VO Pro: The Business of Voice Over and Voice Acting

Marketing your voiceover business shouldn’t feel like selling your soul. If “promote your VO services” makes you break out in hives, this one’s for you. In this video, we’re flipping the script on everything you think you know about marketing—so you can find voiceover clients, grow your VO business, and build real connections without feeling fake, pushy, or salesy. 💡 Whether you’re an introverted...

Thinking about becoming a voice actor? Wondering if you’ve got what it takes to actually make money in the voiceover industry?  In this video, I’m pulling back the curtain and giving you the real, no-BS, no-hype voiceover career advice you wish someone told you before you dropped cash on a mic and a dream. 💥 I’ll cover: ✅ What voice acting really is (and what it’s NOT) ✅ The truth about voiceov...

🎙️ Can AI really replace voice actors… or is that just hype? AI-generated voices are getting scary good—and fast. But what does that mean for real working voice talent? In this video, we expose how AI is already changing the voiceover industry, the real risks to your career, and what you can do right now to stay ahead of the curve. If you’re a voice actor wondering how to compete in a world of syn...

There’s a moment every voice actor dreams of—when a client emails, not for an audition, not to ask about rates, but to say, “Hey, we’ve got another project for you.” No hoops, no hurdles, no audition, just repeat business landing straight in your inbox. If you’ve been in the game for any length of time, you know that getting work isn’t the hardest part—getting clients to come back is where the rea...

If there’s one question every new single solitary voice actor who’s starting to seek work asks starting out it’s this: How much should I charge? If you're just starting out, the answer isn’t as simple as “pick a number and hope for the best.” Rates in voiceover aren’t arbitrary; they’re based on industry standards, market value, and genre.  So let’s break this down the right way, because gues...

Why would anyone in their right mind PASS on a $1.1 million audition? And Paul, aren’t you the one always beating us over the head with, “Stand up for pro rates, “Know your worth,” “Make it worth your time,” and on and on? First of all, who ever said I was in my right mind? Secondly, I absolutely beat the drum of “Stand up for pro rates, “Know your worth,” and “Make it worth your time.” So why did...

So, you’ve decided to get into voiceover.  Whether you’ve decided you want to do this as a career or just looking to make some cash on the side, you need gear.  But not just any gear. The RIGHT gear. Because no one wants to overspend on a mic that makes you sound like you’re recording in a rest stop bathroom. Lucky for you, I’m here to guide you through the maze of audio equipment and get you set...

Marketing directly to prospects as a voice actor can feel like standing on a diving board, staring into the deep end, and wondering if there’s a shark or a nuclear bomb in the water.  You’ve probably heard about cold emailing and thought, “That’s just spam, right?” Or maybe the idea of bothering someone with an unsolicited email gives you flashbacks to awful networking mixers where everyone exchan...

You have the passion, the talent, and the excitement to kill it into the world of voiceover. But there is more to success in this industry than having a smooth voice and good gear. Voiceover is a mix of artistry, business, and endurance. It requires strategy, dedication, and a commitment to long-term growth. To make it past the early stages and build a career that lasts, you need to master eight c...

Completely unlike Moses from the mountaintop, I bring you these 10 Commandment of Voice Over. Trust me, it’s not every day you get 10 commandments from an atheist. 😉 Now before you get your hackles up, we’re playing fast and loose with the word commandments here. There are no hard and fast rules that you should never, ever, ever violate, but these are pretty close. Think of them as my strong reco...

Fact: Women account for over 40% of the fan bases of the NFL, MLB, and NHL.  Fact: Women comprise 47.7% of viewership of Super Bowl 58.  Fact: Media coverage of women's sports has nearly tripled in the last five years.  So why isn't a female voicing this? "NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship. Attendance is encouraged. Passion is mandatory. Buy your tickets today at...

Voice acting is an art, but landing clients? That’s a science—and one that can feel like a unicorn hunt if you don’t have the right tools in your box.  Sure, word of mouth, referrals, and P2P and gig sites are all fine and well, but if you’re serious your business and about building a steady stream of clients, scalable lead generation and outreach is a strategy and skill you have to develop. I’ve...

