Recently in Debbie’s Voice Blog

With dancing ads, endless slideshows, and more than 8.2 million blog posts published on a daily basis, online visual content has reached an explosive limit. It’s enough to make anyone’s head hurt, especially since the average consumer spends about six hours and 37 minutes online every day. Rather than shutting down their electronics altogether, people […]

Is AI voiceover going to replace live actors? That’s a question that’s consistently popped up over the last several years and a good question to explore in the second part of this blog series. Part one of the series looked at a voiceover talent’s transition into the digital era. In part two, we’re diving into […]

Will things get better or worse in the digital age? That’s a question people consistently ask about everything from the economy to the voice over industry to a change in their favorite restaurant’s menu. While we could sit around discussing the question for hours, or even days, I recall a concise answer that summed it […]

Hop on your computer or smartphone, and within seconds you’re sure to end up running across a video. Or two. Or three. Voice over trends in video has been steadily gaining steam as one of the most popular ways to connect with your target audience. And the audience loves it, too. In fact, 99% of […]

While we humans like to think we’re in control, making decisions based on logic and rational thought, we’re really not. In fact, up to 90% of our decisions are based on emotion. Yet we’re not always apt to admit that, even to ourselves. We instead justify our actions, explaining to ourselves and others why buying […]

What do powerful songs, movies and really good books have in common? They stir up enough emotion for you to remember them forever (or at least a really long time). A brand anthem, when done right, can do exactly the same. Brand anthems are one of the hottest things in marketing right about now, although […]

You want to learn how to get started in voice over. You are certainly not alone. In fact, the query “How do I get started in voice over?” is one I get so frequently that I’m compiling some basic information and advice. This way anyone who lands on my site with this question can check […]

The idea of a voice over career can be alluring indeed, especially when many people think it automatically delivers easy money, fun work and maybe even a chance to voice famous characters or worldwide campaigns. Here are a few tips to help you succeed at voice over. For starters, it doesn’t always deliver those perks. […]

So, you want a voiceover career. Cool. Often people may (mistakenly) regard voiceover work as a career that delivers fast and easy money, and maybe even with a bit of glamour too. Who doesn’t want to hear their voice on TV and radio, or even a video game, or wow – an animated movie!? Unfortunately, […]

Lately, I’ve received much more communication than usual from people interested in knowing what it takes to get started in a voice over career. The disruption in stage, TV and film production due to the COVID-19 pandemic has financially impacted a lot of working actors (and plenty of others), and many are looking for alternate […]

Even with the best voice, the best script and the best editing and direction, your voice over project is not likely to make the cut without one other key ingredient: a well-equipped home studio that can produce quality voice over audio. The overall quality of your recordings is only going to be as good as […]

Following your dreams takes a lot of faith and courage. But it also requires persistence – the ability to keep on keeping on regardless of the obstacles that may crop up. And there can be many. While you may think obstacles only come from outside forces, the opposite is also true. In fact, the greatest […]

The very phrase “follow your dreams” can fill us with bliss. For a working voice over actor, it’s something society, pop culture and Disney movies reinforce at every turn. While following your dreams may sound like the only course of action you would want to consider taking, is it really the best road to success […]

The average person has 46 thoughts per minute, which calculates to about 70,000 thoughts per day. With the current Coronavirus disruption and polarized political upheaval, it’s hard to stay positive. In fact, there’s a good chance that a high percentage of those thoughts may be driven by fear, anxiety, anger, or a slew of other […]

Today we are talking about COVID-19, voice over and how your business can deal with the current uncertainty in the world. With all the craziness going on due to the coronavirus, it may be easy to fall into the trap of negative thinking, even for those who usually dwell in a fairly resilient mind set. […]

From PowerPoint presentations to spreadsheets and online quizzes, eLearning can use various content types. Yet one of the most popular and engaging continues to be the eLearning video. As a voice over artist with more than 22 years in the industry, eLearning video narration has come to make up a good portion of the consistent […]

When you’re searching online for a voice over artist, your first impression is likely to come from their website. A polished and professional site gives you a sense of a polished and professional voice actor. But the decisions involved in hiring voiceovers (voice over talent) shouldn’t stop there. There are several elements every serious voice […]

As a longtime voice over actor, I automatically pick up on different speech patterns, nuances and styles of speaking from those in the public eye. And you can’t get any more public than the lineup of candidates running for president in 2020. While some candidates may have solid experience in the political arena, I can’t […]

When it comes to picking our next president, it’s not just about what the candidates say. It’s also about how they say it. With speeches, debates, and other political performances gearing up for the 2020 election, we have a good sense of some of the strongest voices vying for president. But what if Presidential Candidates […]

Technology is moving so fast it can make our heads spin, especially in the world of text to speech (TTS). As voice over actors, we’re certainly aware of TTS – and some of us may even fear the technology is advancing us right out of our careers. But it’s really not. Despite the rapid advances […]

While all businesses rely heavily on communication for success, it’s even more important in the world of voice over. That’s because communication is at the heart of all we do. The main goal of our profession is to effectively communicate a message to the audience, and that can only be achieved if we are effectively […]

Customer service has always been a huge part of doing business, and in our hugely competitive, global market, it’s become even more important than ever. Folks put a lot of stock in the online customer reviews they read, and disgruntled customers are not typically shy about speaking their minds. The digital age has also opened […]

