“I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success.”
Steve Martin, from his memoir “Born Standing Up“
As the writer of a fairly popular blog, this is the question I get asked the most:
“How do I break into the voice-over business?”
Questions are interesting things.
One can often tell how the person asking the question thinks the world works or should work.
Questions contain spoken or unspoken assumptions that reveal a lot about someone’s beliefs and values.
Most people just answer a question without challenging those hidden assumptions (unless they’re running for president and they’re in the middle of a debate).
QUESTION THE QUESTION
A question like “How do I break into the voice-over business?” has at least three assumptions. Before I attempt to answer it, I need to know more about what is presumed.
Assumption number one: It is a business. Now, I’d be the last person to deny that, but it’s a very superficial statement that doesn’t tell me much. What I really want to know is this:
- What do you mean by business?
- What do you think is involved?
- What makes a voice-over business different from other businesses?
- How would you run such a business on a day-to-day basis?
Asking these questions does two things. First, I get to know how the other person defines “business”. If I don’t do that, it is likely that I will respond using my definition of the word, which could be very different from theirs.
Secondly, if it turns out that the person hasn’t really given it any thought or has a very unrealistic idea, I need to address that. Why? Because many newcomers will never make it -not due to a lack of talent, but because they lack a fundamental understanding of what it takes to run a for-profit business.
Just look at the many voice-over groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. People advertising themselves as professional voice talent ask all kinds of basic questions about marketing, sales, auditioning, setting rates and so on. What’s wrong with that, you ask? I’ll tell you.
If you want to set yourself up for success, you figure those things out in advance, whether you’re’ selling bread, flowers, software or your voice. Otherwise, don’t call yourself a pro.
The last point I usually make is that there is not “one” voice-over business. It’s very diversified. Some of us specialize in audio books, others in video games or animation. Some make most of their money in e-Learning. Which segment would you like to break into?
WHO ARE YOU?
Then there’s the word *I*. That’s the next assumption.
Ninety-five percent of the people asking me “How do *I* break into the voice-over business?” I do not know personally or professionally. I’ve never met them. I’ve never listened to their demos. They might not even have demos. Perhaps all they have is a dream… and I’m supposed to tell these people how to make it in the voice-over business? What I really should be asking is this:
- Who are you, and why would you even contemplate a voice-over career?
- If I don’t know anything about you, how do I even know you’re remotely talented?
- Are you trained? Do you have any experience? Do you have a business plan?
- Do you have a website, decent equipment and can you provide studio quality audio?
- Can you handle daily rejection, financial uncertainty and constant pressure to perform?
- If I were a loan officer at a bank, why would I give you any money so you could start this so-called business of yours?
All these questions might sound harsh and needlessly confrontational, but if you can’t answer them, you live in La-La land.
The truth is, a lot of people asking “How do I break into the voice-over business?” areeither only vaguely interested, they have an inflated sense of self or they want me to hand them the golden formula to instant success.
How do I know? Because when I ask people why they want to be a voice-over, they tell me:
“It seems like a fun thing to do.”
“I’m special.”
“It’s something I think I can pick up pretty quickly.”
If you’re doing it for fun, why not keep it a hobby? Just because you enjoy taking pictures, doesn’t mean you should become a professional photographer.
If you believe you’re special, I’d like to introduce you to lots of other people who think they’re the next best thing since sliced bread. How do you know you have what the market wants? Did you pay a company to research that for you, or have you been listening to friends and family?
PATIENCE BELONGS TO THE PAST
This brings me to assumption number three. The notion of breaking into something. What exactly does that mean?
Here’s what I’ve noticed.
Years ago, breaking into something simply meant: “to start doing something”. These days, the expression has gained more urgency, as in “to start having success”. It must be something of the “I want it and I want it NOW”-generation. A typical email starts:
“Paul, I’ve been auditioning for a few months without any luck. Tell me, how do I break into this business?”
“I just finished an introduction to voice-overs with company Such-and-so. How do I start getting the jobs that were promised?”
