Voiceover work is as rewarding as it is diverse. People often think voiceover is limited to animation voice acting or high-profile games, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The field has many different types of projects you can expect to run into, each with its unique challenges. Depending on what kind of work you want to jump into, there are plenty of opportunities available for new talent in the industry. While there are a lot of genres in voiceover that you can diversify into, here are the top five you are most likely to experience.
Commercial Voiceover
Commercials are an excellent use of voiceover. The crux of this genre involves promoting a product or service that the client is trying to sell. These commercials can be for broadcast or online programs and typically run in segments of 15, 30, or 60 seconds. The goal is not to add any particular style or flair but to focus on the advertised product or service.
The commercial genre is how many voice actors make their living, and the clientele varies. There is no limit to what you can voice since you might have to voice commercials for car companies, beverage/snack companies, law firms, prescription companies, or insurance companies, to name a few. Wages for commercial voiceover are stable and guaranteed due to union minimums, and the potential for repeat work makes it lucrative, too.
The Audiobook is One of the Most Versitile Genres in Voiceover
Audiobooks are another popular avenue for voice actors to thrive in the industry. With massive companies like Audible and Apple Books putting out everything from best-sellers to self-published books, voice actors have many opportunities to jump into this genre. New audiobooks are being released daily, and there is an increased demand for audio content. Even though there are cases where famous actors or celebrities voice certain books, a majority of books are voiced by professional voice actors. Often, a single voice actor voices all the characters alone, and the work can be done from a home studio.
Animation Voiceover
Animated content is the most well-known form of voiceover. The genre consists of either computer-generated or hand-drawn images for a story. Voice actors usually voice an animated character in one of these stories or can even work as a narrator. People often think that animation work is limited to children’s shows like cartoons, but that is not the case. Plenty of animated content exists that requires voice acting. Animated movies are a massive draw for voice talent, and many actors make their big break in these movies. Commercials also use animation from time to time. Foreign animated shows also require localization, so voice actors are needed for those as well.
Documentary Narrations and More
Narration involves voicing over images or videos. Narrating gives the audience a new perspective, an inside look into an existing one, or helps give some added context to whatever is happening on-screen. Often, narration is used for documentaries, but that is not the only type of content that benefits from it. Any kind of informational content, such as history shows and informational/educational content, can benefit from narration. Even entertainment programming can use it. Several TV shows use an in-show narrator to provide access to character thoughts or help set the tone for a scene. It allows for a wide variety of projects because every type of content has the potential to include some kind of narration.
Gaming is the Future Star of Genres in Voiceover
Video games make up a large part of the voiceover industry, and video games are a larger industry than movies or TV. There are plenty of genres in video games, each with its own demands. There is a lot of work for a voice actor to be involved in. Any time a character is on screen, there is a good chance that they will need to be voiced. Depending on the type of game, exertion noises like screams, grunts, or sharp exhales all require a voice actor to make them. It is one of the more creative genres since you never know what you might be asked to voice. Characters can be regular people, aliens, robots, or even animals. With motion capture technology, voice actors may even get the chance to have their faces and movements appear as well.