What steps do i need to take in order to become a voice actor?

Here is a basic article with the steps.

One caveat. These days there is a trend to use famous people for voiceover work. Big name actors like John Travolta, Cameron Diaz, etc. are getting the lion’s share of leading voiceovers.

one of the most important things is that you can use your voice all day long without getting sore throat.

Welcome to Fluther! There are all different levels of voice over work. You can make a very very good living with out ever going near a major film.

@ragingloli made a good point. Making sure you don’t shred your voice is key. That and @Marina‘s article should be a great start.

Your voice depends on muscles, so like any muscle it needs exercise to be strong.
We had voice classes in school and much of it was about learning to relax the next, and the muscles around it.
1.
One exercise that I have been taught recently that has been really helpful is a slow sun-salutation like warm up. Stand parallel, feet shoulder width apart.

Inhale, raise your arms.
Exhale – slowly bend over to touch your toes (or however much you can do so). What’s important here is that you feel the connection in your airway. Keep your throat and mouth open as breathe out with your mouth, and let your hands travel a large arc in front of you on the way down.

Inhale- roll up back to the hands-up position (if it’s helpful bend your knees and curl your spine up);
Exhale – Bend over again, and then in the same motion, gently drop to all fours.

Inhale- leading with the head, come to a cobra pose
Exhale – Bring your butt to your heel into child’s pose

Inhale; exhale – rest
Inhale – keeping head down, return to the bent over pose.
Inhale – roll up bringing your hands up
Exhale – bring your hands down to a gentle “prayer” (palms together) in front of your chest.

Repeat this cycle, keeping your movements as slow as you can make it. Make sure you coordinate the movement with your breathing, and exhale completely. So you have to push the air gently up from your lungs.
Then, on the third cycle, on the exhale/cobra vocalise a “WAWWWW” (rhymes with “all”), full open throat. Just let the voice come out and fill the room, keep the throat relaxed and don’t push it. It’ll get stronger. Rather, pay attention to the resonators / the feeling of vibration on top of your head, and back. When you are out of breath, continue the cycle, as many times as you like.

This exercise is great for building a strong voice. Recently I’ve been teaching, and it’s made a huge difference in being able to project for long periods of time. It’ll also make your voice sound more resonant and full.

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If people are interested I’ll post other voice exercises; it seems like what you want to do is also work on your range, and practice imitating as many voices as you can.

Last note to do with voiceovers – the first time you come into contact with whoever is hiring you (whether on the phone or face to face), they will be listening to the quality of your voice. So don’t just think “it’s just a phone call to set up a meeting”, you’re already making an impression. It’s true with any job interview but in this case you should be particularly attentive to the impression your voice is making.

Call your local recording studio. I don’t know where you live. NYC and LA have voice acting schools and so on, but if you don’t live in one of those areas, a recording studio near you may have more info and if you can swing it, perhaps someone could produce a demo for you. After all, someone has to do the local ads. Here’s some scripts to practice on. Click on any category. Here is what voice over work sounds like today. Just scroll over the types listed on that page, pick an actor on the following page and listen.

By the way, a pal of mine just had an audition last week and she told me that the trend today is going with a natural read. Don’t try to sound like an “announcer” or any of that “Voice of God” or “Mother Nature” stuff. Those days are long gone.

Thanks, I do have a natural voice. I went to a talent agency out in Ut, last Nov, and they really liked what I had to offer, but they wanted me to take classes with them, and if I had the money to do it right then and there, I would have.