The other day, I was talking with someone who was very excited and full of enthusiasm about attending her first voiceover class. She said, Maybe I could become the voice on a national tv commercial. Of course, that’s what we all dream of. Right? Maybe not all of us, but some of us. I answered her and said, “Well, you could, or you could become the queen of animation and cartoons which is a separate entity within itself, or how about the Go To person for on hold messaging and telephony. Or maybe the queen of corporate narration or the main voice for the Smithsonian museum.”
The possibilities are endless when you begin to discover the many genres of voiceover.
So now the questions become, What is your niche? What is my niche? Should I do it all or should I concentrate on one area.
After talking with some wonderful coaches who have many different styles of coaching, I have come to these conclusions:
1. First and foremost, listen to every type of work you can get your hands on whether it be a tv or radio commercial, a narration, the Travel channel or an on hold message for a phone system.
2. See what draws you in and how you emotionally connect with a particular piece of copy. If your heart is in the spot, you will not be so concerned about sounding like someone else or that voiceover celebrity who is your hero. You will just be you, and you are unique.
3. Ask a coach who you have established a relationship with, What niche do you see me in.
4. It doesn’t mean that you will be recording one type of voice only, but it means discovering your strongest areas when it’s time to record your demo and getting that demo out and marketing it.
As for me, it took a long time for me to discover how much I enjoy recording health care spots, and as for you, when you find your niche, you will know. Remember, with the many genres of voiceover including the audio book field, the possibilities are endless!