“I spent a few thousand dollars on a home studio and some demos. Agents don’t seem interested. What the heck do I do to begin making some money?”
So, what do I tell these people?
OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
Especially in the creative field, it’s so easy to focus on the end-product and ignore the long road to get there. We see the pianist play. She seems so seamless, and part of us is tricked into believing that we too could play like that. Never mind the many years of practicing eight hours a day, the fierce competitions and all the sacrifices she made to make it to the top.
We admire the downhill skier. His rapid descent looks so gracious and effortless. We don’t even notice his flawless technique, based on years and years of being on the slopes, great coaching and a disciplined lifestyle.
We watch as the actress arrives at the Golden Globes. Her last movie was a box office sensation and we wonder what it must feel like to be her right now. It’s easy to forget how many times she failed to land a part, and how hard it was to stay afloat when no one was interested in hiring her.
We want the glory, but are we willing to pay the price?
We long for recognition, but are we ready to do the work?
We wish to break into the business -preferably yesterday- but do we know what it takes?
How about this:
Ten years of learning.
Four years of refining…
… for years of wild success.
Paul Strikwerda ©nethervoice
PS For more on this topic, you might enjoy my video “The Troublesome Truth about a Voice-Over Career“.
As a freelancer you wear many hats, but are there things you really shouldn’t do? My need to fix things I knew nothing about almost turned deadly. Here’s what happened…
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Great article Paul! Now I have the perfect ready-made article to forward to those asking me these questions, you cover all of the bases directly, professionally and honestly.
That’s great, Lynne. As they say: It takes years to become an overnight success!
Right on the nail once again Paul. Attention to detail is key if you want to succeed in any field. And perseverance. And a thick skin. Talent helps too…
ok, Paul – excellent post, as always! so now when i get those e-mails, I can just send them this link, right?
thanks,
Randye
You speak the truth, Paul. So much of this is common sense that a newcomer just doesn’t think about. I get asked about ‘breaking into’ the business as well, and while I try to be positive, I also try to dissuade the person from thinking all you need is a mic, computer, and a ‘nice’ voice!
@Kumar Unfortunately, very talented people sometimes fail because they lack business acumen. Some very creative artists frown upon the more analytical part of the job, required to be smart business person. In our line of work, it’s a must to use both the right side and the left side of our brain.
@Randye Send them this link and also the link to my video The Troublesome Truth about a Voice-Over Career!
@Matt: While we can’t stop anybody from pursuing a voice-over career, I agree that it’s wise to offer a realistic picture of what it’s really like to do this type of work. Only a few (like the fabulous cast of The Simpsons) can make a very, very good living using our voice and there’s no shortcut to success.
Congratulations Paul, this is an excellent post.Hard work is the key and sacrifice. You are a great adviser but first a great voice over talent.
@Raúl Thank you so much, Raúl. You’re very kind!
Paul- So true what you wrote about how breaking into the VO business has acquired such a heightened state urgency. The many emails I get from friends, former coworkers and strangers alike often sound like Veruca Salt “I want it NOW daddy!”. The reality is- it does take time. I had a client once tell me “You’re a 20-years in the making over night success story”.
@Moe: Sometimes it seems that we’re living in the age of entitlement. It’s the microwave society. What we do is a craft and it takes a number of years to develop that craft. As a stand-up, Steve Martin had the “luxury” of getting feedback from the audience, every time he was on stage. With that feedback, he could make adjustments and perfect his act. Voice actors don’t have that luxury. We often send our auditions into the universe and we very rarely receive a helpful response.
Paul, as usual, you are spot on in your eloquent understanding and presentation of the age-old question, and its responses. I will definitely refer folks to this when I am posed with the same question. You are a fantastic resource. All the best to you!
@Debbie: Thanks for your referrals… bring them on! Wishing you nothing but the very best, personally and professionally!
Please forgive that I did not read this piece in its entirety, but as Paul and I have had several face-to-face discussions, as well as far more email exchanges, I can say he and I are in complete agreement on this topic.
