During the pandemic, voiceover work has become a consistent resource for me to generate revenue.
From VO auditions for social media ads to lead roles in Netflix dramas, I’ve been able to secure some incredible work from the comforts of my own home; made entirely possible from my own equipment, too! Yes, I’ve had to spend a decent amount of money on microphones and other things to get started, but aside from quality gear, a valuable tool that’s been completely free for me to use has been my digital audio workstation (DAW).
Your DAW is basically the software you use to record your voiceovers, edit them, and then export them as an MP3 or WAV file. Now, you could go out and spend hundreds of dollars on an application like Adobe Audition or Logic Pro X, but really, all you need is a simple, free platform that allows you to record clean audio in your own space. Once again, quality mics and other audio equipment play a huge role in the overall success of your VO work, but your DAW helps centralize the sound and package it in the best way possible for clients.
That said, here are 2 of the best free software options you can use to edit your voiceovers with ease:
1. Audacity
A problem that voiceover artists always run into is the compatibility between their gear and their computer’s operating system. Nowadays, it feels like you have to be either team Mac or team Windows, but with Audacity, you get a free DAW that’s easy to use with your setup of choice.
For instance, if I get a VO audition for a radio commercial, all I need to do is turn on my microphone, open up Audacity and start a new audio recording. I can easily choose the source of my audio, the type of format I want it saved in, and then I just hit “record.” In the DAW, you can see the audio data recording on the screen, and you can quickly stop the recording to make cuts, change levels, record to a click track—whatever you need to make the file perfect.
Another cool feature about Audacity is that it’s a multi-track audio editor that lets you stack recordings on top of each other. For me, I record a ton of guitar and vocals at home, so using Audacity has been instrumental (pun intended) in creating demo tracks, music samples for pitches, and even scoring some of my own film projects.
Audacity has always been free software to use, and the company behind is proud to offer its services to creators looking for a useful, affordable solution.
You can click here to download Audacity now! There are also a ton of free YouTube videos online to learn how to use the software if you’re having any trouble.
2. GarageBand
Audacity is a superb all-around DAW for a variety of users, but if Apple is your brand of choice—or you do a lot of work directly form your iPhone—GarageBand is a perfect, free solution for VO work.
GarageBand comes as a stock app already installed on the iPhone or Mac lineup of computers. A lot of people may assume that it’s used to make music or create beats (which you can do), but the recording features for audio are pretty sophisticated. Think of GarageBand as a free version of Logic Pro X (around $300 to download). With it, you can set up multiple audio tracks, record directly from your microphone, and have access to certain post-audio features like EQ mixing, gain controls, and reverb effects.
Another cool feature of GarageBand, too, is that you can play around with a variety of free instruments that are already downloaded in the system. If you ever want to experiment with singing vocals or making low-fi beats to accompany your podcasts or VOs, you can choose from several instrument sounds and manipulate them with your keyboard or external instrument plug-ins, like a MIDI board or USB piano, guitar, etc.
When you’re done, all you need to do is save the audio file or track and export is as an MP3 or WAV file. Simple.
As I mentioned before, GarageBand is only available to Apple users, so there is a bit of a caveat to consider. On the other hand, as far as free options go for recording, this one’s pretty hard to beat.
Start Promoting Your VO Gigs on Fiverr
With a DAW that’s right for you, you can easily start promoting your VO gigs on Fiverr in just a few minutes.
Let clients know that you have all the tools you need to create compelling VO content for them. And as your client list grows, you can start investing more into top-notch gear and software to expand your offerings. However, if you’re just getting started or you’re looking for a low-maintenance program to hit the ground running, these 2 software options are an ideal choice.
To learn more about VO work on Fiverr or to see what other freelancers are selling, click here to explore the platform!
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