Lets start with the basics. You can't record with your phone or Ipad.
I mean, you can, if you charge 4 dollars. And your client is not fussy. But that's not being a VO artist. That's being an opportunist. Doing anything for anyone. And creating a very bad name for yourself amongst your peers and never being able to step up, for the good jobs. If you are serious about getting in this business you need to know it is a very competitive field and some work non stop but most, work occasionally.
If you want to get into this business, you have multiple ways to start.
This is the utmost rudimentary, cheapest starters kit you can have if you want to jump into the field.
First thing first, the technical stuff.
You need a decent microphone. A little inquiry online will help you decide what you need, but a safe bet -from what I hear- is to not use the blue yeti or snowballs kind of microphones because although they are great for skype and twitch and your youtube videos, they are not as good as needed for a pro voice over. You need a pro microphone. No need to get a very expensive one, but you can not buy a cheap one either.
You will need a recording program. Audacity is good for beginners but it is unreliable sometimes so a good choice would be to choose Reaper.
It can be free, for small business and for big business allowing you to choose how much money you will spend. Try to avoid noise gates, normalizing and noise removals, as they distort your final result. This is why it is important to get a good mic and a decent audio card setting like the Steinberg. The M Audio is very popular but there have been problems with some Pc's.
(Thomann is a good site to buy what you need).
You will also need, a stand, a pop filter, some sort of padding around your area. When I first started I was in a very quiet area and all I needed was two ikea libraries with books right and left to drown the room noise. Later on I used a futon on top and on the sides, instead of buying foam bricks. Whatever works, without spending too much. A heavy blanket...a carpet. Improvise and experiment.
So now that you are all set up, you need to find your first gigs.
I would suggest you start with low expectations and low quality sites that offer little jobs. This way you can practice while learning and get a little bit of a pocket money. You will have to learn how to edit, clean, file and enhance your audios. You will experiment with your settings, your mic position and before you know it, you will have enough money to upgrade your microphone and system. Make youtube videos, about your favorite game or topic, practice practice practice. Youtube is your friend in learning and getting exposed.
Working as a booking agent at myvoices and speak and not ThePros.dk, I have to listen to many samples a day, and most are pretty good. Good elocution, good rhythm, good pronunciation and acting, good sound... but, if I can hear the sss or the space or room around the microphone I have to turn down the file. And it's a shame because many of the candidates have everything needed to be heard, except the right set up.
I often reach and tell them the problem and sometimes they reply that they never had a problem before. And I know they didn't, the internet is filled with voice over artists but also voice over crap. Clients with high standards and clients who don't care or don't know better. My job is to allow in the site only those who reach a certain standard. For our reputation as a company, of course, but also for my artists' sake. They need to know. They need to be humble as well.
When working with an international company, it doesn't matter if they are the best in their country. By being in the data base, they are exposed to a different market, they start over and they need to adjust to the kind of sound that particular market is used to.
Every country and culture has a different preference. American sound is very different than Arabic. And I am not talking about the language, but the setting. The sound itself.
Most times there is no problem, the files come back re arranged, re edited and the profile is activated. Of course the internet is filled with sites, agencies and vo artists. But my job is to weed out the ones I want, nurture the ones that have potential, negotiate their fees.
This is what I get paid for, to be the middle man, to fence for the pay of the voice artist, to present a finished, impeccable product. The client expects of me to search, negotiate and connect them with someone who will give them what they need. The Vo artists expects me to find him work. And that is possible only if he has a good product to give.
So yes, I weed out. But I don't turn down. I educate, I give my opinion, I redirect, I encourage. This is also part of my job. I am not the worlds leading expert, by all means. But I have a good ear, I have worked in the voice field over 20 years and I have managed to raise my child solely on my vocal abilities. whether I was singing, teaching how to sing or pronounce correctly or doing voice overs. I must be doing something right :)In fact in the near future, I will hold seminars and lessons and free recordings of demos for those who want to get into the business, in Copenhagen.
So, to get back to the basics. If you want to start this career you need to earn it to pay your duesas we all have. To have your ears and eyes open and to learn from those willing to include you. Not always the case I have to add.
You need to include a pro studio to go and record in your price, but only if you are good enough to get that price, or invest a minimum on a set up.
You need to read out loud, act and play, bring your emotions to your voice.
And most of all, you need to have self awareness. Who you are, who you are addressing to, and what your target groups is.
