11 Easy Business Ideas to Make Money With Your Voice From Home (2024)
Gone are the days when the only way to make money with your voice was through years of acting lessons and booking time in a professional studio. It’s never been easier to get started in voiceover than it is right now.
All you need is a basic mic (a USB mic will do fine to get started with, despite what the “Experts” will tell you!), a room in your home with good acoustics and sound isolation, a laptop, a set of headphones and the free audio recording and editing software Audacity.
Chances are you already own these items. If not you can purchase every thing you need to get started for well under $500 and start a backyard business with your voice talents from your own home.
Already done all that?
Let’s diver right into 10 easy business ideas to make money with your voice from Home.
1| Audiobook Narration
If you’re an avid reader and you have a great voice, audiobook narration may be the perfect platform to get started in voicework. ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange ) makes it easy for anyone to get started in the industry. All you have to do is sign up, create a profile, upload some audio samples and start auditioning!
Don’t worry if you’re starting with zero experience.
Head over to Project Gutenberg to find a variety of public domain books you can read from to create audio samples.
If you’d like a little extra practise before starting on ACX, consider signing up as a volunteer at Librivox. This amazing organization is a network of volunteers working together to read and record public domain books, which are then made available for free as audiobooks through their growing online catalog.
I know it works.
Librrivox was the platform I used to launch my own audiobook career. I’m now a successful narrator of audiobooks available on Audible and other platforms. If you want some further inspiration, feel free to check out my audiobook narrator profile page!
2| Commercial Voiceover
Ever listen to the radio on a car ride, a commercial comes on and you think to yourself I could do a way better job than that! If so, commercial voiceover work may be ideal for you.
There are a variety of ways to get started in this field using platforms such as:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Voices.com
- Bodalgo
- Freelancer
- Voice Bunny
If you’re hesitating to get started because of a lack of experience, why not create some of your own samples to use on profiles for these sites? You can write your own short commercial scripts, record them and upload them to your chosen platform to get started.
Here’s an example of one I created myself when I first started for inspiration:
Automotive Radio Commercial Sample
3|Animation Voiceover
Think about some of your favorite cartoons as a kid — each one was created by a voice actor. If you’ve got a gift for creating fun and interesting character voices this could be you!
There are many platforms you can join to start spreading the word about your talents in animation voice-over, but Voices.com is one of the best for this type of work.
Keep in mind this is a very specialized way to make money with your voice so it might be a little tougher to get started right away voicing your favorite cartoon characters.
It might be a good idea to start by seeking out opportunities for voice narration work in the children’s books sector. That way you can practice your character voices and gain some experience before spreading your wings!
4| E-Learning Narration
Another great way to turn your voice into income is through E-learning narration. This might include corporate training videos, voiceovers for product training, online lesson narration for just about every subject under the sun and the list goes on.
Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are a great way to get started with E-learning. Once you get your self established with these sites you’ll be ready to move up to higher quality sites such as Voices, Voice123, Bunny Studio and VOPlanet to name a few.
5| Podcast Hosting
If you’re anything like me you have a few favorite podcasts that keep you coming back for more. What’s the secret to growing an audience in the podcasting sector? Well having a captivating voice is a great place to you. If that’s you, you’re already halfway there!
There are several platforms that make it easy to monetize your vocal skills podcasting from the comfort of your own home. The following all have free plans that will allow you to try it out and find out if podcasting is really your calling:
6| Faceless Youtube Channel
If you’ve made a conscious decision to stay away from Youtube because you’re camera shy, why not start a Faceless Youtube channel?
You can pick any topic you like for your channel, but if you’re not sure here are some popular topic ideas you can use for inspiration to start your faceless Youtube channels:
- True Crime Stories
- History Lessons and Interesting Facts
- Science 101
- Meditation — Relaxing Scenes with Voiceover
- Top 10 Lists on Trending Topics
7| TikTok Voiceover
TikTok is easily the fastest growing social media channel these days and a great way to build a voice acting career. You can use it to highlight your amazing voice skills and cover your favorite topics on your channel.
While monetizing on TikTok can be tricky, it is possible. As you’re channel grows you can seek out brand partnerships, use affiliate marketing and showcase your talents for potential customers that might be watching.
8| Audio for The Visually Impaired
Another rewarding way to start a voice acting career is by narrating audio for the visually impaired. There are many charitable organizations that are always looking for volunteers to record audiobooks and educational material for visually impaired individuals. You gain valuable experience and get to help those in need as well. That’s a win win. Here are a few sites you can checkout for further information:
- American Foundation for the Blind
- National Federation of the Blind
- World Blind Union
- Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies
- Voices for All Initiative
9| Company Automated Voice Systems
Yes I’ve mentioned volunteer work as a way to start your voiceover career a couple of times now, but there’s a good reason for that — it works!
If you’re interested in Company Automated Voice Systems start by looking up the major charitable organizations operating in your local area. Chances are more than a few of them will happily let you volunteer your voice for their automated systems.
You could also reach out to small businesses and clubs as well. There’s no shortage of organizations that are willing to accept volunteer help.
10| Gaming Voiceover
Did you know their are actors that have made a lucrative career from working in the gaming voiceover field?
Yep. It’s true.
Somebody has to be the voice of your favorite video game characters, why not you?
You’ll have to be a bit creative to break through in this competitive genre. Consider volunteering your services for smaller indie game companies to get some experience.
It’s also a good idea to create a demo reel to showcase your talents and get the word out on social media.
11| Language Learning Voice Work
Last, but not least is the language learning voice field. If you’re fluent in more than one language this can be a great way for you to create income with your voice. There are dozens of services that focus on language learning such as Duolingo and Babbel.
The best way to make money with your voice is to just get started! As we’ve outlined above there are countless opportunities waiting for you to start your solopreneur journey as a voice talent today!.
