Voice over jobs for Beginners

Earn Money Quickly from the Comfort of your Own Home

Have you ever been told that your voice is soothing, calming, animated, or that people just like listening to you speak?

If yes, have you considered taking on some voice-over gigs?

Voice acting is a real career and there are thousands of companies looking for “the right voice” for their voice-over projects.

From commercials, e-learning materials, audio books, videos, and more, there are countless opportunities that you can apply for as a side hustle or, if you’re really good, a full-time job.

While this isn’t necessarily the easiest industry to get into, the market is looking more promising than ever.

According to Voices.com, the demand for English voice over actors grew by 43% while the demand for non-english voice-over actors grew by 60%.

Furthermore, the demand for female voices grew by 24% and by 16% for males.

If this sounds like something you might want to entertain, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article we are going to dive into the world of voice-over jobs and cover some key aspects of the job that you need to know before applying.

We will then share some job boards where you can apply and “get your voice out there”, so to speak.

Let’s get started by first defining what a voice-over job is.

What are Voice-Over jobs?

Voice-over is a type of narration that is not accompanied by the image of the speaker.

It is a production process where the actors voice is used for film, television, theater, and various other modes of media.

Voice-over jobs can be live, scripted, or pre-recorded, and they go beyond just TV ads, movies and programs.

With so much being done online these days, voice-over jobs are now found on all types of mediums like audio-books, animations, podcasts, training videos, e-learning materials, video-game character voices, academic tutorials, presentations, and more.

Furthermore, not all narration jobs need to be done in a studio.

In fact, there are many voice-over actors who record jobs for companies from all over the world without ever leaving the comfort of their own home.

If you have the right voice style and software, you can do your own recording at home.

This makes it a great opportunity to be able to bid on projects from all over the world and in different languages.

Being able to work in this capacity opens doors to the possibility of having a very lucrative career as a freelance voice-over artist.

What Qualifications do Voice-over Actors need?

Each voice-over job will have its own set of qualifications or specific requirements that they are looking for.

You will be asked to submit a demo reel that showcases your voice style and versatility.

Demo reels are usually short and specific to what the hiring company is looking for.

It is important to follow exact directions, speak clearly and concisely, and be able to articulate what the company is looking for.

Typical demos are anywhere from one-and-a-half minutes long and may require voice varieties.

This will give the client an idea of your ability to switch between voice styles and your ability to change emotions and tones.

At the end of the day, the client will decide if the demo is a good fit for their project or not.

To increase your likelihood of standing out and being chosen, your demo should cover as many voice styles as possible from cartoon to businessman to teacher and more.

Voice Over Training

If you are new to voice-over acting, it might be a good idea to brush up on your skills with some voice over training.

There are some great online courses that are affordable and can help you gain some valuable training.

These courses will answer many key questions about becoming a full-time voice over artist:

• What is Voice Over?
• How does working as a voice artist work?
• What background do I need to be successful?
• What skills would I need to learn?
• How do I get work?
• How much money can I make?
• Do I need my own recording space and equipment?
• What’s a typical day like?
• How can I learn everything I need to know?
• How to start a career in voice-over work?

How much do Voice-over Actors make?

There isn’t really an average salary that voice-over actors make.

Depending on who you ask and their level of experience and expertise, voice-over actors can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars per gig to millions of dollars per gig.

For example, Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park and voice behind characters like Stan Marsh and Eric Cartman has earned a whopping $350 million for voice-over gigs he’s done!

That makes him the highest paid voice-over artist at the moment.

Other well-known actors have salaries that can range from $30,000 – $400,000 per episode which means they can earn up to $9.6 million per season.

Obviously these are well-known and very seasoned actors and actresses who have networked with the right people, but the average voice-over actor doesn’t usually make this much – that doesn’t mean you can’t get there with a lot of hard work and determination.

Just don’t expect to make millions on your first gig!

To keep your ambitions realistic, let’s look at some more realistic numbers.

According to PayScale, the average voice-over talent job pays about $30 – $149 per hour.

The report also shows that the more experience you have, the more you can make per hour or per job.

So when you are starting out, don’t expect to make as much at first, but as your resume and experience grows, so will your hourly rate.

Voice Over Platforms

Now let’s dive into the best platforms to be on where you can find and apply for all kinds of voice-over opportunities.

Voices

If you are a beginner or only have a few gigs under your belt, Voices is a great place to find voice-over jobs.

Voices is the biggest community of voice-over artists and it attracts thousands of companies looking for voice talent.

Mega-brands like the History and Discover channels and Microsoft have had listings with Voices as well as others like Cisco and many more.

If you need to get some exposure, Voices is a great place to start because there are so many jobs you can apply for.

Of course, you need to be talented to get noticed, but the opportunities are there – all you have to do is apply.

To get started, all you have to do is create a free account and upload your voice-over sample.

The free account is definitely more limited, so if you are serious about your career in voice-over acting, we recommend getting a premium account for $499 per year.

The premium account will give you priority ranking on the search results of the site as well as notifications of new postings.

