What do you know about your own voice? Did you know that the average person has a 3 or 4 octave range generally? But most of us don’t ever use our whole range. Did you also know that you can expand your lung capacity during vocal performances through posture? Yes, by holding your arms slightly out from your body (or clasped in front) and raising your shoulders 4-6 inches you stretch your ribcage allowing your lungs to be used at their maximum ability.

If this is all new information for you, you are not alone! These are but a few insights from our friends at AmazingVoiceTalent.com. When questioned about the difference between a trained Voice Talent and… well… me, I was amazed to find some of the answers!

Vocal performers also use different sitting and standing postures to produce different results. They use facial expressions, larynx positions and specific head movements to create certain sounds and sound effects. They even do specific aerobic exercises specifically targeting maximizing their lung power and, hence, their vocal capacity. I even learned certain foods and drinks, such as dairy, should be avoided before a performance, but some can enhance quality and clarity, like lemon water.

I am constantly impressed (and baffled!) by the complexity of this art and the sheer level of determination it takes to produce regularly and produce well. Once you find a Voice Over Professional that you like and trust, hang on to ‘em – they’re not easy to find!

The work of voice talent is everywhere. In fact, your world is filled with it, and you probably don't even notice it. At least you didn't before you started considering one of them. If you are wondering why you never noticed them before, it's because you typically aren't supposed to. One of the most interesting things about being voice talent is the ability to grab someone's attention while simultaneously redirecting their attention from the speaker to the product being sold. That might sound a bit hard when you begin to really think about it, doesn't it? If you attempt to do that yourself, you are only going to wind up drawing the listener's attention to you and away from your message, which is not good. That's the main reason you should hire a professional voice artist to do the job for you.

Consider the huge number of places that voice overs wind up, and that is after considering television promotions and jingles. But you can use voice actors to announce your special event or your commercial website. Hey, you can even use a voice-actor to tell the world about your personal website if you really want it out there badly enough. Many people wind up voicing those types of projects for themselves. Maybe it's because they do not consider them as important enough to hire an actor. In that case, why are they doing it at all? If it's worth your time, it is worth doing right.

For instance, if you want to put together an audio book, don't even think about voicing it yourself - unless, of course, you've got a professional-grade talent. And most people simply don't. Then there are corporate and educational videos, that can be very useful and can be highly lucrative - if done right. If you have good material, and people enjoy listening to the narrator, then you have a message that can bring you a measure of success. But if those same listeners can't stand hearing the voice over for one reason or another, then you are out of luck.

"But I'm talking to people with this voice all the time!" you may protest. True, but your listening audience can put up with a lot more face-to-face than they will tolerate on a recording. And are there people paying to actually to have you speak at this point? Probably not. If they are, then stop reading right now. This article is not for you.

You could think that using an amateur or doing it yourself will save you money. At the outset, yes, but if this is a money-making venture, it will actually cost you more money in the long run. Looking ridiculous can cost you the respect of the buyers you're attempting to impress. Customers are more likely to spend their money with people who give them the impression that they truly professional. If they hear you doing a terrible job in a voice over, like so many do-it-yourselfers do, then they're going to have second thoughts about spending their money with you.