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Voice-overs and voice acting doesn't necessarily require a union or an agent. The reality is that this is usually part-time work for better than average pay. That doesn't mean one should quit their day job. Many school teachers supplement their income with voice acting.

A voice-over can be any number of things that we hear on a daily basis and is not limited to just cartoon voices. The recorded announcement at the grocery store that advertises sales, an answering machine recording, the prompt voice when we call an 800 number, audio books, radio commercials... these are all voice-overs.

While listening to these commercials, we might think "Oh! That's easy! I can do that!" Well, yes you can do that but it's not always easy. Acting is a huge part of the job. As a voice-over artist, it's your job to translate the written word into a living and breathing thing.

Voice-over work comes in two primary categories. Commercial and Narration. The first one sells something and the second one tells something. Other categories exist. These are just the ones used most often.

Getting voice-over work often requires professionalism and self-marketing. Professionalism usually includes training, a website, versatility and professional conduct in transactions.

Training is the first priority. Even the best voice needs a bit of coaching. Training, however, involves a lot more than vocal coaching. An ideal company to train with will provide vocal coaching, website hosting, demo recordings that matches your individual voice and will teach marketing strategies.

I've only found one company so far that does this and they even give career lifetime support (which can't be beat at any price). They are called Voices For All. Here's a link to their site: http://www.voicesforall.com Most other companies just do voice coaching and then just touch upon the other things. It looks like this company is committed to helping voice artists become successful.

Versatility requires the realization that you're not a drone on a time-clock. This is self-employment. Revisions and additions are often asked in such short notice that one might be up until midnight getting it right. The clients are often on a deadline and they need our copy well before that deadline in most cases.

Versatility also means one's vocal abilities. I've heard that there is a market for every voice, though. Just keep in mind that the voice isn't the biggest part of being successful. Acting, marketing and getting the attention of clients is crucial.

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