You’ve done all the right things to get started in Voice Over.
Attended courses/ workshops and/or had some professional coaching/ mentoring and along the way putting in LOTS of practise, recording anything you could get your hands on. You feel like you’re ready to really put yourself out there and start pitching for some paid work so you jump onto some casting websites and start auditioning.

For any independent, self-recording voice over artist this is the hard part. You feel like you’re nailing the brief for each audition but you’re just not landing jobs. Here are some thoughts on why that may be.

Firstly, remember that Voice Over is competitive. There are a LOT more people doing it now, and while there is also a much greater variety of work you could be part of a very large pool of talent pitching for the same job.

Are you really ready? Don’t directly compare yourself with other Voice Over Artists but DO listen to them. Are you confident with your reads? How many times do you need to read a script to get a great take? Are you just reading the words and hoping they like the sound of your voice or are you truly delivering the meaning and feeling of the script. A voice that’s easy on the ear is a start but a voice that can really sell a product or make the listener feel something and take them on a journey is better.

Does your recording sound like it was done in a cupboard?
Yes. That’s a serious question.
As someone who regularly casts Voice Over Artists who record in their own studios I need to let you know this – If I can hear the walls in your recording it’s a deal breaker.
What I mean by this is that if you’re recording space isn’t acoustically treated, the sound of your voice will bounce off the walls (and other hard surfaces) and be captured by the microphone. An extreme example of this is when you sing to yourself in the bathroom and your voice comes booming back at you thanks to all those lovely tiled surfaces. Great for singing to yourself, not so much for recording.
When faced with the choice of voice talent who have the right vocal age/tone for a script and skills to deliver it. If the requirement is they are recording in their own studio, the best recording sound will win.

It’s not as hard to get right as you think.
Firstly, unless your home studio solution is one of the commercially available standalone booths, you’ll never achieve anything close to sound proof. I hear a lot of people talk about sound proofing but what they are really talking about is sound deadening, acoustically treating the space to absorb sound that would normally be reflected off walls and other hard surfaces.

Jump onto eBay and search “Studio Acoustic Foam”. A few packs of these on walls and the ceiling will make a big difference to your recording space and they’re not that expensive. Add to that plenty of soft furnishings, even stuffed toys and your rooms is going to sound much less ‘roomy’. You can achieve the same in a walk-in robe that has plenty of clothes hanging up in it also.
The key here is to experiment both with what you can do to change the sound of the room, but also in where you have your microphone placed in the room and even what type of microphone you’re using. For example a mini-shotgun microphone such as a Sennheiser 416 is much more forgiving than a larger diaphragm Rode NT1 in a less than perfect room as the 416 has a much tighter pickup pattern.

If noise is your problem then mitigation is your solution, not post-production. This may mean you need to record at times when there is less external noise (such as traffic) or turning the heating/cooling off while recording to eliminate ambient sounds. While there are some excellent noise removal tools available you need to understand that when they remove the noise they can also degrade the quality of your voice recording. If the person receiving your recording is an experienced sound engineer they will want a completely raw, unprocessed recording – so no noise reduction applied either.

Now that I’ve laid all that out for you it’s also important to know that it also works the other way. You can have a $5000 Microphone and a StudioBricks Voice Booth but if you don’t have the Voice Over Skills to go with the professional hardware you’re not getting your investment back any time soon.

Not everyone who attends one of our workshops or does 1 on 1 coaching chooses to pursue Voice Over, but it’s always great to hear back from those who are not only putting in continued effort, but getting some return from it.

Darcy was one of the participants in the June Introduction to Voice Over workshop. He really enjoyed the experience and let us know right away…

I’d also like to again extend my deepest gratitude for last Saturday as I really feel enthused to go forward with voiceover. 

Darcy via email 26/6/22

At the end of each workshop we encourage everyone to keep practising and if they feel confident start looking for opportunities to build up experience. Clearly Darcy’s enthusiasm paid off as we received this update from him in September.

I’m at the moment sitting in a quiet spot of my first ad read recording session, and it feels like it’s going well! I just wanted to take a second to thank you two for everything you taught me in the intro course, it’s proven truly invaluable both through my auditions and the live recording today. Seriously, thanks so much. I thought you’d want to know how much it’s done.  When the ad is released I’ll be sure to share with you!

Darcy via email 16/9/22

We wish Darcy continued success as he pursues voice over and encourage everyone else who is just getting started to keep on practising!

The next couple of months are looking busy here at Voices of Tomorrow HQ with workshops to suit just about every interest and experience level in voice over.

Firstly we have our most popular workshop, the Introduction to Voice Over Workshop, happening on October 16 and November 27. No experiences is needed to take part in this workshop – it’s made specifically for beginners or those with limited experience.