For those wanting to become a voice-over talent, I would like to stress that you will be working with words. Words specifically chosen to convey very specific thoughts by the person who wrote the scripts you’ll be reading, properly interpreting and expertly delivering (aka speaking). As such, it is *your* responsibility to know those words.
Most words will be quite common. But many will not. So one of the first words you should learn is ‘initiative.’
Whether for audition purposes or as a paid job, if/when you receive a script that contains words you aren’t familiar with, the first thing you need to do is determine if the word is jargon specific to a particular industry (such as medical, anatomical or pharmaceutical terms). If so, there are dictionaries (online or printed) you can consult to learn the proper pronunciation. If you aren’t successful that way, asking the client would be your next step.
But, if you want to come across as a professional, or someone wanting to become one, NEVER, EVER submit an audition or – for crying out loud – a paid job if you are not 100% certain that you have made every effort to learn the pronunciations of words that are new to you.
I say this because I just yesterday visited a voice-over casting site on which auditions submitted were posted publicly (something for which I don’t understand the reasoning). Roughly 20% of the auditions I played contained a glaring mispronunciation. The word would not appear in everyday conversation between laypersons, but it is not necessarily an uncommon word, either.
If you don’t take the two minutes necessary to open a dictionary and confirm what you are about to commit to, you give a prospective client absolutely no reason to hire you.
Yes: voice-over DOES involve work. And this was only a very minor example. Be prepared to swim or don’t go into the water.
Paul – you hit the head on the nail. Your questions and answers are so true. La-La Land and the fact “we want the glory but not willing to pay the price.” those are all valued truths. We didn’t wake up one morning and viola` here we are…time is of the essence. I love reading your articles, because you share a wealth of information. Thank you.
@Mike: Great addition, Mike. Unfortunately, too many aspiring actors jump into the talent pool without knowing how to swim. That’s why I’m not too worried about so called “competition” from the new kids on the block. They will sink to the bottom where their rates already are waiting for them.
@Peacock Thank you so much! Many people have accused me of “preaching to the choir” when I write stories like these. That’s no longer entirely true. More and more aspiring (voice) actors find the way to my blog and they email me questions such as the one I’m writing about in this post. Hopefully, they’ll use this info to their advantage.
Paul, I am so grateful to have found your blog a few months ago. I have learned so much from your thoughts on VO, and about this amazing business over the last 5 years. You always share such inspiring (yet truthful) information, thank you!
A lot has changed since I was that little girl on the Walt Disney Monorail. I wanted so badly to meet the woman who told us to\”step away from the doors,” and the spooky guy that welcomed us into the haunted house. How did they DO that? I wanted to be like them. Plus, I had a fascination with radio – live voices really. But, I really didn’t like to be on stage (even though I had to for plays & singing performances as a young adult because I loved the biz). & for whatever reasons the universe took me away from this passion in my 20s, it’s back now to stay.
My story is a bit different in the sense that people told me that I’d fail. & I believed them! I was trained in acting and singing from a small child, and later decided to go to college for TV & Radio. At that point several adults would actually say to me, “You can’t do that, it’s a cutthroat business. You’ll never succeed. You’ll live out of a dumpster with no money.” Ouch. I let them take my dream away. So, I went into another direction.
& now I laugh. Because I know that I AM good enough. I have 2 radio shows now with WY Public Radio looking to possibly add me on next year. I just did an iPhone app. I’ve done video games, commercials and voice mail systems. & I love doing these things! I also am the owner of a small consulting business & have tested my businesses skills in this area. & I really did this to learn about owning a business before planning my full-time move into the voice over world, which I hope to happen in the next year.
If you’re good enough, trained enough, determined enough? You will make it. & never again will anyone tell me I can’t do something! So, when someone asks me about getting into the business (which I also get from time-to-time), I can have compassion for them. It’s –LEARN the business. See if it’s right for you. –Get TRAINING. Do you have what it takes for this business? & finally –DON’T GIVE UP! If it’s something you really want? Give it your absolute all & see what happens.
The universe just might give you what you’ve always wanted . . . it did for me!
