Why Should Translators Consider Voiceover?

There are a number of reasons why voiceover is a good fit for many translators. Watch the video below to find out more, or read the text below the video.

4 Reasons to Consider Voiceover

Here are four reasons why voiceover might be a good idea for some translators.

1. Diversify Your Income Streams

I am a big believer in multiple income streams—not in becoming a "Jack-of-all-Trades"—but in mastering different areas of specialization. If you add voiceover to your portfolio, you are adding another income stream and have the possibility of smoothing out your revenue totals (I found that when one line of business was decreasing, another often increased).

2. Multimedia

Long-gone are the days where everything is about text. Clients will often ask you to work on multimedia files including images, links, audio, video and so on. This means that there are likely going to be more opportunities to work in voiceover, even when your main service is translation. When you are working with a translation client, there are often going to be cross-selling opportunities.

3. Already Set Up

As a freelance translator, you are already set up for voiceover, to a large degree. Sure, you may need to purchase some extra pieces of hardware (such as a microphone), but you are likely to have many other things in place (such as a computer, workspace etc.). In addition, as well as being nearly there in terms of equipment, as a freelance translator you are already prepared mentally too. Why? Well, because the freelance nature of translation work is very similar to how the voiceover market works. You will be used to working on your own, quoting jobs, carrying out the job, invoicing and so on. So the difference when diversifying from translation into voiceover is going to be small when compared to, say, a full-time employee who works in an office.

4. Confidence

Whether you go on to become a full time voice actor, or simply employ voiceover services as another string to your languages-services bow, I can guarantee you that pursuing voiceover will increase your confidence. You will become more confident in speaking and that will help you whatever path you should decide to take: voiceover, training, presenting or anything else that is voice-related! 

 

My Voiceover Journey

To find out a bit more about how I, as a translator, got started in voiceover, click on the video below or read the text below the video.

My First Voiceover Job

I'd just like to share a little bit of my voiceover journey and how it relates to translation. In fact, my very first voiceover job came from a translation because I translated a document. And I was talking to the client about that particular document. The client said, "Well, actually, I need someone to voice the document to read the document to record the document. Do you know anyone who could do it?" I replied "Well, I could do it". And he sort of looked at me and I looked at him, and we were in a studio at the time. He basically, let me go for it. So I read the document, I recorded the the audio. And that's how I got started, he seemed to like it.

From there, really, I started to open my eyes to what was possible. I talked to other translation clients.  Over the years, I've had many a good number of translation clients who have also required voiceover services. And I've also had standalone voiceover clients. So it's, it's been a combination and it's been quite a learning curve.

At the beginning, I really didn't have a clue what I was doing. That very first job, I think it turned out just about okay, but I really didn't know what I was doing. I had no idea about where to position myself in terms of the microphone, I had no idea what to do with the headphones and what I was supposed to be doing - whether I was supposed to be listening to myself or not, I really had no idea. And somehow I got through it.

Over the years, I started to learn more about it and study more. Many times I would be hired by a client and I would go to a studio where there was an editor. I would simply do the voice recording and the sound engineers would would take care of everything else, I really didn't get involved in that part. Over time, I learned how to edit, I learned how to really do my own voiceovers from from start to finish. So I'm actually recording my voice and also editing them and downloading them in a format that's going to be suitable for the client.

After I'd learned how to edit or while I was learning to edit, I started to set up my my home studio with some really, really basic equipment at the beginning. And a basic USB microphone. So I've, I've moved on a little bit from there now. But I had a very simple studio set up that that worked at the beginning. And you can do it too. So it's it's not difficult to get started, you don't have to invest $1,000s of dollars to get started, you can set up a simple studio, something that works and something that's going to allow you to get work.

The other thing I'd say about translators in general, is that translators tend to be very good at reading. And this is something that you might not associate with voiceover. But actually part of the skill that you need is in is in reading the script and being able to look a little bit ahead and to see the next few words or the next line. I think translators have a natural knack of that after after having read so many documents and I think a lot of people who aren't translators struggle with that even if they have a good a good voice and a good setup and so on. So that's something that can really help you, your ability at reading documents and reading documents quickly almost scanning a document and and then delivering your your voiceover.

So that's that's a couple of things I'd encourage you to keep in mind. I'd love to hear what you have to say about all this. How do you think it relates to your potential voiceover career? If you have any questions, let me know. I'd love to hear from you.

The Voiceover Podcast

An Introduction to Voiceover for Translators and Interpreters

In this podcast episode, I talk about why translators might want to go into voiceover. 

In addition, I give a brief overview of microphones and how to set up a home studio. If you are looking to select a microphone and set up a recording space that works, then these tips should help you to get started!

Click on the link below to listen to the audio (this podcast episode is also available on iTunes, Spotify and other major podcast platforms.

https://anchor.fm/proz/episodes/An-Introduction-to-Voiceover-for-Translators-and-Interpreters-epqpsa

An Introduction to Voiceover for Translators and Interpreters

If you are interested in finding out more about voiceover, setting up a home studio, improving your voice, how to get voiceover jobs and more, then you might be interested in ProZ.com's eLearning course "An Introduction to Voiceover for Translators and Interpreters."

It's completely self-paced, and includes several voice assignments on which you will receive tailored feedback.

To find out what the course looks like "on the inside", view the video below.

To purchase the course, click on the orange button below the video.

 

voiceover for translators and interpreters

Learn More About The Course

Voiceover Jobs at ProZ.com

Take a look at the voiceover jobs currently available posted at ProZ.com

Voiceover Jobs at ProZ.com

Hire Voice Actors at ProZ.com

ProZ.com is the world's largest community of professional translators and also home to many great voiceover talents from around the globe. If you are looking to hire a voice talent, in any language, click below to post a job.

voiceovers in many different languages

Find Your Voice with the ProZ.com Voiceover Course

The ProZ.com course "An Introduction to Voiceover for Translators and Interpreters" will help you get started in voiceover. The course covers everything from setting up a home studio to finding voiceover jobs, and is designed specifically for translators and interpreters who want to add voiceover to their portfolio of services.

Voiceover Course