Overall, you will get better exposure and know when new jobs are posted so that you can apply.

Voice123

Voices123 is another platform for beginner voice-over opportunities and is a direct contender of Voices.com.

Companies like Coca-Cola, Airbnb, The New York Times, 21st Century Fox, and NBC have hired talent on Voice123, to name a few.

Just like Voices.com, you can expect to make a similar hourly rate of $30+ per hour on this platform.

More than 250,000 voice-over projects have been completed on Voices123 since they started back in 2013, making them another great option for voice-over actors like yourself.

The basic account is free and you simply need to complete their information form and submit a piece of your best work.

Again, upgrading to a premium or platinum membership is going to give you more exposure.

BunnyStudio

BunnyStudio (aka Voice Bunny) is a fairly new marketplace that is quickly making a space for itself with it’s top contenders: Voice and Voice123.

In fact, they’ve grown into a community of over 28,000 voice-over artists and over 50 languages!

Did we mention that they have a ton of clients looking for auditions from your home studio?

All you need is a simple setup at home and BunnyStudio is known for their quick delivery times.

On average, they deliver your recorded project to the clients in under three minutes.

Clients who are using BunnyStudio to search for talent are looking for quick and efficient turnaround times.

BunnyStudio also has a lot of cool filtering features.

For example, it is one of the only websites that uses artificial intelligence to send you projects based on criteria you set.

This allows you to control your earnings by setting a minimum hourly rate or only receiving certain types of jobs to your inbox.

Filmless

Filmless is a little different than the three companies we’ve already talked about because it is actually a platform that delivers professional videos to its clients.

These clients include Google, Amazon, Toyota, AT&T and more mega brands, making this the opportunity of a lifetime if you can land it.

Filmless always has a large opening for talented voice-over artists who can work quickly and turn projects around in 4 hours or less.

The one caveat is that you need to have at least 5 years of experience to work with most of their clients.

If you have some experience under your belt, this is a great place to apply.

Voice Crafters

If you have over 5 years experience and English is not the only language you speak, Voice Crafters is a great platform to be on.

They are more selective with their talent and they look for more diverse talent, but the jobs pay well and the opportunities are amazing.

Joining Voice Crafters is free, but you have to have a studio quality setup if you are going to work from home and, as mentioned before, at least 5 years of experience.

Even better (if you meet all of the stipulations listed above), their minimum starting hourly rate is $85 per hour and goes up from there.

They are specifically looking for talented people who can speak languages other than English.

Cartoon Voice-over Platforms

There is a huge demand for cartoon voice over talent and if you can do a range of voices and emotions, these are some platforms you should be on.

Snap Recordings

On average, voice-over actors on Snap Recordings earn anywhere from $50 – 100 per hour.

Their gigs are more focused on recording for businesses or corporate telephone systems, but there is a demand for cartoonish and humoristic tones.

Companies related to gaming and animation also frequent Snap Recordings looking for talent to fill certain roles for jobs.

Snap Recordings is looking for those that are multi-lingual in English, Spanish or French.

To get started, all you have to do is create a profile and upload your best demo.

If a company selects you for a job audition, they will contact you and send you a project proposal directly to your inbox.

Envato Studios

Envato Studios is another great platform for beginners with a minimum starting rate of $40 per hour!

What makes this platform different than others is that you have to be selected by Envato Studio before you can apply for any jobs.

You will need to fill out an online “interest form” and wait to see if Envato approves you for their platform or not.

Once they review your demo and find you a good fit, they will assign an account to you where you can receive regular voice-over jobs.

The nice thing about Envato is that if you are approved to use your platform, you are basically guaranteed to get hired for jobs and they tend to pay better than other platforms because you have been “pre-selected.”

Bodalgo

Bodalgo originally began in Germany but has gained a pretty good following here in the Unites States with a community of around 8,000 US based voice-over artists.

Although this platform is smaller than the others, you can still earn at least $50 per hour on this platform and they do not charge any commission fees on projects.

Opening an account is free and easy and you’ll have access to thousands of great opportunities!

If you find an opportunity you are interested in, you can apply and submit your demo.

If the client decides that you area good fit and they want to hire you, they contact you directly and like we said before, no commission is due to Bodalgo.

If you are a beginner at home, this is a great platform to be on.

Fiverr

Fiverr is not just for voice-over jobs, it is for all sorts of freelance work and is one of the biggest platforms in the world for freelance artists.

They have established themselves as a premier marketplace for freelance work and voice-over artists have lots of options here.

With one of the biggest databases of reputed clients, there are thousands of voice-over projects available on any given day.

Fiverr has a job for everyone from beginner to the most experienced and with both small and large companies alike.

Because of their large community, the competition is fierce so you will want to make sure you complete a thorough profile and have the best demo’s you can have to shine and stand out from the crowd.

To open a free account, you simply complete their information online, create a profile, and post all of the voice-over services you offer.

Be sure to update your profile regularly to showcase all of your talent and skills.

Voice-over jobs for Disney

Disney is a household name and we all know that they are one of the largest entertainment companies in the world.

