When people imagine the life of a working voice actor, they usually picture someone stepping into a booth, reading a few lines into a microphone, and cashing a check. Yes, recording is part of it – but it’s not the whole story. A working voice actor isn’t just a performer. They’re also a business owner.
Let me walk you through what a fairly typical day can look like for me.
Morning: Emails Before Espresso
The day often starts not in the booth, but in the inbox: audition requests from agents, casting site breakdowns, follow-ups from clients, revision requests, usage questions, payment confirmations, and of course, the Such A Voice blog! A working voice actor checks audition emails quickly, because timing can matter a lot: many jobs are cast within hours.
As I am in my email, scripts get downloaded, recording specs get read carefully, and file naming instructions get double-checked. Nothing screams “amateur” faster than ignoring submission details.
Before recording anything, there’s a quick scan of the calendar: What’s due today? What’s due tomorrow? What needs prep time?
Mid-Morning: Warm Up Like a Pro
Before hitting “record,” there’s prep. Vocal warmups. Breath work. Articulation drills. A few tongue twisters to wake up clarity. This is a performer’s career, and your voice is an instrument – don’t take the stage cold.
Audition Block
Now comes what most people think is the job: recording. But auditions are not guaranteed income. They’re volume, consistency, and skill refinement.
A working VO artist might record: three commercial auditions, an eLearning sample, a couple of narration reads, and maybe even a promo or political ad script all in the span of an day. This requires understanding tone, direction, and messaging for each on individually; not to mention the editing, exporting, sending, and logging them all.
Midday: Marketing & Follow-Up
Here’s the part no one glamorizes: direct marketing.
- Checking in with a past corporate client: “Hi — just wanted to reconnect and see if you have any upcoming projects.”
- Sending outreach emails to production companies.
- Researching agencies; agents can amplify careers, but marketing builds them.
- Updating your CRM, refreshing your website, posting content, the list goes on.
Afternoon: Paid Work (If Booked)
If today includes a long-form project like an audiobook, the day shifts. Long-form work requires stamina, consistency in tone, focus, and hydration. There will be retakes, pronunciation checks, client notes, file splitting, and pickups. This is craft plus endurance. It’s not always glamorous, but it is deeply satisfying.
Real Life in Between
Many working voice actors don’t only do voice-over. They teach. They coach. They do brand ambassador gigs. They freelance. They manage families. They take side hustles that keep income stable while the VO side scales.
You might leave your studio mid-afternoon to walk your dog, or teach a class, or run errands. This career is flexible. but it requires discipline.
Evening: Skill Building
Even established pros continue training. A coaching session. A workout to maintain breath support. Accent practice. Listening to current commercials. Studying trends. Markets shift, and staying knowledgeable and competitive is part of the job.
It’s business plus performance. One big booking can change everything, but it’s small, consistent action that will build your business.
Final thoughts: If you want a voice-over career, don’t fall in love with the fantasy of “being booked.” Fall in love with the daily process: the inbox, the warmups, the auditions, the follow-ups, the business mindset.
The artists who build sustainable careers show up every day, even when no one is applauding. The good news is, anybody can start doing that today.
P.S. If you haven’t yet taken our introductory voice-over class, where we go over everything one needs to know about getting started in the voice-over industry, sign up here!
P.P.S If you want to learn more from VO experts and grow the knowledge you already have, join our VO Pro group!
