If you want to make voice over demos, you should typically begin by developing and refining your voice through a great deal of practice and possibly by working with a voice coach. You should listen to other demos on the Internet and listen to voice work on the radio, television, and in other media to learn what works and what does not. Once you are ready to record some voice over demos, you should rent time at a studio to record your demos or create a home studio.
Recording voice over demos is one of the most important aspects of finding work in the voice over industry. Since your demos represent you and your abilities to agents and casting directors, you should make your demos as polished and professional as possible. This typically begins with a great deal of practice to ensure you can use your voice in every way you want. You should listen to other people’s voice over demos to have a sense of what works well, and what does not, so you can make your demos as strong as possible.
Depending on your experience and background in voice over work, you may also want to work with a professional voice coach or a school to help you record your demos. This is not absolutely necessary, though it can often improve the voice work of those who attend such programs. Regardless of whether you use a coach or not, however, you should practice extensively and try to focus your talents in a particular industry. Record yourself creating practice voice over demos for fields such as advertising, radio broadcasting, and character voicing, and then listen to your recordings objectively and critically to improve your talents.
Once you feel sufficiently prepared to record your voice over demos, then you should either record in a home studio or rent time at a professional studio. While a home studio can be designed and prepared for a relatively reasonable cost, you may find it easier and advantageous to work with a professional engineer in a studio. You should have a script and practice extensively before recording in a studio, however, as you usually pay per hour and want to get your demo finished as quickly as possible. Since the sound engineer you work with is likely to have an impact on your voice over demos, you should also talk to different engineers prior to any recording and find one you feel comfortable working with.