You may be blessed with an abundance of natural talent, a passion for voice-over acting, and the best coaching available. However, none of that will mean anything if you can’t get the part. Being able to deliver a strong audition is one of the most important skills a voice-over actor can have. Because, being able to win over an audience starts with winning over a casting director. Today, the Internet and the availability of professional-grade recording equipment has made it possible for many voice-over actors to record their auditions virtually anywhere, at any time.

However, that doesn’t mean you can afford to take a casual attitude toward your auditions. If you don’t take every audition opportunity as seriously as it deserves, you could be missing out on work that can further your career and elevate you to the level of success you want to achieve. In addition to having natural talent and good coaching, it’s essential for voice-over actors to have strong auditioning skills to be successful. Making a good first impression with casting directors can mean the difference between success and failure. The audition is your chance to make that all-important first impression. The most important element of a successful and memorable audition is preparation. You need to prepare for your audition by reading and understanding your script, warming up your voice ahead of time, and staying hydrated. Casting directors can tell when a voice-over actor is unprepared for an audition. That means, they’ll be less likely to take a chance on that actor. When it comes to delivering the audition, voice-over actors need to remember to perform with energy and enthusiasm, while keeping in mind the context of the script. If you’re not prepared for your audition, you may read your lines too cautiously and fail to make a good impression on the casting director. Being a professional means being prepared for every opportunity — and successful voice- over actors already know that.

In the highly competitive field of voice-over acting, making a great first impression can be more important than having natural talent or good coaching. Without good auditioning skills, all of the advantages you have over other voice-over actors will almost certainly go to waste. The following checklist contains expert tips for helping to ensure you have a successful and memorable voice-over audition, so look them over and make sure you don’t waste any opportunities for success.

These tips are applicable for memorable self-tape auditions too!