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Visual Info Overload: Why More People are Turning to Audio (And What That Means for Your Brand)

July 19, 2023 by Debbie Grattan

Anyone who stares a phone or computer screen all day knows the toll it can take. Not just because of the screen fatigue, but because of the visual overload. There’s only so much information and exposure to light-emitting devices our eyes can take before we start to feel the effects. These can range from headaches and eye strain to fear, anxiety and irritability.

The fix, of course, is to step away from the screen to give your eyes a break. Many are doing exactly that by turning to audio. We’re not necessarily talking about music, either. We’re talking about spoken word audio that includes podcasts, audiobooks, narrated articles and other forms of spoken content.

The popularity of spoken word audio has seen a surge in recent years, growing by 30% from 2014 to 2020 alone. About 75% of Americans listen to spoken word audio every month, with 43% listening on a daily basis. While that may still fall behind video’s 55% of daily viewers, audio is certainly giving video a run for its money.

As mentioned in our previous blog on 2023 Voice Over Trends, the online audience is doing less looking and more listening – and here’s why.

Audio Reduces Screen Time

Getting away from screen fatigue and visual information overload are major reasons why people are shifting their attention to audio.

Nearly 40% of all consumers admit to using their phones too much, and that’s not the only alarming smartphone addiction statistic.

50% of smartphone users said they felt uneasy if they left their phones at home
26% of car accidents are caused by cell phone use while driving
58% of smartphone users have tried to limit their screen time, but only 41% succeeded

Millennials and Gen Zs are particularly concerned with reducing screen time, with around 70% saying they prefer audio because they’re too absorbed on their phones all day long.

Audio Lets You Multitask

Perhaps even more important than reducing screen time, audio gives people the freedom to listen while they’re walking, working out, cooking, playing games or taking care of any number of other tasks. It’s convenient, portable and doesn’t require your visual attention.

A notable 71% of monthly audio listeners say the ability to multitask is the number one reason they’re drawn to audio. Reading or watching videos demands we pay attention to what’s on the screen. Audio lets us do other things. It’s the perfect choice for anyone with a busy lifestyle.

Audio is also the perfect choice for others who simply want to fill time or stay entertained, which accounts for 25% of podcast listeners.

Audio Makes Info More Engaging

How many times have you read the same sentence or page only to realize you have no idea what you just read? That’s because it’s easy for our reading to go into autopilot while our brains are actually wandering off, thinking about something else. (aha, caught you… thinking about what you’re going to make for dinner, or your next pickleball date!) The end result is a lot of reading with not a lot of information retained.

Combining audio with the written word is helpful for some, while others are most absorbed when listening to audio on its own. A full 60% of podcast listeners report that spoken-word audio helps them absorb and process information.

Tests conducted by UCL Consultants also found that listening to audiobooks can produce a stronger emotional reaction than watching that same story unfold on a screen. That’s right. Audiobooks can actually be more engaging than heading to the movies or watching TV.

Without the visuals attached to the story, listeners are free to fire up their imaginations. And our imaginations can typically outdo anything we see on the screen.

What the Audio Surge Means for Brands

Many brands have already hopped on the audio bandwagon, with digital audio ad spending projected to increase 14% to $10.14 billion in 2023. Because audio taps into the use of the imagination, brands can create highly effective ads that allows audience members to picture themselves enjoying their products.

Advertising isn’t the only way brands can reach a wider audience with audio, either. Audio branding involves the use of spoken word or music as part of the customer experience. It can be done across the board, with podcasts on your website, distinctive messages for your phone system, and just the right mix of music and spoken word recordings in your brick-and-mortar shops.

Creating a sonic logo is another way to associate a specific sound or spoken catchphrase with your brand.

The Role of Voice Over in the Audio Boom

Even though more and more people are turning to audio, they’re likely to quickly turn it off if they’re presented with something they don’t like. Irritating voices can easily be one of those somethings. Even if you find a pleasant voice to use for your audio projects, it won’t be effective unless it truly aligns with your brand.

Hiring a professional voice actor lets you:

Choose a voice that matches your brand’s style, tone, personality and messaging
Create multiple audio projects with the same actor to ensure consistency and build audience trust
Take advantage of the creativity and expertise that experienced voice actors bring to the table
Partner with a pro for guidance on your scripts and vocal delivery options
Amass a library of high-quality recordings to use with a range of projects
Grab attention, elicit emotion and produce memorable audio that keeps your brand at the top of people’s minds

While AI narration is an option for audiobooks and other projects, working with a real human being is still the most effective way to get exactly what you need in the way of results. Not only that, but you also get the opportunity to develop valuable partnerships that can last a lifetime.