Then, for those exploring the world of video games on Tuesday October 4 (from 6pm) we have Aimee Smith running a workshop on “Booking multiple roles in Video Games“.  She’ll discuss the role multi-casting has had in her career, the perks of being able to book many roles, the rates for video game work and some of the strategies that can be utilised for vocal and performance differentiation.  
There will also be a practical part to the workshop that involves some character recording.
Cost: $220 inc GST.  Only 1 place available.

Then on Saturday October 22 we’re running the Voice Over: Next Level Workshop.

This workshop is aimed at those of you who have already done some coaching or have some experience but want to improve your performance by tackling more challenging scripts and recording scenarios.
As part of this workshop, along with your raw recordings you’ll get 2 fully produced recordings.

Cost: $550 inc GST.

Bookings for both of these workshops can be done here – https://www.voicesoftomorrow.com.au/course-dates/

Andy Wells – Director / Voice Over Coach / Sound Engineer

As we move into the final quarter of 2022, there’s still a handful of opportunities to get started in Voice Over with new workshop dates planed out for September, October and November!

Our most in-demand workshop, the “Introduction to Voice Over” is running on September 10, October 16 and November 27.
This workshop is perfect for anyone (age 15+) with no, or very little experience with Voice Over. You’ll learn what’s it’s all about in a professional studio setting, coached by 2 very experienced, working Voice Over artists. We explore commercial and corporate voice over styles and even a little character work to keep things fun and interesting, and it’s all recorded!

If you’ve already done a workshop/coaching with us or someone else or have some experience with voice over but want to push yourself further, we have the “Voice Over: Next Level” workshop happening on October 22. In this workshop we’ll help you improve your performance by tackling more challenging scripts and recording scenarios.

Specifically interested in Character Work for Video Games and Animation? We have a workshop for that too!
On October 4 (6-9:30pm) we’re hosting the “Booking Multiple Roles in Video Games” workshop with Aimee Smith. Aimee gives advice on this subject while also including a practical element to the workshop.

Remember that with all workshops, limited places are available so booking your place sooner can help you avoid the disappointment of missing out.

Bookings are now open for all the mentioned workshops here – https://www.voicesoftomorrow.com.au/course-dates/

If you have any questions about the workshops or would like to discuss some 1 on 1 coaching, feel free to get in touch via the contact page.

With Covid-19, Flu and plenty of winter colds making the rounds, we realise that while our August 28 Introduction to Voice Over Workshop is currently fully booked, there’s every chance that someone may need to pull out due to being unwell.

That being a real possibility, we’ve opened up a standby list for anyone who may be keen to come along should a place open up at the last minute.

See below to get on the list.

Come and discover Voice Over with our Introduction to Voice Over workshop on August 28 or September 10, and learn more about performing multiple Video Game Character roles with a special workshop run by Aimee Smith on October 4.

If you don’t want to read on and are ready to book your place in one of these workshops you can do that HERE, otherwise here’s a little more information.

Our Introduction to Voice Over Workshop has been running since May 2018 and was developed as a practical way for people to explore the world of Voice Over for the very first time. Most of our participants in this workshop have never set foot in a recording studio or even made a recording of their voice. We also find that people who are already involved in Music or Stage and Screen acting also seek out Voice Over coaching to help widen their existing skills.
The next two dates we’ve set for our Introduction to Voice Over Workshop is Sunday August 28 and Saturday September 10. The workshop runs from 10am to 4:30pm and the minimum age for participants is 15.

If your interest is in acting for Video Game Characters, we also have a very special workshop planned for Tuesday October 4 with Aimee Smith.

In Booking Multiple Roles in Video Games, Aimee will discuss the role multi-casting has had in her career, the perks of being able to book many roles, the rates for video game work and some of the strategies that can be utilised for vocal and performance differentiation.

In the practical part of the workshop, participants will be selecting a range of roles from some practice audition scripts to record in the booth. Participants will be given access to these recordings after the session ( for personal reference only, not to be published ).

There will also be Q&A at the end of the session.

This Workshop is for a maximum of 8 participants and is only open to those aged 18+.

Welcome to Winter in Melbourne. What better time to stay indoors. What better time to finally do that thing you’ve been wanting to try…wanting to know more about!

With places available for the Introduction to Voice Over Workshop on Saturday June 18, NOW is a great time to discover voice over in a fun, safe & professional setting.
We take just 5 participants in each group workshop to ensure everyone gets the most out of the session and walks away having enjoyed themselves and learned a lot!

There’s more than 40 reviews just like this so if you’re still not sure if this workshop is for you then I would encourage you to read more! However if you still have questions about the the workshop or other coaching options then please feel free to get in touch any time by phone, email or live chat.