As voice over actors, our vocal cords regularly get a hearty workout. But the same may not be true for the rest of our bodies which is why we need special voice over exercises. Even if we consistently schedule exercise into our off-work hours, it may not be enough to combat the effects of spending […]

While voice over work may not be at the top of the list of professions with on-the-job hazards, we still have a few potential risks to think about. Our eye health is one of them. Like millions of other folks in this digital age, we’re typically staring at the computer screen for extended periods every […]

Many factors contribute to a successful voice over career, and one of those can be good voice over coaching. Voice over coaching has become more popular than ever, something I looked at in the first part of my voice-over coaching blog. This second part dives deeper into the VO coaching scene, with input from three […]

Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love my job as a voice-over talent. Being able to make a living doing something I enjoy and am skilled at is a fortunate blessing. Yet I have many other blessings outside my job that also bring me joy and a sense of fulfillment. That’s where many in today’s […]

From voice assistants that can order our groceries to vacuum robots that do a better job cleaning our floor than we do, America is being swept away by the artificial intelligence revolution. The country just so happens to be at the forefront of that revolution, and an initiative launched last month is aimed at keeping […]

A survey recently caught my attention, and it would probably catch the attention of most folks involved in the voice over industry. That’s because the survey reported there are now more voice over coaches than actual voice talent in the U.S. Wow is right. People with whom I’ve spoken have given mixed opinions on the survey, […]

Many factors come into play for building a successful voice over career, and one of the most important is your mindset. And your mindset goes much deeper than, say, having a positive or negative attitude. I’m talking about the attitudes and beliefs outlined by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, who has done extensive research related […]

Whether you’ve asked Alexa to play your favorite song or questioned Siri about tomorrow’s weather, chances are high you’ve used a voice assistant at least once in your life. In fact, statistics from Mindshare say an estimated 600 million people worldwide use voice assistants at least once a week. Voice assistants are personal helpers that […]

One of the keys to success for voice over artists is keeping up with the current trends, whether it’s with the latest voice over recording technology or new video styles. But just because a trend may be widespread or hugely popular, it may not be something we choose to embrace. A major case in point […]

With Halloween heading our way, you may be expecting goblins, ghouls, ghosts and other scary costumes. But there’s something even more frightening that could sneak up on you at any time of the year, and you may never see it coming. This is something we first became aware of a couple of years back, when […]

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms can be a boon for your voice over business – or they can contribute to its ruin. To make sure your social media efforts end up benefiting instead of hurting your business, it’s crucial to steer clear of six different social media habits that can damage your […]

Podcast popularity is on the rise, which can be both good news and bad news for podcast creators. The good news first. A notable 44 percent of Americans age 12 and older have listened to a podcast, and 80 percent of podcast listeners tune in to an average of seven shows a week. As we’ll […]

The journey toward your voice over success and a fulfilling voice talent career requires many skills, talents and qualities. And one of those qualities is becoming more elusive than ever in this digital age of instant everything. It’s the quality of delayed gratification and it is truly a life-changing skill if mastered and utilized in […]

An out-of-the-blue email really caught my attention a few months back, and it continues to puzzle me today. The email was from someone who said they worked for Cracked.com (formerly Cracked Magazine) and wanted to interview me about some of my voice over experiences in the biz. My first thought was: “Cracked Magazine? Don’t they […]

The voice over industry has changed dramatically since I first picked up the microphone in the 1990s, and it continues to evolve every year. Keeping up with the changes is essential for voice actors who want to remain successful in the business, and it’s equally important for voice talent seekers and buyers intent on producing […]

From ghost hunting to finding where you parked your car, there seems to be an app for just about everything. Thanks to the Narrator’s Voice app, this also includes adding a narrator’s voice to your messages or online videos. While the Narrator’s Voice app appears to be mainly geared toward having fun, its huge popularity […]

With projects that include everything from e-learning courses to corporate videos, voice over narration is hot. What’s not so hot, however, is the lineup of mistakes some clients make when creating a voice over narration project. Voice over narration involves using an off-camera narrator to provide information or commentary on what’s happening on the screen. […]

Voice over narration is the process of using an off-camera voice to explain something to the audience. While voice-over narrators typically remain unseen and are not part of the action you may be witnessing, they do provide important commentary pertinent to what’s happening on the screen. Voice over narration costs fall into a different category […]

Whether they’re written by fellow voice-over talents, life coaches, artists or folks in any other industry, I read a lot of blogs. Reading blogs is a great way to gather information, gain a fresh perspective, enjoy a lot of interesting takeaways and, in many cases, relate an intriguing topic back to the professional voice-over industry. […]

Whether you’re aiming to teach healthcare professionals how to use a new medical device, clients how to use your cloud services, or students how to excel in mathematics, e-learning can be the ideal way to do it. eLearning voice over, instructional and tutorial videos can be extremely effective as an educational tool, provided you choose […]

As a voice seeker, whether you have a precise vision, general idea, or absolutely no clue about the type of voice you’re seeking for your next project, most voice over talent searches involve a multi-step, all-purpose process. Perhaps you’re new to the game and are not sure what to expect, in which case this guide […]

While the gig economy is nothing new, it is going through a rather new transition. It’s being flooded by an influx of workers. Millions of fresh workers entered the world of flex and freelance work between 2003 and 2013 alone. From video production to copywriting services, fitness training to photography, fields across every industry are […]

Virtual reality has become a literal reality, one of the hottest new developments in today’s technology. You can find it being used in everything from VR games to instructional how-tos to VR apps to virtual reality story-telling behind one of the best-selling organic soap brands in the world. I mention the soap since Dr. Bronner’s […]

