I never thought I would be a voiceover artist. I didn't even know that normal people could get paid to do voiceovers. Friends would say things like, "You have a calm voice" or "You sound like a narrator," but that was the only thing that connected me to it. I always thought it was nice, but I never thought much of it.
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That changed one night when I found a thread online where someone said they made money on Fiverr by recording podcast intros. I clicked out of curiosity and ended up in a rabbit hole that led me to a side job that now pays me more than $1,000 a month. I was already working full-time and trying to save money at the time. I needed a side job that didn't cost anything up front, require me to travel, or require me to meet clients in person.
Something calm, creative, and adaptable. Voiceover work met all the requirements. I decided to give it a try without any expectations, just out of curiosity. At first, I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't have a microphone, I had never edited audio before, and I didn't feel like I could call myself a "voice actor." But I did have one thing going for me: I was open to learning.
I would read scripts out loud for 30 to 45 minutes every night after work. I would record myself on my phone and then listen to it again, cringing at how strange I sounded. My voice was flat. I hurried through the lines. I breathed too loudly. It wasn't fun, but it showed me exactly what I needed to fix. I didn't buy expensive equipment or take voice lessons; instead, I focused on doing things over and over. I found sample commercial scripts on the internet and recorded several versions of each one.
I'd listen to them again, write down where I messed up, and do them again. As time went on, I learnt to speak more clearly, take my time, and be confident when I spoke. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. I didn't mean to sound like Morgan Freeman. I just wanted to sound clear, natural, and real. I started looking for jobs once I felt somewhat sure of myself. I made profiles on Fiverr and Upwork, uploaded a few recordings, and applied for small jobs like making short ads, explainer videos, and voicemail greetings. I got paid $15 for my first job.
A man needed a voiceover for a tutorial for his mobile app. I recorded it in my closet with a $40 Fifine mic I bought, edited it with Audacity, which is free software, and sent it back within 24 hours. He gave me a tip and a 5-star review. That one job got me going. After that, I kept making my setup better. I bought a better microphone when I had enough money, added a foam pop filter, and used pillows and blankets to cut down on echo.
I wasn't trying to make it perfect; I just wanted to make sure the audio was clear and usable with good timing. Customers liked that. I wasn't the best voice in the room, but I was dependable, easy to work with, and quick. I quickly learnt that being consistent is more important than having a wide range. I didn't try to sound like different characters or accents. Instead, I focused on what worked best for me: calm, professional narration.
That niche turned out to be very profitable. That kind of voice is needed by small businesses, YouTubers, e-learning sites, and podcasters. Once I made it clear that I was an expert in that tone, I started getting more steady work. I also made short demo reels that showed off my voice in different ways, like in ads, audiobooks, and tutorials. That helped clients quickly understand what I could do without having to guess. My income didn't go up right away. In the first month, I made about $90.
In month two, it was closer to $220. But by the fifth month, I had made more than $1,000. The work got bigger. Some customers came back every week. People told me about it. I began to offer simple upsells, such as syncing the voiceover with the video, adding background music, or breaking the file up into parts. These extras only took a few minutes, but they added $15 to $30 to each job.
One client even paid me $200 to voice the whole intro to his online course. I grew by treating every little job like a big one. I delivered quickly. I followed the directions exactly. I always asked if they wanted to make any changes. That dependability brought in repeat business, which kept my monthly income steady. I also stopped taking jobs that didn't fit with the way I sing. It's a trap to try to be everything to everyone.
It's better to be known for one thing and do it well. I did make mistakes, of course. I sent in recordings with background noise that I didn't hear until after they were delivered. Some files were too quiet or not edited well. I learnt the hard way that clients expect high-quality work, even if you're new. After a few awkward changes, I got into the habit of listening to every recording in my headphones before sending it.
I also learnt how to set clear limits on things like turnaround times, revision limits, and file formats so that things didn't get messy. I'm glad I didn't wait until I had the best tools or training. I would still be wondering what could have happened if I had waited.
Voiceover work turned out to be the best side job I've ever had, with the least amount of risk and the most reward. I work by myself, when I want to, with no inventory, shipping, ads, or noise from the outside world. It's just me, a microphone, a laptop, and a lot of willpower. Even though I've raised my rates and cut back on smaller jobs, this side job still pays my bills.
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Some months it pays the rent. At other times, it pays for emergencies or savings. It gave me confidence more than anything else. It showed me that you don't have to be the best to get paid. All you have to do is start, keep going, and care about what you do. There might be something to it if people have ever said nice things about your voice.
But even if they haven't, think about this: is there a skill you use every day that someone else might pay for? You don't need a studio to get started. You don't have to be perfect. Start with what you have and make it better from there.
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