Listen Up!

It’s been noted that audio hasn’t seen this kind of popularity since the advent of the Walkman in the early 1980s. The momentum is there, and it it shows no signs of slowing down.

Creators are publishing compelling audio content
Listeners are gobbling it up in droves
Advertisers are investing in digital ads
Tech is presenting new solutions, software and hardware to make listening to and creating audio content even easier and more convenient

Professional voice over actors are contributing to the cycle by delivering exceptional results that match your brand’s style, personality and messaging. If you have yet to explore the world of audio, it might be time to find out what it can do for your brand. After all, there are a lot of listeners out there who are surely eager to hear what’s next!

Voice Over Trends 2023: Less Looking, More Listening

January 25, 2023 by Debbie Grattan

With dancing ads, endless slideshows, and more than 8.2 million blog posts published daily, online visual content has reached an explosive limit. Voice over trends in 2023 are headed in the same direction. It’s enough to make anyone’s head hurt, especially since the average consumer spends about six hours and 37 minutes online daily.

Rather than shutting down their electronics altogether, people are giving their brains a visual break by turning to audio – which is the star of two of the three most popular trends for 2023. Those trends are:

Audiobooks
Audio Ads
Short-Form Video

In addition to giving the eyes some much-needed rest, audio content comes with another big benefit. Since audio only requires listening, people can perform other tasks instead of staying glued to their screens.

That means they listen to their favorite audio content while they walk, run, exercise, do household chores, drive, or even unwind at night without the screen’s blue light.

But people are only apt to listen to your audio if the quality is of the highest caliber. Audiences refuse to sit through scratchy, grainy, harsh, or distorted recordings. Nor do they have to. Even though audio has not reached the same saturation point as visual content, people have plenty of options.

Unless your audio is proverbial music to their ears, people will simply go somewhere else for a listen. One way to ensure top-notch quality is to hire a professional voice over artist, a surefire way to give your brand a boost and your audience something worth listening to. Here’s how.

Voice Over Trends and Audiobooks

Audiobooks have come a long way since their debut in 1932. That’s the year The American Foundation for the Blind established a recording studio to produce recordings of books on vinyl records. Each side of the record only had about 15 minutes of speech.

“Books on Tape,” which delivered unabridged versions of books recorded on cassette tapes, increased audiobook popularity in the mid-1970s. The 1997 release of Amazon’s Audible portable audiobook player helped spread the word even further, contributing to the popularity audiobooks enjoy today.

Audiobooks give you a prime opportunity to:

Add specific nuances to the story that are tough to relay in straight-up text.
Reach a massive and ever-growing audience.
Get people hooked on your book and, in turn, your brand.

Why You Want It

Audiobooks are one of the strongest ways to distribute your story to the world, and the market is poised to keep growing.

Audiobooks have seen a double-digit increase in sales every year for the past ten years.
Nearly 74,000 titles were recorded in 2021.
Sales are expected to escalate into a $19 billion industry by 2027.

How Voice Over Contributes to Audiobook Success

Even the greatest story in the world can bomb as an audiobook if paired with an annoying voice. Because audiobooks can be rather lengthy, selecting a pleasant voice that can keep a high level of energy, add just the right nuances, maintain a consistent pace, and retain listener interest for the long haul is imperative.

The voice over artist you select must also match the tone, style, and audience of your book. You don’t want to pair a peppy, casual voice for a dark mystery series – nor do you want to select a deep, authoritative voice for a happy little children’s book.

While AI narration is hitting the audiobook scene, you will not get the same precision or exacting emotion you can get from a real human being.

The main goal of an audiobook is to share your story so that the listener becomes hooked – or maybe even slightly addicted – to find out what happens next. An experienced voice over actor will bring high levels of quality, professionalism, and intrigue to your project to achieve exactly that.

Don’t forget to book extra time with your voice over pro to record any launch promotions you want to create for your audiobook. Having the same voice record your book and related ads reinforce consistency while giving listeners a preview of the delightful narration that’s in store.

Audio Ads

Audiobooks aren’t the only audio content enjoying a surge in popularity. Podcasts have become the market’s darlings, and even audio articles are on the rise. If more people turn to audio, you can bet more brands are turning to audio ads right along with them.

Unlike obtrusive pop-ups or other visual ads that rudely interrupt – or downright block – the information people are trying to obtain; audio ads can be blended more seamlessly into the audio tracts. Because audio advertising is familiar, listeners seem less adverse to their existence.

