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Featured Phone Related

10 Things Every Home Studio MUST Have to Create High-Quality Voice Over Audio

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 the methods and equipment you use to capture and control the sound.

With more than 25 years in the voice over industry, I’ve landed on the essential components that I need in order to create the high-quality voice over audio my clients expect. Here are the top 10 things every home studio must have to do the same.

1. High-Quality Microphone

The higher the quality of your microphone, the better the quality of your recordings.

If you’re serious about a professional voice over career, the microphone is one place you don’t want to skimp. At all. Sure, there are dozens of microphones available in the lower price range – but investing in a really good mic is one investment you will never regret.

The microphone is the main tool you use to capture your voice. The better it sounds, the better you’ll sound.

My years of experience have made me a big fan of Neumann microphones. My current model is the Neumann TLM 102 Microphone. This particular mic is rather small and compact, yet its sound quality and versatility are amazing.

When I upgraded to this mic several years ago, I sound-tested four other very high quality microphones along with this one in my studio. I believe the TLM 102 was actually the lowest priced of all of the mics tested, yet when comparing the sound of my voice on all five mics, it was clear that this was the right mic for me. Someone with a different tone or register might have chosen a different option. So, the best mic for you may not be the most expensive mic that you can find. You should find the best quality mic that is a good fit for your voice but at the most reasonable price point.

My favorite features of the mic include:

  • Compact size: Doesn’t get in the way of viewing my scripts or screens
  • TLM technology: TLM stands for “transformerless.” That means the typical output transformer you find in microphones is replaced by an electronic circuit, which results in low noise and high clarity.
  • Built-in boost: There’s a vocal quality known as “sweetness,” which makes vocals really stand out. This mic has the capacity to enhance that quality, adding smoothness and dimension to vocal recordings.

2. Microphone Accessories 

Microphone accessories, like a microphone stand, shock mount and pop filter, can help enhance the sound quality even further.

The exceptional sound of a quality microphone can easily be ruined with excessive noise from other sources. These can include handling, mechanical interference and popping sounds made from fast-moving air when you’re speaking or singing. Three accessories can help decrease the chances of all of the above.

  • Microphone stand: This keeps the mic steady and stable while freeing up your hands for other things.  I actually have my stand mounted to the wall on a versatile boom arm. It is important that the mic stand be free standing and NOT attached to your desk to avoid extraneous noise and vibration. Even a floor stand can pick up vibration.
  • Shock mount: This piece of equipment supports your mic. It’s designed to reduce noise caused by mechanical vibrations and handling.
  • Pop screen: Noise protection that reduces or altogether eliminates popping sounds in vocal recordings. I definitely prefer the metal screen vs. the fabric screen.

Another perk of high-quality microphones is often finding some of these features already included. For instance, the Rode microphone I use as a backup/travel mic has a built-in pop screen. My TLM102 came with two types of shock mounts and I tend to prefer the elastic suspension style.

3. Audio Software, Quality Computer 

Also known as a digital audio workstation (DAW), audio software is what you use to record and edit.

Recording and editing software is a must, as is a quality computer that’s compatible with the DAW you choose. Slow or outdated computers can really kill your efficiency and productivity.

My DAW of choice is Adobe Audition Audio Software. It has tons of useful features that let me easily edit, clean up and enhance my recordings. It also has capabilities for restoring damaged recordings, adding music to fit an exact duration of time, and expertly exporting recordings. 

I originally used Sony Sound Forge which worked great for many years… Until Sony sold it to another company who completely failed on many levels. I was forced to change software programs a few years back, and it was kind of a painful transition. But, the way I do things now is much more speedy and efficient for editing.

4. Mic Preamp, Processor

A mic preamp amplifies the microphone signal, while a processor provides additional power to the preamp. They’re often combined in a single unit.

For best results with your recordings, both a mic preamp and processor are essential for your home studio. Most microphones have very low outputs, and a preamp ensures the output is boosted to a usable level. While most audio interfaces and mixers have built-in preamps, they may not be powerful enough to achieve the most professional results.

You can find the mic preamp and processor combined into a single unit, which is the case with my Harman DBX 286s Mic Preamp/Processor. This piece of equipment is a full channel strip processor with a quality preamplifier and four different processors. Each processor brings a different benefit to the sound quality. The four processors can be used independently or in any combination with the others.

Be aware that sometimes producers and engineers prefer that you NOT use any processor on your recording. I now use just a touch of processing on most recordings, but for many years I recorded very raw audio and let the producer tweak it to whatever degree they needed. You have to be careful with processors and not overdo it.

5. Mixer 

Mixers are used in home recording studios to combine and process audio signals, and then route them where they need to go.

