How to find a voice actor for your indie game
A good voice makes a character stick with players long after the credits. Here is how to cast one for an indie game, from a list of characters to a signed agreement, without a casting director.
- Write a short sheet for each character and count the lines you need.
- Find voice actors whose demos already sound like your characters.
- Hold auditions with two or three real lines, and hear them against your gameplay.
- Send your picks one clear brief with the script, format, deadline and budget.
- Agree on usage, retakes and AI use in writing before recording starts.
1. Write character sheets and count your lines
"We need some voices" is hard to price. A short sheet per character is easy. For each one, write:
- Who they are: role in the story, age range, personality
- How they sound: warm, gravelly, nervous, an accent, a creature, a robot
- Two or three audition lines that show their range, for example one calm line and one shouted one
- A reference if you have one: a character from another game or show with a similar feel
Then count what you need: full lines of dialogue, short barks (like "Over here!" or "Reloading!"), and efforts (attacks, jumps, hurt sounds, deaths). Efforts and shouting are tiring on the voice, so say up front how many there are.
Tip: Decide whether sessions are directed (you listen live and give notes over a call) or self-directed (the actor records from your script and notes). Self-directed is common for indie games. Directed takes more of your time but gets you closer on the first try.
2. Find voice actors who already sound right
Good places to look:
- Credits of games like yours. If a small game's cast sounds right, its voice actors may be free for your project.
- Demo reels on YouTube and personal sites. A good character reel shows several distinct voices in a minute or two.
- Casting call sites and voice acting communities, including Discord servers and forums, where you can post a casting call and get auditions back.
- ComposerScout, where profiles say whether someone does voice acting, and specialties like character voices, narration, villains, creatures and accents help you narrow it down.
3. Audition against your gameplay
A voice that sounds great on its own can feel wrong over your art and music. Ask each candidate to read the same two or three lines, then listen to them over a muted gameplay clip from the scene they belong to. Listen for the character first, then the recording: clean audio with no echo, hum or background noise saves you hours of cleanup.
In ComposerScout's Gameplay studio you can drop in a clip and play voice demos over it. The clip stays on your device unless you choose to share an audition link.
4. Send one clear brief
Once you have picked someone, or a short list, send the same brief so quotes are easy to compare. Include:
- Game name, genre and a gameplay clip
- The character sheet and the full script, or the line and word count if the script isn't final
- How many takes you want of each line, and how efforts and barks are listed
- Directed or self-directed sessions
- File format and naming you want, for example one WAV file per line, named by line number
- Your deadline, how retakes work, and your budget or rate
Voice actors price in different ways: per line, per word, per hour of recording, or per project. A clear line count and budget let them quote fast and honestly.
5. Agree on usage, retakes and AI in writing
Before recording starts, write down what is delivered, the price and payment schedule, the deadline, and how many retakes are included if a line needs another pass. Spell out where the recordings can be used: the game, trailers, store pages, DLC and sequels. Many voice actors also ask for a written promise that their recordings won't be used to train AI or make a synthetic copy of their voice without their consent. Some actors belong to a union, such as SAG-AFTRA in the United States, which has its own rules for game work, so ask early.
Common mistakes
- Casting from a reel alone, without hearing your own lines read.
- No line count, which makes every quote a guess.
- Hiding the efforts, then asking for a hundred screams at the end of a session.
- Changing the script after recording without budgeting for pickups.
- Leaving usage and AI unwritten, which can sour a good working relationship later.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find a voice actor for my indie game?
Look at the credits of games whose voices you like, voice demo reels on YouTube and personal sites, casting call sites, and game dev and voice acting communities. On ComposerScout, profiles say whether someone does voice acting, and you can pick a voice specialty such as character voices, narration, villains or accents in Find my match to hear voice actors who fit.
How do I write a casting call for a game?
For each character, write a short description (role, age range, personality, how they sound), two or three audition lines that show their range, and a reference if you have one. Add the total number of lines or words, whether you need battle cries and other efforts, your deadline, your budget or rate, and how you want auditions sent.
What should I send a voice actor in my first message?
Your game's name and genre, a gameplay clip, the character description and audition lines, the number of lines or words, whether sessions are directed or self-directed, the file format you want, your deadline, and your budget or rate.
Who owns the recordings when I hire a voice actor?
It depends on your agreement. Write down where the recordings can be used, such as the game, trailers, store pages and sequels, and what you are paying for that use. Many voice actors also ask for a written promise that their recordings won't be used to train AI or make a synthetic copy of their voice without their consent.
Is ComposerScout free?
Yes. ComposerScout is free while in beta for developers, composers, sound designers and voice actors. Payment and rights are agreed directly between you and the person you hire.
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