Today we sit down with Casting Director, VO Coach, voice actor, and head of Voiceover Activate, Libby Clearfield. Libby shares her journey from theater to voiceover, her experiences in casting, and the challenges and rewards of freelancing.  She also chats about the impact of AI in the industry, the importance of following directions in auditions, the value of community among voice actors, the sig...

So recently a big healthcare advertising agency reached out to me through my website and handed me a great non-broadcast project for a massive pharmaceutical company. They handed me the project, no audition necessary.  And there are more jobs on the way. It looks like, fingers crossed, they’re going to be a great partner and a recurring client. So how did I get this primo client, you might ask. Di...

Alright, let’s talk about the mental game of going full-time as a freelancer. I’m talking about the shifts that take you from “Hey, I’m doing this voiceover thing on the side” to “This is what I do. Period.”  The mindset stuff is just as gritty and real as all the tangible things you’re already doing to make the work happen. But the mental side is where you’ll make or break yourself long-term.  Le...

Today, we’re diving into voice over conferences—what they are, why they’re a must for serious voice actors, and how to navigate your first one like a pro. If you’re a new voice actor looking to grow your skills, connect with the VO community, or even just see what all the buzz is about, stick around.  From why to attend, to a practical VO Conferences Survival guide packed with tips, we’ll walk you...

Kevin Kilpatrick and Bobbi Maxwell, hosts of the Making Wavs podcast, join me to discuss their backgrounds in radio and how they transitioned into voiceover.  Kevin primarily works in automotive and e-learning, while Bobbi focuses on commercial work, particularly in the automotive and political genres. They also talk about the advantages and disadvantages of coming from a radio background in voice...

In this first-ever chat with our friend and colleague, we chat with the Queen of LinkedIn for VO, Tracey Lindley about her journey into the voiceover industry, her experiences with LinkedIn, and the importance of community and organization in building a successful career.  Tracy shares her unique background, the challenges she faced as a voice actor in a midsize market, and her strategies for netw...

Alright, so you’ve landed a big commercial gig, and the client’s ready to pay you thousands to use your voice. You’re stoked, right?  But then, buried in the contract, you see it: in-perpetuity rights. Sounds fancy, sounds official, but what does it actually mean?  And why should you, as a voice actor, care? Let’s break this down. This is In-Perpetuity Explained. Make sure you stick around because...

Tom Dheere, known as the VO Strategist, shares his origin story as a voice actor and discusses the changes in the industry over the past 30 years.  Tom emphasizes the importance of being a good storyteller and adapting to the evolving industry, including the use of AI, and offers guidance and mentorship to voice actors, helping them navigate the industry and make informed decisions.  He also discu...

The current state of the voice over business is not the problem. Generative AI, the pay-to-plays, the glut of talent, the seemingly endless string of strikes… none of that is the reason you’re not succeeding in voice over. Today, I’m talking to me as much as I’m talking to you. You think everyone else, especially coaches have it all together all the time and I’m here to tell you I don’t always hav...

To me, a great VO podcast has to be current – this industry changes at light speed and if you’re last episode was 4 months ago or you publish when you feel like it, you’re not keeping the community up to date. A great voiceover podcast has to be educational and insightful and give solid advice on the industry. If it’s full of get rich quick and Fiverr advice, it’s just garbage. And a great voice o...

Today we chat with the incredible Erikka J. and we cover a lot of ground, including imposter syndrome, Erikka's journey in the voiceover industry, the importance of building relationships, and the evolving opportunities for women and people of color in the industry.  Erikka shares insights from her experiences with various coaches, including Kay Bess, Cliff Zellman, and Everett Oliver, and al...

Every Olympian has a goal of winning gold. Every team starts the season with the goal of a championship. It’s the systems, the habits, that separate elite from very good, very good, from good, good from mediocre, and mediocre from bad. So today, I’m going to lay out for you the Top 7 Habits of Highly Successful Voice Actors – the seven strategic systems or habits I believe to be the most effective...

There are hundreds of apps out there to help run our voice acting businesses, but finding the right ones can be like finding a needle in a haystack. After a lot of trial and error, I’ve found a set of tools that works for me. In this video, I’m going to break down why I prefer these specific apps, what the learning curve is like, and how much they’ll set you back. Center Stage Design: https://cent...