While styles, tastes, and trends may change, the fundamentals of a good recipe always stay the same. This holds true whether you’re whipping up a magnificent manicotti to serve your guests or an impressive voice over website to serve the millions of potential customers on the internet. When I went through a website revamp earlier […]

You want a totally different mood and sound for a voice-over spot that’s selling cars than for a voice-over video explaining a complicated medical procedure. So how do we VO artists know what voice over read to deliver? Well, sometimes we don’t. Some scripts present a myriad of options, all of which could work. Getting […]

We’ve all heard the saying that change is the only constant in life. When I upgraded my voice over recording system I ran across another quote that sums up my recent encounter with change even more accurately. Writer and motivational speaker Robin Sharma says: Change is hard at first, Messy in the middle And gorgeous […]

Your script is written and ready to go. It’s short, straightforward, and simple. It doesn’t contain anything about complicated medical procedures, highly technical computer jargon, or words that have been translated from a different language. You’ve hired a professional voice-over talent to record it, and have about one hour to deliver the finished recording to […]

The world of voiceover may be drawing you in with its bright promise of exciting work, big bucks, and loads of fame to come. But like any other industry, voiceover career readiness has a slightly dimmer side that comes with the territory. If you’re in the midst of making a decision to jump off into […]

Once upon time, the big thing in voice-overs was that big, booming voice – the very polished, voice-over announcer type, with a strong kind of yelling-at-you delivery and feel. People listened. People purchased. That was simply how sales were made. As times have changed, so have selling strategies. Most folks are no longer apt to […]

Some seekers of voiceover talent may say they’re looking for a voice-over actor. But what they really need or expect may be someone who is much more than just a voice-over actor. It’s someone who can do double or even triple duty.  In addition to playing a variety of roles in front of the microphone, professional […]

While the concept of “free” anything is often attractive, when it comes to using free voice-over talent, the downside risks will usually far outweigh the upside cost savings. Head into a store, any store, and bring your selected item up to the cashier. Then tell him or her you’d like to have this particular item for free, […]

So, you probably already know about vocal fry, valspeak and uptalk, right? I mean, everyone has heard plenty of examples of those speech patterns that have made perfectly well-educated college grads (mostly female) sound like Kardashian wannabes. Vocal fry refers to a low, glottal, animal-like sound that speech pathologists consider a vocal disorder. Valspeak is, […]

Halloween is the third-biggest party day, the sixth-most popular card-giving day, and totally beats the pants off Valentine’s Day when it comes to candy sales. This ancient celebration has a history that stretches back some 6,000 years, rich with tradition, ghoulish trivia and plenty of candy corn. Check out some other fun and creepy facts […]

The question of hiring a female voice over talent vs. a male voice over talent has pretty much joined the ranks of other age-old debates. The topic has been covered by many, myself included (“Exploring the Decision to Hire Male vs. Female Voice-Over Talent”). Despite the numerous discussions on the topic over the years, I felt […]

Mozart wasn’t born great. And the same holds true for any phenomenal musician, artist, engineer, writer, party clown or voiceover talent you may want to be or hire. While great talent was once thought to be innate, research psychologist Anders Ericsson argues it is something most people can achieve, in just about any area, as […]

The Internet can do some pretty strange things. Like, cut out in the middle of your favorite Netflix series. Or send your emails off into cyber nowhere land. Or shuttle search traffic to your voiceover talent website when users search for the “voice of Ooma.” If you’ve landed here searching for the voice of Ooma, […]

My husband recently took my 11-year-old son to get a new pair of shoes. He just needed some all-purpose, everyday sneakers to wear to school, so they headed to a popular brand name shoe store known for discount prices, hopefully to get a deal around half of what the mall stores would cost. They came […]

One of the best compliments you can get is fabulous feedback or a glowing testimonial from a customer or client – without even asking for it. Does that mean you’ve delivered remarkable service? Most certainly, according to author and management company founder Mike Mack. As Mack explains in a podcast interview (start at 7 minute […]

When voice-over talent and clients use an agent or casting service, they can typically expect to pay a fee of 10 to 20 percent for agency services. But when voice-over talent and clients use the pay-to-play site of Voices.com (referred to as VDC in this article), the overall amount of fees charged has become a […]

This is Part 2 in a series on the advantages of hiring professional narration voiceover talent for your business narration projects. Please also read Part 1, “Voiceover Narration: Do It Yourself or Pay for a Pro?” No one wants to lose the audience for their corporate video after only a sentence or two, so a pleasant, listener-friendly […]

Your corporation could have one, two or even dozens of video ideas in your lineup, from how-to instructional videos to those providing a description of your company or a rundown on specific services or products. You may also have an in-house team that typically takes care of all your production needs. But, is that team […]

Whether you’re a seasoned professional in the VO world or brand-new to the game, a common denominator is that we’re in this business to get paid for doing something we’re good at and enjoy. But how much do we really want to be paid? Everyone has their own set of parameters and goals, depending on […]

Extremely limited budgets. No need for top quality. Filler or disposable work. These are three scenarios I outlined in Part 1 of this two-part article to show that cut-rate pricing sites like Fiverr may have a place in the voice-over world. And no matter how much the experienced, professional, full-time voice-over talent protests, the reality […]

