Starting your voice-over career can feel exciting — and overwhelming. There’s gear to buy, auditions to record, and a lot of myths flying around about how easy (or hard) it is to "make it." The truth? Most new voice-over artists stumble over the same mistakes — and some never recover from them.

If you want to fast-track your success, learn from the mistakes others made before you. Here’s a quick checklist of the top 10 pitfalls to avoid:

1. Thinking a Great Voice Is Enough

Everyone loves telling you, "You have a great voice!" But a great voice alone won’t book gigs. Voice-over is a performance skill — you have to know how to deliver a message, not just read words.

2. Using Cheap Equipment That Sounds Cheap

Your microphone, interface, and recording space are your reputation. Clients can hear every click, hiss, and room echo — and they won’t hire you if you sound like you recorded in a bathroom.

3. Ignoring Room Acoustics

Speaking of bathrooms...Even a thousand-dollar mic can’t fix a bad room. Treat your space first, then worry about fancy gear later. If you do not place the importance on this one, you will continue to sound like an amateur. It's the biggest, and long going mistake I see beginners make. Why? Does it intimidate you? DO NOT IGNORE IT!

4. Overpricing Yourself

If you're not willing to rent out that voice for $10 here and there, you are in the wrong place. In the beginning, there's a lot of whoring yourself out. This is where big success seeds are planted. You need these low ball clients so you can screw up so it won't have a long term effect on your career. I have a radio friend who came out of the gate on Fiverr charging $100 for a 30 second ad. His demo sounded like someone who's been in radio in Talladega, AL for about a year. He had no orders. I wonder why.

5. Only Auditioning for the Big Jobs

Everyone wants to be the next movie trailer voice. But guess what? The smaller corporate gigs, e-learning projects, and local commercials are where consistent money comes from. Don’t skip the bread-and-butter work. You aren't going to get big jobs for at least a year, no matter how good you are.

6. Not Editing Properly

Clicks, pops, heavy breaths, and sloppy cuts will get your audition tossed instantly. Learn basic editing — it’s not optional anymore.

7. Not Following Directions Exactly

If a client asks for a 30-second read, don’t send a 45-second masterpiece. If they say "upbeat, casual," don’t deliver "serious and intense." Direction-following is a highly paid skill.

8. Not Building a Simple Personal Brand

You’re not just selling a voice. You’re selling YOU — your professionalism, reliability, and ability to make the client’s life easier. Make sure your website, emails, and demos look and sound professional.

9. Ignoring Feedback (or Taking It Personally)

Nobody likes criticism. But smart voice-over artists actively seek it out and use it to improve. Getting defensive only holds you back.

10. Quitting Too Early

The hardest (and most important) part of voice-over success? Not giving up. It takes time, consistency, and smart strategy. The ones who stick it out are the ones who thrive.

Final Thought:

Most of the mistakes new voice-over artists make boil down to lack of preparation and unrealistic expectations. You don’t need to be perfect — you just need to be professional and persistent.

If you want a deeper, no-fluff guide to making real money in voice-over, check out my book:

👉 The VO Hustle – The Good, The Bad, and The Money

It’s everything I wish someone had handed me on Day One. 🎤💥