A Career in the Voice Over Business...
Article: Voice Over Career? Get started in a Career in Voice Over? by Don Capone.

Voice-Over Careers - Working From Home:
Working from home and starting your own home business, in your home recording studio. Ok so your thinking about a voice over career... you've been told by so many people that.. you have a great voice and you should do radio imaging or try voice over... and you have always played with the idea... but never acted upon it... Well.. now you're here and reading this... so you have taken the first step... In this business we call voice over... you gotta have thick skin.. Remember its nothing personal.... errr... well maybe it is personal if your not selected after you do a voice over audition...after all you are the product... your voice IS the product your selling!!!... but remember... this is still a business... that is mostly run on a few things... Your God given Voice Talent... Who You know... and How you market yourself... and of course if the client likes your voice!!!!

Voice Over Coach :
So your looking for a career in voice over... A Voice Over Coach Online will help you with all the aspects of the voice over business. Fist thing first... Voice training and practice...every chance you get ..pick up something... anything... and read it out loud... listen to the commercials that are played on radio and TV and emulate the way you hear the voice over artist say it... There are many different styles...  So first look for a style of speaking you are comfortable with... and... Practice, Practice, Practice... A Voice Over Coach can help. I even recommend taking acting classes. Advertisers are looking for voices that motivate, inspire or tell a story about there product. You need to have a Voice Over Demo Reel that will showcase your voice over talent. There may be character voices needed for an animation project or radio spot. A Voice Over Coach can point you in the right direction. But it all comes down to the voice actor to be able to "act". Acting and being able to deliver the type of read that the client wants is the key.

Voice Over Equipment:
If you want a career in voice over... your gonna need to buy some voice-over equipment... you can go dirt cheep like a USB microphone from either Samson, Editors Keys or Blue starting around $80 bucks... and you can use a free audio recording software like Audacity to make your voice over demos with to showcase your voice talent. This way you have minimal out of pocket expense to get your new voice talent career going.... BUT... this is just to cut your teeth on... Not recommended if you want your voice over to be the best they can be.... Places we recommend to buy voice over equipment in no particular order..  Chris Lewis at Sweetwater.com, BSWUSA.com or Nathan Eldred at Atlas Pro Audio or Warren Dent at ZenPro Audio ... I "Don Capone" have personally made purchases from all these companies.. and there all great... a lot of voice talents will tell you that voice overs are done with 95% talent and 5% equipment... BUT... LISTEN CAREFULLY TO WHAT I SAY... In MY OPINION I believe its about 60% talent and 40% Equipment... this is why I stress it is very Very VERY IMPORTANT NOT to skimp and to have the highest quality voice over equipment possible... remember... garbage in...garbage out... save up and get the best voice over equipment possible!

Click To see Dons Current --> Voice Over Studio Recording Equipment.
Don's Microphones: Manley Reference Cardioid, Sennheiser MKH 416 Shotgun
Don's Preamps: Avalon VT-737sp, Vintech X73i
Don's Compressors: Teletronix LA-2A, Empirical Labs Distressor EL8X, FMR Audio PBC-6A
Don's A/D Converters: Antelope Audio Zen Go Synergy Core, Allen & Heath ZEDi-10FX, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Don's Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 ohms (Recommended), Sony MDR-7506
Don's Reference Monitors: KRK R6 Passive
Don's Software: Software: Adobe Audition.
1.) Voice Over Career: Super Low Low Budget Voice Over Equipment (if you must... not recommended.. but...)
   Blue Snowball USB, Editors Keys SL150 USB, Samson C03U,
   Audacity $FREE

2.) Voice Over Career: Entry Level Budget Voice Over Budget Equipment if you must... Recommend By Don Capone
   Microphone: Blue Yeti Pro (highly recommended) the Blue Yeti Pro does it ALL!!! with built in A/D converters... headphone jack for monitoring.... this is really all you need to get started!!! it sounds awesome...
If you decide to use an outboard A/D converter we recommend the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Recording Software: Adobe Audition CS6
 

3.) Voice Over Career: The Best Voice Over Equipment Recommend By Don Capone
Microphones: Neumann U87ai, MKH 416 P48U3 Short Shotgun Microphone, Wunder Audio CM7, Manley Reference Cardioid, Neumann U47, Telefunken USA U47ae, Telefunken AK47, Lawson L47MP MKII, HORCH RM2J, BOCK 251, Soundelux E47, Wagner U47w, Rode Classic II, Brauner Phantom C, Gefell MT71s, Gefell M92, Pearlman TM 1, Peluso 2247 SE, Mojave Audio MA-200, Bock Audio 507, Blue Yeti Pro, Studio Projects C1....