Fiverr has been bashed repeatedly since its inception in 2010, thanks to its premise of selling voice-over recordings, and anything else you may need, for a mere $5. Fellow voice-over pros have bemoaned everything from the “digital slave wages” it offers to the smarmy feeling they’d be sure to get if they ever stooped so […]

I’m one of those people who never gets sick. Well, hardly ever.  So when what I assumed was the flu took me down early last week, I thought I was going to have to do my usual routine and just power through it. That’s what has always worked on those rare occasions when I feel […]

I was chatting with my young teenage daughter this weekend about the pressures life brings. Even as a kid, there’s that pressure to get good grades, be accepted by your peers, make the team, win the game/race, get cast in the high school musical, and so on. Pressure seems to start younger these days than […]

I’m always fascinated by artists… Of all kinds. This weekend, I was a spectator at Art Beat, a showcase of local artists in my community here in the Midwest. Represented on several blocks of downtown real estate on a rainy Saturday was everything from dance, music and theatre, to culinary arts, painting, ceramics, sculpture and […]

When I hear the word “sensuous,” I usually think of things like steamy novels, bubble baths and fleece blankets. But a documentary I narrated for the American Steam Railroad Preservation Association (ASR) did it’s very best to add another item to the sensuous list: the steam locomotive. Entitled “Fire Up 2100: A New Chapter,” the […]

Continued from Part 1: “Before You Hire Voice-Over Talent, Run Through This 10 Point Assessment” This article is written for anyone who might hire voice-over talent, but especially for those who may have never hired voice talent in the past, or who have done so only a few times. In today’s competitive and diverse market, […]

You liked the sound of the voice-over demo, so you hired the talent. But something happened on the way to the final video, and now your client is upset over the less-than-ideal voice-over recording that was supposed to be the perfect fit for their project. You found out the hard way that a good-sounding demo […]

If You MUST Act, Do it For the Right Reasons For anyone who gets into acting for egoic reasons, to feel special, famous, have adoring fans, etc… This truth is a harsh wake-up call. If you’re in it to be rich and famous, you’re likely in it for the wrong reason and it’s probably going […]

Continued from Part 1 The Working Actor and the Relentless Pursuit of the Next Gig The desperation in acting is so strong you can actually feel it in casting waiting rooms. I remember that feeling back when I started out in the acting world in the Southern California market. At that point in my career […]

The 69th Annual Tony Awards aired last night, and being a Broadway nerd (my car radio is permanently tuned to the Broadway Channel on Sirius XM) I always enjoy the build up, listening to interviews with the nominees, and anticipating the live performances. It was a fun show to watch this year, with one of […]

In today’s world of VO, the successful voiceover talent is not only proficient in the art of voiceover, but he/she is also a savvy entrepreneur. The days of working only in a major market, through reputable talent agencies, and having billing go through a third-party (like the union/payroll service, agency, etc.) are forever changed for […]

Have you ever felt “over your head” in a VO session while trying to direct voice over talent? Or perhaps you’ve underwhelmed with the final recording from your selected talent, even though you thought you gave them proper direction. Getting exactly what you want from a voice over performance starts even before your VO talent sits […]

Raise your hand if you ever turned off the radio, TV or Internet video just because you didn’t like the sound of the person speaking? Most of us probably have, proving that the voice-over read of any given project can make or break that project’s success. A high-quality voice track is a key part of […]

Remember Winky? Winky artist was just one of many different cute, pencil-drawn animals that my generation may fondly recall appearing in a series of ads in the back of magazines. The ads promised something like: “If you can draw this, you may have hidden talent as an artist!” Well, I wasn’t much of an artist […]

I recall a little awards presentation at the local VFW for my daughter’s school a few years back.  Middle-schoolers were asked to write a short essay on why our armed forces are important.  My daughter is a truly outstanding writer, but she didn’t win the contest. In fact, she didn’t even place. This was quite […]

My goal from the very beginning of my acting career was to be a successful working actor. I had the dream that I could make my living as an actor for my entire life, despite the discouraging statistics around job outlook and wage projections for working actors. In the “old days” before the Internet, the […]

The battle of the sexes definitely rolls over into the voice-over arena these days. Actually, there’s not really a battle going on, but rather a very good question: Is it better for your company or client to hire male or female voice-over talent? Like most things in life, there is no cut-and-dried, right or wrong […]

Fear is one sneaky little critter, and it can be a pretty crafty foe when it comes to stopping us from doing all kinds of things… Like asking for what we want. I’m not talking about asking for what we want by slamming down our fists with a ridiculous demand. I’m referring to polite and […]

Let’s say you’re looking to buy a new book, pair of shoes or computer, or even scoping out hotels near your upcoming vacation destination. If one of the first things you do is check out online reviews, you’re certainly in good company. Nearly 80 percent of Americans have taken to reading reviews before purchasing any […]

I found this article by James Clear to be very insightful and thought-provoking. It is relevant for voice artists and anyone who “creates” for a living, which includes a lot of people beyond our typical definition of what an artist is. He opens with a story about a very famous choreographer named Agnes de Mille… […]

It never really gets old. As a voice over professional, when you hear your voice on a commercial spot, or a promo, or some animated project on TV or radio, it is always a bit of a treat. It’s not quite like being a pop star and hearing your song played on the radio, but […]

If you are a working voice over talent, you know it’s imperative that you have your own personal website to showcase your talent. Everybody knows that, right? But did you know that your site’s “mobile-friendliness” is going to become a more and more important factor when it comes to your search ranking and visitor interactions? […]

