Home » Voice Acting Life » Voice Acting Skills » This Is Why Voice Acting Can Get Expensive! [TRAINING COSTS]

This Is Why Voice Acting Can Get Expensive! [TRAINING COSTS]

Performer Life is supported by its readers. If you buy something with our links, we may earn a commission.

Voice over professionals surround the airspace all around us. Voice overs may be spoken or read from a script. Have you ever listened to someone speak and become mesmerized at the sound of their voice or been told you have a great voice?

Someone with a vocal gift can fine tune their talent and turn it into a profitable income, but how much will training cost? Take advantage of online training and pay per course from as little as $19.99 for monthly subscriptions or pursue an acting degree which can cost up to $32,000.

How Much Does Training for Voice Over Talent Cost

The cost for voice over training varies by the class and the instructor. Lessons can start as low as $20 and reach up to the thousands depending how much time you invest in your craft. There are many online courses available with a certain number of lessons per subscription.

You know you have the talent, but where do you go from there? Why should you take classes if you already sound good?

Deciding to take more technical training will help you perfect your craft and speak in a convincing tone. You will discover the full power of your voice and fine-tune your unique sound. This will help you stand out from the crowd and be a memorable voice when auditioning for jobs.

Three Places To Find Voice Over Training Online

Udemy offers a variety of voice over training classes. Here you can focus on one area of your training at a time or on all of it and work at your own pace. There are classes from successful voice over professionals such as Peter Baker, who offers the voice-over masterclass.

Peter Baker is an accomplished voice over professional with a recognizable voice from networks such as BBC news and much more. Now,  you can learn his tips and tricks to succeed.  

The voice-over masterclass starts as low as $19.99 to $39.99 for access to 16 different courses and more, to start your career and polish your craft. Sometimes these classes will be discounted for a limited time.

Udemy is a great choice since it can easily be accessed anywhere you have the internet. The virtual classes can be downloaded on the computer or pulled up on your smartphone or tablet.  Udemy even has a mobile app for ease of access in one spot.

Better yet, it includes a 30 day money-back guarantee in case the course doesn’t suit your needs. Udemy offers multiple courses from multiple voice over professionals so you can choose the best for you.  

Skillshare is similar to Udemy, where seasoned professionals offer their knowledge to hungry students eager to learn the ropes.

You may come across many of the same teachers and courses as Udemy.

There are various teachers and courses available such as “An Introduction To The Voice Over Industry From A Voice America Recognizes.” Who is that voice exactly? It is Mike Elmore with Mike Elmorespeaks.

Mike has been a voice heard internationally in radio and popular cable TV stations such as Fox, HGTV and more. He has been in this profession for over 30 years and counting.

When taking this course through Skillshare, you have the option to start with a two month free trial. For only $15 a month or $99 annually, you can access a variety of courses.

Global Voice Academy is another option for training. You have access to specific training such as promotional or commercial training. There are many categories a voice over talent can specialize in, or you can be a jack of all trades and learn as much as you can in any category.

You can take one-on-one classes with an instructor or listen to pre-recorded webinars and more. Rates start as low as $59 per month or $599 a Year. Pay for the price of ten months with the content of 12. Members save an additional 10% off of classes and workshops!

Five Colleges That Offer Acting Degrees For Voice Over Professionals

Online courses and webinars are great, but some people do better with in person classes. There are many colleges and universities around the world and across the states with programs in voice that you can benefit from.

If you are pursuing the voice over career, acquiring a degree in art can boost your earning potential and jazz up your resume. Here are a few examples of colleges that offer an art degree and how much tuition generally will cost.

College

Location

Tuition

The Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

$24,664

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

$57,700

University of Miami

Coral Gables, Florida

$53,682

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

$35,480

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

$12,484

 

What is the Average Pay For Voice Over Work?

Many voice over professionals work as freelancers per contract. Many jobs you will find are pay per job. The employer often determines these rates. Rates can vary per market and region. Of course, experience and demand come into play as well. We will look at some examples.

Some of the highest paid forms of voice overs are animated films. Celebrities such as Ben Stiller made over $5 Million in his voice over work in the cartoon Madagascar.

Top earning voice over talent can make up to $199,000 a year. The national average in the United States is about $76,297 a year, which comes out to about $37 an hour and up.

However, in smaller areas such as Paris, Illinois voice over artists make around $67,000 annually. Those that fall into the 11th percentile of earners make about $23,000 a year.

These numbers vary greatly across the country. Experience and location play a big part in earning potential.

There are a handful of cities that rank above the national average income for voice over artists. A few examples are:

City & State

Salary

Hourly

San Mateo, CA

$98,082

$47.15

Stamford, CT

$89,294

$42.93

Brooklyn, NY

$87,172

$42.28

Lakes, AK

$86,387

$41.53

Typical Salary rate examples for voice over talent:

State

Annual Salary

Hourly

Washington

$83,790

$40.28

South Carolina

$78,160

$37.58

Texas

$68,341

$32.86

Florida

$61,326

$29.48

Do You Have What It Takes?

Everyone must self-evaluate when it comes to pursuing a career. How do you know you have what it takes to succeed in the voice over community? Check out this list for guidance.

You Must Enjoy Speaking

You must enjoy speaking and being heard. Enjoyment in the art of speaking means you are not too concerned about what others are thinking about your words, but more about the delivery of your message.

Set your focus on the creation of your words, not only the reception. You need to have high stamina in this industry and not easily get winded or burnt out from hours of long-winded reads and extensive projects.

You Must Be Computer Literate And Have The Right Equipment

In this field, you will need to be computer literate and technology savvy. If this is not the case you will want to have someone on your team who is. Many hours are spent in front of a computer to record and edit.

You will need to be able to communicate effectively and efficiently over the web and through various platforms.

You Need to Sight Read In an Easy and Accurate Manner

In the voice over profession, you will have scripts to read. You need to be able to read these scripts with ease. As you read them outloud, you need to sound natural and not robotic or overly rehearsed.

You must change your voice quickly to get certain emotions across with only your voice and the words before you.

Voice Over Artists Must Be Detail Oriented

When working with many independent contractors and different companies, you will have an array of instructions. You need to be detail-oriented and follow instructions exactly as given.

You also must be open to constructive criticism. This will help you grow as an artist and pave the road to your future with good feedback.

Voice Over Training Is A Stepping Stone To Your Future

To be a master of your craft in voice over, take advantage of every training tool you can find. Listen to the webinars, attend classes online or in person. Pursue your passion and make way for a fun and exciting career path.

Training costs start as low as $19.99 with ranges up to $55,000.The investment in your education will pay off down the road. Now is the time to follow your dreams and be the next leading voice in commercials, talk radio and more.

https://globalvoiceacademy.com/gvaa-rate-guide-2/

https://www.theartcareerproject.com.

http://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/info/voice-lessons 

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Voice-Actor-Salary

https://www.gravyforthebrain.com/what-are-the-top-voice-over-career-salaries/

https://www.collegetuitioncompare.com.