Have a happy day Paul, as well as the rest of the folks here who continue to live their VO dream everyday
Thanks Paul. Now, when I have friends ask me the same question, about breaking-into the vo business, I’ll just send them the link to this post. Great stuff, as always.
Thanks Paul!
I have been a Steve Martin fan for a long time. In fact, on my first radio shift in 1981 I played “King Tut”:)
Interesting to note that “a” Steve Martin, NOT “the” Steve Martin, is judging a big voiceover competition: Voice-overs battle it out to win contract
Paul, if only the people seeking your advice about “breaking into the voiceover business” would spend as much time and effort researching the topic as you do.
Paul, this piece is so well thought out – I’m gonna keep it handy for all the folks who ask us that same question!! It truly is the “business” aspect that trips folks up. The forgotten 80% sometimes of the VO business, the expenses of quipment, web, set-up, etc. – plus financing the ups & downs of any business cycle.
Thanks for taking the time to put it all down in one place for everyone to share!!
Another winner Paul! Doug Turkel also hit the nail on the head.
I’ll be bookmarking this and sending a lot of people to it. I get those “How do I break in” emails pretty often. I don’t know that I could ever answer them as eloquently and efficiently as you just have.
As always, thanks for the great content Paul.
Well said Paul .
@Rose Thank you so much for highlighting the flip side of the coin! As your story clearly demonstrates, one CAN make it in this business, in spite of what skeptics say. You also make clear that it can be a long, tough road to success.
I always say: “The best students get the most challenging tasks,” and just as the resistance of a spring board can propel a diver to greater hights, so can all of us grow and learn from the resistance that we might experience as we’re pursuing our dream. It makes us stronger.
Congratulations on what you have achieved!
@Dave I am grateful for every reader of my blog, and the more, the merrier!
@Ralph That’s funny: two Steves. One editor of Earshot Creative and one ex-stand-up comedian. The stand-up comedian is a really great writer and actor too. My favorite Martin movie is “All of me.”
@Doug I agree, Doug. We still need to shake off this image of voice-overs being a fast track to fame and fortune. You’ve interviewed many of today’s VO-stars, and all of them had to work hard to get to where they are now. But, as Rose C. pointed out, if you’re hungry enough, you will find a way to make it.
@Tim This is what listening to Terry Gross’s Fresh Air can lead to! She interviewed Steve Martin, and our local station WHYY (where Fresh Air is produced) rebroadcasted it because the memoir was released in paperback. The opening lines of his book -quoted at the beginning of this post- were my inspiration.
@Dan Thank you so much, Dan. Have lots of Faffcon fun with all our friends and colleagues!
@Marc Bookmark away, Marc. Here’s another good resource: http://iwanttobeavoiceactor.com Thanks to Yvonne Viner for sharing it with me.
@Dave My pleasure, Dave. As I told Tim, Steve Martin inspired me to write this piece. I’ve touched on all the points in the past, but repeating them in a repackaged form doesn’t hurt.
Great advice once again Paul .. bookmarked and ready to forward whenever I receive another ‘How do I …. enquiry. Thank you!
@Helen We all seem to get these inquiries, don’t we? Nobody ever asks: How do I break out of the voice-over business?
Thanks, Paul, for a concise and well thought-out post on the reality of voiceover. Some of the assumptions made by people exploring voiceover are truly astounding! This article and your video should be required reading and viewing for every voiceover coach and potential student. You’ve put the simple truths of our business in very clear and easy to understand terms. Love it!
Overnight success? Oh, man… could we bump that up a few hours, say, a sometime this afternoon success? I can’t wait over night.
Love the post Paul. I’ve just added it to my quiver of arrows to fire at vo-curious peeps. Bunches of thanks!
Yet another great blog Paul!
Rather than the condescending rant many others have provided about new people who are interested in the business, you provide a thoughtful investigation into the question itself. Thank you for that. Thank you also for your points about the questions people need to ask themselves before they launch. Many times the question is asked not because someone thinks this is an easy industry to succeed in but rather simple ignorance of how it works.