As voice over actors, we talk, we write, we dialogue with other actors, and we commune. The voiceover community as a whole has warmth among its members. Even though we compete with each other (sometimes daily, and sometimes in the same casting studio), we are somehow part of the same team. We share in each […]

I just found one of my most recently completed healthcare commercial voiceover spots on my client’s Facebook page. This spot is for the Nevada Health Co-op which helps people navigate various healthcare-related insurance decisions. This is a great example of how to take some relatively bland information and make it very personable and engaging. A […]

For many retailers in today’s competitive market, Veterans Day is another opportunity for an advertised sale, along with special discounts for anyone who has served in the military. As voice over professionals, we often record commercial spots to sell furniture or cars, or hardware supplies for one-day holidays like Memorial Day, President’s Day and Veterans […]

A few months back, I saw an article posted in one of the voice over community chat groups in Google. The title of the article was: Celebrities are Silencing Career Pros in Animation Voice Work. Provocative title, right? I see and enjoy all of these animated films… Not only because I’m a professional voice over […]

(Originally published in October, 2014) I’m the type of person who really enjoys the art of creation in many different forms. I think that’s one of the reasons I gravitated to acting and voice over as a career. It allows me to play and be creative on a daily basis. But in addition to my […]

This is Part Two of “Celebs Are Taking Voice Over Jobs Away from the Voice Over Community… Really?!” Artists can be gifted in many different ways, and can grow and develop outside of their beginning niche. We see crossover all the time with actors cutting an album or singing or playing an instrument in a […]

I’ve been observing some interesting shifting in my Google, Bing and Yahoo rankings over the past few months. Most notably, I experienced a big drop in Google for one of my core voice-over website keyword phrases, while seeing some equally big gains in Bing and Yahoo across many different keyword groups. I have been working […]

This post is the fourth and final installment in this series written for people and businesses who have the need to hire voice talent. In this series, I have discussed the contrast between what services and qualities a full-time voice talent can offer versus a part-time VO talent. I suggest you read these articles in […]

I took a walk this morning with my husband (who also happens to be my VO business partner), and as is usual for these sunny walks around the neighborhood, it provides us with not only a bit of exercise and a healthy dose of vitamin D, (sadly lacking sometimes during our winter months here in […]

This post is the third installment in this series written for people and businesses who have the need to hire female VO talent. This series discusses the contrast between what services and qualities a full-time female VO talent can offer versus a part-time voice talent. You can read Part 1 of this series, “Benefits of […]

This post is the second installment in this series written for people and businesses who have the need to hire professional voiceover talent. This series discusses the contrast between what services and qualities a full-time voiceover talent can offer versus a part-time voice talent. You can read Part 1 of this series, “Benefits of Hiring […]

I took  my son to basketball practice yesterday. As I watched his coach put him through his various drills, I thought about how much of success in sports, life and being a successful voiceover talent, is tied to simple follow-through. In so many sports, we talk about follow-through. Not only in a golf swing or […]

This post is the first installment in this series written for people and companies who have the need to hire professional voiceover talent. This series discusses the contrast between what services and qualities a full-time voiceover talent can offer versus a part-time voice talent. Even though just dealing with life’s daily demands can sometimes feel […]

When your income totally depends on your voice staying healthy and sounding good, some voice over actor health tips are useful to keep in mind.  I try to practice these as much as possible and I rarely have vocal health issues, so something must be working. My Top 10 Voice Over Actor Health Tips 1. […]

Creating a new Narration Voice Over Demo is something that every voice over talent has to do from time to time. These days, because I have so much content on Youtube in the form of video samples of my work, I have been moving more and more toward creating video versions of my voice over […]

In my daily work as a professional voice-over actress, I get to be both the voice talent and the audio engineer. It’s empowering to edit and mix my recordings in my home studio, and I like that I can offer my clients a full-service professional voice-over experience. Technology has made this possible, but I know […]

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is a system of digital telephone connections, which enables recording studios anywhere in the United States, Canada and abroad to connect digitally with voice over talent working remotely in their home recording studio. When I use ISDN for a voice over session, it is as if I am standing in […]

I began writing this post while sitting in the Cancun airport waiting to board my flight back to Chicago, en route home to Michigan. My husband and I were (sadly) coming to the end of our six day getaway, having enjoyed tons of sun, delicious cuisine, and the chance to have pretty much zero responsibilities. […]

As a commercial voice over professional, I end up fielding a lot of email inquiries from prospective clients, and one of the big questions I always get asked is, How much is this going to cost? Quoting commercial voice over projects is certainly part of my daily routine. My responses can vary depending on the […]

There’s no Ph.d at the end of my name, so what I will assert here just comes from my personal experience, and is in no way meant to be the only set of solutions for this daily voiceover audition process. But, when I dissect how I am able to keep chugging along day after day […]

The other day, as I was just submitting my last voice over audition for the week, I got an email from an actor friend of mine. He’s someone who I’ve had the pleasure of working with on stage in recent years. He has honed his talents and acting craft over a long time and he’s […]

Call it a phone patch or just a nifty add-on feature of my Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connection… I call it a lifesaver, which again came to the rescue just the other day to help identify and deliver the exact type of voice-over recording my client wanted. But let’s back up and explain things […]

