Voice work

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Does anybody do audio books or talking books or involved in voice work in any way?

I have a friend with a lovely tone of voice, it was the first thing I noticed when I met them, I could listen all day.
 
I don’t have a nice voice for things like that, but I’ve been on the radio a few times. Absolute cringe listening to it back, I could hear all the umms and erms- I envy anyone who can speak without saying those gap fillers!!
 
I don't, but I did some research into it. I understand it's very competitive (especially now with the desire to work from home) and some of the deadlines can be very challenging.

I got the impression certain popular voice artists got all the 'good' books and everyone else got the trashy/low quality novels, included self published work.
 
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Yes, I've done a mix of jobs over the past 20 years.

The best way to get started is to find a talent agency who represents voice artists; normally they will ask you to submit a voice sample before agreeing to meet you in person.

A good voice can mean many things to different people/clients/audiences ... I tend to have a very serious voice so a lot of my campaigns tend to be corporate ("Press 1 for store hours;" "Press 2 to speak to a customer service representative"), banks, insurance companies, retirement villages, etc. I've been shortlisted and knocked back for many jobs ... I imagine models find the same thing, in that you meet all the requirements on paper, but the client has something very particular in mind that they're looking for.

It's helpful if you can adopt a range of accents, but it's something you have to invest in formal training for ... because very few people can talk in another tongue perfectly without training. Voice coaches are easily found ... usually, talent agents will be able to recommend someone.

You also have to protect your voice. I do voice exercises every day to stay ready, just in case I get called at short notice.

In terms of doing the work, I've never done any from home - I've always gone to a purpose-built studio (which has all been arranged by the client, through my agency). A 20-minute advert can take half a day to record ... it's certainly not a quick and easy job.

It is competitive ... and as you age, your voice changes - sometimes not for the better. There is always fresh, new talent coming through - and some clients love that (others prefer more established voices) ... that's the same with most industries though.
 
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