Submit your voiceover talent demo to SunSpots:

Before reading any further please do not call us asking how to get into the biz. There's plenty of informative web sites and blogs about this subject. You can find out more on our site too. We have voiceover instruction books and cds for sale on our voiceover resource page. Look below and you'll find some subjective notes about getting in to the business. We wish we had the time to take your call and discuss your vocal qualities, but due to our dedication to our clients it's prohibitive. You understand, right?

Please note that due to the amount of voice talent sending in their demos we've got two different people handling the job. Tera Parks is now administering all english speaking voiceover talent demo submissions. If you're a Spanish speaking voiceover talent or bilingual Enlgish/Spanish you'll be sending your voice demo to Xavier Huix. Please do not call Tera or Xavier to discuss your demo status.

If you're a professional voiceover talent located near our recording studios in Asheville, NC or Orlando, FL OR if you have your own ISDN voice booth studio please send your demo on CD to:

New Voiceover Talent
SunSpots Productions
821 Marshall Farms Road
Ocoee, Florida
34761

PLEASE NO PHONE CALLS. Additionally, "your own voiceover booth" does not mean you rent or have other's rent one for you. it's your own facility that you control.

Also, remember that unlike many pay-to-list sites we do not charge voice talent a fee to join SunSpots roster. However, due to the competitive nature of the business we only accept those talent who fit specific niches with us. As a licensed talent agency we work for you and try to make every session a win-win situation.

NEWS/Nuevas:
SunSpots needs Spanish speaking voice talent immediately. We're seeking out the best Spanish voiceover talent in the Americas. Right now we need Spanish talent to voice:

• Spanish Radio Commercials
• Spanish TV Commercials
• Spanish Web Content
• Spanish Instructional DVD's and more
• Spanish Voiceovers in general

Send your Spanish demo to Xavier Huix at the above address. Please note: Do not email MP3 demos. We only accept voice over demos on CD. Please DO NOT CALL.

How can I learn how to do voice overs?

Maybe you've been told what a great voice you have or saw an article about being a voice talent or have a friend who's done it and wondered how you can do it too.

First off, and probably a little surprising, is that you do not need to have a big, booming, voice if you're a man nor do you need a sexy, low, voice if you're a woman. If your dog can sound like that...well...that IS something and should be explored later but not right now.

It's true, to be a profitable, working, voice over talent today you need to be able to, above everything else, ACT. Today voice talent are voice actors. Just ask the people who do it every day.

"Years ago they liked the big booming voices for guys. These days, if you can do multiple styles and really know how to bring copy to life naturally you'll be a success."

Tom Cassidy-Voice Over Talent since 1986
Listen to Tom Cassidy SunSpots Voice Over Demos

 

"It helps so much to be able to act and not just announce. When I learned that, my voice over work took off."

Kim Sanders-Voice Over Talent since 2000
Listen to Kim Sanders SunSpots Voice Over Demos

Here's the Top Ten Things You Can Do To Learn How To Do Voice Overs:

1. Study what you hear on radio, tv, the web-whatever you hear read aloud. Listen to it critically.
2. Practice reading out loud. Read billboards aloud when you're driving. Read text out loud at home.
3. Using your closed captioning and a vcr/dvr/Tivo record tv commercials for review.
4. Transcribe recorded tv commercials and read those aloud along with the original voice over.
5. Record yourself reading those commercials.
6. Listen to playback of your recording and listen critically. Does it sound anything like the original voice?
7. Talk to working voice talent and have them evaluate the recording.
8. Send your recording to a studio and ask for an evaluation and advice.
9. Keep practicing recording your voice with different commercials and voice styles.
10. PRACTICE MORE and read up on the subject. SunSpots now offers a couple dozens books/cds for sale specializing in how to do voiceovers and become a working voice talent.

You can also take classes for learning how to do voice overs. Pick a class that is selective in who they chose as students. It's very important to choose your voiceover instruction wisely. If you have a strong dialect you'll have to learn how to remove that, which will take a few years to have it removed completely. Classes are a great way for some to get a jumpstart into this lucrative career. Search the web for voice over classes and you may find something in your area. You should also visit voiceover talent bulletin boards and voiceover resource sites that give tips and advice to those starting out in the voice acting business.

When you think you're ready to pursue the voice over career follow these 10 steps to voice talent success:

1. Send your demo out to EVERYONE that accepts free-lance voice talent demos.
2. Beware of companies who want you to be exclusive to them without a guarantee of payment or salary. There are actually still studios out there that require you to be exclusive to them preventing you from working. You want to be available to everyone so why exclude yourself? Remember that the more you work the more you enhance your voice over skills.
3. Complete auditions as requested including labeling your files as the studio or agent requests. Don't add introductions or comments beyond what the studio wants you to do for labeling of your audition.
4. Be early for your sessions. Be courteous, cheerful, helpful, thrifty...hey, wait a minute...that's the boy scout code. But you get the idea. The bottom line is simply to be a professional voice talent.
5. Do not call the studios or agents asking why you are or are not working. Keep doing auditions and sending out demos. Keep moving forward.
6. Insure your demos are up to date. For example, if you're a child talent and your voice changes get a new voice over demo made. Same concept for adults applies. You should always be adding material to your demo. Here's a special note about SunSpots and demos: Send us your best work regularly because we take snippets of those cuts and add them to our exclusive EZCast™ search engine. The more snippets you send in to SunSpots, the more chances you have of getting more voice over work.
7. Keep good records of the work you've done. Find an accountant to take care of all things financial. Software such as Quickbooks and MYOB can help if you want to manage your own financial affairs.
8. Ask the studios for copies of your spots. They may not be able to do it right away, but a good studio or agent that wants to see you succeed will give you copies of your recordings. Beware of those that do not. Also realize that sometimes the studio may not be allowed to release a copy of the work you've done due to the client's confidentiality request.
9. Let the studio or agent know in advance when you're on vacation or off for any reason. It's always a good idea to send them notice of your vacation or holiday schedule well in advance.
10. Make sure that all your voice over booth equipment works and that you understand its operation. That means everything from microphone, amplifier, board, mixer, computer, email system all the way down to the fax machine. Remember that this is a business and you are a professional voice talent.

Good luck!