Voice-over artists can make a really great living living working for companies like Disney and many voice-over artists strive to work with them.

Disney is not an easy company to get into but there are a few platforms that can help you get closer and give you a better chance.

Backstage

Backstage is the go-to platform for companies in the entertainment industry such as Disney, Netflix, Nickelodeon and more.

This platform is not free and costs $9.99/month which is kind of expensive compared to others.

However, if you are looking to get into the entertainment industry, this is a platform you need to be on.

Once you open an account, you will be asked to provide your credentials and voice samples.

At this point you will be able to apply for available job postings and if chosen, the client will contact you to schedule an audition.

When selected, you will begin interacting with the client directly and Backstage does not charge any commission.

The Voice Realm

The Voice Realm is a smaller platform with about 5,000 active community members.

The service is free and has a simple registration process.

However, at this time, there is a wait list to get accepted – so it could take longer for your application to get approved.

If you are bilingual, this site offers a number of job postings for translators as well.

Although they do accept beginners, you are likely to do better on this platform if you have some experience under your belt.

They have worked with large production houses in the entertainment industry including Disney.

Amazon ACX

Amazon started this platform as a way to find talented voice-over actors for audio books.

Beginners can earn up to $200 per hour on this platform and it is a great way to get experience on your resume.

This platform is looking for voice over talent to convert books into audio books for Amazon.

Oh, did we mention that Disney also uses this platform to find talent to convert their books into audio books?

Another great way to work with the Disney production house, if that is a goal you have.

In order to be approved for this platform, you need to upload a really good voice demo.

Once approved, you will gain access to thousands of awesome opportunities!

Mandy Voices

Mandy Voices has over 2.5 million active members with projects starting at $25 per hour and going up from there.

This platform is a great resource for legitimate voice-over gigs for anything from television to film and theater.

Average hourly rate is anywhere from $25 – $50 but can be higher with more experience.

Mandy has collaborated with many large production houses including Disney, but in order to succeed on this platform, you really need to have the talent and also the know how.

Make sure your demos are excellent and that you are quick to respond to potential offers.

Membership is free at the moment and they even give you the option to start a free website of your own to get more exposure.

Voice-over acting jobs Near Me

If you’ve already tried the online options listed above or are more of an “in-person” audition type, then here are a few options to help you find auditions in your area.

Indeed.com

Indeed.com is one of the largest online marketplaces for finding and applying for all kind of jobs, including voice acting.

You can keep your resume online for employers to find you and you can apply for jobs all over the world.

To find casting calls and audition opportunities in your area, simply narrow your search results to include only what area you are looking for.

Indeed.com allows you to literally find auditions and casting calls anywhere, giving you more options for success.

Behind the Voice Actors

BTVA is a well known company where you can find all sorts of voice-over opportunities.

Here you will find a large number of listings looking for voice-over actors to play characters in movies, anime, video games, and other entertainment productions.

Behind the Voice Actors has a unique features that lists who has already applied for each job so that you can see what competition you are up against.

Funimation

Although Fumination is an American-based company, they actually specialize in East Asia productions such as Japanese anime.

Funimation is owned by Sony and they are always looking for beginner and experienced voice-over actors in this more specific niche.

Futhermore, they are known for hiring locally from time to time, so it is worth a look.

Voice-over Gigs for Audiobooks

Audiobooks are often a great place to start if you have less experience but are trying to build a more comprehensive resume.

This next section is going to cover a few platforms that lean more towards Audiobook jobs.

Often times, Audio-book jobs can be done from the comfort of your own home and they tend to pay really well.

As long as you have good quality software and gear, you should be able to get the job done, no problem.

FlexJobs

FlexJobs was created back in 2007 by a mom named Sara Sutton who was looking for remote job opportunities.

Today, this platform lists thousands of jobs including thousands of freelance opportunities ranging from voice-over talent to anime writing gigs.

You can search through their listings and have them email you when new jobs are posted within certain categories.

Freelancer

Freelancer is no different than your average job listing site, except that it focuses heavily on remote work-from-home opportunities, making it a popular place for positions related to audio books.

In order to apply for jobs listed here, you need to sign up and create a profile.

Once your account is approved, you can start applying for the different voice-over jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the Best Places to Get a Voice-Over Job without Experience?

The best way to get jobs as a beginner is by bidding on freelancer marketplaces like FlexJobs and Fiverr.

Most of the time, all that is requested is a demo that shows your ability to switch between different voice styles.

Focus on putting together a solid demo that really showcases your talents and abilities.

How much do beginner voice-over actors make?

On average, beginning voice-over actors make $14 – $25 per hour but can vary from job to job – some pay more, some pay less.

Again, the better your demo, the more you can say you are worth.

How can I be a better voice-over actor?

Voice-over training is the best way to become a better voice-over actor.

These training courses help you learn the different techniques and will help you put together a demo based on what clients will be looking for.

Furthermore, these trainings look great on your resume!

If you are really serious about a career in voice-acting, you might want to consider more professional training like a 4 year drama school program.