This is Part 2 of the article, “Some Observations on the Ever Changing Landscape of Voice-Over Acting.” It will make more sense if you read Part 1 first. Just Because It’s Easier to Start… Doesn’t Make it Easy to Succeed Here’s the truth: If I was trying to start my voice-over acting business today, I […]

The voice over acting business is going through something similar to what the music business has been grappling with in recent years. Voice Over Agents (like record labels) are getting squeezed out more and more as the voice over actors (like music recording artists) find ways to go directly to their clients (consumers) via new […]

This article is part of a series of articles exploring various aspects of what is involved in getting paid well as a working female voice-over talent in today’s highly competitive voice over industry. You may want to also read the first article in this series, Getting Paid by Voice-Over Clients – An Overview of What […]

Despite spending much of my work day seemingly cloistered from the world in my studio, I still find myself  keeping up with some of the latest trends. That’s especially true when I land voice over acting jobs for new computer technologies and anything that involves rolling out, as long as the “rolling out” comes with […]

Like it or not, we live in a whirlwind world where we’re expected to deliver so much more in a very compacted period of time. This means loads of pressure on all fronts and in every profession. And the voice over acting industry is certainly no exception. With more than two decades of experience as […]

At some point in the last several months, Facebook business pages changed their terminology, so that instead of having “fans,” my female voiceover services page now has “followers.” Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer the term “fans!” The word not only seems germane to the business of being a professional voice artist, but it also speaks to […]

As a mother, wife, homeowner, engaged theater community member, and, oh yes, a busy professional female voice actor, I find myself nodding in agreement at Paul Strikwerda’s November post on “overdoing.” Each day, it seems we’re confronted with an increasing number of things to do, processes to manage, opportunities to pursue. At this point in […]

When I begin a voice acting job, the questions I ask myself aren’t too different from those I would ask if I were starting a role for film or stage: who am I, what am I trying to get across, and who am I talking to? As a voice actor however, I cannot use my […]

The very funny writer/entertainer Amy Sedaris writes in one of her tongue-in-cheek books, “I think it’s good for a person to spend time alone. It gives them an opportunity to discover who they are and to figure out why they are always alone.” In the case of voice actors, we often find ourselves professionally obligated […]

I get a lot of emails and an occasional telephone call from men and women who think they want to get into voice over acting.  Usually it’s because someone (friend, family member, co-worker) has told them that they have a great voice and that they should look into voice over acting. Or, they read somewhere […]

As a professional voice actress, I’m often tasked with creating accents ranging from foreign accents and regional dialects to fun and crazy characters.  Just this past week, I had requests from clients for a variety of voice over accents including  European accents, a Texas accent, an Asian accent, and a voice like the computer in […]

The glory of fall in the Midwest still feels fairly new to me, which makes it particularly awesome. Since I’m originally from Southern California, where leaves pretty much stay the same color all year round and generally refrain from disembarking their respective limbs, I never really got the full gist of what autumn was all […]

Working for myself as a female voice over talent and independent contractor, I enjoy the luxury of having some degree of control over key aspects of my business such as my rates, my time, my schedule, and my terms of working with my voice-over clients. I really love the work I do. I suspect it […]

Corporate Narration Voiceovers provide the perfect opportunity to use my female voice talent in an effort to assist companies with delivering their product and service messages. While corporate narration voiceover may not seem as attractive as the glamorous and high profile national commercial spots that so many voice over talents love to chase, I tend […]

Published by Debbie Grattan on 10/02/13 One of the best things about being a professional female voice talent is having the chance to meet and work with some truly exceptional people. I was fortunate enough, in the beginning of my career, to connect with voice over artist Scottie Rummell. As we were both living in […]

Published by Debbie Grattan on 09/13/13 So, what happens when you’re known in a local, regional or national market, as “the voice” for a particular product, store, or brand, AND a competing vendor wants to use your voice for their product too? Here we get into another form of the question of “exclusivity” and how […]

Published by Debbie Grattan on 08/21/13 When a client asks you to be an exclusive voice over for a particular share of the market, there are several things to consider. I recently had this dilemma come up for me, when a direct response end-client (not the producer of the commercial spots, but the actual manufacturer […]

Published by Debbie Grattan on 08/08/13 One of the truly unexpected pleasures of being a voice over actress is working with people all over the world. Just this past week alone, I had the opportunity to share my female voice over talent with clients in Singapore, Australia, Spain, and Canada, all while working with my […]

What are the secrets behind being a successful professional voice over talent? This is a question I am asked regularly, and I also see it often in online voice over talent groups and forums. Of course, there are no real secrets. The idea of  a “secret” anything is usually just a tactic used to sell […]

From time to time, I receive requests for female voice oves from student filmmakers. For some reason, I’ve gotten more requests from students in foreign countries than from here in the US. I really don’t know why that is. Often, I’m not sure what country they are from, but they usually speak enough English to […]

Published by Debbie Grattan on 06/19/13 Company name changes…when they happen, they can be a challenge. Having worked through a few over the years, I can say that I am now well-prepared for those situations when a company approaches me in need of voiceover solutions related to a name change. The trick is being able […]

You never know what a client may want from voice over auditions. This job came from an audition on a P2P site. It was listed as a VO for a “Bee” character, that was going to be in a recurring campaign for the Visitor’s Bureau in Butler County, Ohio. I love bees! In fact, my […]

In my experience, Pay to Play (P2P) sites are a great way for voice artists to find new voiceover clients. If you’re not familiar with the terminology, “pay to play” refers to websites where there are rosters of professional voice talents who pay an annual fee to have the opportunity to peruse and audition for […]

