In your search for work-from-home options or online jobs, have you ever considered voiceover, voice acting, or narration? Getting paid for your voice is actually a viable way to make money from home. While it’s not always easy, the internet has made it a very feasible opportunity.
I’ll go ahead and say this early, freelance voice work is not meant for everyone. It’s not the voice part that hinders most, but rather the freelance aspect to it. Being a freelancer comes with its own set of challenges and inevitably frustration. But it also comes with freedom and for some, a significant source of income.
So, if you have some talent and are willing to work hard, I 100% recommend trying your hand at voice work. Here’s everything you need to know about getting started in voiceover work.
Different Types of Voice Over Jobs
Voiceover is not just cartoons and animation. The “voice acting” you hear in Disney and Pixar movies comes from extremely talented “voice actors” who also tend to be regular actors and actresses. This type of voice work often gets the most attention for obvious reasons.
However, as previously mentioned, voice work is not limited to those jobs. Here are some ways you can get paid for your voice:
- Narration for audiobooks
- Voice over for commercials and ads
- Text-to-speech
- podcasts
- Voice acting
- Video game voice over
These are just a few, but don’t let this meager list stunt your creativity. At the end of the day, you’re a freelancer. Depending on the way you market yourself, you could create even more ways by which you can be paid for voice.
Equipment Needed
To give yourself the best chance of being successful with voiceover, you’ll need the proper equipment. I’m no expert so I won’t recommend any specific brands; I’ll just be listing the “must-haves”.
- Microphone & microphone stand
- Headphones
- Software
- Home Studio
For a more in-depth look at the essential equipment for voiceover, check out B&H Photo Video’s guide for voice-over equipment. Equipment for this job can get expensive quickly. I know getting paid for your voice sounds fantastic, but be sure you’re ready to commit to this opportunity before you buy the most expensive gear.
How to Get Started
Most voice actors would recommend you get some training. Whether you hire a voice coach or take acting classes is up to you. This training will not only prepare you for the profession, but the coaches can also guide you through the process. That way, when you start marketing yourself, you’ll be confident.
The easiest way to start getting paid for your voice is to join a global network/marketplace for voice actors. This way, you don’t have to worry about finding gigs. In fact, some marketplaces intuitively use algorithms that will automatically match you to a project. Advanced systems that make finding the perfect voice artist easy, attract more customers.
The more customers a marketplace has, the higher the chance your voice talent will be recognized. There are tons of voice-over and freelance marketplaces on the internet. Below you’ll find some that are worth your time.
1. Fiverr
Fiverr is a marketplace for digital freelance services. It’s home to a large variety of freelancers who possess skills that they sell as a service. Fiverr is great because it’s a widely known source for freelancers. The people using Fiverr are motivated and are looking for your services. It’s up to your self-marketing to sell a potential client on your unique skill set.
Once you get a few clients from Fiverr and receive some high remarks, it’s smooth sailing. Thanks to Fiverr’s rating system, landing clients and getting high praise for your work will earn “sellers” (freelancers) rating ranks. Naturally, buyers are going to be attracted to “top rated sellers”. Thus, as you land and impress clients, Fiverr rewards you.
Although voice-over may not be the most sought-after service on Fiverr, it remains one of the easiest ways to start making money with your voice.
2. ACX
This option might be my personal favorite. ACX is brought to voice actors by Audible.com, which is a subsidiary of Amazon (so yeah, it’s legit). Audiobooks have become extremely popular in the latent recent years.
With the number of books published, the opportunities to land a gig narrating one are all but limitless. ACX lines out its process in an orderly, easy-to-follow guide. Depending on the size of the gig, narration could net you $500+.
3. Voices
Voices is a huge marketplace dedicated entirely to voice-over. Numerous big brands use Voices to fulfill their voice-over needs. So, it’s the perfect place to start making money with your voice. Customers use Voices for narration, voice-over, text-to-speech, and more. The large number of users coupled with the diversity of jobs posted makes for a great opportunity to land some voice-over gigs.
If you’re not sold, Voices uses an algorithm to match voice actors to jobs. From there, you submit an audition. If you’re selected, you simply complete the job and get paid! It’s an intuitive process that ensures both the customers and voice actors have the best experience possible.
Summary
Although there are countless marketplaces you could choose from—outside the ones I’ve listed, Fiverr, ACX, and Voices are trusted and popular destinations for voice-over gigs. If you want to earn respectable compensation for your services, you’re going to want serious, professional clients. Using the marketplaces I’ve listed above will help you secure genuine clients.
I just want to express the importance of self-marketing in this profession. At the end of the day, you’re trying to sell yourself to a potential client. It’s definitely a time where you should sound confident or even cocky. That’ll help the buyer feel confident and comfortable in choosing you for their voice-over work.
Lastly, you have to get your name out there! Build a website, create social profiles, cold call, email, social media market, do it all. This goes without saying, but the more eyes you get on your talent, the more opportunities you’ll have. As with anything, it’ll be difficult and maybe slow at first, but as you start landing gigs and building notoriety you’ll see how profitable your hard work was.