Are you interested in animation and giving life to characters? Do you have a unique voice? Do you want to be part of this film industry but with your voice?
Well, voice acting is much more than simply reading lines; it requires unique skills, so keep reading. In this article, we'll tell you everything about the 6 best voice acting courses in 2023, what they offer, the differences in the field, and the best training you can find online.
Table of Contents
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters, commercials, video games, movies, and television shows. This highly skilled and versatile profession requires excellent talent, training, and dedication.
First, we're going to take a look at the history in filmography about Voice Acting. In 1900, the first voiceover was created by the Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden, creating an entire program of music, Bible text, and Christmas messages. However, it wouldn’t be until 20 years later when Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie officially started voice acting in cinematography.
As you might guess, voice acting will be used more and more as other means of communication develop. But what exactly are the types of voices used in voice acting?
So we're sure you have been exposed to all the different types of voice acting all your life, even as a kid, when watching cartoons or movies. But what if we told you there are different techniques of voice recording in the creative industry? Check it out:
From improving your acting skills to gaining access to professional training, an online voice acting course can help you advance your career. There are countless benefits to taking an online voice acting course, such as:
You can learn how to record in the comfort of your home, how to start a routine of rehearsals and know what kind of range you can go up to. However, a proper setup is crucial to your recording being super professional and worth the money.
Voice acting courses are for people who are looking to make their dreams come true, to have better skills in storytelling, people who have always wanted to start doing it but always doubt, people who love commercials, video games, or animation, and what's to be part of it.
If you're still doubting about it, here we have a list of tasks you can do with a Voice Acting certification:
LinkedIn, Domestika, Skillshare, and Udemy are some of the many platforms offering online courses for voice acting. There are even high-value free options, such as the Voice Training Course for Beginners offered by Skillademia.
However, we will dive into some of the best of them and explore their pros and cons so you can make the best decision for your career.
Platform | Course | Price | Certificate | Rating |
Voice-Over for Video and Animation | $26.29 | Yes | 4.7/5 | |
Domestika | Learn Voiceover for Animations | $10.00 | Yes | 8.5 |
Masterclass | Nancy Cartwright Teaches Voice Acting | $11.90 monthly | No | 7.0 |
Skillshare | Voice over Masterclass - The official DIY Guide to Voice Acting | $32 monthly | No | 9.8 |
Udemy | The Complete Voice Acting & Voice Over Course | $16,41 | Yes | 7.7 |
Skillshare | Accent & Voice Impressions - From Beginner to Pro | $32 monthly | No | 8.9 |
This course teaches you how to record and improve your voiceover skills. With the Director and storyboard artist Mark Simon as your instructor, you will learn how to improve line readings, create a demo reel, and make it at home.
This course helps you make your products sound professional and teaches you how to remove background noises and deliver files.
Pros:
✓ It gives a certification.
✓ Professional instructors, like the director Mark Simon.
✓ It's perfect for a beginner.
Cons:
− It can be a little pricey compared to the lesson you got.
− The lessons are not so complete.
− It only covers beginner information.
− It hasn't been updated.
In this course, you'll learn how to express your character's emotions and animations in a new and fantastique way. With Isabel Martiñón, a Voice Actor with years of experience, this course will take you from beginner to pro.
This course is offered in Spanish and is composed of 4 units, in which you will start with fundamentals concepts like rhythm, synchrony, and interpretation; in the following unit, you will learn to capture the feelings and emotions of the character working with psychology, later you will learn how to modulate the one of your voice and give your characters uniqueness.
This course includes a final project in which you will dub an animated character.
Pros:
✓ Includes a certification.
✓ It's the less expensive on our list.
✓ High-quality lessons.
✓ Includes a final project to put in your CV.
Cons:
− The course is in Spanish, with subtitling.
− It doesn't cover the tech part.
− It's more for the intermediate learner.
In this course, you will learn the art of voice acting with the legendary Emmy winner Nancy Cartwright.
This course has a length of 14 video lessons in which you will be with Nancy learning about his experience in the field. In addition, she will teach you her vocal techniques, how to create a vocal identity, character voices, and more. Besides, she will give you tips for recording and taking your career to the next level.
Pros:
✓ The teacher is an Emmy winner: Nancy Cartwright, which means the instructor has real industry experience.
✓ The quality of the class and videos are excellent.
✓ This course can take you from a beginner to a specialized level in the field.
Cons:
− It does not include a certificate.
