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How to become a Narrator

Gives information by voice for video and audio productions, advertising and publicity, and announcements in buildings and on trains and buses.

How to become one

No education or qualifications are required. Generally people learn narration skills on announcer or voice acting courses at a senmon gakko (vocational college), or on narration courses, then join an agency or production company and wait for work. Narration work is usually contracted per production or project, so you are almost never employed by a company as a full-time narrator, and you need to win work through auditions and similar. Many people attend study groups and workshops to sharpen their skills and build contacts. Once you have built up experience and a track record and start getting work by name, you may be able to leave your agency and work independently, but only a very small number can make a steady living as a freelancer. Life can be hard for a long time until you are established, so many people move to other work. Narrators must have the core skills of narration: a clear, steady voice, accurate pitch accent and expressiveness suited to each scene. The ability to read and understand scripts, understand the production, and respond quickly and flexibly to the producers' directions is also important. Because the job is reading text and expressing it with your voice, it suits people who enjoy reading, talking with people and watching people with interest in everyday life. You also need to go after new work yourself, so a willingness to take on challenges and keep improving is important.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Narrator?

No education or qualifications are required. Generally people learn narration skills on announcer or voice acting courses at a senmon gakko (vocational college), or on narration courses, then join an agency or production company and wait for work. Narration work is usually contracted per production or project, so you are almost never employed by a company as a full-time narrator, and you need to win work through auditions and similar. Many people attend study groups and workshops to sharpen their skills and build contacts. Once you have built up experience and a track record and start getting work by name, you may be able to leave your agency and work independently, but only a very small number can make a steady living as a freelancer. Life can be hard for a long time until you are established, so many people move to other work. Narrators must have the core skills of narration: a clear, steady voice, accurate pitch accent and expressiveness suited to each scene. The ability to read and understand scripts, understand the production, and respond quickly and flexibly to the producers' directions is also important. Because the job is reading text and expressing it with your voice, it suits people who enjoy reading, talking with people and watching people with interest in everyday life. You also need to go after new work yourself, so a willingness to take on challenges and keep improving is important.

How much does a Narrator earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,439,800 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Musicians, stage designers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Narrator?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 54% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Creative Arts & Design degrees; Vocational college (専門学校) course: Theatre and film.

Will AI change the work of a Narrator?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026