Upwork voice over actor alternative platforms and software can help you get the job done faster without compromising the quality. Try Speechify for male and female voice overs.
As an aspiring video creator, you’re likely in need of quality voice over work. Nowadays, the most common place to look for voice talent is Upwork. However, there may be better ways to create custom voiceovers. This article proposes an alternative to Upwork voice over actors.
How does Upwork function?
Upwork is the most popular freelance website in the world. You can find talent in just about any field:
- Graphic design and Adobe jobs
- Copywriting
- Excel jobs
- Music production or sound design
- Interactive voice response (IVR) services
- Transcription
- Video editor jobs
- Voice over talent Users can sign up on Upwork to hire new talent or offer their services as freelancers. You can hire talent on Upwork for full-time or part-time services. However, to hire voice over talent, you need to:
- Sign up to the platform.
- Consult with their account team for special services.
- Get your account configured if needed.
- Write your job post.
- Specify the type of project and decide between hourly vs. fixed price. Alternatively, directly message a talent specialist on Upwork for consultations.
- Post the job, search for talent, or send project invitations.
- Create a profile for your company.
These seven steps are only the beginning of the procedure related to the pre-hiring process. Here’s the overview of the next steps when you want to hire a candidate:
- Review the job proposals (often in the hundreds).
- Interview the talent you find worthy.
- Hire a person or company for the job.
Upwork takes a 5% flat fee for every project you post. The platform processes that fee when you pay the freelancer.
The entire procedure for hiring a single person as your voice over artist on Upwork is rather long and time-consuming. But then again, if Upwork is the best voice over platform, it should be worth going through all these steps, right?
But the truth is, Upwork is far from the best platform for finding voice over talent. You’re at a high risk of working with inexperienced or unprofessional voice over artists, often claiming to have years of experience. Despite promising a fast turnaround time, someone who claims to be a professional voice over artist can take much longer to return work.
Sure, there’s high talent on the platform, but their fees will likely surpass your budget.
You should be willing to pay a lot of money (and not be guaranteed excellent service) or be at risk of working with unreliable people. The silver lining is that there are better options. There is software that can create high-quality work for your voice over projects in minutes.
Using tech solutions for voice over
Text to speech (TTS) technology is an alternative solution to hiring voice over artists for your projects. The technology uses artificial intelligence, deep learning, speech synthesis, and machine learning to create quality voice overs.
Here are the use cases for TTS:
- Educational, instructional, or explainer video production (YouTube video tutorials, Vimeo videos, presentations, etc.)
- Podcasts
- E-learning platforms
- Documentary or audiobook narration
- Video game development for character voices
- Video editing
- Dubbing
- Social media and marketing promo
- Any other professional audio production and audio editing
- Text proofreading
- Any other audio content creation
You’re aware of the scope of text to speech, but you may still wonder what its advantages are for voice over use.
Firstly, TTS saves time and effort. You get to override the time-consuming hiring process of Upwork or save yourself from months of learning the skill of voice over acting.
TTS is also cost-effective. While a single voice over artist can cost you hundreds of dollars for one audio recording, you can purchase a yearly subscription for the same amount.
Text to speech is flexible as it lets you choose from different types of voices, languages, tones, or dialects. You can play with the speed and inflection to match your needs.
Finally, TTS software is consistent. You can create hundreds of voice overs using the same voice. Voice over actors may have to record one project multiple times to meet your expectations. TTS eliminates the need for multiple edits.
Speechify – the only voice over platform you’ll need
Speechify is the TTS software and voice over tool you’ll want for all your audio production needs. Speechify can read aloud any text file or document with a natural-sounding AI voice, including but not limited to:
- Microsoft Word file
- Google Docs
- PDF files
- HTML
- Emails
- Scripts
Millions of positive client reviews and even more downloads and subscriptions show that Speechify’s ease of use, accessibility, and professional voices are hard to match.
The software generates text in an mp3 or wav voice over recording you can add to videos on your YouTube channel, presentations, or video games.
Choose from different English dialects and accents (British English accent, Canadian English accent, or American English accent) and many other languages:
- Spanish
- French
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Hindi
- Russian
- Arabic
- German
Speechify lets you create female and male voice overs, but you can also create your own custom voices. Change the intonation, pitch, tone, and reading speed to make your voice over more relatable. Even the best voice-over artist couldn’t produce material with so much attention to detail!
Try Speechify for free and create your own digital home studio with minimum investment. More details are available here.
FAQ
What is the hourly rate for voiceover on Upwork?
Beginner narrators may charge around $28 per hour. Intermediate-level professionals charge $79, while advanced talent can cost $480 per hour.
Can you do voice acting on Fiverr?
Yes, Fiverr also offers voice over jobs.
What are the benefits of doing voice acting?
As podcasts, audiobooks, and other audio content are on the rise, voice actors have become more in demand. It offers a promising career that requires minimal investment but a high return.
What is the process for voice acting?
To become a voice actor, you must first work on your skills. This includes acting classes and voice coaching. Then, you proceed with defining your voice, recording a demo reel, and auditioning.
What is the difference between voice over and voice acting?
Voice over professionals often narrate audiobooks, explainer videos, documentaries, business videos, jingles, intros, and the like. Voice actors engage more in TV cartoons, ADR, puppet shows, animated movies, and foreign language dubbing.