Lately I’ve been able to do what I truly love: collaborate. Several clients I hadn’t heard from in a while contacted me with work offers: for ISDN voice over services. There’s definitely something to be said for Real-Time communication! I find it difficult most times to read a client’s mind (though I always do my […]

As a professional voice over talent, when time is of the essence, I step into high gear. Which is why I am going to share a project I did recently with Doug Clark Creative—with whom I’ve worked many times, both on-camera and as a voiceover talent. Doug Clark Creative was working with a new client […]

Instructional videos are an important part of my voiceover services work, so I was happy to hear from this new client who found me via a web search. We communicated only by email, but the process worked out well. He needed a voiceover services audio turned around quickly for an e-learning type narration. Since his […]

I’ve seen this video by Dove about “Real Beauty” a couple of times now. It seems to be making the rounds of social media. Good for Dove. So now, I’m examining the whole thing a little more closely, without the initial impact of the first viewing, and coming up with some additional thoughts and conclusions. […]

Female Commercial Voice Actress Debbie Grattan reviews the highlights from her ongoing “Think Like a Producer” series of articles. In Part 2, she looks at some of the best marketing tips that have been shared in recent articles. Check out Part 1, “Voice Over Actress Tips From Producers Who Hire Voice Talent” to see more […]

Female Commercial Voice Over Actress Debbie Grattan reviews the highlights from her ongoing “Think Like a Producer” series of articles. In Part 1, she looks at the tips that have been shared around the Art of Voice Over. As a working voice over actress, I have a pretty fun (and extraordinarily challenging) job and I […]

Here’s a very recent female narration project I completed for Durham School Services, which explains their “Child Check System” as part of an overall focus on child safety. This was produced by Kaye Veazey of VZ Communications located in Lake Forest, IL, and I just recently connected with Kaye over the summer to work on […]

Part 3 of an Interview with Marketing Expert, Cindy Malouin of Malouin Marketing Commercial Voiceover Services Talent Debbie Grattan wraps up her chat with Marketing Expert Cindy Malouin on the power of using video to market a commercial voiceover services business. Commercial Voiceover Services Talent, Debbie Grattan: If you’re using a video on your voiceover […]

Caring for the mind and body is an important part of our everyday lives—for ourselves and our families. Which is why I’m very proud of the voice-over services work I’ve been providing for the health and medical industries. In my career as a professional voice-over artist, healthcare and medicine are among my busiest industries, I […]

I now live in Niles, Michigan, which is about 15 minutes away from the University of Notre Dame. Since moving my voiceover talent business from So Cal to Michigan back in 2004, I’ve become quite a big fan of the Notre Dame football team. There have been many highs, and unfortunately, many more lows over […]

Part 2 of an Interview with Marketing Expert, Cindy Malouin of Malouin Marketing Voice Actress Debbie Grattan chats with Marketing Expert Cindy Malouin on the power of using video for voice over services marketing. Female Voice Actress, Debbie Grattan: If a voice over service wants to create videos on their own without hiring someone, can […]

My heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation goes out to all of the brave men and women who serve our country’s armed forces. The level of determination and sacrifice that is required in today’s world is awe-inspiring. Here’s a tv commercial voiceover that I originally recorded last year for Martin’s Supermarkets which honors our veterans and […]

In honor of All Hallows Eve, here’s a fun little voiceover radio spot I recently completed for a client in Antigua. Promoting a Halloween Party at a local area club… The return of Madame Gincha, which is a character you may recall from my Characters Voice Over Demo. Audio mixed with a few character pics […]

Part 1 of an Interview with Marketing Expert, Cindy Malouin of Malouin Marketing Professional Voice Over Talent Debbie Grattan chats with Marketing Expert Cindy Malouin about how professional voice over videos can be used to enhance overall marketing and improve visitor engagement with voice over talent websites. Professional Voiceover Talent, Debbie Grattan: I know you […]

Radio and TV Commercial Voiceovers People often ask me about how to break into radio and tv commercial voiceovers. Lately, my standard tidbit of advice has become “google it” because you can find all kinds of good information on the internet about how to get into the radio and tv commercial voiceover business. But, when […]

Part 3 of an Interview with SEO Expert, Jason McDonald of JM Internet Group Female Voice Talent Debbie Grattan chats with SEO Expert Jason McDonald about some very affordable voice-over solutions that commercial voice talent can use to improve their Search Engine Ranking (see links to parts one and two of this interview at bottom […]

Professional Voiceover Actress Debbie Grattan chats with SEO Expert Jason McDonald about how professional voiceover talents can improve their website ranking through SEO (search engine optimization). Check out Part 1 of this article first. Part 2 of an Interview with Voiceover SEO Expert Jason McDonald of JM Internet Group SEO Expert Jason McDonald: The fourth […]

Part 1 of an Interview with SEO Expert, Jason McDonald of JM Internet Group Professional Voice Over Actress Debbie Grattan chats with SEO Expert Jason McDonald about how professional voice over marketing SEO tips can improve voice talent website ranking through SEO (search engine optimization). Debbie Grattan, Professional Voice Over Actress: Can you give me […]

Part 3 of an Interview with Marketing Expert, Cheril Hendry of Brandtailers Professional Female Voice Over Actor Debbie Grattan chats with Marketing Exec Cheril Hendry of Brandtailers about which specific qualities of a voice over actor stand out most from her perspective, including what to do and what NOT to do when working with producers. […]

