A voice over demo is a short audio showcase that lets agents and casting people hear what you'd sound like on a real job. Make a separate demo for each kind of work, keep commercial demos to about a minute, and pay a producer for the competitive categories while you record audiobook and narration demos at home. We put these questions to actor and voice-over teacher David H. Lawrence XVII.
On this page
Strictly, no. Plenty of people book without one, but David told us demos let buyers hire you straight off the recording, and he and his clients have been booked that way many times.
Think demos, plural: a small portfolio, one for each kind of work. And make them only once you've trained and practised with real copy, so you know what you're doing before you spend the money. Kym adds that a strong demo is the main thing a voice agent needs from you; headshots matter far less than on camera.
Start with the work you're most likely to book. Each demo is a different product:
David's rule: let the casting person imagine you in the job. Don't make them wonder what you'd sound like.
As a guide from David:
| Demo | Length | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial | 50 seconds to 1 minute 15 | Five to seven clips of 10 to 20 seconds |
| Animation and video games | 1 to 1.5 minutes | As many quick character clips as fit |
| Documentary or specialty narration | About 2 minutes | Longer reads, music and actualities |
| Audiobook | 3 to 5 minutes | Dialogue and exposition |
For a commercial demo, David says choosing copy is your producer's job: a good one finds material that matches your voice and produces it so the demo can compete. He doesn't recommend writing your own scripts unless you're a genuinely strong copywriter in that category.
If you're writing practice copy yourself, keep each spot short and specific, vary the tone from spot to spot, and describe a product in your own words rather than copying a real brand's ad word for word.
Yes, for some demos. David names five you shouldn't make yourself: commercials, documentary narration, IVR phone prompts, animation and video games, and promos and trailers. Those need a producer to be competitive.
Audiobook and specialty narration demos you can record at home, and should. If you don't have a quiet space yet, Kym suggests booking a small booth just to record your demo.
Far less than you'd think. David's kit is the Audio-Technica AT2020 USB+ microphone, sealing earbuds and a desk stand, which he put at about US$200. Always monitor yourself through earbuds or headphones.
For the room, start in a walk-in wardrobe and leave the clothes in to soak up reflections, or push a card table up to a small wardrobe and speak into your jumpers. Record at quiet times of day, and use free software such as Audacity, which David uses. Learn your levels: too quiet lifts room noise, too loud clips. Your computer's built-in microphone isn't good enough.
Like a finished book. David's advice for audiobook auditions is to master them to the same standard as a real audiobook, and the same logic suits a demo. Ordinary voice auditions, he says, go out as 128k constant bitrate mono MP3s with little processing.
As of November 2026, ACX, Audible's audiobook marketplace, requires each file to measure between -23 dB and -18 dB RMS, with peaks no higher than -3 dB, a noise floor no higher than -60 dB RMS, and a 192 kbps or higher constant bitrate, 44.1 kHz MP3 (ACX). Meeting them on your demo is a good test that your home set-up can deliver.
These are David's figures from when he recorded his answer, not prices we've checked. He told us his studio's annual survey put the average Los Angeles demo at about US$2,150, and that celebrity producers can charge up to US$8,000, which he doubts is worth it. At the other end, he warned against US$99 demos: you get what you pay for.
Prices change and vary by city, so get current quotes, and ask around for recommendations before you pay anyone.
To voice agents first. Most agencies explain on their website how they want demos sent, so follow it exactly. David says the best route in is a represented friend who believes in you walking your demo in to their agent. If you hear nothing back, take it as a no.
Put your demos where buyers look, too: profiles on sites such as Actors Access, Voice123 and ACX, and ideally a one-page website with your demos to play or download, your contact and representation details, and your experience. See how to become a voice actor for finding auditions and how much voice actors make for union rates.
About a minute for commercials (50 seconds to 1 minute 15), a minute to a minute and a half for animation, about two minutes for narration and three to five minutes for audiobooks, according to David H. Lawrence XVII.
Yes, for audiobook and specialty narration demos. David recommends a producer for commercial, documentary, phone prompt, animation and video game, and promo and trailer demos.
David told us his studio's survey put the average Los Angeles demo at about US$2,150 when he recorded his answer, with celebrity producers charging up to US$8,000. Avoid US$99 demos and get current quotes.
Not strictly, but demos let buyers book you straight off the recording, and agents need them to sell you.
Short, varied spots for commercials, longer reads for narration and a phone menu for IVR. For produced demos, your producer chooses copy that suits your voice.
A commercial demo is five to seven short spots showing your range in about a minute. An animation demo packs as many quick, fast-paced character clips as possible into a minute or so.
Kym's free class: the ten steps, in order, from first class to first booking. Free, just pop in your email.
Get the free classKym's free class for actors who've been at it a while and want things moving again. Free, just pop in your email.
Get the free classWant the whole library? Start your 7-day free trial and watch every answer on this page.