As a voice actor, finding ways to keep the income flowing when bookings slow down can be challenging. Whether you’re navigating a dry spell or building your career, diversifying your skills and income streams can help create a more sustainable creative business.
From my own experience, I’ve found that some of the best side hustles aren’t completely separate from voiceover. The right ones can bring in additional income while strengthening skills you can use in your VO career.
A while back, I had the opportunity to be a guest on one of my favorite industry podcasts, The Making Wavs VO Podcast with Kevin Kilpatrick and Bobbi Maxwell. We talked about side hustles and different ways voice actors can diversify their income, especially during slower periods.
The goal isn’t to become everything to everyone. It’s about looking at the skills you already have, identifying ways they can help other people, and finding opportunities that complement the career you’re already building.
Why Side Hustles Matter for Voice Actors
So what about in our caffeinated, and insanely fast-paced world of voiceover? To be honest, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of landing a big project. But what happens when the bookings slow down?
Most voice actors will experience quieter periods. Auditions may come in waves, clients may have slower seasons, or you may simply find yourself between projects.
Having another income stream can help take some of the financial pressure off while giving you an opportunity to keep creating and learning. I’ve personally taken on side work that includes audio editing for audiobooks, editing commercials, writing for companies, and creating social media content for businesses.
What I love about these types of projects is that they don’t just provide additional income. They can make you a more valuable voiceover professional.
When you understand more of the production process, you can communicate more effectively with clients, understand what happens before and after your recording session, and recognize ways you can make a project easier for everyone involved. That’s a powerful position to be in.
3 Side Hustles for Voice Actors
- Audio Editing for Audiobooks
If you’ve ever narrated an audiobook, you know that the work doesn’t end when you finish recording. Editing and post-production are important parts of the audiobook process. Learning audio editing can give you another service to offer while also making you more knowledgeable about your own recordings.- You don’t necessarily have to become a full-time audio engineer. But understanding editing, cleanup, file preparation, and basic post-production can make you a stronger voiceover professional. And if you enjoy the technical side of production, audio editing can become a legitimate income stream of its own.
- Scriptwriting for Businesses
Voice actors already spend a lot of time thinking about words. We think about pacing, conversational language, audience, intention, emphasis, and how something will actually sound when spoken aloud. Those skills can translate beautifully into scriptwriting! Businesses need scripts for promotional videos, explainer videos, podcasts, advertisements, training materials, and social media content.- As a voice actor, you have a unique advantage: you understand that a script isn’t just meant to look good on a page. It’s meant to be spoken. That can make you especially valuable to companies that need content written with the voiceover performance in mind.
- And there’s another potential benefit: A scriptwriting client may eventually need a voice actor, too. So, instead of simply creating a one-time side income, you may be building a relationship with a company that could eventually hire you for voiceover work. That’s the kind of crossover opportunity worth paying attention to!
- Social Media Content Creation
Businesses are constantly looking for ways to create better content for social media. If you’re comfortable creating videos, writing captions, designing simple graphics, editing short-form content, or helping businesses develop their online presence, those skills can become another source of income. And again, there’s a natural connection to voiceover. Businesses that need social media content may also need:- Commercial voiceovers
- Social media ads
- Explainer videos
- E-learning narration
- Corporate narration
- Podcast intros and outros
You’re already building relationships with businesses that understand the value of professional content. So instead of thinking, “I’m doing social media instead of voiceover,” think: “I’m building relationships and skills that can lead back to voiceover.”
That’s a very different mindset that will only help you in the long run!
How Side Hustles Can Make You a Better Voice Actor
One of the biggest benefits of side hustles is the perspective they can give you. The more you understand about content creation, marketing, writing, editing, and production, the more you understand the world your clients are working in.
For example, if you’re working with a producer or audio editor, you’ll have a better understanding of what they need from you. If you’re writing scripts, you’ll become more aware of pacing and how words actually sound when spoken. If you’re creating social media content, you’ll learn more about what catches an audience’s attention.
Every skill doesn’t have to become another business. Sometimes, learning the skill is valuable because it makes you better at the business you’re already building. And that’s an important distinction.
You don’t need to chase every possible side hustle. Look for opportunities that fit your strengths, interests, schedule, and long-term goals.
Don’t Underestimate Networking
Side hustles can also put you in rooms you might not otherwise enter.
When you’re helping a business with content, writing, editing, or marketing, you’re building relationships with people who may eventually need other creative services.
The same thing happens when you share your experience, appear on podcasts, attend industry events, or talk openly about what you’re learning.
My appearance on The Making Wavs VO Podcast was a great example of that for me. It gave me an opportunity to talk about something I had personally experienced while connecting with other people in the voiceover community.
You never know where one conversation, one project, or one introduction might lead.
You’re More Than One Skill
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a creative is that you don’t have to trap yourself inside a single job title.
Take me, for example! In addition to voiceover, I’m a working on-camera actor, professional underwater model, and photographer. I’m always learning, growing, and finding new ways to create. Those different skills don’t compete with my voiceover career. They inform it.
My experience as an actor helps me bring more depth to a performance. My experience in visual media helps me understand what clients are creating. My experience working underwater has taught me discipline, preparation, physical awareness, and how to perform in unusual environments.
Your own combination of skills can work the same way! Maybe you’re a voice actor who also writes, or a designer who narrates. Maybe you’re a teacher who loves creating e-learning content, or a musician, editor, photographer, marketer, or performer.
Build a Career, Not Just a Job
Side hustles aren’t about giving up on your voiceover career. They’re about creating options and opportunities!
Audio editing, scriptwriting, and social media content creation are just three examples of ways voice actors can generate additional income while developing skills that can support their larger careers.
So take a look at what you already know how to do.
What do people ask you for help with?
- What skills have you developed outside of voiceover?
- What could you learn that would complement the work you already love?
You don’t have to build five businesses overnight. Start with one skill, one service, and one opportunity. Sure, your voice may be your specialty, but it doesn’t have to be your only asset. The more you understand your own skills and how they can help others, the more possibilities you create for yourself.
And remember: growth leads to opportunity.
If you’d like to hear more about diversifying your income as a voice actor, check out my guest appearance on The Making Wavs VO Podcast with Kevin Kilpatrick and Bobbi Maxwell.
Want to hear what I can do behind the mic? Check out my Commercial VO Demo
Your creative career doesn’t have to fit inside a single box. Use your imagination, get creative, and see what you can build!