With 2024 now in full swing, I’m sure we all have plenty of new voice-over goals to attain – and the passion to get us there! Luckily, there’s no time limit on adding New Year’s resolutions to your list. Take a quick look back at your January – have you been practicing good voice-over habits? Or is there room to add a few more to your resolution list? Success in voice-over can take more than just vocal training and a few demos. Make sure these habits are part of your year!
1) Take care of your body.
Our overall health can impact how our voice sounds, so it’s important to do more than just the occasional vocal warmup and hot tea with honey! Make sure that you:
- Stay Hydrated! Drink lots of water every day. This is going to help make sure we aren’t making unnecessary mouth sounds while recording, and also make sure we have the stamina for bigger projects!
- Get proper sleep. Ever wake up after only a few hours of sleep with a crackly, ragged voice? Clients want us to consistently be performance-ready, so making sure you’re sleeping well is key to maintaining your voice quality.
- Eat well. Too much sugar can impact your sound quality, your sleep, and every other component of your health. I’m a sucker for those sugar cookies with icing on top from the grocery store, but I try to balance it out by eating healthy meals, too!
- Stay tuned in to how your body is feeling, and see a doctor regularly. I’m writing this blog post with one of the worst colds I’ve had in years, so I can’t stress enough how all of this should be a priority for every voice actor!
Two great titles on habit forming and cognition.
2) Create a consistent schedule for yourself.
Becoming a successful voice actor takes time – it’s never just “one and done” when it comes to auditioning and booking jobs. Make sure you have dedicated time each day or week to get your work done. Consider scheduling time for:
- Getting currently booked jobs done. I do a lot of audiobooks, so I have to be sure I have at least four hours every day to record what’s expected of me for those books.
- Hitting your weekly or daily audition goal. If you don’t currently have a high workload, maybe this doubles as the time you’ve set aside for booked jobs. By now, you likely have audition number goals set for yourself. Make sure you have the time to follow through! Set aside an hour or two per week at the least to send in auditions.
- Social media! There is plenty to be done to help refine our online presence on platforms like X (Twitter), LinkedIn, your personal website, and more! Spend some time on social media each week to create new content, engage in industry conversations with others, or try to make new connections.
3) Finally, make sure you have time to take breaks.
Rest time is important for your voice! If weekends are when you have the most downtime, be sure to keep that time sacred. Don’t overwork yourself or you’ll head straight towards burnout! In my free time, I like to read, which I feel is still productive as an audiobook narrator! Practicing reading can help you make less mistakes when it’s time to read out loud. If you’re someone who enjoys cartoons or video games, that can also double as a great de-stresser and a helpful study session! When you’re playing games or watching a show, listen along to the performances of other actors. However you want to spend this time, though, make sure it’s relaxing and enjoyable for you!
If you have other great habit ideas for voice actors, please feel free to comment them below or even share them on your social media account! Now there’s a free content idea for you. Keep up the good work and you’ll be headed into a happy, healthy, and successful 2024!
Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here!
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