|
VOICE OVER CAREER
It’s amazing how many people are interested in voice overs. They believe they have a talent, but they aren’t sure how to make it a career. Fortunately, there are many excellent coaches who can give you the training you need to succeed. Before you take that step, though, I have a few thoughts you may want to consider. 1. BE GOOD With few exceptions, only the best voice talent gets hired repeatedly. The exceptions may be those who are really good at marketing. Assuming you have good talent, your recording and editing skills also have to be good; unless you live in New York, Chicago or L.A., the client will expect you to be the engineer. 2. BE DIFFERENT It’s always a challenge to stand out in this very crowded industry, so it’s important to know how you are different, without straying outside your money voice. Your voice has to be distinct, if not unique. Ask yourself honestly, “Who would hire me to speak for them?” Does your voice fit the advertiser and the audience they’re talking to? If there’s any doubt at all, the answer is no. Other people who are auditioning for the same job will definitely be a better fit. 3. OVERCOME BAD WRITING Regrettably, most of the copy you will audition for these days is mediocre, if not outright boring. Many times an untalented copywriter will be looking for a voice that can “save” them. So understanding the client, the message, the audience, and how your personality benefits them could make the difference in getting hired. 4. BE AWARE OF THE COMPETITION These days there is competition from many directions:
In the case of commercial work, the opportunities are drying up as local advertisers find the broadcast media cost out of reach. In particular, many radio stations have significantly increased their rates in an effort to stay afloat. Of course, many of them have turned to advertising on streaming channels, where they find lower rates. 5. THE THREAT OF AI I would say that, no matter how good we are, AI is drastically reducing our opportunities to get work, let alone make a living at it. This includes much of commercial work, corporate videos, and informational and training videos. The one opportunity that may still have legs is audiobooks, especially fiction. Audiobooks offer a totally different marketing path, thanks to Audible and their production portal, Audiobook Creation Exchange (acx.com). You can check it out now, without subscribing. In any case, it’s a challenge to educate clients about the difference between a real voice and an AI voice. 6. MARKETING: BE A BUSINESS How do we overcome these challenges? By smart and constant marketing. You may be surprised to know that much of the talent in this business does little or no marketing. That can work to your advantage. It is, of course, extremely important that you consider yourself a business:
Above all, get yourself an agent. Make sure they know your specific differences – the ones that can earn you and them money. And make sure they know how to sell real voices over AI. Stay in touch with them. If you have really great talent and a will to succeed, I believe that you will. I wish you much success. Email: james@jamesconlan.com |
By James Conlan
.png)
click for new article alerts