Tips for Voice Acting Remotely - Finding your Free with Yemmy

Even before COVID forced many people to work remotely, the idea of working independent of an office has attracted many over the years. The rise of the Digital Nomad: a person who works remotely, usually from a laptop, and does not live at one permanent address year-round; has given millions of professionals of all ages a new level of mobility and freedom.

The information in this post is based on my personal experiences. I cannot guarantee satisfaction or success from following my advice. Feel free to check out my full Terms and Conditions page linked in the footer.

What Jobs do Digital Nomads Do?

The idea of traveling the world without interrupting your income source is attractive enough for many hopefuls to ask: “How can I become a Digital Nomad?” and for those who don’t yet have the necessary remote job: “What are some Digital Nomad jobs?”

There are so many jobs that can be done from a computer such as writing, consulting, graphic design, and teaching. My personal skills and interests led me to pursue digital nomad-ism through voice acting. If you’re unfamiliar: Voice Actors provide their voice to a variety of media such as radio and television commercials, video games, animation, and audio books. Conveniently, many voice actors like myself can simply record their audio from their own computer and send it to clients from the comfort of their home. Being a voice acting digital nomad for many years has given me insight into some unique challenges that come with recording in a variety of places around the world. As such, I think I can provide some helpful tips for voice acting remotely.

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Why Voice Acting is a Great Digital Nomad Job

One of the greatest things about being a digital nomad is immersing yourself in a new culture and diving into the daily life of a foreign country. Voice acting is a fun creative job that’s not very time consuming, allowing you plenty of time to explore and enjoy your surroundings. I will advise: If you are just starting out in voice acting with no experience, remember to be patient: The majority of your time in the beginning will be spent seeking jobs rather than… doing jobs.

But once you get some experience and momentum, it’s quite rewarding! My jobs can range from a small local radio spot for $200 to a $1000+ commercial for less than a minute of audio. Across auditioning for potential jobs, recording my scripts, editing my recordings and communicating with clients: I typically work no more than 15 – 20 hours per week doing voice over, giving me a lot more freedom than a remote job with a typical “9 – 5” structure.

What You Need to Do Voice Acting Remotely

The cornerstone of most digital nomad’s vocations is of course their computer. Whether you prefer a PC or Mac, I don’t find that it matters. It is your computer into which you connect your recording equipment and also communicate with clients. You will need software to edit your audio. I have been using the free editing software: Audacity for years.

To record yourself, you will of course need a microphone. There are many different types of mics of various prices. I have been using my Audio-Technica 2020 USB microphone, a solid mid-range price, for several years with great feedback from clients. A pop filter is also helpful for voice recording. This mesh circle is positioned between your microphone and your mouth. This helps soften “plosives” or aspirated consonants like “T’s”, “P’s” and “S’s” we use in speech.

Above is a typical pop filter with a mesh circle attached to a flexible neck which you clamp to a surface to hold it in place. **Tip:** Attach your pop filter to your suitcase so you don’t damage the furniture of your temporary accommodation!

Some simple headphones will round out your audio recording needs… well, almost…

Consistent Sound Quality While Abroad

A very important part of producing good audio quality is removing/preventing echo. Your clients will not be amused if their high-end commercial sounds like it was recorded in a cave. People recording in their own homes will typically treat or “soundproof” their room with things like foam cubes attached to the walls to absorb echo. But when you are moving around frequently to various temporary accommodation such as hotels and Airbnbs, you can’t risk damaging the walls or furniture.

So, I devised a creative little way to make a cheap, portable sound-treated chamber to reduce echo wherever I travel. Did anyone else use these metal cube organizers in college? Well I had some laying around and made this:

I take four of these metal panels and attach them together with ribbons in these corners. It can then be expanded and propped up like so. The frame easily collapses to a small size that barely takes up any space in my luggage.

This makes a versatile frame over which any manner of soft lining such as a blanket can be thrown over.

Position another blanket or sheet (even a sweater or a coat) on top and I’ve created a sort of cocoon inside which I can place my computer and microphone.

And as you can see, I even fashioned a little mic stand out of books I had!

Now, this is just what I made with materials I had at hand. You could probably create something similar with a strategically cut display board or pieces of cardboard for example. It’s just a handy way to make a portable frame that you can carry wherever you go to create good sound quality in any type of space. Speaking of spaces…

Picking Good Housing and Accommodation for Voice Acting

From micro-apartments in South Korea to sunny bungalows in Mexico, I’ve had to record in a variety of spaces. There are some aspects of your environment to consider when picking a good accommodation for recording voice over.

It has to be quiet… like, really quiet. No matter how effective a sound barrier may be for removing echo from your recordings, there’s not much you can do to shield loud background noise. So steer away from booking a room directly above a bustling restaurant, right by the traffic of a busy street or an apartment with loud partying neighbors. Airbnb is convenient for finding accommodation as you can communicate directly with the host ahead of time. From asking the host directly and also carefully reading reviews, I can discern if a place is in a quiet area and if the walls are not too thin.

Another must for digital nomads in general is reliable high-speed internet. This is another one where you must use your best judgment based on the room description, the reviews and sometimes asking the host directly. Voice acting sometimes requires live direction from clients via Zoom meetings and the last thing you want is a frequently dropping connection

Consider also that the furniture must be adequate for your work area. Sometimes an Airbnb will list that it has a dedicated work space only for you to arrive and discover that the “dedicated work space”… is a tiny coffee table… So just make sure it has a decent sized desk or table to fit your recording equipment.

Another practicality to consider has to do with working with delicate electronics of any kind: humidity and extreme temperatures are not your friend… Too much moisture or extreme heat or cold can potentially damage the little inner workings of your microphone or computer. It can be so fun to stay in the unique variety of homes around the world but maybe that tree house in the rain forest with no air-conditioning is not the best place for your microphone!

Be Mindful of Your Time Zone

Being a digital nomad means that you will be in many diverse countries all around this beautiful planet. As such, you may find yourself living and working in a drastically different time zone than where most or all of your clients live. Voice acting often requires prompt revisions and adjustments to recordings. So if you are, for example in Asia, and the person you’re working with is on the other side of the world in North America, their regular office hours may be the hours that you’re asleep. So, as a courtesy, let your clients know what time zone you’re working from. I love this website for quickly comparing the time zone of multiple locations.

Working Around the World

I hope my tips for Voice Acting remotely have been helpful! Over the years, I have found it really fun and rewarding to work around the world doing voice over as a digital nomad. If you think this adventurous life in many places may be right for you, check out my list of practical travel needs and homey comforts that help me feel at home anywhere in the world. I hope you will also check out some stories of beautiful destinations my life journey has taken me to!