The voice acting trends 2021 reveal significant changes since the popularity of voice acting in the 1990s. No wonder, it keeps on growing, so keeping up with these changes is important for voice actors who desire to be successful in this business.
Besides, it’s also essential for voice talent seekers and even buyers who want to produce projects that are relevant so that they can have an impact. This article explains the key voice acting trends.
Different languages are becoming popular
The good news is that you can find more voice acting jobs that are opening up for dialects, specific accents, and different languages. There is still a high demand for English and the highest demand for non-English language happens to be Spanish when it comes to voice-over work.
While the demand is growing for different dialects, accents, and languages, English is still a top language. To get more specific, there is the greatest demand for North American English as it has no distinct accent.
One of the reasons for this rise in demand for other accents and languages is that businesses want to show a hyper-local feeling. For example, in South America, brands may connect easily with Southern customers if the voice actor has a Southern accent.
This rise may also be associated with the amount of content produced in some non-English speaking countries. You see, most of this content is designed to teach English to children who go to school. Voice seekers who are in other countries may hire voice actors to assist them to create a variety of programs, learning apps, games, toys, and other projects focused on teaching English to the world at large.
Therefore, this means voice actors with native languages and accents can benefit from these extra projects. But you need to have voice training to succeed in this industry. Also, removing any trace of accent is still important for some categories of jobs.
When it comes to voice talent buyers in English-speaking locations, perhaps the standard North American English is still the mainstay. Selecting a specific dialect or accent can connect more easily with a particular community, though it may also reduce the effectiveness of the project for the larger audience.
It’s important to make an emotional connection
Regardless of how logical you can think about your purchasing decision or how good a new product can be, emotions are usually what forces you to buy. Many marketers know this, so they capitalize on this concept by focusing on creating an emotional appeal and connection to their audience through either image, voice-overs, or print.
Ad and video campaigns are being designed to communicate and engage with the customers, rather than just talk at them. Today, many auditions choose voices that sound authentic and real or that sound not like professional voice over actors.
Hence, voice actors, especially those who are a new voice talent and intend to get into this business, can take advantage of this. This is because they may not have adopted certain habits, such as energetic deliveries or perfect pronunciations that used to be popular in the past. Remember that voices are becoming authentic and laid back, but developing a unique sound that fits a message is not as easy as it seems.
On the other hand, voice talent buyers may look for an authentic voice to make an emotional connection with the audience. But finding a voice actor who has an acting background can be a big plus when you want to get a meaningful connection with the customers. Also, finding a voice actor who can provide a wide range of vocal styles can offer you more options during the recording session.
The budget is not that important
Voice seekers are now considering beyond the budget when hiring voice actors. The ability to create an emotional connection is essential and this is what they are looking for in a voice actor. They are also looking for someone who adds personality, reflects the sound of the target audience, matches the brand voice, and sounds inspirational to the audience.
For voice actors, know that the low rates may not prevent you from getting the highest number of projects. So quality production ways, professionalism, and experience can weigh higher than low rates.
Voice talent buyers who prefer to make the budget a top priority may be missing out on some key factors competitors are looking for. Therefore, you need to know that how voice-over work is usually priced may also be a great thing. Price can vary significantly for broadcast audio as it depends on usage as well as the number and sizes of markets.
For non-broadcasting audio, you will also see that usage can also be a determining rate factor. Fees are usually calculated by either the hours worked, word count, or finished audio minutes.
Age matters
It doesn’t matter the age of voice actors as long as you can tailor your voice to match the age group the voice talent seeker is targeting. Nowadays, many voice talent seekers are focusing on millennial and Gen X generations.
So voice actors need to train their voice to align with various age groups to have a chance for work. And, it seems there is a lot of work for voice actors who have voices aligned to Millennials and Gen X. These age groups are also crucial when it comes to hiring decisions. Voice actors of any age group who may also relate to these generations can have an advantage.
For voice talent buyers, they are looking for actors with various skills. Many of them look for voice actors whose voices resonate with their target audience. They are also looking for a well-rounded voice actor for the best results no matter the age group that actor may be in.
Keeping in mind these current trends while looking for your next project can assist you to stay ahead of the competition. Just remember that it’s not a good idea to be too comfortable with any changes you make. The voice acting industry is changing rapidly, so the voice over field is going to evolve in the years to come.