Each week, I get at least one call from a friend of a friend or even complete strangers who have a “great voice,” “used to be in radio,” “can do celeb imitations,” etc. Always, I take the time to ask them many of the same questions you pose here. Questions that will provide a more realistic picture of what this business is. Questions people, to whom I will be forever grateful, took the time to ask me.
Everyone in our industry has a unique story of how he/she got to be where they are now, and some got there quicker than others. For me, I researched, trained, planned, and worked my tail off for a year and a half before deciding I was ready and capable of pulling that full-time trigger.
Thanks again for sharing your insights and providing a great piece of material I can share with those weekly callers who ask me “How do I break into the voiceover business?”
@James Thank you so much for that, James. To me, your “The Art of Voice Acting” is required reading for aspiring and seasoned talent alike. Now in its 4th edition, it continues to offer a wealth of information and inspiration!
@Christopher It’s easy to understand why people underestimate what it takes to do well in our business. If done well, a voice-over narrations sounds like the simplets thing in the world. But then again, so does a Mozart piano sonata in the hands of an accomplished performer.
@Kelley We must have the same friends of friends, because they’re asking me the same questions! Some people are new and naive and have no idea what’s involved to do voice-overs professionally. Others are seduced by advertising from training companies promising a golden future to those with golden pipes. That’s where the expression “pipe dreams” comes from, I guess…
It took many of us years before we were ready to give up our day jobs and do this full-time. Every day, we’re refining our skills and we learn new things about sales, marketing, taxes, business administration, promotion, social media, audio equipment, networking, acquisition, web site maintenance and narration.
What most people are attracted to is what they hear. What most people forget is that that’s probably only 20% of the work we do all day.
Paul, I’ve just discovered your site and blog. Thank you in advance for all the wonderful things I’m sure to learn—starting today—and well into the future.
As a successful freelance copywriter/broadcast producer for 26 years, I know what it takes to work for oneself. Over the years I voiced spots for clients who didn’t have budget for a “real” voice, a 2nd voice, or maybe they just liked my voice when I presented/performed the scripts I wrote. So after giving it away for far too many years, I decided to “get real” in ’09. After all, I’d written/produced hundreds of TV/radio spots, cast them, directed the talent, this was gonna be easy! So built my demo, got signed by a local, well-respected agency, put together a decent home studio, and figured the bookings would roll in. Oh man, it was a very rude (but very helpful) awakening.
A year of no bookings told me (my agent chimed in too) I needed to learn the craft. So I took courses at Denver’s performing arts center and have been training privately with a well-known NYC VO coach ever since. Now 3 years into my VO journey, I’m starting to get bookings and most importantly, feel like I’m beginning to know what I’m doing. But I also know I have so much more to learn. And now you’ll be contributing to that process.
Altho’ I aspire to be a full-time VO one day, my creative business is thriving and I probably won’t ever give that up completely. I’m a lucky guy cuz I love both of my “jobs.”
Hi Bruce, thank you for sharing your story with my readers. You were working inside the business. You had some voice-over experience, a studio and an agent… and yet you didn’t book a single job for a year. A lot of people would have given up. I admire you for hanging in there, as you continue to learn and refine your craft. Even though it’s not easy to prepare for a full-time career on a part-time basis, keeping your other job was a wise decision. I wish you continued success!
Thank YOU, Paul.
Actually, in the end, it was more than 2 years!! before booking my first job. I now have 3 agents, audition many times a week, and the momentum is slowly building. I occasionally send my coach a “big” audition for a quick bit of feedback prior to submitting. If she tells me I “nailed” it, it’s at least a small victory, even if I don’t book the gig. It’s so subjective. (My casting decisions are based as much on vocal quality as they are on the non-directed audition I’m listening to).
The frustration-factor ebbs and flows. After all, self-doubt is part of every creative person’s personality. But, we also have to be great fans of what we do.
Thank you for the article, Paul. I’m from a different field, but it makes sense for every profession.
My pleasure, Galina! Even though many of my articles have a link to voice-overs, I do my best to make them relevant to a wider audience. Thanks for reading!