− There's no final project.
− It fits better for advanced learners.
− It is more focused on the experience of Nancy Cartwright, so it depends on preferences.
This course has a length of 20 lessons. With the instructor, the full-time professional voice actor Donald Dittsgill Jr, you will learn how to read a script, record, and market, but also, you will learn how to generate income through voice acting and communicate better.
This course is perfect for beginners and intermediates who need to learn how to set up a recording studio or for people searching for a client base.
Pros:
✓ It's one of the most complete courses we tried.
✓ Donal Fittsgill Jr is a great instructor.
✓ You will learn from the basics to the advanced steps.
✓ It can be for beginners, intermediates, and advanced learners.
✓ You will end the course with projects and exercises to put in your portfolio.
Cons:
− It doesn't offer a certificate.
− It doesn't include extra materials.
− It's one of the most expensive on the list.
In four sections and 21 lectures, this course teaches how to take a hobby to a professional and successful career, providing an approach to character development, the building of characters, authentic performances, and client satisfaction in the voice acting career.
The instructor of this course is Stanley Fisher, a master in the topic with two decades of experience in voice acting, audio design, producing, and voiceover. He will teach you how to take your skills to the next level.
Pros:
✓ It offers certification.
✓ The instructor, Stanley Fisher, is a professional in voice acting.
✓ It's a great deal comparing the length of the lessons and the price.
Cons:
− It doesn't have a final project.
− It's mostly for beginners.
− It doesn't include extra materials.
In 40 lessons, this course teaches you the fundamentals of making an impression, techniques, and recreations with the voice, how to manage your practice, add layers of polish, and give your voice a "wow" effect.
Charlie Hopkinson, an impressionist, voice actor, stand-up comedian, YouTuber, and teacher, is your instructor in this course. He will guide you and teach you everything you should know to make your dreams as a voice actor real.
Pros:
✓ It is a super detailed course.
✓ The instructor, Charlie Hopkinson, has experience in the field.
✓ The course has a final project for you to put in your portfolio.
✓ It covers from basics to professional techniques.
✓ It includes exercises of voice, face, and body.
Cons:
− It doesn't offer a certificate.
− It doesn't cover the technological part, so if you do not know how to create a studio at home, this is not for you.
− It's one of the most expensive courses on our list.
Since the world of voice acting can be small and a niche that can be complex to enter, we want to help you choose the best course and not waste your money based on these criteria:
Regarding completeness, the Skillshare Voiceover Masterclass is the winner for many reasons:
Skillshare’s course will introduce you to voice acting with simple practices like announcer tests, trying a conversational read, or sales. Then, you will pass to do voicemails and long narrations. And after that, you will start setting up the room to learn about all the necessary hardware essentials and the software to begin recording.
The final part is the most unique because it will take your projects to the next level and put you on the map; you will learn how to market yourself, the natural market, and finally, the online marketplace to find your style.
At the end of this course, you will be able to do a variety of voiceover recording techniques, market yourself for voice jobs, record voiceovers at home, differentiate equipment, and set your room for recording. And lastly, you will end up with 19 projects, like demos, to put in your portfolio.
However, all the courses on the list are worth it and can suit anybody. For example, if you want to learn about voiceover in animation and save some money, the Domestika course would fit you. On the other hand, if you want something more documentary-style, with advanced tips from experts, the Masterclass course is what you're looking for.
We know you only sometimes have the budget to pay for subscriptions. That is why if you're looking for a good starter option, we recommend Skillademia's Free Voice Training Course for Beginners.
In one hour of lessons, you'll understand that the fundamentals of voice acting are similar to those of singing. That’s why, by the end of this course, you will have enough tools to prepare your body before training your voice, not for singing but for interpreting a character and an intention.
With this Skillademia course, you'll learn warming-up exercises to activate your brain and stretching practices to prepare your body to feel more relaxed while speaking and performing professionally.
We think they are.
As mentioned before, a voice acting career can be complex and challenging to make your source of money, so having a certificate can prove you own the knowledge to develop characters. You can do voice-overs professionally, which will make your life easier.
An academic certificate in voice acting shows you know how to read from scripts, change your voice quickly, and get your creativity to the next level. It proves that you can set up a room, put equipment, and manage all the software needed to do a voiceover professionally.
Certificates will open many doors in the field; looking for jobs will be more manageable and fun, whether you are a freelancer or want to find a job in a team, in radio, tv, or even more big production.