Part 2 of An Interview with Marketing Expert, Cheril Hendry of Brandtailers Professional Voice-Over Actress Debbie Grattan chats with Marketing Exec Cheril Hendry of Brandtailers about how a voice-over actress can best position herself to take advantage of the current marketing trends (discussed in Part 1 of this interview) and good ways voice over talent […]

Professional Voice-Over Talent Debbie Grattan chats with Marketing Exec Cheril Hendry of Brandtailers in Irvine, California, on how marketing has changed in the past few years, the newest trends for social media and viral advertising, and how voice-over talent marketing will benefit from those changes. Part 1 of an Interview with Voice-Over Talent Marketing Expert […]

The final installment in a 3-part series, female voice over talent Debbie Grattan and voiceover narration powerhouse Ed Victor touch on narration, home studios and voiceover agents. Debbie Grattan, VO Pro: What is it like to be a heavy-hitter voice talent working out of a home studio? Voiceover Narration Talent, Ed Victor: In a nutshell, […]

Voice-Over Actor Debbie Grattan and International Voiceover Artist Ed Victor discuss how he has landed great paying voice-over actor opportunities in other countries. Part two of a three-part interview (read part one, “Marketing Advice for Voice Actors” here. Debbie Grattan, VO Pro: You mentioned that you do trailer work outside of the country. Are you […]

Voice Actors Debbie Grattan and Ed Victor talk about his metamorphosis from advertising executive to international voiceover sensation. Part one of a three-part interview. Debbie Grattan: Today we have the illustrious Ed Victor: writer, producer, art director, advertising executive, on-camera persona, and voice over master. Ed, how did you get started on your path? Ed […]

In the conclusion of this interview, Professional Voice-Over Artist Debbie Grattan and Joel Newport of Harvest Creative Services talk about building a relationship between voice producer and ISDN voice talent. Read part 1 of this interview here. ISDN Voice Talent, Debbie Grattan: How frequently do you veer from your personal “go-to” list of professional voice-over […]

In part one this interview, Female Voice Over Talent Debbie Grattan and Joel Newport of Harvest Creative Services discuss ISDN voice over studios and why they are a key component for voice over talent working with Harvest. Female Voice Talent – Debbie Grattan: What brought you into the business, and what are your day-to-day workings […]

Part 2 of an Interview with Marketing Executive, Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc. Female Voiceover Artist Debbie Grattan chats with marketing executive Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc. about how voiceover artists can capture the attention (and business) of marketing firms and secure more voiceover jobs. DebbieG Voice Actor: How frequently do […]

Part 1 of an Interview with Marketing Executive, Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc. Female voiceover artist Debbie Grattan and marketing executive Scott Tingwald of Villing & Company, Inc. sit down to talk about the criteria he uses when hiring voice talent. Voiceover Artist – Debbie G: Scott, can you give us some background […]

Part 2 of an Interview with Lowell Christensen of Spotworks Creative In this second installment, professional female voiceover artist, Debbie Grattan interviews Lowell Christensen of SpotWorks Radio Creative and Production to discuss the attributes that male and female voiceover artists need to get steady work from online production agencies. Read Part 1 of this interview […]

Part 1 of an Interview with Lowell Christensen of Spotworks Creative Female Voiceover Artist Debbie Grattan interviews Lowell Christensen of SpotWorks Radio Creative and Production about how to market your voiceover artist talents and services on the Internet. . Voiceover Artist – Debbie Grattan: Can you give us some background as to how you got […]

Part 2 of an Interview with David Louis of Audio Images Kauai In the second installment of this series, Voice Over Talent Debbie Grattan and Dave Louis of Audio Images Kauai discuss the practicalities and working relationship between producer and voice over talent. Dave Louis and Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush are all smiles after […]

Part 1 of an Interview with David Louis of Audio Images Kauai Professional female voice talent Debbie Grattan chats with Dave Louis of Audio Images Kauai about how technology has changed the voice over business Dave Louis and Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush are all smiles after a four hour ADR session for “The King’s […]

Professional Commercial Voice-Over Artist Debbie Grattan offers her thoughts on the advantages of hiring a Pro Commercial Voice-Over Talent versus someone who is newer to the voice-over business. . Being a full-time commercial voice-over artist, I always have my ear tuned to commercials. Whether it’s on tv or radio, I find it amusing how just […]

Female Voice Actor Debbie Grattan covers some of the pros and cons to consider when hiring a male and female voice actor for a voiceover project. I read recently that over 3.3 million commercials are playing each day, just on the radio alone! That number is staggering, but it’s good news for me because every one […]

In this age of technology, it is all too easy to achieve the appearance of being a quality voiceover talent even though you’re not quite up to snuff. Seemingly, all that is needed is a good microphone, a decently sound-proofed room in which to record, some editing software, a slick website, and presto… you’re in […]

Female Voice Actor Debbie Grattan shares why attitude and a positive perspective are critically important when trying to build a successful voiceover career. In reading blogs from other voice actors, I’m noticing that lately I am hearing a good deal of complaining. Discussions about the negative state of the economy, how the market is flooded […]

Female Voiceover Acting Talent Debbie Grattan shares the challenges of recording in a Home Voiceover Recording Studio when outside the leaves are a-fallin’! At last we are nearing the time of year when the leaves have almost all fallen safely to Mother Earth and the roaring chorus of leaf blowers and lawnmowers has reached its […]