When you’re just starting out in voiceovers.uk it’s a good idea to take on as many free jobs as you can, building up experience and a portfolio of work. But don’t fall into the trap of undervaluing your talents; as with regular acting jobs, it takes real skill to deliver a well-judged performance over the mic. If you’re serious about making VO your primary focus, you’ll need to find an agency that’s just as invested in your career as you are.
So, where should you look? The London scene is dense, and figuring out which agencies are best for you can be tricky. To help you navigate it all, we’ve charted the way through the city’s many voiceover agencies, and taken a look at what each one has to offer performers of all levels of experience.
A relative newcomer to the scene, Soho Voices has a diverse collection of performers on its books. It appears to lean towards voices, rather than names (its clients include in-demand narrators like Finty Williams), and the agency seems to specialise in voice work for e-learning, animations, phone prompts and IVR, as well as TV ads and radio commercials.
Established in 2006 and featuring around 230 artists on its books, Harvey Voices is a solid mid-scale voice agency with plenty of industry weight and a strong flow of work for its talent. This is reflected in the quality of its client list, with talent appearing on everything from CBeebies shows like Numtums and The Educators to Weetabix adverts and even blockbuster video games.
It’s also a particularly busy agency for characters and impressionists, with its actors regularly popping up on BBC comedy shows and voicing commercials. The studios at this west London-based studio are top notch, with a Dolby Atmos-certified booth and all the latest tech, so the talent is clearly invested in their professional careers.
A small, friendly, open agency that lets the work speak for itself, a good choice for beginners who’re serious about voiceover as their primary career focus. Agents Penny and Phillipa Brown are renowned in the UK for being easy to deal with and always willing to help. They’re a dependable agency for narration, automated dialogue replacement (ADR) and animation, with an impressive roster of under-the-radar, quietly brilliant clients that let the work do their talking.
Natural, clear and light British FVO that’s versatile enough for straight reads or humourous character work. Owns own studio facilities.