How to Become a Voice Over Actor in Kenya

For most people, just the thought of recording their voice and sharing it for people to listen to is just horrifying and makes them uneasy. You know what, it doesn’t need to be difficult or stressful because in this article I am going to give you some guidelines you can use to become a voice over actor you want to be. This will enable you to become competent and be hired to do voice-overs. Well, how do you record voice overs that grab and keep your audience’s attention? You are about to find out later! Doing a voice over, it involves a person speaking and often describing, highlighting, and explaining a particular context. Someone will ask what is the difference between a voice over and narration. To explain that, let’s look at their main goal. You find that a narration is a type of a voice over that is commonly used for entertainment while a voice over is commonly used to instruct, inform and educate the audience. A summarised way to explain their difference is that all narration is a voice over, but not all voice overs are narration. 

You may be needing to become a voice over actor and you don’t know how, worry not because Janeson Recordings offers voice over training that gives you the background to work in a career in voice over fields and also to record your demos. We’ll assist you to refine your marketing strategy and target your clients better with information about current trends and styles.

Most people are afraid of doing voice overs because they think their voice is not great or are not professional in voice over. One thing you should know is that, just because quality voice over is important, doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Using the information on this article you’ll discover that most voice overs don’t need professional voices. 

Characteristics of a Good Voice Over

The voice over industry is growing and is everywhere. Voice over is used on google voices, advertisement, explainer ads, radio ads, corporate training, and others. As the world has become digital, there has been an increased demand for voice over talents.

Anyone can do professional voice over work, including yourself and you don’t need to hire a voice over actor to do so for you. Grab those opportunities available because as a voice actor you can be working on a TV ad one day, a radio commercial the next, and the following day on a cartoon. Each day can be different and that is why you might find a career as a voice actor to be fit for you. However, you need to know the elements of a good voice over and what is expected. Great voice overs comprises the following elements;

1. Volume and Clearness of the Voice; A comfortable volume and clarity of your voice are the most crucial elements for great audio. If your voice is noisy and vague, it will be difficult for people to understand as the audience will be distracted and be unable to absorb the information. With this, you end up missing an opportunity to share your information.
2. Deliberate and Natural Pacing; The best voice overs have things like occasionally pausing to take a breath and allow your audience to process important information. Pacing will allow you to avoid being too fast making listeners not to get much information or being too slow making them bored.
3. Pitch and Vocal tone; Ensure you speak a natural voice, be as friendly, and engaging as possible. Be the natural you and don’t fake your voice and it will turn out just fine. 
4. Correct Pronunciation; A good voice over actor pronounces each word correctly and speaks clearly to be heard and understood. Be careful with your regional accent to avoid confusing people in other regions.

Types of Voiceovers

When you’re thinking about how to become a voice actor, you should recognize all possibilities in the field industry. There are huge opportunities that exist for voice actors. Here are different areas that employ voice over actors;

• video games
• audiobooks
• documentaries
• IVR phone systems
• Voice of God at live events
• TV and Radio promos
• training / e-learning
• podcasts
• films
• dubbed foreign language films
• animation shorts or films
• tv programs
• commercials
• radio or audio dramas

Tips to Become a Voice Over

Ways to make a living with your voice are a popular topic of discussion on the internet. There are many ways to get your voice working and you need reliable trainers to help you where you need it. At Janeson Recordings, we have some recorded voice overs recorded for you to give you the tips to get voice-over work. Sign up for our newsletter and we will send you lots of tips from the industry. The other tips you can employ to become a successful voice over include the following;

• Be part of an acting meet-up in your area.
• Volunteer to read to people at a social gathering like at your church
• Listen to commercials and records to get some tips
• Record your voice on your phone and listen to how you’re doing it.
• Train by reading some books to your family and friends. 
• Go to your local theatre and head on stage
• Take a voice over class at your local theatre.
• Think about how you can apply your skills learned as you start your journey on how to become a voice actor.

What You Require to Start Recording Your Voice over

For your voice over to be great, it requires a professional environment and equipment. When you are just starting, it is good to start small. You require the following;

• A good microphone
• Soundproofing materials
• A quiet place to record in and away from background noises.
• A computer or a laptop
• A mixer
• Recording software

We are fully equipped with the above items needed to record your voice-over at Janeson Recording. Contact us today or directly at +254714444045 and we will enable you to have your recording and discover what you can do with your voice. As well as train you where you need to develop your voice skills further. As a voice-over, it is essential to note that you need to market yourself which involves getting your brand and business to the right people and also building healthy relationships with your clients.