But what are the voiceover agencies looking ( or listening ) for? Basically, they want to hear what you sound like so they can categorise your voice and see if you've got the potential to make them, and you, money. The technical quality must be good. It should be brief and not go on for hours at a time. A good length for a voice reel would be around 3 or four mins, but maybe even shorter. Let's look at the kind of material you must record.
For voice-overs you must ask yourself where voiceover artists are getting the work. Radio and television commercials spring to mind, as do trailers, but you have to also think about narration and the commercial or corporate sector. Then there's IVR, or interactive voice recording, which is a different name for on-hold telephone messages. All of these provide a rich seam of jobs for the voice actor. But where do you find the scripts in the first place?
One cheap way is to draft them yourself. Sit yourself down in front of the television or radio and hear the massive range of tones and styles on offer : hard, medium and soft sell advertisements plus trails promoting programs and, in the UK and Europe, the ubiquitous continuity reports. Map out several varied styles and products. Then try writing your own. Make it simple and avoid using real company names as these can date very swiftly. The agent listening might also think you have really recorded a commercial for that company, so it's best to make up your own names. Consider writing a thirty second story excerpt and some words that could promote a company or organisation.
do not forget to keep the scripts short ; thirty to fifty seconds each is excellent
Now it's time to record. You will need your PC, some software and a mic. USB mics can be very good, but always try and buy the very best you can afford, whether or not that means second hand. There's plenty of free software around, so hunt around the net for something that looks easy to download and use.
Place duvets or pillows round the mic and this may deaden the background room noise, providing a much more professional recording environment.
When you record your words, always play the piece back. Listen for technical quality and your performance ; are you too swiftly, too slow, lacking energy or over dramatising the read? Learn how to trust your own ears. Do not forget to include some variety ; an agent does not want to hear you doing the same style over again.
Check that you have a good range : commercials, narration and company material and once you are pleased with each of your tracks, burn them to a CD. Create a easy covering letter and strap line with your voice outline,eg'young, fresh sounding female voice ; genuine Brit accent'.
Now you are prepared to send the material out to voice over agencies. Don't be shocked if you get refusals as this goes with the territory, but maybe if your demo is of a good enough quality and they like your voice you could be considered.
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