally-colored prose. Through constant practice, you are developing the ability to successfully cold read for any kind of voiceover work.

As a professional voice actor, you have to be ready for any impromptu task that may come your way. The ability to adapt to fast-changing, highly-flexible situations is what sets a consummate voice artist from the rest. By practicing your cold reading skills, you can take on any voiceover work even with very little time to prepare.