New developments in technology seem to pop-up almost daily nowadays, especially in the way of apps for smartphones, and with so many people working to improve upon the human experience, a whole spectrum of practical and entertainment apps continues to thrive behind our touchscreens. To take things even further, influencers like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are always trying to find ways of bringing access to these technologies to everyone across the globe. So, what does this mean for you as a voice actor?
Well, everything! It’s standard for apps to host elements of sound, especially when it’s oftentimes easier to hear someone talk than it is to read while interacting with an app of any kind on such a small screen. Just as libraries sought to make information more accessible and organized before the internet, apps attempt to bring you the best information in the most accessible way possible while keeping up-to-date and engaging! As a voice talent, you have the opportunity to enter into the ever-expanding world of mobile technologies as an engaging and assistive element in pursuit of a common goal: making the right information accessible to the people who need it. Here are a few places you can start:
Health and Fitness – Voice-over is used in many health and fitness apps. You can interact with the app to hear your results, find encouragement and exercise routines. Nutrition is another popular category, eating healthy to dieting. There are apps that track miles you run or bike, and you’ll often hear voice-over tracking it as you go.
Medical – The healthcare industry is one of the largest industries out there! So of course there are going to be many app choices that cater to that. You have apps that act as alarm reminders to take and track your medication. There are apps to assess your heartbeat, apps to find centers and practitioners in your area, and apps to look-up symptoms and help diagnose you. You will hear voice-over throughout many of those options. voice-over helps turn something digital, into feeling like it’s something personal, and with medical needs, that’s very important.
Audiobooks – Audible has an app! You can purchase audiobooks and pull them up on your smartphone with the Audible app, and then listen to them through headphones, through your car speakers, or directly through your phone or tablet.
Videogames – Videogames are everywhere, from your gaming systems at home, to the app games on your phone or tablet. There are many opportunities for voice-over in videogames. Games for young children learning their alphabet, spelling or numbers, to games that appear as real as a film you would watch on TV. The voice-over becomes a major part of that process.
Finance – Stocks, banking, taxes – everything has an app, and oftentimes there will be a voice-over to go along with it. A trusting, professional sound, someone who is confident, yet friendly – a voice that people would trust with their finances. If that sounds like you, this may be a great category to focus your marketing efforts.
Travel – Apps to take you away from where you are – hotels, airlines, car rentals, cruises, you name it, there’s an app for it! A voice that captures the very essence of the magic of travel. Learning about a destination before you go. There are many voice-over opportunities in this niche.
Education & eLearning – A great deal of learning today is done on a small screen, through a website, or an app. From corporate training, to college-based learning, there is generally a voice-over to narrate through the educational process.
So, how do you get started? Do your research! Several companies post jobs on pay-to-play sites, such as Voices.com and Voice123.com. We also recommend selling your services directly to companies who haven’t had the opportunity to learn how voice-over can and will make their product that much more valuable to their customers. Check-out start-up sites like Kickstarter.com, and offer your voice to promising up-and-comers. Dig through iTunes and Google Play to see which chart-topping companies could benefit from adding a professional voice actor to their creative team in updating current offerings, or in developing new projects down the road. Research mobile app development companies and sell them on the benefits of adding a voice-over talent to their creative team. The opportunities are out there, you just have to reach out and find them!
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Heather is the Director of Operations for Such A Voice. An alumni of the program herself, Heather studied under Dan Levine when she began her voiceover career in 2004. Over the years Heather has coached & produced hundreds of Such A Voice students around the country. Today, her own voiceover roster includes thousands of clients from around the globe. She operates from her ISDN broadcast quality recording studio in New York.
