Acting careers can be feast and famine. For many, regular voiceover work can be a financial lifesaver. Among its benefits is the fact you often only need to give up a couple of hours of your time, meaning it can easily fit around other commitments. It also pays well. Some actors make voice acting their full-time careers, voicing TV documentaries, commercials, podcasts, video games, audiobooks, e-learning materials, exhibition guides, and corporate videos. You don’t have to be a trained actor to develop a career as a voiceover artist; many popular voices come from broadcasting, sports, music, or comedy backgrounds.
Like the majority of film and TV companies they supply with voice work, most of the UK’s leading voiceover agencies are based in London. However, there’s generally no expectation for talent to be based in the capital. In fact, there’s increasingly an expectation for artists to record their voices remotely, at a home studio.
If you’d like to give voice acting a shot, it’s a good idea to sign up with an agency. A specialised voiceover agency (which is usually distinct from a traditional acting agent) will help you secure work and handle any contract negotiations once you’re offered an assignment. Here are 15 voiceover agencies to consider.
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Soho Voices is a trusted name in the UK’s production industry and has provided artists for big-name companies like HSBC, Disney, and the British Museum. The agency tends to focus on quality voices rather than household names but, nonetheless, there are some well-known actors and presenters on its books, including Rhona Cameron and Shirley Ballas. Other talent includes Italian voiceover artist Benedetta Ferraro, who is the voice on Gatwick and Stansted Express trains. The agency has the largest selection of American voices in London, as well as artists who among them speak 40 different languages. It also has a separate children’s division called Little Voices.
Submissions: It is currently accepting only artists who are based in the UK (ideally in London). Applications can be made via an online form on its website.
Sue Terry Voices is located on London’s famous Carnaby Street. It was established 25 years ago and now has a large roster of big-name voiceover talent as well as some lesser-known artists. Among those on its books are James Corden, Hayley Atwell, Roisin Conaty, Cat Deeley, Sharon Horgan, Daniel Kaluuya, Alice Levine, and David Mitchell.
Submissions: The agency only considers artists who have at least two years’ experience working as an actor, comedian, or national broadcaster. If you fit that bill, apply by email with a link to your Spotlight page.
Hobsons represents a range of established and lesser-known talent, including actors, singers, presenters, and comedians. Household names on its books include Martin Freeman, Amanda Abbington, Dermot O’Leary, Cush Jumbo, and Johnny Vegas.
Submissions: Email the agency with details of your experience; include voice samples and a short biography.
Based in the heart of Soho, Another Tongue provides artists for anything from documentaries to video games. Its roster of talent includes heavyweight actors, comedy stars, trusted broadcasters, and up-and-coming performers. These include Fiona Shaw, Jason Isaacs, Rupert Everett, Miranda Hart, Rob Brydon, and recent BAFTA winner Jasmine Jobson.
Submissions: Showreels can be submitted through a form on the agency’s website.
Set up by Laura Milne in 2002, the Joneses looks for people with ‘extraordinary talent’, and its diverse roster of artists reflects that. It includes a number of in-demand, high-profile names from the worlds of film, TV, comedy, and presenting, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Adeel Akhtar, Kirstie Gallacher, Lolly Adefope, Gemma Cairney, Asim Chaudhry, and Layton Williams.
Submissions: Unfortunately, the agency has paused submissions as of this writing.
This agency was set up by Emma Harvey in 2006. It represents a range of eclectic talent that covers both established and young actors, presenters, current and former soap stars, hip-hop artists, and international names. This includes Lysette Anthony, Natalie Cassidy, Rodney P, Jack Gleeson, and George Takei. One of its artists, Billie Fulford Brown, recently won Best Fiction Narrator (for Hazel Gaynor's The Last Lifeboat), beating Meryl Streep and Ethan Hawke at the Audie Awards. It also has a small agency called Harvey Management for regular, ‘in vision’ acting roles.
Submissions: At the time of writing, the agency is not accepting submissions. However, it’s worth checking the website in case that changes.
Yakety Yak was set up in 1994 by Jolie Williams. It prides itself on having an ‘ever-changing treasure trove of fresh, original – sometimes unusual – voices’ on its books. When asked what she looks for in a voiceover artist, Williams said “atmosphere, presence, character. Something that gives us goosebumps.”
There are some huge names on Yakety Yak’s books, including national treasure Dame Joan Collins, Ewan McGregor, and Billie Piper. Other artists include Clara Amfo, DJ Huey Morgan, and comedian Paul Chowdhry.