Nearly 50% of people who stream audio said audio ads are less disruptive than other types of advertising. And 43% said audio ads are more likely to capture their attention. Audio ads allow you to:

Tap into the expansive audience that enjoys podcasts, video games, music streaming, and other content that supports audio advertising.
Connect with your specific audience using high-precision targeting.
Reach listeners through the most personal and intimate form of media.

Why You Want It

Whether you’re aiming to create brand awareness, increase engagement, prompt direct response, or support a specific promotion, audio ads are a versatile and effective option that can reach a phenomenal amount of listeners.

Audio ads have a 91% completion rate, meaning nearly all audience members listen to the ads in their entirety
74% of internet users in the U.S. listened to digital audio in 2022, which is more than 222 million people, or two-thirds of the population
Audio remains one of the last forms of communication without ad blockers, as listeners are more accepting of audio ads than other forms.

How Voice Over Contributes to Audio Ad Success

The most effective audio ads are those that grab attention, are memorable, and can stir up emotion – three things that professional voice over actors are easily able to achieve.

Grabbing attention doesn’t simply mean being the loudest or most obnoxious. It means presenting a surprising, unique, or clever hook – in a voice that makes listeners’ ears instantly perk up. That voice needs to align with your brand’s personality and style, and it also needs to be one that listeners can easily remember.

Because audio advertising is often done with a series of ads rather than a single ad spot, you need ads that are both consistent and different. They need to be consistent with your brand yet varied enough, so the audience doesn’t think they’re listening to the same ad again and again.

A versatile voice over pro can maintain a consistent brand vibe while changing up any scenario or character. Select an artist with acting experience, and they’ll also be able to achieve the most important feat of all: making an emotional connection with your audience.

People remember any strong feelings they get while listening to an ad and are apt to remember the brand that elicited those feelings.

Short-Form Video

With a length that ranges from 10 seconds to 3 minutes, short-form video is the perfect pick for people’s declining attention spans. Most short-form videos hit about 2 minutes in length, which requires a concise, engaging, and memorable message without the fluff.

Social media platforms are a natural fit for short-form videos, although their versatility makes them work on other platforms and websites. Their versatility also gives you various options regarding the type of short-form video you want to create.

Types of short-form videos include:

Short video ads, which typically run 10 seconds or less
A single-feature video highlighting a single feature of your service or product
Product demos focusing on the benefits and features of your services or products
Educational and how-to videos, delivering knowledge or instructions
FAQs, with a short video created for each of the top questions customers ask
Behind-the-scenes videos giving a quick snapshot of the inner workings of your company
Teasers for long-form videos, upcoming events, or new products or services
Highlights of past events, with a quick recap showcasing the most memorable moments

Why You Want It

The short-form video has become less of a trend and more of a marketing staple. It’s not only become the most popular marketing tool, but it’s the most effective and known for delivering the highest ROI.

90% of marketers use short-form video plans to maintain or increase their use moving forward.
20% of marketers who have never used short-form videos are going to give it a try in 2023.
58% of audience members will watch the entire video if it’s less than a minute long, but only 24% make it to the end of videos that are more than 20 minutes long.

How Voice Over Contributes to Short-Form Video Success

With less than 3 minutes to relay your entire message, a short-form video has to be extremely precise. Precision is what professional voice over acting is all about. Voice actors are highly trained to deliver precise timing, precise pronunciation, and just the right style and tone that aligns with your message and brand.

You also need video narration that matches the type of video you’re creating. A 10-second ad requires a highly captivating and energetic voice, while an event recap needs a voice that can relay the emotion of the memorable moments.

Educational videos need voices that give an air of authority without losing the personable feel. Teasers require high levels of authentic excitement, while product demos need to mingle that excitement with a professional edge. You could spice up your FAQ videos by having the voice actor take on different characters for every question.

As noted, the short-form video doesn’t have room for any fluff. An experienced voice over artist knows how to get straight to the point, delivering narration that connects with the audience to present the message and help the video meet its goals.

Find a versatile and seasoned voice actor, and they may be able to nail the narration for all your short-form videos, regardless of the type.

A versatile, seasoned voice actor can nail the narration for short-form videos and any other project you have in your lineup. This particularly holds true if you plan to move forward with the 2023 trends of audiobooks and audio ads. Both audiobooks and audio ads rely heavily on engaging narration for the best results, and hiring a voice over pro is an excellent way to help ensure those best results unfold.

Is the Golden Age of Voice Over Gone? Part Two: Here Comes AI

June 21, 2022 by Debbie Grattan

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 artificial intelligence (AI), its impact on the industry, and the idea of synthetic voices replacing real actors. While we can never really know what the future may bring, I am inclined to say no, AI will not replace real-life voice over actors.

