The voice-over industry is rapidly expanding as an increasing number of projects, from commercial voice-overs and documentaries, to audio book narration and standard radio announcing, require voice actors who can perform and deliver. Nonetheless, the sheer number of people offering their voice talents is also on the rise, which makes competition a huge factor to consider for many novice voice artists.
As someone who has had media and broadcasting experience for 15 years, I have learned that a clear, high-quality voice is just the starting point. When it comes to succeeding as an audio narrator or storyteller, a number of factors come into play. Here are some of them:
Practice Makes Perfect
Whether you’ve just started out in announcing or have been doing it for some time, there is always a reason to practice. As a novice, you will want to take note of what you hear on TV, over the radio, or on the Internet. You can study the various styles and techniques that these experienced voice actors use in their delivery. You will also want to listen to yourself read or speak aloud, which you can do by recording yourself when you speak and see how your recorded voice sounds. Oftentimes, your recorded voice will sound nothing like your speaking voice, and vice versa.
Build on your Experience
Like any career, a voice acting job will require experience. This is not to say that you will not land a job if you’re new to the industry, but experience will hone your listening, speaking and acting skills over time. This makes your voice suitable for a wide range of recordings so you are able to take on more voice acting roles. As a professional voice-over talent, moreover, you need to be attentive to mistakes so you can correct them instantly. You develop this skill along with your listening proficiencies. And considering that most narration and recording projects require character voices, you also need to build up on your acting abilities. These valuable experiences will lend your voice with a rich, compelling authority that won’t be missed.
Professionalism
You cannot compromise professionalism and a good, working attitude if you want to be known as a professional voice talent. Since you will be dealing with different clients on different projects, you need to possess the right people skills. You also need to constantly remind yourself that you have chosen a career as a voice artist. Therefore, you need to treat every recording or narration as a performance, and nothing less.
Expand Your Contacts
It pays to get to know more people in the business. Inevitably, as you grow in your experience as a voice actor, you will also expand your contacts, gain more connections and, hopefully, land more voice-over jobs.
Clearly, not all voice talents have been successful in their chosen craft. In an industry where competition is high and clients are looking for no less than flawless delivery, it’s important for any voice over talent to go beyond just talent. Technique, experience, and attitude all dictate whether your voice acting career will take you places or otherwise.
The best professional voice-over talents are known for their voice qualities and creative voice acting abilities. If you’re looking for an experienced Spanish voice artist for your upcoming project, don’t hesitate to contact me or check out the rest of my website for my services!