GLOBAL LANGUAGE SERVICES

What kind of a future is in store for voice overs and the language services industry? Quite a bright one indeed according to the research published by the experts at Voices.com, revealing that $10.9 billion was spent in 2008 on language services and voice recording, an industry that is expected to grow by 7.5% to $11.7 billion in 2009.

Alongside rising sales for MP3 players, mobile phones and gaming consoles, the demand for voice acting in podcasts, audiobooks and video games has naturally increased as a result, becoming even more relevant to everyday consumers as the applications soar in popularity and reach new market demographics.

INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Voice talent, agents, casting directors and unions face a changed environment. The convergence of media and technology, combined with the fragmentation and personalization of media, is affecting all industry players in unprecedented ways.

• Voice Talent, Voice Actors, Narrators
• Voice Over Coaches, Instructors and Trainers
• Audio Engineers and Producers
• Voice Over Agents, Talent Agencies & Casting Directors
• Unions and Industry Associations
• Online Marketplaces

Voice Talent and Voice Actors

A voice actor is the producer of the creative vocal work that is recorded and used for a variety of applications including commercials for radio, television, telephone, podcasts, audio books, video games and more.

Voice Over Coaches and Instructors

A voice over coach is a person who is either a teacher of voice, instructor of voice acting, or has extensive practical experience working as a professional voice actor who applies their knowledge and methodology through the teaching of their craft.

Audio Engineers and Producers

An audio engineer is a person who is highly skilled in the field of audio production, including recording, editing, mixing and mastering. As an audio engineer, this person is usually employed by a larger recording studio or can also be a freelance producer who works independently, running their own production studio.

Voice Over Agents and Talent Agencies

A voice over agent is a person who promotes and represents a voice actor, presenting their voice over work for consideration when a job that the voice actor is suited for becomes available. An agent can be independent or part of a voice talent agency that operates similarly to a quintessential talent agency, meaning a company that employs several people as agents to build a brand and manage a variety of talent, not just voice actors.

Casting Directors

A casting director, specifically a voice over casting director, is someone who has an ear for picking the best candidate for a particular job. It is the responsibility of the casting director to "cast" the right person in a role for a client who usually has little interest, ability, or lacks the confidence to "pick" the right voice to represent their company, project, or brand.

Unions

A union is a governing body that regulates terms of employment for their customers. Unions may take action on the behalf of their clients in cases where agreements are breached. A voice actor pays union dues or fees to be affiliated with a union in order to receive particular services, benefits, or opportunities exclusive to the union. While some unions have an open door policy allowing anyone to join so long as they meet membership fee requirements, there are other unions that are "invitation only" or other criteria. Being part of the union is not mandatory and there are more non-union voice actors in the world than there are unionized voice actors.

Online Marketplaces

A voice over marketplace is a location, typically based online, where voice actors can feature their voices and audition for job opportunities to acquire voice over work. As the term "marketplace" implies, portals that perform this function connect buyers and sellers, for the purposes of this article, buyers and sellers of voice over services. Voice over marketplaces serve both the buyer and seller, and in some instances, facilitate communications and or transactions between the two. As a voice over marketplace consolidates both talent and job opportunities, it is an integral part of any voice actors marketing efforts as well as the most convenient and effective source for clients to find voice actors and buy their services.

Clients

Clients who purchase voice over services can be from any industry, country, and speak a variety of languages. Since the need for audio production is universal as well as the need for voice overs, the global market of clients creates an enormous demand for voice actors who provide quality voice over recordings to represent their company, organization, or event.