Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions that are not answered below, please feel free to chat with someone at Such A Voice. Please email your questions to service@suchavoice.com.

Q: People tell me I have a good voice … Is that all it takes to make it in the voiceover industry?

A: Having a good natural speaking voice is a great place to start. However, if that were all it took to make it in voiceovers, then more people would be voice over artists — and certainly professional voice over artists wouldn’t be able to make $100,000 a year off their skilled voice technique! A great voice plus quality voiceover technique training and a professionally recorded and mastered demo will put you on the right track to succeed in the industry. And remember: all kinds of voices are needed for voiceovers!

Q: What if my voice isn’t that remarkable but has some interesting qualities. Can I still do voiceovers?

A: The main thing about your voice is that it needs to be a marketable commodity. Companies may choose any number of interesting voices to convey their messages, whether it’s a technically perfect voice or not. (Just ask Gilbert Gottfried!)

So-called “average” voices do voice-over work for many reasons: people can relate to them, they sound trustworthy, or they are distinctive in one way or another. Clients like using average sounding voices because they know consumers don’t like “being sold to,” which is why the classic “announcer sound” is being used less and less these days.

Many more people with average voices get work because they know how to market themselves well. That being said, it is vitally important to have an appropriate and professional demo that will highlight your range of professional talents and techniques. 

Q: What is the most important skill that a voice-over artist should have?

A: Like we mentioned above, people today love “real” sounding voices. The most important skill you can have is to read a script and sound totally natural and real. Creating and developing new character voices takes more time and special training. Turning what you’ve got inside you into a successful niche that attracts clients is something that a skilled demo producer/coach can help you to achieve.

Q: How much time does it take to become a professional voiceover artist?

A: Good question! This largely depends on you. Professional voiceover artists who have been in the industry for years will tell you that they never stop learning and practicing. When you are getting started, it’s important to get the technique training and groundwork so that you can continue to improve on your own. A comprehensive program that provides plenty of guidance, a professionally recorded and mastered demo, and follow-up marketing and technique support will ensure that you start landing the gigs … as long as YOU put in the effort!  It can take you as little as 2-3 months or as much as a couple of years, depending on how disciplined you are with your practicing and developing your marketing plan.

If you are self-motivated and you are passionate about entering the field the right way, then you will succeed.

Q: How do I know what my voice-over niche is?

A:  Click Here for instructions on calling our free voice evaluation line to talk to one of our professional voiceover artists. In addition to evaluating each person’s natural potential to succeed in the voiceover industry, we pride ourselves on our versatile and creative voiceover talents here at Such A Voice who are able to listen to a student’s “audition,” talk to them about their professional goals, and suggest an appropriate training path to get them there. If you attend the Masters Program, you will learn how to identify your niche and create your unique brand within that niche.

Q: Should I make a voice-over demo myself?

A: ABSOLUTELY NOT! Many of your potential clients are in the business of production themselves and know an amateur demo when they hear one. A professionally produced demo can make or break your career! If you needed a triple bypass, would you do it yourself? Would you fill your own cavity? Putting a great demo together is an art that takes a lot of training, a highly-tuned objective ear and a keen sense of aesthetics.

Q: How has the economic recession affected the voiceover industry? Will I be able to find work after I get all this training?

A: Oddly enough, the economic climate has not negatively affected the voiceover industry! While this is a competitive field for sure, clients are constantly looking for well-trained voiceover talent to work with. The voiceover industry has been steadily expanding to: e-learning programs, virtual tours, video games, audio books, computer games, iPhone apps, commercials, radio announcements, telephone recordings, public service announcements, corporate narrations … you see what we’re getting at here? The work opportunities are endless!

Q: After this training, will I need an agent?

A: No. Especially when you are starting out, you won’t need an agent. Many professional voice-over artists will tell you that they are able to get just as much work on their own — and it’s cheaper, too!

Q: I don’t live in a big city … How can I market myself?

A: NO market is too small of a market! If you are new to voice-overs, the rule of thumb is this: The smaller the market, the easier it is to get the work. We encourage you to start out with your immediate social network, then expand to your neighborhood, friends of friends, suburb … and see where your connections lead you!

Basically, it’s the agents in the big cities who ask what work you’ve done before. By soliciting your demo in smaller markets, you become the big time voice-over talent! Ad agency clients are impressed when their commercial is produced using bigger city voice talent. Plus, if you have a great demo, then you have everything you need to impress the clients and show them you are a reliable person to work with. 

Q: When is a good time to join a union?

A: Once you have become successful as a non-union voice-over artist and union agency creative directors start knocking on your door, then you might want to think about joining AFTRA. However, if you’re making a six-figure salary doing non-union work (and it is very possible to make that happen) you would have to give up all those clients when you join the union. So, it is important to be quite certain that the union work will be there for you when that time arrives. Of course, you can always join the union as a Financial Core member if you want to retain your non-union work and still be able to take union jobs.

Log in with your credentials

Forgot your details?