There are several reasons I feel this way:

AI-generated narration can instantly kill all the drama and excitement when used for a full-length documentary-type TV show (as evidenced by one we ran across a few weeks back).
Certain AI-powered robot vacuums have voices that are annoying enough for people to return the product based on the voice alone.
No client has ever told me, “We’re going to hire AI to do your job.” And if they did, I have enough work and clients coming in to wish them luck and move on.

And those are just a few reasons off the top of my head. I’ll go a bit deeper later in this article, right after we flesh out what’s going on with AI in the world of voice over.

AI and Technology in Voice Over

Voice technology has gotten more sophisticated, something I’ve touched on in past blogs. Examples include:

Synthetic Voices

Artificially produced replications of the human voice, such as simple commands on automated messages.

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Text-to-speech transforms digital text into human speech. Google’s text-to-speech is a prime example.

AI Voices

Type of synthetic voice that uses deep learning to:

Transform text into human-sounding speech
Transform speech into text
Identify a person by their voice command

Voice Assistants

Voice assistant software can perform tasks or answer questions in response to a person’s voice. Think Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri.

Synthetic, On-Demand Voice Overs

Today you can find software that produces text-to-speech (TTS) voice overs as needed. The TTS are often synthetic voices generated by AI and other technology to help them sound less robotic and more human.

If you’d rather start off with a real voice, other technologies let you create a voice bank of a real person’s voice that can later be used to create synthetic speech. Here the voices originally come from human actors, but the sounds are broken down and then put together to produce the desired order needed for the project.

On the surface, it may appear that technology is rapidly honing in on the voice over industry, ready to replace real-life actors. And for some uses, perhaps it has. But that doesn’t mean game over.

The downside of Artificial Voices

True, starting costs for using synthetic voices might be lower than hiring a professional voice over actor. You may also get a rapid-fast turnaround time and the ability to endlessly manipulate the recording as desired. But the pros have yet to outweigh the cons.

The cons of using synthetic voices include the following:

No unique sound. You may be purchasing a synthetic voice that’s used by dozens, or even hundreds or thousands, of other companies. The voice may be mundane and overused, but it also runs the risk of sounding monotonous.
Limited library. While you may find plenty of voices speaking standard, non-accented English, you’ll likely be at a loss if you need regional accents or a less common language.
Endless manipulation. The ability to manipulate the recording to add pauses and other elements may be a plus. But you may also find yourself manipulating the recording to fix errors with acronyms, abbreviations, ambiguities, missed cues, bad flow and other issues that make the recording less than stellar.
Lack of humanness. The lack of humanness is the greatest downside. The human brain can pick up the difference no matter how advanced artificially reproduced voices may be.

Why the Human Touch (and Sound) Matters

Even though they try to make a variety of different-sounding AI voices, there is no way to direct to the nuance that some clients desire.
When you take the humanness out of voices, you take away what connects us to our audience: human emotion.

Marketing relies heavily on human emotion, as up to 90% of our decisions are based on emotion. Emotional branding has become one of the foremost ways many brands attempt to connect with their audience.

Real voice actors are still the only way to provide the emotional connection that synthetic voices have yet to master. Hiring a seasoned voice actor also brings on added benefits, such as getting guidance on the script, receiving input based on their expertise, an opportunity to provide vocal direction and feedback on the delivery of the copy, and connecting with a real person to develop a professional relationship.

End of the Digital Era?

Voice technology has gotten better – but it’s still not to the point where it can substitute for a real person with real emotions. And even though advances may continue to be made, experts like author Greg Satell say we’re looking at the end of the digital era. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop using digital technology. But it does mean we won’t necessarily see the same massive explosion of new technologies that we’ve seen of late.

“We’ve spent the last few decades learning how to move fast,” Satell notes. “Over the next few decades, we’ll have to relearn how to go slow again.” Slower and more in-depth, using all this technology for meaningful projects beyond automating Robocalls or shutting off porch lights with a voice command. “We are awash in nifty gadgets,” Satell writes, “but in many ways, we are no better off than we were 30 years ago.”

Voice Over: Greatest Challenges, Greatest Joys

This brings me to one final thing I noticed while thinking and writing about the changes in the voice over industry. It can be summed up with a quote from French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (written in 1849):

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

No matter what has changed in the voice over in the way of technology and work methods, two fundamental elements remain the same. One is the greatest challenge and the other is the greatest joy.