   Preamps & Compressors: Avalon VT-737sp, Vintech X73i, Great River ME-1NV and Great River EQ-1NV (Great River MEQ-1NV), Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A, Empirical Labs Distressor EL8X, FMR Audio PBC-6A Compressor, Manley VOXBOX, Requisite PAL Plus, Focusrite Red 7, Focusrite ISA 430 mkII, Tube-Tech MEC 1A, Millennia Origin STT-1, D.W. Fearn VT-15, D.W. Fearn VT-1, GML 2030 to name a few....

   Analog to Digital Converter: Antelope Audio Zen Go Synergy Core, Allen & Heath ZEDi-10FX, Universal Audio UAD Apollo,  Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, M-Audio Fast Track USB, E-MU 1616M soundcard, PreSonus FIREBOX, MOTU Ultralite-mk3 Hybrid, M-Audio MobilePre USB, M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB, CEntrance MicPort Pro, Shure X2U, Blue Microphones Icicle....  

I Personally Own:
Check out our Voice Over Studio to see what equipment we currently use.

More Info and Samples At These links below
Voice Over Talent Microphones | Voice Over Talent Equipment | Voice Over Talent Software

Voice Over Work:
Ok so now you have practiced and purchased voice over equipment for you voice over career... and have made some voice-over demos... Now we need to get them heard.. buy the right people!... people looking for voice over talent... because you are now ready to get some voice over jobs.

Marketing your Voice Talent:
A few places that come to mind for people who need to kick start their career in the voice over business is Voices.com  as I highly recommend this. Voice123.com is an alternative. We also recommend getting your own website that is dedicated to promoting and showcasing your voice over work.

What about using a Talent Agency:
Do you even need a talent agent? Well... not in the beginning of your voice acting career... but most likely...as you progress, you will. Talent agents are the gatekeepers to the producers and casting directors who are looking for voice talent. Your talent agent should be franchised with AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), and also with SAG (Screen Actors Guild) ... visit these sites for lists of franchised talent agencies in your area.. and information in joining them...But I must stress... getting and talent agent and joining AFTRA or SAG costs a pretty penny...and is very extreme for someone just starting out.... so.. relax... focus... Got it?.. Get It?... Good!

Should I get an ISDN Line:
Overpriced and Antiquated ISDN.... NO.. you do not need ISDN...
Other voice over technologies that I recommend and best ISDN alternatives are Source Connect, Cleanfeed and ipDTL... The decision on getting an ISDN line for your home voice over studio usually comes when you have a recurring big money paying client that requires you to have it... If you must... I Highly recommended the overpriced ISDN transceivers like the  Telos Zephyr Xstream. Yes... it is an investment, but one that you can recover with just couple of voice over jobs. The newer and better and more affordable ISDN alternatives (Source Connect, Cleanfeed and ipDTL) are being embraced by the industry.  A phone patch is also good to have as this enables a voice producer/director to hear your read live as you record it in your home studio. Its basically a glorified speak phone.. (kinda) ... any headset attached to any phone, Skype or even a Magic Jack can be used as a phone patch.... just as long as the director can hear you without you recording them when you do the directed read...

Anything Else?
What about background music and sound effects in the voice over? Well... yes and no... It all depends on how deep you want to get into this business. Of course you can make more money if you do full production on a spot. But usually most of your clients will just want you to give them a dry-read with no music or effects so they can produce the voice over project themselves with there own in-house production. For those clients who want a fully produced commercials... look into buying a Royalty Free Music Library and a Royalty free Sound Effects Library... Buy-Out production music for commercial use and Royalty Free... IMPORTANT...make sure you read carefully the terms of use for the music or sound effects you buy so they can be used in your commercial projects before you buy it and that it is a buyout!!! ..also...Download some free Voice Over Scripts and practice!!!!!

The Last Word:
Everything I wrote about a career in voice over is very very basic... There is more to it than just this... so do your research... and ask ask ask questions... Google anything and everything about voice over acting ... you will find many different opinions... probably get even more confused than you are now...but with will and determination you will persevere and conquer... because you want this!!!!  so Remember... life is short.. and if you really want it " A Career in Voice Over " there's no reason why you can't make this happen... Remember who you are... and there isn't anything you can't do if you put your mind and passion into it... BUT don't quit your day job just yet! ... but... maybe one day:)

blessings
Don Capone

by Don Capone © www.DonCapone.com
Since 1979 Don Capone has been in the voice business.  Don Capone offers professional voice over talent services offering that bigger than life voice imaging that is needed to compete in today's corporate world.

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