If people have ever told you that you have a great voice, you might be surprised to know that you can actually make money from it. Your voice is a valuable tool that can help you earn a good income!
Whether you have a lovely singing voice or a great way of speaking, there are many ways to make money with your voice. The best part is that you can often do these jobs from home, as long as you have the right equipment and a good internet connection.
Here are some of the best ways to earn money using your voice and tips for starting out in the industry.
1. Create a Meditation YouTube Channel
Guided meditation means listening to someone’s voice as they lead you through the meditation. Many people find this method more helpful than trying to meditate by themselves.
If you have a calming voice, think about starting a YouTube channel for meditation and relaxation. Once your channel reaches 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours, you can apply to the YouTube Partner Program to start earning money from ads.
How much YouTubers can earn from the partner program depends on their niche, audience, and views. They can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a full-time income!
How to Start on YouTube
First, you need to learn how to write guided meditation scripts. Look up guided meditations online to see how they’re structured and to get some ideas. These scripts usually start by helping the listener relax and focus on their breathing. They use soothing, descriptive language to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere.
Next, use a good camera to film 10-15 minutes of calming nature scenes, like a beach, park, or forest. Get some meditation music that you have permission to use with your video. Then, record your meditation script over the footage.
For each video, use different footage, music, and meditation scripts tailored to specific purposes like work, rest, or anxiety. Make sure every meditation is original—don’t reuse the same footage, music, or voiceovers for different videos on your channel.
This is because using the same content repeatedly goes against the partner program’s rules. If they notice that you’re reusing content, they might not let you join the program.
This method takes time—most channels need several months to qualify for the program. But if you enjoy it and are patient, it can be very rewarding.
2. Start a Podcast
If you’re passionate about a topic, why not start a podcast about it?
A podcaster is someone who makes and shares audio or video episodes online. It’s like a radio show or TV program, but you can usually download it as an MP3 file to listen to or watch whenever you want.
Podcasts usually have music, sound effects, interviews, and other types of entertainment or information.
How much money you can make from a podcast depends on several factors, including your topic, content, quality, number of episodes, and how popular your podcast is. However, podcasts with a good audience can make a decent income, with the average earnings being about $33,000 per year.
Popularity matters because it attracts more sponsors. Sponsors are a major way for podcasters to earn money.
Many podcasters work with brands that fit their show’s theme. They include special codes for listeners to use, which gives them a percentage of each sale made with those codes. Podcasters also make money by promoting their own products or services in their episodes.
How to Start a Podcast
To start a podcast, first pick a topic you’re interested in and check out other podcasts on that subject. Decide on the format of your show: will you be the only host, have multiple hosts, or interview guests? Think about who you want to reach with your podcast. After that, come up with a catchy name for your show and set up a website and RSS feed.
Once you record your first few podcast episodes, upload them to platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to share your show on social media to attract more listeners!
3. Help Train AI Tools
When you mix voice recognition with AI, you get tools like Siri from Apple. New and better tools are being created all the time, and companies need AI trainers to help develop and teach these tools. As an AI trainer, you might work on tasks like improving search results, labeling videos or images, and collecting different types of data, such as audio, speech, and video.
You can choose which tasks you want to do and set your own schedule. Typical voice tasks involve recording audio samples, having conversations, or sorting audio clips.
- TELUS International
- LXT
- DataAnnotation Tech
4. Become a Professional Voice Actor
A voice actor uses their voice to speak for characters in movies, TV shows, radio ads, cartoons, video games, phone messages, commercials, foreign films, online courses, and more!
Voice acting jobs can pay quite well, depending on the project. You might earn anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for each job.
Some voice actors work full-time, while others are freelancers and choose their own hours.
To get into voice acting, start by exploring the different types of work available and the skills needed for each. You might need to take an acting class or work with a voice coach to improve your skills.
You don’t need a soundproofed studio, but you do need a quiet space and some key equipment. Make sure you have a good microphone, noise-canceling headphones, and a pop filter. The pop filter helps reduce the popping sound when you say words with “p” and “b” sounds.
Audacity is a great free software you can download. But keep in mind, you’ll need to learn some basic sound editing to fix up your recordings before sending them to clients.
Record samples of your voice acting and send them to advertising agencies or audition sites like Voices.com or Casting Workbook. If you speak multiple languages, you can also apply to Bodalgo, which helps find voiceover work in 80 different languages!
5. Give Singing Lessons
Vocal coaches help singers get better at singing. They can work for schools, performance groups, or directly with individuals who want to enhance their vocal skills.
ZipRecruiter says that vocal coaches make about $23 an hour, which adds up to roughly $47,000 a year. Top earners can make over $100,000. Many singing teachers can choose their own rates and hours, making it a good option for people who need a flexible schedule.
You don’t need any official certifications to become a vocal coach, but it’s important to have solid musical training and be able to sing well yourself.
Taking a class in voice pedagogy can give you extra qualifications and teach you how to be a better teacher.
Once you’re sure about your teaching skills, you can start looking for jobs through recommendations from people you know and online listings. You can also use platforms like Superprof, which help match students with vocal teachers in their area.
You can also find teaching jobs by setting up a profile on a freelance site like Fiverr!
If the gig is local, you can either give singing lessons at your home, at your client’s home, or teach people anywhere in the world using Skype or Zoom.
6. Narrate Audio Books
Audiobook narration is a special kind of voice acting where you read books out loud to make audiobooks. With platforms like Amazon’s Audible, audiobooks are becoming very popular and the industry is worth $1.8 billion. This means there are plenty of chances to earn money as an audiobook narrator!
As a beginner, you can earn between $180 and $200 for each finished hour of work. More experienced narrators can make up to $300 or more per finished hour. They also often get a share of the sales, which can significantly boost their earnings if the book sells well.
The most important skill for a voice actor is the ability to make a story come alive with their emotions. This means they need to use different voices and accents and be able to speak clearly for long periods.
How to Become an Audiobook Narrator
Since narrating is a form of voice acting, you’ll need to get similar equipment, like a good microphone and headphones.
To begin, practice reading out loud. Record yourself reading different materials and note areas where you can improve. You might also find it helpful to hire a voice coach or take a course to enhance your skills. (Voice actor Julie Eickhoff, who has narrated over 100 audiobooks, offers great training and resources!)
To get some experience, try volunteering to read stories to children or people who are visually impaired. This will help you practice and make your resume stand out. It’s also a good chance to start networking on LinkedIn and with groups like the Audio Publishers Association.
When you’re ready to find paid work, check job sites and freelance platforms such as Upwork and Voice123. You can also check ACX, which connects authors with narrators. Just create a profile, upload some samples, and audition for books you want to narrate.
It’s a good idea to be active on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. There are always new opportunities, so just stay alert!
Earn Money Using Your Voice: A Summary
There are many ways to earn money using your voice, such as giving singing lessons, doing voice-overs, podcasting, or creating YouTube videos. How much you can make depends on what you do, but if you love using your voice, you can definitely make money from it or even turn it into a full-time side job! It might take some time to learn the ropes, but with regular effort and dedication, you can be successful in making money with your voice.