Voice over work is a uniquely exciting career but also a very competitive sphere for voice over (VO) artists. Opportunities are growing all the time across a broad range of digital media, from video games and corporate audio, to ads and audiobooks.
Voice over work takes a different approach to normal acting jobs, often requiring extra equipment, training and skills.
One thing you’ll definitely need is a professionally produced and edited demo, to serve as your resume or business card. This can be used to showcase your unique vocal talents and gain the attention of anyone who might offer you work. A demo provides a taste of your range, whether you’re trying to land a job in ads, animated movies, video narration or anything else.
Your voice over reel can also be used to help catch the attention of an agent, producer or casting director.
Demonstrate your full line-up of styles and voices. At the same time, you’ll be highlighting your acting as well as your vocal skills.
What’s more, this demo really needs to be edited and produced professionally to make it sound the best it can.
The Most Popular Demo Reel Types
Depending on what kind of job you’re going for, you’ll need to highlight different elements of your talents. For example:
- Corporate demos are about sounding knowledgeable and professional – so this style is quite formal. Delivery needs to be consistent, and you must pronounce any technical terms correctly. But this is not the time to be a show-off!
- Audiobook reels showcase your ability to tell a story. The range, depth and emotion will help you to transport the listener to a different world using a clear, relatable voice.
- Animation is all about being versatile and creating several different voices and personalities with varying energy levels, so show what you can do and the full extent of your vocal range.
- Advertising demos are again about versatility – you’ll also need professionalism and personality, plus the ability to forge a connection with the listener and be convincing.
How Long Should The Demo Reel Be?
While there are no firm rules, as a general guide aim for roughly 90 seconds overall, broken down into 15 to 20-second segments. For a narration demo, however, you can afford to extend this to up to five minutes, to give a feel for your complete range.
How To Make The Reel As Strong As Possible?
- Choose examples carefully: Include work which highlights your strengths and versatility. It is best to steer clear of scripts which are overly complicated or lengthy. Be confident and happy with the material before you work with it.
- A professional finish: Professional producing will help you stand out from the competition. Strong production values including high-quality music and sound effects will portray your voice at its best without overshadowing it.
- The right direction: Have an experienced director to guide you and help you create the best possible demo, while handling any technical issues which crop up during the recording session.
Once you have your voice over demo, consider how to promote and get it heard by the right people there. There are a number of ways to do that:
- Work your own network – contact anyone you can think of who may be interested
- Join one or more of the various online communities
- Go to industry events
- Send your demo off to one of the casting websites allowing demos to be submitted for particular projects
- Work with a voice over agent
Where To Get Your Professional Voice Over Demo?
Need a professionally produced voice over reel? Music Radio Creative is here to help, with professional editors to produce the kind of audio that will land you auditions – and work. We are professionals at creating voice over reels. We work with lots of different voice over artists and know exactly how to make your voice stand out from the crowd in a competitive marketplace. Don’t believ us? Check our reviews on Trustpilot – we know how to make awesome audio and our customers agree!
Further Reading
- What Is The Role Of The Voice Over Artist?
- Different Voice Over Styles
- Use of AI In The Voice Over Industry