The greatest challenge is still finding and securing work. Finding people who are doing the hiring and getting in front of them. You now get in front of them with an email instead of an in-person connection, but you still need a way to stand out from the crowd.
The greatest joy will always be connecting with clients and delivering exactly what they want.

Another thing that has stayed the same is my suggestions to new talent looking to break into the industry. The most important thing is a good, clean sound – and the willingness to work hard for what you want.

Just because technology has made some things faster and easier doesn’t mean technology does everything for you. People still have to put in the legwork if they want to succeed – in anything.

I feel lucky to have entered the voice over world when I did, as it’s given me a chance to embrace a wide range of different experiences. While I miss the in-person work with other actors (even though we have ways to live-connect digitally with each other now via Source Connect, Zoom, and other methods), I also love the ability to be around my family working from home. Not to mention living anywhere I want and still getting steady work.

I’d also say it’s easier for me to find work today than when I started. I have a lot of fingers in a lot of different pools. I have a variety of auditions coming to me from many sources. And clients can find me by searching for female voice talent (or something related) online. SEO is wonderful, and optimizing one’s website is essential these days.

And I have a large stable of clients I built up over the years that I stay in touch with. Once again, the human connection comes into play. Like any meaningful career, it’s not only about the work you do but the relationships you develop. Relationships you can’t get from technology, no matter how fast, cheap or accessible it may be.

Thank you for reading this post! Let me know when you need a custom audition or voice over quote for an upcoming project.

Is the Golden Age of Voice Over Gone? Part One: Into the Digital Era

June 1, 2022 by Debbie Grattan

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 up best:

“Things don’t get better or worse. They get different.”

And that’s precisely what happened in the world of voice over. While some may pine for what might be considered the Golden Age of voice over, others say a new Golden Age may be upon us.

Either way, I have used a few key strategies over the years to sustain my own voice over career through whatever comes across my path. For others facing significant changes in their careers or those embarking on the VO bandwagon, these strategies may help you, too.

The Early Days of Voice Over

While the definition of voice over’s Golden Age may vary, I feel it’s an era reserved for some true veteran voice actors. I don’t consider myself part of the Golden Age, although I have been in the business for more than 25 years.

When I entered the scene in the 1990s, in-person studio recordings were the norm. If you wanted any level of notable voice over work, you needed to live in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Southern California, where the big studios and the big jobs were.

An average day in the voice over world for me included spending a lot of time attending live auditions, doing in-studio work – and being stuck in Southern California traffic.

Commercials made up the bulk of my work, primarily local commercials for businesses in the area. Yes, the work was exciting. And yes, I had a lot of fun.

I remember working at a studio in Irvine, California, with another OC native, Scott Rummell. He’s one of the top people in the voice over world, with a body of work that includes movie trailers, network promos, and national and regional TV commercials. He gave me a valuable leg up at the beginning of my career. We recorded spots together, acting as husband and wife for local supermarkets or copier companies.

My background was in acting, so I was used to working with other actors and creating believable dialogue. That was always the most fun… getting to work with other actors in a live situation.

A Voice Over Career in the 1990s

Live auditions
In-person studio recordings
Often recording with other actors in the studio together
Getting work through casting and talent agents
Voice over actor’s job was to read and interpret the copy
Engineers and production crew took care of the recording, editing, sound quality, and everything else that went into the finished, delivered product
In-person marketing – where personality played a huge role
Printed headshots
Demos on cassette tapes and then CDs were always cheaper if you bought them in bulk. I still have a box of CDs left over from 20 years ago!

The early days were exciting. I was getting paid to be an actor – and that was my goal. Some people never get near that. Sure, I had some side jobs at the beginning, like working as a florist and marketing a murder mystery dinner theater, but I was driven to make acting my full-time career.

At one point, one of my side jobs ended. I saw it as a turning point. I knew I could draw unemployment for about six months and use the time to get all the pieces together to focus on what I wanted to do.

From there, I just took one step after the other. The work got better. I made more money. Time is on your side. It will get a little easier if you can stick out the tough stuff in the beginning.

And although I do miss certain aspects of the early days, I know things tend to appear rosier in hindsight.

What I miss most: Working in person with other actors.
What I miss least: Being stuck in the Southern California traffic. I can get much more work when I’m not wasting time on the freeway.

The Digital Age of Voice Over

When the digital age began to unfold, my initial reaction was less than thrilled. It was more like: “Oh my gosh. What the heck is this technology, and how will I work with it?” And I might not have if I had not met my husband.

I was not a computer person AT ALL, and he was the one who nudged me into the computer and internet age. The transition has been challenging to me, but I’ve been able to learn what I need to know – and usually hire people to help with the rest.

