There are more opportunities for remote work than ever before. This has been the case, especially, with voice actors (including anime voice actors) who can build their own mini-studio at home, record their lines and send them for editing purposes.
Official Studio Sites
Reminiscent of the job-seeking methods of yore, you can contact the studios themselves and send them your resume. Many of these Anime studios have a page dedicated to career opportunities (including localization and voice acting gigs).
Remember that there is a steep difficulty curve in getting an affirmative response from these studios due to their increasingly high demand. You must demonstrate ample voiceover skills and experience to land a job with these big companies.
Some of these studios include:
Madhouse is one of the oldest Japanese Anime studios in existence (founded in 1972) and was responsible for hit productions such as Death Note, Claymore, and Cardcaptor Sakura.
Bones was founded in 1998 by ex-members of Sunrise Inc., and it has since become a powerhouse in the anime industry, with acclaimed titles such as My Hero Academia and Fullmetal Alchemist.
Wit is a more recent venture, founded in 2012 by Tetsuya Nakatake,
This studio gained a lot of exposure after their widely successful adaptation of Hajima Isayama’s manga Attack on Titan (which was piloted in 2013) a show that they oversaw throughout its first three seasons before it got transferred over to MAPPA Studios.
This studio was founded by former Madhouse staff member Masao Maruyama in 2011 as an attempt to elude the corporate environment that has marred these traditional anime production companies over the span of decades.
Some of the titles associated with this renowned studio include Yuri! On Ice, Jujutsu Kaise, Banana Fish, and Attack on Titan’s fourth season.
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 and is currently an offspring of Walt Disney Studios Japan.
It made a big dent in the anime and film world. achieving worldwide fame thanks to its award-winning animated film Spirited Away (2001).
As of this writing, they only post job offers on their news feed and don’t have a dedicated “recruit” section. However, you can always check back to see if they have any new openings.
Kyoto is another legendary studio that has had a longstanding presence in the industry (it was founded in 1981.)
It’s known for emphasizing quality over deadlines and retaining a recognizable style, as seen in popular animes A Silent Voice, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Free!, Clannad, and more.
Just like Ghibli, they lack an explicit “Careers” or “Recruit” section on their website, but you might be able to reach them by phone or through their social media accounts. They may likewise eventually post news regarding job openings and gigs.
Last (but not least), we have Toei Animation. Toei was arguably one of the first anime studios ever conceived (going as far back as 1948) and released its first animated film (Kitty’s Graffiti) in 1957.
This studio became very prominent in more recent times due to having produced two of the most popular anime series of all time: Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon.
Unfortunately, they’re not prone to posting employment opportunities on their English website (they say so themselves.)
LinkedIn is one of the world’s most popular professional social media platforms nowadays, with thousands of companies ready to hire new talents. You may also find many accounts of anime studios varying in size and fame.
Getting an anime voice acting audition through LinkedIn would not be exceedingly hard, though you’d still have to compete alongside many other candidates.
Online Voice Casting Websites
You may stumble across various platforms that cater specifically to voice actors, such as Voices.com, Voice123, or BunnyStudio.
Some of these platforms (like BunnyStudio) will do a previous assessment of your skills before approving your account. Others, such as Voices.com, work via subscription plans (including a free plan with very limited functionalities).
Freelancer Websites
In addition, you can have recourse to regular freelancer websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, FlexJobs, or Freelancer.com, especially if you’re an amateur voice actor trying to make a start in the anime world. All these platforms have their share of pros and cons.
For example, with Upwork, you have access to high-profile job offers but you’d have to buy “connects” to submit proposals or wait until you’re granted some. Fiverr, on the flip side works like a regular marketplace wherein you post a gig and wait for interested parties to submit an offer.
You can read more about websites offering voice-over work here.
Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, etc.)
Lastly, you may alternatively look for gigs through ordinary social media platforms by using their built-in search engines and typing keywords and/or hashtags, or by joining groups/communities.
Reddit and Facebook are particularly handy in that they offer spaces for people looking for jobs in a specific field, allowing you to contact various independent contractors.
Preliminary Considerations
Before applying for anime voice acting jobs, you need to be aware of the following:
- You ought to craft a comprehensive and well-documented resume to show to your prospective hirers (particularly if you’ve already participated in previous voiceover projects).
- You also must build up a catalog consisting of more than one demo reel. If you’re uploading these reels to platforms such as YouTube, you must be careful regarding potential copyright breaches.
- The demos must be as high-quality as possible, especially since you’ll be using your own equipment almost exclusively.
- Speaking of equipment, you should have a quiet acoustically-optimized working area, along with the correct DAWs and gear to attain the greatest possible sound quality with the highest fidelity.
- Be mindful of your “target audience”. Anime voice acting doesn’t abide by the exact same rules as ordinary localization or voice acting roles. You must get acquainted with all the quirks and distinguishing characteristics that are normally sought after or expected in anime voices.