Are You Expecting to Have a Steady Career Doing Voiceovers

If you are on the voiceover thread of the social media site “X” formerly known as Twitter, which simply means you follow thousands of aspiring voice actors, you may have seen various questions posed. One that was asked was “What is your definition of success in voice acting?”

There were many answers. Some people responded that they wanted to be cast in an anime show, which is kind of crazy because it’s the lowest-paid genre of voice acting. Others dreamed of having a steady income where they could quit their jobs and do voiceover full-time.

My two cents as a 40+ year voice over actor

Complete job security in voice acting is only possible if you are lucky to be in the cast of The Simpsons (which has been running for decades,) you are the Movie Promo Guy like the great late Don La Fontaine, you run a loop group, or you produce, direct, and cast yourself in every project.

Superstars like the late Mel Blanc or June Foray made a full-time living as voice actors and there are successful full-time voiceover actors today. But, the reality is, there are very few. Eventually, time or circumstances will take a toll on a voice actor’s career. Your voice may become over-saturated. Young people will come into the business and push the old ones out. Some actors will no longer be able to perform because they have wrecked their voices or other shit happens.

Residuals, which have diminished because of streaming, will bring in some bucks if you work union gigs, but otherwise, it is a business with ups and downs. Actors must consider the long-term consequences of their career choices and plan accordingly or prepare to live on SNAP.

Here’s the deal

Do you ever wonder why so many voice actors are directing, writing, selling their autographs, teaching voiceover classes, or producing demos? They need extra income to live in “expensive” markets like Los Angeles.

30 or 40 years ago, booking gigs was easier because there was less competition but actors were never guaranteed a full-time income. Now that voice work is remote, the voice actor database has swelled enormously. Competition is fierce, especially with actors working at a deep discount.

I don’t want to depress you

Voice actors post daily updates on social media about their mental state and I worry about them like a mom or grandma. To be a successful voice actor you must be able to roll with the punches because it’s a tough business. If you are living on the edge emotionally, you should consider a more secure job like a librarian instead. The less “drama” the better.

I’m just being honest.

A steady income is not what you are signing up for

You might get lucky and get a gig that runs forever but many voice actors go weeks, months, or years without booking.

If you are an actor working 1099 (Freelance) income, you may have trouble qualifying for a mortgage or a rental agreement because your tax statements make it look like you make nothing.  

Do you plan on getting married and having a family? If so, your future spouse MUST understand you won’t be bringing in a weekly paycheck most of the time.  Some voice actors solve this problem by marrying each other. If one or the other has a dry period, they’re in the same boat so they don’t have an excuse to yell at each other. I don’t recommend marrying another actor or anyone in the film industry unless you can handle adversity. It’s part of the biz.

Being in a “creative profession” will strain any marriage. Consider hooking up with an accountant or a banker instead. LOL.

The expenses of voice acting have increased significantly

Classes

When I started working as a voice actor decades ago, voiceover classes were taught by a few highly regarded industry professionals like Daws Butler. Today, everyone who has ever held a microphone or has cast a show is teaching a class. Classes are fine but make sure to spend your hard-earned money learning from a successful actor who has years of experience, and knows what they are doing.

Don’t think taking class after class will get you voiceover gigs. You must jump into the pond and swim without a rubber donut. Theatre-trained actors may only need some technical training and a good demo. Don’t go overboard signing up for classes unless you will truly benefit from them.

VO Contests?

With the influx of anime fans who want to be voice actors, one studio I did a lot of work for has started holding voice acting contests at conventions with the promise of casting the winner in a show. I realize that everyone deserves a chance, but in my opinion, these contests are disrespectful to professional voice actors who have trained and paid their dues. I guess that’s showbiz.

Home Studio

Remote work is here to stay even though it has put many engineers out of work. Actors must now build soundproof booths in their tiny closets or stick a big ugly box in their living room. They must contend with barking dogs, crying babies, doorbells, gardeners with leaf blowers, and intense heat in the summer. But it’s convenient for those who don’t live in big markets like L.A. or those who hate fighting the traffic. You must know how to record like an engineer which wasn’t what I signed up for when I started.

Setting up a home studio means you must spend money on building a studio-quality booth, purchasing a microphone, learning how to use recording and editing software, adding lighting, or whatever else you need. It can be expensive $$$ and frustrating if you are not tech-savvy.

You also need to direct yourself which can be daunting and time-consuming if you need to do retakes.

Marketing

You can market yourself on social media for free, which wasn’t possible years ago, but you still need to factor in advertising expenses. You will eventually need a website as your home base online. One way to save money is to learn how to set up your site. It’s easy to learn on YouTube or Udemy. You can then take those skills to earn a flexible income as a web designer as a side gig. I did that and I’m over 60. This site was designed solely by me.

Many newbie actors also pay to audition by purchasing monthly subscriptions on pay-to-play sites. They record hundreds of auditions they aren’t right for and hope they book a job. Paying to audition was unheard of when I first started and I think they are a scam to disconnect you from your money.

If you are lucky to get an agent, they may require you to rework the demo reel you just spent thousands of dollars on to get noticed by that agent.

A top agent will book quality auditions and gigs for you especially if you are a member of SAG-AFTRA. Lesser agents are almost always a waste of time and you will have a better chance of booking gigs on your own. With the ratio of auditions to actual bookings in the current marketplace, do not sign with the first agent interested in you unless you know they are top-tier.

The only manager you need for voice acting may be a convention booking agent if you have credits, but otherwise, managers take a big cut of your income.

I’ll say it again

Be smart with your money. Don’t get sucked into programs, classes, equipment, or demo purchases you don’t need or aren’t ready for. Learn to act first by getting involved with theatre, improv, or legitimate acting classes.

NEVER count on making a steady income as a voice-over actor. Always have a backup plan and multiple streams of income.

If you are lucky you may make it big. That would be awesome but realize the business works in cycles.  Your “voice” may be the “in thing” for a while and then be “overused” or a new trend may replace your style. Do not count on your voiceover career to sustain you forever because someday you will get old.

Be realistic, study discriminately, learn to market yourself, and do your best work. Those are the best things to do to earn a steady income as a voice-over actor.