Some people are more adept than I am with technology, but that doesn’t mean I’m not proud of the progress I’ve made. I still sometimes go through everything I’ve learned and pat myself on the back. Technology is wired into younglings these days, so it’s mostly a breeze for them. They have other challenges.

Technology aside, the biggest challenge in the digital age has been connecting with potential clients, the people who will hire you. The current mantra is that anybody and everybody can be a voice over talent – which also comes with a downside.

Now you’re not just competing with the people in L.A. you see in the audition waiting room. You’re competing with people in every state… in every country. You’re competing with the world.

Voice Over Experience Matters

Seasoned voice actors have the advantage of experience and the ability to say no to jobs that are not a good fit. Examples are clients who may not have directed a lot of voice over recordings and put you through the mill, asking for multiple free auditions or even recordings. Sorry, no.

Seasoned actors can end up at a disadvantage in certain cases. Sometimes, a client may be looking for an unrefined voice, very raw and not polished. When you’ve been doing voice acting for so long, it’s hard to turn off the polish.

A Voice Over Career in the 2020s

Digital auditions
Digital studio recordings
Usually alone in a home studio
Getting work through voice over marketplaces, casting agencies, talent agencies, pay-to-play platforms
Voice over actor’s job is everything related to the craft: recording, editing, marketing, maintaining a website, the whole kit, and caboodle
Online marketing, where voice over websites and other savvy digital assets play a huge role
On-demand digital samples of work
Digital demos

After all these years, voice over work still brings me joy. My biggest joy is pleasing a client… when you get to hear something like, “Gee, that was fantastic. It’s great working with you.”

I recently experienced one of those sessions where we whizzed through a series of difficult recordings for a major university fundraiser. In many cases, they were satisfied with the first take. It’s so freeing to work with someone who has such confidence in my abilities and can just let me go and do my thing.

I used to be thrilled to hear my voice on TV or on the radio. My voice would come on while my kids were watching TV, and they’d say, “There’s mom!”

Now I do a smattering of commercials, and most of my work is long-form narration. E-learning and similar projects, along with some phone prompt work. I got into voice over narration very quickly, which perfectly aligns with the demands in the digital age.

And yes, my work is still fun. It’s like a game for me. Every morning I wake up and see what’s in my email inbox. I’m scouting possible jobs not just for me but also for my college-age daughter, who also does voice over work. I meet with her over Zoom once a day to do whatever auditions and client work she has in between her other work and classes. It’s a sneaky way for me to be in constant touch with her while she’s away at college…and she still makes a nice purse from her work too, which helps to pay for it all.

I have a set routine and a speed. It energizes me to think, “There’s another audition, another opportunity.” You never know which one is going to hit a client. When you do get the job offer, it’s a big win. Fortunately, I put enough spaghetti on the wall so some of it does stick!

What I enjoy most is: Ease and speed of my daily routine.
What I enjoy least: Dealing with finicky technology. Nearly all of my career’s most memorable scary moments involve technology failing at extremely inopportune times.

How to Keep a Voice Over Career Going

Even though I miss some aspects of the earlier days of voice over, and I am still not a big fan of technology, at no point did I ever want to throw in the towel to pursue another career. As with any type of freelance career, income can fluctuate. But even during years when we didn’t make as much money as we’d hoped, I’m still making more than I would at any other job that uses my education, experience, and skills.

The strategies I used to keep my voice over career going can be used by anyone in any career. They are:

Look forward, not back: Remember, the past is always rosier in your mind, and new things can be even more exciting.
Know your limitations: There was no doubt I was not a computer person, and I never pretended to be.
Learn and adapt: I was willing to learn what I needed to stay in the game. This reminds me of an Eleanor Roosevelt quote: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” And I certainly thought I couldn’t do all those computer tasks!
Get a game plan: Those six months of preparing for a voice over career gave me a solid path and foundation for moving forward.
Keep your eye on the prize: Voice over work was and is my passion. No matter what challenges I need to face, I remind myself daily how lucky I am to have a job I love.

Will I still love voice over with artificial intelligence (AI) honing in? Ask me again in two years (kidding)! You can check out my take on voice over and AI in my next article: “Is the Golden Age of Voice Over Gone? Part Two: Here Comes AI.” Stay tuned!

Are You Willing to Do What It Takes to Succeed at Voice Over? – Part 3

January 18, 2021 by Debbie Grattan

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. True, a small percentage of voice over artists get to voice famous characters and worldwide campaigns – but they’re typically well-known actors to begin with. And thinking that any career automatically delivers easy money and fun work is an erroneous thought across the board.

