Voice Over Coaching: Selecting a Voice Over Coach

When it comes to voice over coaching, there’s a lot for voice talent to consider — and a few myths to bust.

In this article

1. What Does a Voice Over Coach Do?
2. How Voice Over Coaching Can Benefit Voice Actors of All Levels
3. Voice Over Coaching Comes in Many Different Forms
4. Where and How Do I Find a Good Voice Over Coach?
5. The ‘Right Voice Over Coach’ is the One That Feels Right for You
6. Have Patience With the Vocal Coaching Process
7. Are You a Voice Over Coach With an Upcoming Class or Workshop?

For one, voice over coaches aren’t just for beginners. Even voice actors who have been behind the microphone for years can benefit from the guidance and feedback of an expert voice over coach.

At Voices, we believe that personalized coaching is critical to a voice actor’s success. So, we developed a voice coach directory that provides access to coaches who can help a voice actor at any stage of their career. It’s updated regularly and contains voice over coaches who are based in the United States and beyond. On average, voice actors on Voices who have received training book 21 percent more jobs. 

What Does a Voice Over Coach Do?

Voice over coaches work with talent to help them discover and make the most of their talent and unique vocal qualities. They help voice actors hone skills in their craft, tackle script interpretation or address any unique challenges that they are experiencing in their career.

Voice over coaches are often experienced voice actors themselves and uniquely equipped to guide both beginner and seasoned voice actors toward the next stage in their careers. Some instructors even have experience producing audio or video.

Voice over coaching can include one-on-one vocal training sessions, in-studio recording and demo production sessions, voice acting classes and webinars held remotely or instructive videos and podcasts, such as the Voices podcast, Mission Audition.

How Voice Over Coaching Can Benefit Voice Actors of All Levels

Voice acting is a singular profession that requires its own approach. A one-on-one voice over coach can be instrumental in helping emerging voice actors find their unique take and style. If you’re considering getting into the world of voice acting, coaching should be one of the first steps you take to make sure that it will be a good fit for you.

For more advanced professionals, coaches are often a helpful resource for voice actors who have reached a roadblock in their career — whether they’re having a hard time breaking into a new facet of the industry (e.g. video games as opposed to radio work) or simply growing their business

So, if you haven’t had the success as voice over artist you’re looking for, a voice over coach can listen to your needs, support you through your journey to step up your game and help you get the job.

Experienced coaches also assist clients with a voice actor’s longevity, in terms of their business or vocal care.

In general, successful voice actors can employ voice over coaches to ensure they stay on the trajectory of continued success by expanding and fine-tuning their existing skillset.

Voice Over Coaching Comes in Many Different Forms

The formats for the coaching sessions can be varied. For instance, there are individual sessions, workshops, virtual schools or group audition workout sessions, to name a few.

When considering all of the options, a voice actor needs to select what makes the most sense for them based on their comfort level, finances and educational goals.

One plus of living in the modern age is that digital coaching through an online platform is now an effective option, especially for those clients who are located far from their voice over coach of choice. This allows you to study with the coach of your choice from anywhere in the world.

In contrast, workshops offer a vastly different setup and offer unique benefits. Specifically, the group environment allows individuals to receive feedback on their career or job while also receiving the benefit of learning from others. Networking is another important element of building up a voice over career.

When workshops integrate group auditions, the learnings gleaned from students listening in on others’ interpretations of the reads can be instrumental in a professional’s development.

Where and How Do I Find a Good Voice Over Coach?

There are many ways to find an experienced coach who can help you achieve success.

While we highly recommend visiting our voice over coaches directory for a curated lineup of coaches who are Voices-approved, there are several other routes you can take to source an experienced voice coach. Reaching out to your professional network, perusing the web and attending voice acting webinars are all effective methods for finding a good voice over coach.

Let’s take a look at how to find and select the perfect voice over coach who suits your specific career path in the world of voice acting:

1. Determine why you have decided to seek voice over coaching. Do you need guidance as you transition between industries with one-on-one instruction? Are you interested in learning to perform an accent for a particular role or job? Would you like help interpreting copy?
2. Search the web. Many voice over coaches have websites where you can access all the details of the voice over coaching they offer, including skills and areas of expertise.
3. Reach out to your network. A referral from a fellow voice actor in your professional network is, of course, a great way to find a new voice acting coach. Speak with your peers on a regular basis to make sure you’re not missing any opportunities.
4. Peruse our voice coach directory. Voices has a curated directory of voice over coaches that can be filtered by region, language, category, specialization and budget.
5. Narrow your options based on coaching styles and specialties. A particular style of coaching program may resonate more with you than others. Familiarize yourself with the options available as you narrow down your list of voice coaches to work with.
6. Select the coach who is right for you. Ultimately, selecting the best voice coach for your needs will boil down to a range of factors: availability, budget, industry and more.

The ‘Right Voice Over Coach’ is the One That Feels Right for You

Because coaching is an investment in both time and finances, a voice actor can feel a lot of pressure to find the ‘right’ coach to teach them.

Similar to making any other investment, voice actors often read reviews online and vet a coach’s experience, skills and claims against what seems reasonable.

On this front, there are a lot of highly accomplished coaches who are interested in taking on students at various price points and in many different formats. Whenever possible, take advantage of free introductory phone calls or opportunities to get to know the voice over coach and ask them questions about their skills. This way, you can feel sure that you’ve found a good coach and the right person for you.

Have Patience With the Vocal Coaching Process

One of the most common questions that voice over students have for voice coaches is, “How long will it take?”

A normal answer to receive is, “It depends.”

Truly, the success of a coaching session will depend on many factors, not the least of which are the student’s expectations and goals, previously identified challenges, newly identified roadblocks and the willingness to commit to the process.

Are You a Voice Over Coach With an Upcoming Class or Workshop?

If you are an instructor and have a workshop coming up (or a series of scheduled workshops/lectures), send us an email and we’ll add them to our voice coaches directory

We’ve received inquiries from voice actors about who to study with and how to find workshops specific to a particular voice over niche.

Many of these individuals also want to network with fellow voice actors in a friendly, educational setting offline (that is, in person, face-to-face) and develop communities to perfect their voice acting craft and be a support system for each other.

There is no better way to reach a substantial audience looking for these kinds of educational opportunities. Plus, you’ll be helping students connect with each other. That’s a win-win!

Once you’ve worked closely with a voice coach and feel ready to launch your voice acting career, get started by signing up for a Voices account.