In this episode, we’re walking through the four types of Voice Actors. Yep, there ARE different types of Voice Actors. 

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There is a common misconception about who can be a Voice Actor.

I recently read online where someone said “I thought only famous people could be Voice Actors.” And I’m here to tell you that is far from the truth. 

So since non-famous people can also be Voice Actors, what does that mean for freelance, self-employed Voice Actors like us? 

You’ve probably heard of the different ways you get work as a Voice Actor. We’ve talked about the places you can find unpaid work, and in this phase of your VO journey, you’d be considered a Hobbyist type –  This Voice Actor dabbles around online seeking out unpaid work that is usually community driven and this Voice Actor does voiceover just for fun. They most likely don’t have a high-end mic or a treated recording space. It’s all about the joy of voice acting for them. 

But what if you’re past that phase and are ready to get paid for your efforts? There are a few different ways to go about this. 

As a Work From Home Professional Voice Actor type,  you can find industry paying work through pay to play sites, freelance sites like Fiverr or Upwork, as well as direct client work that you source yourself through business to business or B2B work – meaning, you, a business, reach out to other businesses to help them with projects where they need voiceover and they pay you directly – not through a marketplace like pay to play or freelance sites. 

The WFH Professional type defines a new wave of Voice Actors – individuals who offer voiceover services to clients for industry-standard rates all from home. The Voice Actors have chosen to be their own boss. Marc Scott, fellow Voice Actor, and teacher, refers to this type of Voice Actor as a VOpreneur or Voiceover Entrepreneur.  

What if you’re saying, Melanie, it’s awesome there’s a new wave of Voice Actors out there, but I really want to pursue the big Voice Acting dream I’ve had since I was a kid? Well friend, then you’d be what I’d refer to as a Studio Professional ty pe. These Voice Actors are usually a part of the union and live in a oiceover hub like NY or LA where there is a plethora of professional recording studios. These Voice A ctors usually have or seek out multiple agents, may even have a talent manager, and tend to have access to larger, more exclusive projects.

This is the go big or go home type of Voice Actor. But because they usually live in a large city with access to studios and high end recording equipment, they usually don’t have a home studio and they tend to rely on auditions sent to them from their manager or agent. 

Now, if we take the Studio Professional type a step further, we’re introduced to what I refer to as the Hollywood Star type.

Hollywood Star Voice Actors are actors who are hired to voice characters for usually, animated films produced by the big production companies like Pixar and Disney (think Idina Menzel in Frozen). 

In other words, that type doesn’t define me or probably anyone listening to this podcast, but it’s worth mentioning because when we think of “real” professional Voice Actors, these are the people we usually think of. 

Personally, I can only name one maybe two professional Voice Actors I know that have worked on big projects for companies like these that wouldn’t be considered Hollywood Star Voice Actors already. 

So you see, there is a wide variety of Voice Actor types, which means there is an abundance of opportunity for anyone who wants to dig their heels deeper into the VO space. That also means we don’t have to work inside of a general Voice Actor box – we get to decide which type of Voice Actor we want to be and let that influence how we work.

But what if you don’t fit into one of these types exactly? What if you’re more of a hybrid type? 

You want to voice act for fun but you also like getting paid. Or, you like getting paid but you have no intention of building a VO business. Or, you have a home studio but also have agents who get you in studio auditions or work? 

Then you would definitely be considered a hybrid – and there is so much nuance in VO now because of the different ways we can do our work that most of us are, or at least have been a mix of more than one type of Voice Actor at one point or another in our VO journeys.

No matter your route, it’s natural to start out as a Hobbyist and move into becoming a Work from Home Professional or a Studio Professional, but not everyone does. However if this sounds like you, that means you’re probably ready to start building your voiceover business and make a good part-time or full-time career out of offering voiceover services. If that’s you, check out our FREE mini course – designed for aspiring and beginner Voice Actors who want to know what goes into running voiceover businesses from home.

To Wrap Up

Understanding the type of Voice Actor you are, will help you set clearer and more specific business goals, as well as inform you where to put the majority of your effort into your business over time. 

I’ve put together a quiz to help you better understand which type of voice actor you might be, as well as some next steps you can take catered to your specific type. The link is in the show notes below.