Can You Make a Living From Voice Acting?

[@colinwattsvoiceovers246]

Another great video, Gary! I bit like the $107k man, I started out in 2014. I had some experience as a part time radio broadcaster and DJ, but after visiting you in the studio, I quickly realised I had work to do! It has become a labour of love and have been full time since 2018, and although the pay isn't like the $107k man, I can safely say I am my own boss, I LOVE what I do, and will continue to grow and learn while performing all the types of vo there is!...... thank you for all your advice and inspiration.

[@GaryTerzza]

You highlight an important point Colin - although people want to earn money from voice overs, It is the enjoyment and fulfilment we get from speaking into a microphone that is the real reward. I wish you every success for the future.

[@Electrobilia]

Another nice upoad. Thanks Gary for continuing to be so encouraging.

[@GaryTerzza]

I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment - thank you 🙏

[@fiberjazz]

Thanks for the great video, Gary. I don't think the value of a good coach can be overstated. A coach can be instrumental in helping us understand the unique qualities of our voices, how to use them, and how to best position them in the market. At the end of the day, our voices are our products and our coaches are like business partners in the manufacturing process. I appreciate your videos and straightforward advice!

[@GaryTerzza]

Well said!

[@wm5000]

Thanks Gary, I watch your videos but this is my first comment. How concerned should a newcomer to VO be, in light of the rapid growth in synthetic voices? I've paid for all the equipment and a booth but it's harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel, much harder than it was some months ago and feel like a missed the boat. Essentially, will there still be an industry to profit from in a year or two?

[@GaryTerzza]

Good question and of course none of us know the answer. Current thinking seems to suggest that more prosaic jobs such as e-Learning, corporates and IVR will be performed by AI voices and we humans will be left to do the more creative stuff such as ads, audiobooks and animation. Call me an optimist (or fool), but I think this artificial intelligence thang is overhyped - many clients still want to be able to interact with real talents and direct them to give nuanced, fallible and authentic reads. Text to speech software requires clients to know exactly what style and tone they want the machine to reproduce and many do not know what they want. “I’ll know it when I hear it” is a maxim best fulfilled by voice actors made of flesh and blood.