As far as voice acting goes, there’re a few questions aspiring voice actors often ask. From what equipment to use to what to include on your demo, the questions surrounding the initial steps of voice over submissions are seemingly endless. One question that often stands out, however, is where is the best place to live for voice over submissions. While there’s no plain answer, some cities may yield better results than others. Not only that, but some jobs may even allow you to work from home, but we’ll address that later.
Located in a hot spot for voice over work and other media projects, Creative Media Design in NYC works with countless brands and voice over talents to help them achieve each of their goals: quality narration and voice work, respectively. Though we do most of our business here in the Big Apple, we actually work with a variety of talent and brands across the country. Having said that, let’s take a look at the best cities for voice over submissions in North America.
Top 5 Cities for Voice Over Submissions
While plenty of voice actors manage to find work from their own home studios, it still pays off to live in a city where the voice over industry is thriving. You see, many production companies would rather have all the voice over work recorded in one studio to ensure consistent sound throughout. In short, many voice over studios are found near production studios. With this, you may consider the move to one of the cities to follow, however, you must remember this is a competitive industry and simply living in a thriving city won’t result in VO jobs piling up. Regardless, take a look at the top cities for voice over submissions below:
Los Angeles: When it comes to voice over for the entertainment industry, LA is the mecca. While movies, TV shows, and video games will be your best bet, the city really has jobs in every discipline. However, the competition is just as thick as the job selection.
Vancouver: To cut production costs, many companies take their work to Vancouver. This has made the city a great place for VO gigs.
Dallas: The Lone Star state has long been the place for animation voice over work, namely Houston and Dallas. In more recent years, most of the work has transitioned into Dallas, making it the best place around for animation voice over.
New York City: Of course, New York City boasts plenty of opportunity for the aspiring voice actor. Due to the prominence of theatre here, many actors end up finding voice over work after spending time in theatre. Still, NYC is a great place for voice over submissions in general. Plus, CMD is here!
San Francisco: For the most part, San Francisco’s voice over industry is focused heavily on industrials, video games, and commercials, considering the city’s proximity to Silicon Valley and Los Angeles.
What About ISDN and Source Connect?
As mentioned, not all successful voice actors need to live in a big city to land great jobs. Through the use of their own home studio and either ISDN or Source Connect, plenty of actors are able to make a decent living from the comfort of their home. While this can be ideal, the initial costs of a recording studio can be hefty. And, like we said before, many production companies will prefer to have their voice actors record in one place to ensure consistency. In essence, it all really comes down to the path you’d like to take. For films and TV shows, you’ll probably need to be in the studio. For narration and similar disciplines, a home studio may suffice.
Submit Your Voice to CMD
If you think you’ve got what it takes to become a voice actor, or you’re already there, you can try your luck with us here at CMD. While we boast a state-of-the-art recording studio in the heart of NYC, we can also work via ISDN and Source Connect.
If you’re looking for VO work, consider filling out our new talent form. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to give us a call at 212.213.9420.
