Tips for Voiceover Artists from Director of Notable Voices

Mandy’s Coaching Sessions are your opportunity to gain valuable insights and advice from leading figures in the industry.

Nick Clinch is the founder of Notable Voices, London's highest-rated voicereel and voiceover studio, and he recently led a series of one-on-one sessions with several voiceover professionals on Mandy, helping them in their careers! After working in audio for 15 years - first as a touring session musician, then as a qualified audio production lecturer - Nick was then introduced to directing voiceovers and has not looked back since. Today, you’ll find Notable Voices in swanky studios in West London, working with some of London’s best voiceover agencies, household names, drama graduates and total acting novices to create long-standing and fulfilling careers in the voiceover industry.

These sessions were a chance for voiceover professionals to get advice and feedback on their voicereel and ultimately increase their chances of securing auditions and jobs!

Here are a few tips Nick gave to our members:

You should look to update your demo reels every 3-4 years.
To get started with VO for audiobooks, Nick suggests joining ACX (a free site) and posting a one minute audio every week for 14 weeks or so, with a different book each time. This will get your name known.
The length of your demo is important. In Canada and the US, demos are often around 1 minute 10 seconds, whereas in the UK they are around 1 min 30 seconds. Time is money, so clients don't want to sift through irrelevant audio. Therefore it's best to have 1 minute demos under all different categories ie: Documentary, Audiobooks, E-Learning, Character/Animation, Commercial, Promo, Corporate, Video Games etc.
Above all, character/animation demos need to be well-produced and polished. Meaning clients may want to hear it with all the bells and whistles - music, soundscape, sound effects, the works. They want to be able to hear how you would fit into their project immediately.
Make sure your website is simple to navigate and not too busy. Clients want to get to where they need to hear you in one click. Don't make them work for it or they will move on to the next candidate.
Ensure your demos are processed and mastered at a professional level - this will lift the quality of your demos to a more professional level.

Our members loved the opportunity to chat with Nick and here are a few testimonials from them:

“The session was bright and interesting, and Nick answered several queries I had. I am really grateful to have had this opportunity - thank you so much.” - Anni Davey
“This session was a fantastic experience!! Besides the fact that Nick was so down to earth and friendly, the knowledge he has and terrific suggestions he offered were priceless!! It was an amazing experience.” - Monika Burany
“The session went great. Nick listened to my demos beforehand and was ready to provide feedback immediately when the Zoom call began. Nick was great to talk with and very personable. I had a comfortable feeling of being talked with as opposed to being talked too.” - Adam D Clark
"I got a few good tips on demo length and that it should be really snappy. Thanks so much again." - Fleur Poad

Do you want to attend the next Mandy Surgery?

Mandy Surgery sessions provide an opportunity for professionals to get free one-on-one career advice from top industry professionals in the industry. These events are run exclusively for Premium Members. Keep an eye out for the next Mandy Surgery here.