This is a voice over blog post I’ve been thinking about for a while during the Covid pandemic when so many new people have come pouring into the VO world all expecting to make their fortunes while sat at home with a laptop and a USB microphone.
I’ve wanted to give an idea of the reality of life as a VO so that if you are one of these enthusiastic and optimistic voice over newcomers you will be able to have a realistic assessment of your likelihood of success. Until now every time I came to write it I could not finished the post as I started to feel that the things I had to say were more than a bit harsh and negative.

But now I’ve discovered that I don’t need to say those things as fellow VO artist Paul Strikwerda (pictured) has already said it all in a post entitled “5 reasons why you should never become a voice over”. The fact that he originally posted it in 2015 does not undermine the message which is, if anything, even more relevant today.
Paul’s regular blog posts on voiceovers are entertaining, opinionated and invariably thought provoking – this one is no exception.

In it Paul talks about the realities of casting sites – where you pay for a profile and then do endless auditions but someone else always seems to get the gig – or if you do get the job the rate is pitifully low.

Paul points out there are already too many voice over artists chasing an ever diminishing quantity of work for ever declining fees. Go and do something more worthwhile instead is Paul’s message.

Plus VO work is not good for extrovert or social beings – you spend most of your time in a sound proof box never seeing other people or indeed the intended audience for your work. In addition, if you are serious about it, you need to invest in expensive audio equipment and sound treatment for your studio. Further Paul says you’ll spend 80% of your time trying to get work rather than doing it and finally you may never see a return on your investment.

I’ve summarized Paul’s article – it’s a cautionary tale and since he’s made the points better then I could you should read it in full here

Chris Radley – Voice Over