When most people think about voice acting, they picture the microphone, the script, and the performance. But there’s a crucial part of the job that often goes unnoticed: warming up. Just like athletes wouldn’t dream of starting a race without stretching, a voice actor shouldn’t launch into a session without preparing their instrument – and in this case, the instrument is the voice.

Here’s a peek behind the mic at how I get myself ready before a recording.

1. Breathing Comes First

Good voice work starts with good breath support. I spend a few minutes focusing on steady, diaphragmatic breathing – in through the nose, out through the mouth – making sure my shoulders stay relaxed. This helps me anchor my voice, calm any nerves, and set myself up for consistent delivery.

2. Loosening Up the Body

It might surprise you, but tension in the body often sneaks into the voice. A stiff neck or tight shoulders can make a read sound strained. I do a quick series of stretches: rolling my shoulders, gently tilting my head from side to side, even a few jaw loosening exercises. The goal is to feel free and relaxed, so the voice can flow naturally.

3. Warming Up the Voice

Now comes the vocal work. I’ll hum lightly to get the vocal cords vibrating, slide up and down my range with sirens (yes, like a cartoon police car), and run through some tongue twisters. These exercises wake up the voice, smooth out any roughness, and get articulation sharp.

4. Practising the Script (or Similar Text)

If I have the script in advance, I’ll read through it a couple of times, finding the rhythm and flow. If not, I’ll practise with a random text – anything from a newspaper article to the back of a cereal box – just to get my speech muscles working. The trick is to ease into performance without pressure.

5. Getting Into Character (When Needed)

For animation, gaming, or character work, I often slip into a few of the voices I’ll be using. It’s like stretching different muscles at the gym – I don’t want to shock my voice by suddenly leaping into a high-energy goblin voice without warming up first!

Why It Matters

Warming up isn’t just about protecting the voice – though that’s vital. It also means clients get the best version of my performance from the very first take. It keeps sessions efficient, ensures consistency, and helps me deliver lines with energy and clarity.

So, the next time you hear a crisp narration or a lively character read, remember: there was probably a lot of humming, stretching, and tongue-twisting happening just off mic before the recording light turned red.

✨ Want to hear the results of those warm-ups? Have a listen to my latest voice reels here