As a beginner in the voice over industry you are probably wondering where and how VO talents get hired.
In this post I am going to rundown ten steps that will increase your chances of finding voice over jobs.
Some you will have heard about, others may surprise you.
1. Find Local Production Companies
These can be a great source of work and often get overlooked. Enter 'production companies' or 'video production companies' into Google (or whichever search engine you are using) and you will be spoilt for choice.
Now localise this by putting in your nearest city or the county in which you live e.g. 'production companies Leicester' and you will be able to target large and small outfits.
In the first instance send them an email with an mp3 demo attached; if you do not receive a response, follow up with a phone call. Even if you are just placed on file, you have made contact and many smaller companies are happy to know there is a voice over artist just up the road they can call upon.
These can be a great source of work and often get overlooked. Enter 'production companies' or 'video production companies' into Google (or whichever search engine you are using) and you will be spoilt for choice.
Now localise this by putting in your nearest city or the county in which you live e.g. 'production companies Leicester' and you will be able to target large and small outfits.
2. Use Family and Friends
Our nearest and dearest can often be an unexpected source of work. An aunt may be running a successful business and considering commissioning an explainer video that needs a voiceover. How about that cousin who works in training and is involved in e-learning or the builder neighbour who needs a more professional on-hold message?
Let them all know you are a voice over artist and can even offer 'mates rates' for VO projects.
3. Advertise
But where? Allot a small budget to online advertising. Google, Bing and Yahoo ads provide a way to make sure you are on the first page of those search engines; you only pay when people click and you can start/stop whenever you like, giving you total control over expenditure.
Also consider places other voice actors may not be prevalent on such as Gumtree and Craig's List. Local newspapers are also worth looking at and if you can stimulate publicity then even better.
My former student Jay Britton managed to get himself in the Wiltshire Times talking about his award winning voice over career.
My former student Jay Britton managed to get himself in the Wiltshire Times talking about his award winning voice over career.
4. Recommend Other Voice Over Artists
This may sound like career suicide, but it is actually an accepted way of working in the industry. Flag up someone who complements your own voice style, so if you are a male voice talent it is a good idea to endorse a female VO you like the sound of.
You can do this on a few sites, but Linkedin has this facility built in and you can also provide positive comments about someone on Facebook and Twitter.
If the feeling is mutual, you may find yourself being recommended by that very same female voice actor - quid pro quo.
This may sound like career suicide, but it is actually an accepted way of working in the industry. Flag up someone who complements your own voice style, so if you are a male voice talent it is a good idea to endorse a female VO you like the sound of.
You can do this on a few sites, but Linkedin has this facility built in and you can also provide positive comments about someone on Facebook and Twitter.5. Network
Meeting people is the lifeblood of any business and let's face it, your voice over endeavours are a business service.
For free promotion consider Twitter's network hours which allow you to Tweet about voice over services during a specified time in your local area. It's a great way to hook up with other businesses and sell your voice.
Linkedin is definitely a great way to network and one of the powerful tools it possesses is its search facility. So you could look for influential television professionals by selecting 'people' in the drop down menu and then entering 'TV producers' in the search field.
Asking to connect would be your next step, or you could send them an InMail, although this latter action requires premium membership.
Asking to connect would be your next step, or you could send them an InMail, although this latter action requires premium membership.
6. Invest In Pay To Play Sites
Ok I know these come in for a lot stick from some quarters, but in my book they can be a very effective way to source work. If you really don't want to pay the subscription (and I recommend you do), then using the free facilities of Voice123 or StarNow et al could still yield results.
Remember success depends on how targeted you are - use these sites intelligently and they can be a profitable part of your marketing mix.
7. Join Freelancer Platforms
These differ from the pay to play sites in that they are usually free to join... they take a small commission from your earnings.
They are not only concerned with voice over, but anything in the creative industries from copywriting to graphic design, but most have a VO section enabling you to upload your profile.
Sites to consider are Upwork, PeoplePerHour and Freelancer.co.uk.
8. Contact Game Developers
If you are interested in videogames (or even if you haven't thought about this avenue of work before) it is worth making inroads into this burgeoning market.
Such is the nature of the industry that companies can come and go quickly, but there are lots of thriving independents and they should be on your contact list.
Wikipedia has a comprehensive list of developers in the UK and around the world. Make sure you produce an impressive character reel to send off to them.
9. Narrate Audiobooks
The audiobook market has increased dramatically in the last few years as publishers have looked at new ways of increasing revenue streams.
One of the best sources of narration work is on Audible (which is part of Amazon) and signing up to their audiobook exchange programme ACX.
Many of my own students have had success using this marketplace, but bear in mind you need plenty of vocal stamina to plough your way through a long novel.
10. Visit My Jobs Board
Let me stress that I am a voice over coach and not an agent; however I do scour social media and the internet for interesting voice over vacancies. It is worth checking in to my Latest Voice Over Jobs Page on a regular basis and seeing if there is anything that catches your eye.
It is a free service and as such I am not responsible for the jobs links themselves, so always do your research.
7. Join Freelancer Platforms
These differ from the pay to play sites in that they are usually free to join... they take a small commission from your earnings.
8. Contact Game Developers
If you are interested in videogames (or even if you haven't thought about this avenue of work before) it is worth making inroads into this burgeoning market.
9. Narrate Audiobooks
The audiobook market has increased dramatically in the last few years as publishers have looked at new ways of increasing revenue streams.
Many of my own students have had success using this marketplace, but bear in mind you need plenty of vocal stamina to plough your way through a long novel.
10. Visit My Jobs Board
Gary Terzza teaches voice overs in the UK
2 comments:
nice blog post, thanks for sharing such a useful information. Male voice actors needed
Dubbing or voice over services is a great way to certify that your product has its own nature. Voiceovers are descriptions or dialogues performed by professional dubbing artist in mumbai.
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