How Do I Get Started in Voice Over?

Tom Dheere
6 days ago
4 min read

Stop Worrying About doing 'Funny Voices' and Start Building a Business

I get asked "how do I get started in voice over?" almost every single day.

It's usually followed by some version of, "My friends say I do great impressions," or "People tell me I have a great voice."

Umm...

Impressions and "funny voices" are party tricks. They're fun! They make your friends laugh! But they are not a career.

Being an effective, hirable, professional voice actor is not about mimicry. It's about storytelling. It's about being an actor who can interpret a script, connect to an audience, and serve a client's needs.

If you really want to know how to get started, you have to stop thinking like a hobbyist and start thinking like a CEO.

Step 1: Evaluate your Talent (or lack thereof)

Before you spend even one dollar on a microphone, a website, or a class, you need to answer one critical question: Do you have the raw talent?

And no, your friends and family don't count. They love you but they're terribly biased judges.

Your first step is to book a session with a reputable, working voice-over coach. This is non-negotiable. Think of it as essential risk management. You wouldn't invest $100,000 to open a restaurant without knowing if you can cook, right?

A good coach won't just give you a "yes" or "no" answer. They will tell you if you have the foundational skills of an actor. They will also help you identify which genres of voice-over your natural style might be right for.

(If you're looking for a coach you can trust, check out my coach recommendations.)

Step 2: Get Training

The coach said, "You've got potential." Great.

Now the real work begins. That "something" is just raw material. You need to refine it. You need training.

Doing one or two workshops isn't enough. This requires ongoing, professional development in acting, improv, and specific VO genres.

You have to learn the craft. You have to learn how to take direction, how to break down a script, and how to be vulnerable and authentic behind the mic.

Your talent gets you in the door. Your training is what keeps you in the room.

Step 3: Build your Business

While you're training, you also have to build your business infrastructure. This is the part everyone wants to skip, and it's why so many talented people fail.

If you are serious, you will need, at a minimum:

A Professional Website: This is your digital storefront.
A Home Recording Studio: This is your factory. It must be able to produce clean, professional, broadcast-quality audio.
A Professional Demo: At least one, specific to a genre. This is your business card.
A Business Plan: This is your map. It's how you'll find clients, what you'll charge, and how you'll manage your finances. (I can help with that, it's what I do!)

If this is starting to feel overwhelming, that's because it is! This is a real business, not a get-rich-quick scheme.

Your Next Step: Get the Full Blueprint

This blog post is the 10,000-foot view. You need the ground-level plan.

I created a free How-To video called "The World of Voice Overs" specifically to answer this question in detail. It’s designed to give you an actionable framework for building a sustainable career from the ground up.

We'll cover what I call the "4 Pillars" you must construct for a professional presence (Training, Demo, Website, and Studio) and the "3 Portals" you must navigate to find work (Agents, Online Casting, and Self-Marketing).

You'll also learn the craft of performance, the business of getting paid (including AI clauses), and the mindset you need to be the CEO of "You, Inc."

After watching, you won't just be inspired. You'll be equipped with a realistic plan.

It’s free. It’s strategic. It's the "what next" you've been looking for.

WATCH THE FREE "WORLD OF VOICE OVERS" HOW-TO VIDEO NOW

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Get my curated list of essential VO tools here.

AND

Check out my VO How-To Library!