And find someone who cares enough to help you out when you are in doubt ;)
I mean, you can, if you charge 4 dollars. And your client is not fussy. But that's not being a VO artist. That's being an opportunist. Doing anything for anyone. And creating a very bad name for yourself amongst your peers and never being able to step up, for the good jobs. If you are serious about getting in this business you need to know it is a very competitive field and some work non stop but most, work occasionally.
If you want to get into this business, you have multiple ways to start.
This is the utmost rudimentary, cheapest starters kit you can have if you want to jump into the field.
First thing first, the technical stuff.
You need a decent microphone. A little inquiry online will help you decide what you need, but a safe bet -from what I hear- is to not use the blue yeti or snowballs kind of microphones because although they are great for skype and twitch and your youtube videos, they are not as good as needed for a pro voice over. You need a pro microphone. No need to get a very expensive one, but you can not buy a cheap one either.
You will need a recording program. Audacity is good for beginners but it is unreliable sometimes so a good choice would be to choose Reaper.
It can be free, for small business and for big business allowing you to choose how much money you will spend. Try to avoid noise gates, normalizing and noise removals, as they distort your final result. This is why it is important to get a good mic and a decent audio card setting like the Steinberg. The M Audio is very popular but there have been problems with some Pc's.
(Thomann is a good site to buy what you need).
You will also need, a stand, a pop filter, some sort of padding around your area. When I first started I was in a very quiet area and all I needed was two ikea libraries with books right and left to drown the room noise. Later on I used a futon on top and on the sides, instead of buying foam bricks. Whatever works, without spending too much. A heavy blanket...a carpet. Improvise and experiment.
So now that you are all set up, you need to find your first gigs.
I would suggest you start with low expectations and low quality sites that offer little jobs. This way you can practice while learning and get a little bit of a pocket money. You will have to learn how to edit, clean, file and enhance your audios. You will experiment with your settings, your mic position and before you know it, you will have enough money to upgrade your microphone and system. Make youtube videos, about your favorite game or topic, practice practice practice. Youtube is your friend in learning and getting exposed.
Working as a booking agent at myvoices and speak and not ThePros.dk, I have to listen to many samples a day, and most are pretty good. Good elocution, good rhythm, good pronunciation and acting, good sound... but, if I can hear the sss or the space or room around the microphone I have to turn down the file. And it's a shame because many of the candidates have everything needed to be heard, except the right set up.
I often reach and tell them the problem and sometimes they reply that they never had a problem before. And I know they didn't, the internet is filled with voice over artists but also voice over crap. Clients with high standards and clients who don't care or don't know better. My job is to allow in the site only those who reach a certain standard. For our reputation as a company, of course, but also for my artists' sake. They need to know. They need to be humble as well.
When working with an international company, it doesn't matter if they are the best in their country. By being in the data base, they are exposed to a different market, they start over and they need to adjust to the kind of sound that particular market is used to.
Every country and culture has a different preference. American sound is very different than Arabic. And I am not talking about the language, but the setting. The sound itself.
Most times there is no problem, the files come back re arranged, re edited and the profile is activated. Of course the internet is filled with sites, agencies and vo artists. But my job is to weed out the ones I want, nurture the ones that have potential, negotiate their fees.
This is what I get paid for, to be the middle man, to fence for the pay of the voice artist, to present a finished, impeccable product. The client expects of me to search, negotiate and connect them with someone who will give them what they need. The Vo artists expects me to find him work. And that is possible only if he has a good product to give.
So yes, I weed out. But I don't turn down. I educate, I give my opinion, I redirect, I encourage. This is also part of my job. I am not the worlds leading expert, by all means. But I have a good ear, I have worked in the voice field over 20 years and I have managed to raise my child solely on my vocal abilities. whether I was singing, teaching how to sing or pronounce correctly or doing voice overs. I must be doing something right :)In fact in the near future, I will hold seminars and lessons and free recordings of demos for those who want to get into the business, in Copenhagen.
So, to get back to the basics. If you want to start this career you need to earn it to pay your duesas we all have. To have your ears and eyes open and to learn from those willing to include you. Not always the case I have to add.
You need to include a pro studio to go and record in your price, but only if you are good enough to get that price, or invest a minimum on a set up.
You need to read out loud, act and play, bring your emotions to your voice.
And most of all, you need to have self awareness. Who you are, who you are addressing to, and what your target groups is.
And find someone who cares enough to help you out when you are in doubt ;)
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