Making it as a voice over artist takes a lot of proverbial blood, sweat and tears, along with the willingness to endure many things people may not even think about before they dive headfirst into the industry. As the third and final part in my blog series about launching a voice over career, this article is going to expose those things.

Part One of the series asked you to go deeper into your reasons for choosing a VO career. Part Two of the series asked you to determine if voice over delivered the legacy, mastery, freedom and alignment you need out of a career. Part Three is again going to ask a question, but only a single practical question:

Are you willing?

Are you willing to go to the lengths needed to make an honest attempt at voice over success? Before you answer, you probably want to know what those lengths would be. You’ll find them in the questions below.

Are You Willing to…

Give up that thing called job security?

Like any form of self-employment, especially in a creative field, the workflow tends to fluctuate. You may be overloaded one month, and get barely any jobs the next. You’ll also be paying for your own health insurance, sick days, vacation time and other expenses a full-time position would normally cover.

Even once you build up your voice over career with regular clients, monthly income can vary widely. But that doesn’t mean the monthly bills can go unpaid. Wise creatives save during the rainfalls so they’re properly prepared for the droughts.

Build your skills before you even begin?

Your first step in a voice over career is not to record a demo. It’s to strengthen your skills so you’re ready to record a demo. No matter how good your neighbor thinks you are at funny accents or character voices, unprofessional demos can be spotted a mile away. They can also work against you in the long run.

Building skills involves:

Hiring a voice coach
Attending voice and acting workshops and classes
Doing daily technical exercises to warm up your voice and improve control
Learning how to analyze scripts
Recording and listening to your voice with a critical ear
Practice, practice and more practice

Spend money (and more money) before you start making money?

Starting a voice over career is a big investment. Really big. In addition to the coaching, workshop and course fees, you’re going to need to invest in a lineup of other start-up expenses.

These include:

Home studio and equipment
Online or industry subscriptions
Demos
Website and marketing

Dedicate a portion of your pay to your team?

Behind many successful voice over actors is a team of players. And those players need to get paid. Key players on the team can include:

Your agent, who typically gets about 10% of your pay
Your manager, who gets around 15% of your pay
Your marketing team, with a budget dependent on how much work you give them
Subcontractors, who handle the work you don’t have the time or skills to do yourself
Suppliers, who provide things you need on a regular basis (like your monthly subscriptions)

Be a highly disciplined and strict boss – to yourself?

If you’re the type that needs a boss breathing down your neck, you’re most likely not going to cut it in the world of voice over. This profession demands that you BE that boss, pushing yourself to get things done. To be successfully self-employed in any profession, you need to be disciplined, self-motivated and strict enough to keep the ball rolling forward – even if it appears it’s going nowhere.

Learn how to run a business?

Being your own boss also means running your own business. A profitable business. In addition to the discipline and self-motivation mentioned above, running a profitable business takes plenty of know-how about the technical ends of things. These include invoicing, getting paid, balancing budget, providing optimum customer service, connecting with prospects and clients, and many other tasks. You’ll find the bulk of voice over work is often behind the scenes, rather than behind the microphone.

Spend more time trying to get work than actually doing the work?

Auditions. Marketing. Prospect and client correspondence. Follow-up and more follow-up. Only a small percentage of your time is apt to be spent actually recording jobs. Savor that time, but don’t get too used to it.

Sell yourself in the marketplace?

A voice over career is not for the weak. And it’s not for the meek. You’ll need to get out there and sell yourself. Marketing is a huge and necessary part of the job to get your voice heard above the fierce and never-ending competition. It’s vital to create a strong presence in the marketplace, and equally as important to nurture relationships with existing clients. This takes time, effort, professionalism and a service-oriented mindset.

Embrace rejection?

While you most likely won’t be able to count on a steady paycheck, you can always count on a steady stream of rejections. Taking them personally will tank your career before it even gets off the ground. With so much competition, it’s only natural that rejections are the norm, not the exception. Grow a thick skin. A really thick skin. And use the rejections to make you stronger.

You can also do what I’ve learned to do. I submit an audition and forget about it, moving on to the next one. If it comes back with an offer, great. If not, I am not crushed or disappointed.

Sit alone in a booth for hours on end?

Some people need ongoing interaction with others throughout the day. You’re not going to find it with a voice over career. Any interaction is typically via email or an occasional business phone call. You’ll be spending lots of time alone, in a booth, with no one else around.

Sitting (or standing) alone in a booth for hours each day is just one of the potentially stressful aspects of the job. Unpredictability and ongoing rejection can end up getting to some people as well. If that’s the case for you, this may not be your best career option.

