512: Getting Paid to Talk: $4500 a Month Voiceover Acting
Jun 16, 2022
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Dom and Nicole Draper, professional voiceover artists, share how they turned their voices into a monthly income stream worth thousands. They discuss getting their first gigs, scaling up their business, and raising their prices. They also highlight the broader tactics you can apply to your own side hustle.
Starting with affordable equipment and gradually upgrading helps ensure good sound quality and efficient editing for auditions.
Perseverance, reaching out to people, and continuous learning are key to growing a voiceover business.
Having a well-designed website, charging what you're worth, and networking are important for success in the voiceover industry.
Deep dives
Starting a voiceover business as a couple
Dom and Nicole Draper started their voiceover business together as a married couple, combining Dom's broadcast background with Nicole's acting skills. They got their first gigs on Fiverr and gradually scaled up their business.
Equipment and editing for voiceover work
Dom and Nicole initially used affordable microphones for their voiceover work, with Dom using a 15-year-old AKG Perception 120 microphone, while Nicole upgraded to a Sennheiser 416. They emphasized the importance of having good sound quality and the ability to edit audio quickly and efficiently for auditions.
Expanding client base and working with agents
Dom and Nicole developed a marketing strategy to find clients by reaching out through platforms like Fiverr, via social media, and even directly emailing marketing agencies. They also connected with a VO manager who provided them with regular auditions from various casting directors and agencies.
Importance of Perseverance and Community Support
The podcast episode highlights the importance of perseverance and the support of the voiceover community. The hosts share their journey of working 40-hour jobs and doing voiceover work at night, realizing the potential of their earnings through platforms like Fiverr. They emphasize the need for perseverance in growing their business, reaching out to people, and continuously learning. The hosts also express gratitude for the voiceover community's support, mentioning how fellow professionals have mentored and guided them along the way. They stress the importance of giving back to newcomers and getting involved in the community to learn from others.
Tips for Success in the Voiceover Industry
The podcast episode provides valuable tips for success in the voiceover industry. The hosts discuss the significance of having a well-designed website that is easy to navigate for agents and clients. They emphasize the importance of charging what you're worth and not underselling yourself. Additionally, they highlight the importance of networking and building relationships in the industry. The hosts discuss how networking has been instrumental in their own success and encourage listeners to reach out to others, ask questions, and learn from experienced professionals. They also mention the value of partnering with platforms like Fiverr and voices.com to access a wider range of voiceover opportunities.
Your voice has value — both figuratively, and maybe even literally.
To prove this point, I’m joined on the show this week by a side hustling couple who have turned their voices into an income stream worth thousands of dollars a month.
Dom and Nicole Draper from TheVoiceoverCouple.com are multi-award winning voice over artists - they get paid to talk.
As professional voice over artists, they’ve done all kinds of interesting jobs and worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Nike, Netflix, and Adobe.
In this episode they share how they went from hustling on Fiverr outside of their 9-5, to working with voice over agents and agencies and turning this into a full-time business.
Tune in to The Side Hustle Show interview to hear:
how Dom and Nicole got their first voiceover gigs
how they scaled up their business and raised their prices
the broader tactics you can apply to your own side hustle