There was a time when you needed to explain to someone what is a voiceover. Not anymore! While everyone understands what voiceover is, it’s not the easiest side hustle or career to get started in, never mind how amazing your voice may be. Creating high-quality voice work requires a deep understanding of audio recording software, microphones and acoustically appropriate recording spaces. Moreover, the performance involves much more than just speaking into a mic.
To help aspiring voiceover artists overcome these challenges, Paravox Academy, Co-founded by Paran Thakur started a live online masterclass on how to become a voiceover artist, Voice Over Launchpad. After each of the 6 masterclasses, 5 clients would enrol for Voice Over Takeoff—a month-long group coaching program focused on refining performance and delivery, culminating in the creation of a professional demo reel essential for getting paid projects on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
How it Started
After a career spanning over two decades as a radio jockey, Paran transitioned to full-time voice-over work in 2017. Encouraged by his son Vir, he began posting a reel daily on Instagram. The content was focused on voiceovers and started on August 15, 2023. His follower base grew (63,000 + and counting at the time of going into print), and some followers event expressed interest in learning the craft. Recognizing the demand, Paran embarking on this new venture. The beginning wasn’t easy – he faced a steep learning curve. He independently navigated developing landing pages, integrating payment gateways, creating lead magnets, and running Facebook ads. Despite numerous challenges and learning from mistakes along the way, Paran persevered and successfully launched the program that led to many of his students today getting regular voiceover work.
And Then He Went Viral
In his content creation journey, Paran one day experimented with a reel in which he gave tips to men about how to develop a deeper, more resonant and masculine voice. That reel hit 1 million views, and another one on the same topic crossed 2 million views. This led to his second offering as a vocal coach – The Deeper Voice Workshop.
With both the programs running smoothly, a twist came about one day when one of his prospective clients asked him, “Sir, do you offer 1 on 1 coaching?” Well, he didn’t, but being a firm believer of the “start when you are not ready” philosophy, he said, “yes, I do!”
That experience made Paran have a profound realization. That 1:1 coaching was more personalized and effective, and since every individual has a unique voice (and a unique set of problems), this was the perfect way to genuinely help his clients get the vocal transformation they desired.
This led to a complete pivot to his coaching strategy. No longer conducting webinars and workshops, Paran is now completely focused on serving his clients at the highest level, offering a premium value 30-day Power Your Voice Program. His teaching is aimed at helping you bring out your best voice and includes tools and techniques like vocal warm ups, voice and breathing exercises. He runs his clients through a 21-day challenge to help them form a great habit – to spend 10 mins a day actively practicing on improving your voice. A voice that not only sounds great, but one that is healthy, fit and strong. Besides that, he also works on vocal foundations like Rate of Speech, Volume, Pitch & Melody, Tonality and Power of Pausing and Pacing. One of his favorite things to do is quickly help clients get rid of their filler and non-words like umm aahs etc. – a habit that he believes takes away from the speaker’s credibility and ironically, 75% of people suffer from it.
Key Elements of Effective Coaching
Paran firmly believes in adopting a lifelong student mentality. Recognizing that teaching is one of the most effective ways to deepen one’s understanding, he consistently invests in working with coaches and mentors, both as a voice-over artist and as a voice coach. The commitment to ongoing learning reflects his dedication to honing his craft while staying abreast of industry trends and techniques.
Paran also emphasizes the importance of an engaging and a fun coaching experience. He believes that individuals absorb information most effectively when they enjoy themselves and thus strive to infuse every coaching session with lighter moments, stores and humour. His goal is to create a positive and interactive environment that maximizes learning and fosters a strong rapport between coach and student.
The Vision: Make Bharat Speak and Sound Better
Paran’s vision is to make Paravox Academy the go-to platform for his countrymen (and women) to learn how to speak and sound better. He is passionate to the point of being obsessed with giving the right tools and techniques to his clients so that they may experience a fast and lasting voice transformation. Apart from voice training, the academy aims to incorporate broader aspects of communication – such as the art of storytelling and public speaking. To that end, the plan is to move onto the next phase where Paravox will not only have a support team but also a faculty of some of the finest educators and coaches.
On a personal level, Paran aspires to leave a legacy centred around empowerment and inspiration. He envisions being remembered for his role in helping others discover and develop their best speaking voice. Through Paravox Academy, he aims to establish a reputation for excellence in voice and communication training, fostering personality development and building self confidence among students to thrive in various facets of life.
He hopes to leave a lasting impact where more individuals feel empowered to communicate authentically and effectively. In his own words, “I love to help individuals building their personal brand to develop their best voice, speak with confidence and turn their voice into their most powerful tool for success.” Sounds like a noble plan and as the saying goes – “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it!”