Enter a field that gives you no guarantee?

Even with the proper pieces in place, there is no guarantee you’ll get any voice over work at all. Ever. Hard work, determination and perseverance all play major roles when it comes to attaining voice over success, but there’s also a bit of luck involved. Being at the right place at the right time. Meeting the right people. And many other factors far beyond our control.

If you’re willing to endure the behind-the-scenes elements that come with a voice over career, you may have what it takes to make it work. That is, of course, if you’re willing to do one more thing:

Get up and do it all again tomorrow.

While the stakes are high and the return can be low, a voice over career can be a highly rewarding career. I know I’d have it no other way. I also know one of the most important aspects of the journey is to ensure you’re ready, willing and able to do what it takes before you even begin.

What to Look for on a Voice Over Talent’s Website Before Hiring

January 22, 2020 by Debbie Grattan

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 over actor’s website needs to truly make the cut.

A Clear Message

When you land on a site, you want it to get right to the point. You should quickly be able to ascertain the type of voice over work this person does, how long they’ve been doing it, and a sense of if they align with your project or not. It should also be clear that the person is, in fact, a voice over artist. Believe it or not, it’s still possible to land on certain websites that are highly advanced and look amazing – yet give visitors no clue about what the business actually does.

Bio Section

While you may get a bit of information about the voice actor on the homepage, a strong site includes an About section with a more comprehensive biography. A detailed bio provides a fuller picture of the voice over talent’s background, experience, training, past and current clients, and other pertinent information that lets you know if it’s a good fit.

You may also be treated to additional info, such as their location, hobbies, family life, and passions, which can be helpful for building rapport and a working relationship.

Testimonials

Testimonials are powerful proof that the voice over talent knows what they’re doing and can deliver the same level of service for you. Because they’re unbiased opinions from actual clients, they go a long way toward establishing trust. In fact, a single testimonial from a satisfied client can be far more persuasive than a whole page of information from the voice over artists themselves.

Audio Samples

Audio samples of a voice over actor’s work are crucial. Look for voice over demos as well as a portfolio of recordings from actual projects. Demos may sound terrific, but they always sound terrific. That’s because they can be edited to perfection. Recordings from actual projects provide a better sense of what the voice actor can achieve without the benefit of endless editing. Both types of audio samples are essential for giving you an overall idea of a voice over actor’s range and capabilities.

Responsive, Professional Website Design

If the voice actor’s website appears neglected, outdated, or doesn’t have a responsive design that allows it to be viewed on any device, it could be a red flag. Neglected or outdated sites may be a sign of someone who is not on top of their game. Sites that don’t have the latest advancements, such as responsive design, could indicate the person’s recording equipment or tech skills required for editing and recording may be just as far behind.

Fast Loading Speed

Slow websites can color your judgment of a voice over actor before you even read or listen to a single word on the site. One study found that more than 50% of Americans were prone to feeling “much more negative” about a business if they have a slow-loading site. The negativity was strong enough to cause 73% of visitors to move on to a rival website if the rival site was faster.

Because voice over websites contains multiple audio and even video samples, loading speeds can be extremely slow if sites are run on inferior web hosting platforms. But find a site that’s run on a high-performance web hosting platform like Pantheon, and you’ll find speed as well as reliability. If the voice actor is smart enough to invest in a top-notch hosting platform, they’re likely to be just as savvy when it comes to high-end recording equipment.

Now that you have an overview of the most important elements on a voice actor’s website, making your hiring decision can be a lot easier. The process of elimination is likely to narrow down the options greatly, leaving you with experienced, professional voice over talent that delivers a final recording as polished as their website.

VERSATILE

EXPERIENCED

PROFESSIONAL

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Audio Makes Info More Engaging

What the Audio Surge Means for Brands

The Role of Voice Over in the Audio Boom

Listen Up!

Are You Willing to Do What It Takes to Succeed at Voice Over? – Part 3

Are You Willing to…

Give up that thing called job security?

Build your skills before you even begin?

Spend money (and more money) before you start making money?

Dedicate a portion of your pay to your team?

Be a highly disciplined and strict boss – to yourself?

Learn how to run a business?

Spend more time trying to get work than actually doing the work?

Sell yourself in the marketplace?

Embrace rejection?

Sit alone in a booth for hours on end?

Enter a field that gives you no guarantee?

Get up and do it all again tomorrow.

What to Look for on a Voice Over Talent’s Website Before Hiring

A Clear Message

Bio Section

Testimonials

Audio Samples

Responsive, Professional Website Design

Fast Loading Speed

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