It’s never been easier to get started in Voice Over, but what does it really take to be successful?
Buying recording equipment and getting some coaching is a start to becoming a freelance voice over artist….but those things alone don’t guarantee success.

So what else do you need?

We’ll we’ve come up with 5 important factors that will determine if you’re suited to starting your journey into the voice over industry, based on our experience being surrounded with the top voice artists in Australia.

1. Motivation
   
   To become a freelancer in any field, you need to be strictly focused on your goals, and never let a day go to waste.
   Freelance voice over relies on you, and you only. You’re responsible for building your skills, marketing yourself, client relations and everything else that comes with running a business. That takes a heck of a lot of daily motivation to keep up.
   If you’re the kind of person that already has a detailed calendar, and daily to-do lists (that you actually follow), then you’re off to a great start.
   
2. Creativity
   
   Many of the students we coach in voice over come from a creative background, be it film, theatre/stage performing, music, or podcasting. While it’s not essential to have this background, it certainly gives you a good starting point .
   No matter what kind of background you come from, when you’re live on the microphone recording voice overs, it’s a performance. Having the ability to set everything else in your life aside before a recording session is a crucial skill, that will not only allow you to read a script fluently, but also assist your creativity and help you land your auditions.
   Be prepared to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things with your voice.
   
3. Confidence
   
   As mentioned earlier, when you’re a freelancer, you’re the one sailing the ship. That means your self-confidence needs to be running at an all-time high. You can’t be afraid to make cold-calls, represent yourself, talk yourself up and mentally move on quickly from one performance to the next.
   
4. A Growth mindset.
   
   Carol Dweck, author of ‘Mindset: The New Psychology of Success’ sums it up nicely in this quote:
   “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work – brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”
   
   If a challenge arises, someone with a fixed mindset might accept that they don’t have the ability to overcome the challenge. Someone with a growth mindset, however, will see this as a potential opportunity to improve their skills, so they can overcome the challenge.
   
   There will be plenty of challenges when you take the plunge into voice over work. One of these challenges is being able to handle rejection and take criticism. Every voice over artist will at some stage audition for their roles, and a lot of the time, the role will be given to someone else. Your ability to not take this to heart, and see each rejected audition as the next step to becoming the best voice artist you can be, will become your superpower.

5. Passion
   
   You need to love what you do.
   Becoming a successful voice over artist, won’t happen overnight.  As most of us have discovered, it can take years to start making a regular income and even then, working as an independent voice over artist you’ll need to submit auditions…that you don’t get paid for, so you’ll want to embrace and enjoy that process too.
   
   In the face of rejection or even when you’re getting work, you should always be thirsting for more, exploring and trying new things with voiceover…because you love it.

So does this sound like you?  Ready to take the first step?
We’re here to help. Get in touch with us today to organise your voice over coaching session!

Witten by Angus Brennan, Voice Over Coach. Edited by Andy Wells, Voices of Tomorrow.

How did you spend your Sunday?
For us the rainy Melbourne Sunday was well spent running our latest Introduction to Voice Over Workshop with 5 new participants.

One thing we love about running this workshop is the variety of people we meet. The start the day gives as an opportunity to hear about everyone’s background, finding out about their life experiences and what has inspired their interest in voice over. This mix of age, gender & personalities, along with professional and life experiences is what makes every workshop we run unique.

It’s no surprise to find that most people who come to the workshop have never stepped into a professional recording studio or recorded their own voice before, which was certainly the case for some of the participants on this particular Sunday.
A couple of the guys admitted that they like to mimic voices they hear in radio commercials so thought it would be worth giving it a go for themselves. One of our female participants, Misha, runs an events company and revealed that she’d been asked to do voice recordings before so was looking for some more formal experience in this area, while another travelled from Gippsland had experience as a singer and found that some of those skills translated well for her in voice over.

Throughout the day we explored recorded a few different types of scripts with everyone for Radio commercials ,Audiobooks and even Video Games. Right now everyone is listening back to their recordings from the workshop where they will be able to hear just how much they were able learn and put into action in just one day. Actually, we’ve already had some great feedback!

Great workshop yesterday, I learnt a lot and most importantly had a ton of fun doing it!

Doug

I had a great experience yesterday, it felt very similar to singing, and feel like I’ve left with enough information to continue on a bit myself.

Emily

The next Introduction to Voice Over Workshop isn’t too far away. If you’d like to have a chat about coming along before you sign up, fee free to call or email otherwise we hope to see you there!

You can now sign up for one our our group workshops and spread the cost over 4 payments, with a new option offered by PayPal.

There are no sign up fees or additional costs involved for you spreading the cost out over 4 payments, so we hope it helps you come and see us sooner!

This option is currently available for upcoming workshops. Check the Bookings page for dates.

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