Submissions: Send a professionally recorded voice reel as an MP3 file via email. The agency only considers artists who are prepared to be solely represented by Yakety Yak for their voice work.
Just Voices was established almost 20 years ago by former singer Leigh Matty and actor, writer, and director Simon Lenagan. It’s based in Fitzrovia—the heart of London’s TV and post-production industry—and represents comedians, actors, poets, and presenters, including Jason Manford, Graham Norton, Sara Cox, and Omid Djalili.
Submissions: The agency only considers artists with voiceover experience. If that’s you, send an email with a professionally produced demo that focuses on commercial and narrative examples.
Qvoice, set up in 2000 by Nicola Richardson, represents a mix of big-name actors and familiar faces, as well as up-and-coming artists and those better known for their voice, like India Fisher, who has narrated Masterchef for the past 20 years. Famous talent on its books includes Denise Van Outen, Danny Dyer, Noel Fielding, Ricky Gervais, Sue Perkins, and Ruby Wax.
Submissions: The agency doesn’t provide specific details to performers looking for representation, but it does represent new talent. Email the agency for further details.
After a career in the music industry, Jamie Grant moved into the voiceover business, and in 2014, he set up Loud and Clear Voices with the help of Julie Theivendran. All 200 voices on its books were hand-picked and represent all sides of the media industry, including actors, comedians, broadcasters, singers, DJs, and, as they put it, “a few quirky none-of the aboves”. It also has a kids’ division. Voices on its books include Edith Bowman, Jameela Jamil, Cerys Matthews, Nick Grimshaw, and Trevor Nelson.
Submissions: The agency only considers submissions from those with professional experience as actors, comedians, broadcasters, presenters, or musicians. Please email a professionally produced MP3 voice reel.
Since the year 2000, Voice Squad has been providing artists for all sorts of projects, including documentaries, commercials, on-hold messaging, and English-language teaching materials. The agency specialises in foreign languages and localisation (the translation of media for international markets). It has 600 foreign language artists on its books, as well as a large number of American performers. It even has its own podcast, ‘The Squadcast’, in which voiceover artist David John interviews industry figures.
Submissions: Send your professionally recorded MP3 voice reel (no larger than 5MB) and CV via email, and include both commercial and narration samples. Only apply if you are a professionally trained actor.
Set up in 2021, this agency is a relative newcomer on the voiceover scene, but it has an impressive list of artists on its books. It’s not surprising, considering its founder Anthea Woodus has been working in the voiceover industry for almost 20 years. The agency works with many big-time commercial clients, such as Virgin Media, Amazon Prime, and Sainsbury’s. The agency mainly represents actors and has some impressive names on its list, including John Simm, David Morrissey, T’Nia Miller, Michael Ward, Lydia West, and Sharon Small.
Submissions: The agency says it predominantly takes on actors/performers with significant screen credits and doesn’t consider recent graduates or people who work purely as voiceover artists. Apply via email with a link to your Spotlight profile and details of any projects you are currently working on. No need to send a specific voice reel: anything that shows your natural voice, such as one or two examples of your acting work, is sufficient.
The London Voice Boutique was set up by former advertising producer Stephanie Thompson in 2014. It represents a diverse mix of well-known actors and presenters, such as Danny Huston, Will Young, Liza Tarbuck, Maya Jama, and Gizzi Erskine, as well as seasoned voiceover artists and up-and-coming performers.
Submissions: The agency doesn’t provide specific details, but it represents new and established talent. Email for further details.
Based in Fitzrovia, the agency boasts an impressive list of artists, including singers, comedians, Oscar-winning actors, and popular TV presenters. On its books are Minnie Driver, Dawn O’Porter, Daniel Craig, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Beverley Knight.
Submissions: The agency only considers submissions from professional actors, presenters, and comedians. Use the form on its website to send links to your portfolio and voice reel.
Lip Service, which runs under the tagline ‘Voices that can act. Actors that can voice. Agents with a creative ear’, has been in the voiceover business for 30 years and is headed up by Kirstie Fletcher and Maxine Davies. It represents both successful and lesser-known actors from both film and TV, including Sunetra Sarker, Amanda Redman, Tom Burke, John Hannah, Hugh Laurie, and Keeley Hawes, as well as some comedians and presenters, such as David Baddiel.
Submissions: The agency is not currently taking on new artists, but keep checking as this might change.