In addition to letting you combine and route audio signals in a convenient way, the best mixers even let you change the dynamics of the sound. While it’s true many DAWs and other software programs have audio mixing capabilities, some voice over artists prefer the real knobs, buttons and faders you find on the hardware mixers.

I am one of those artists. I use the Mackie Onyx 820i Pro Mixer. This compact mixer allows me to quickly and intuitively adjust audio levels and other attributes to produce the exact sound I’m going for. It’s also one of my favorite pieces of home studio equipment. They don’t make them anymore, but a couple years back I bought a second Mackie Onyx, just to have as a backup.

6. ISDN Voice Over Equipment

Officially known as Integrated Services Digital Network, ISDN enables recording studios to connect with voice over talent working remotely in their home studios.

In the old days, you used to have to show up in person to record with a client in a professional recording studio. Today, all you need is a connecting platform to connect your DAW/computer to the recording studio. ISDN was the original in this regard. ISDN has been around since the mid-1980s, and although there are now several competing platforms (Source Connect, ipDTL and even Skype) it remains to go-to standard for remote recording sessions for most recording studios and many voice over actors across the world.

CAVEAT: Be aware that ISDN is a soon-to-be-extinct dinosaur (although how soon nobody knows) so if you are a new voice talent, you probably won’t want to invest in ISDN and instead use something like Source Connect. That being said, I still prefer ISDN sessions over all other options.

The quality of the audio is so good on ISDN, you feel like you’re standing in your client’s recording booth, wherever that may be. It’s also good enough to capture the recording on the client’s end, which means you don’t have to record, edit and upload the files yourself. All is recorded in real time as if you were actually in their studio.

I’ve been using ISDN for twenty years, and my ISDN voice over equipment of choice is Musicam Suprima LC and Telos Zephyr.

There are other good less expensive alternatives to ISDN, my preference being Source Connect. Most VO talent and production companies are moving away more and more from ISDN, mostly because of telephone company costs involved and the fact that phone companies are phasing out this service over time.

7. Studio Headphones

Studio headphones are a lot different than your standard headphones. Those differences are what make them essential for home recording studios.

Even the highest-quality pair of standard headphones isn’t going to be useful for recording. They simply aren’t designed for the job. Studio headphones are. Being designed for the job means:

  • Providing accurate sound. Studio headphones give you the authentic sound of your audio, whereas standard headphones tend to automatically modify the audio in some way to make it sound more appealing. While you may want your music to sound better when you listen to it, you don’t want your voice to be enhanced in any way. You want to know exactly how it sounds as you’re recording it.
  • Having a wider frequency range. Standard headphones typically can’t detect background noises or other distortions that occur at extremely high or low frequencies. Studio headphones can. This allows you to remove the distortions as needed.
  • Being higher quality. Studio headphones tend to have superior construction. This makes them more comfortable, durable and longer-lasting.

8. Studio Monitors

You need at least one computer monitor to use your audio software, and adding a second one comes with many additional benefits.

I lived with a single computer monitor for years, as that’s technically all you need to access your DAW. The monitor can display your audio software controls, allowing you to use your keyboard and mouse to control your recording sessions in real time.

When we installed a new voice over recording system, I had a second studio monitor installed. Wow. It makes a huge difference in my productivity. The second monitor gives me access to everything else during a recording session. This includes emails, computer files, scratch videos the client sent via Hightail or DropBox, videos or online information, and even Skype.

My full setup has two monitors in both my office and my recording studio (four total). It took some design and detailed understanding of how to get this all setup. Fortunately, I have a husband who has knowledge in these areas and was able to consult with the right people to figure out what we needed.

9. Sound Card or Audio Interface

A critical part of your sound chain setup, sound cards and audio interfaces allow you to get the sound into and out of your computer.

Many professional voice over actors still like to use a sound card, as it can greatly affect the recording quality of your microphone. I use the Echo MiaMIDI computer sound card, which was easy to set up, easy to use, and helps with my audio editing when I’m using Adobe Audition.

However, going with the common theme here of things no longer being available, you can’t find this sound card anymore. I hear more and more that the audio interfaces are more common and preferred these days, so I suggest you do research on those for this aspect of your recording setup.

10. Soundproof Treatment

Soundproofing enhances the quality of your recordings by keeping unwanted noise out of your studio.

Whether it’s a truck going by outside or footsteps in the next room, external noises can be picked up by high-quality microphones. While you can get rid of some unwanted noise during the editing process, it’s not always possible to get rid of all of it. Besides, it’s preferable to spend the time and effort during editing working to improve the overall recording, not fix things that are wrong with it.

There are dozens of different soundproofing options, from professional installation to DIY varieties.

Watch out for tricky things like the sound of water running through pipes in the walls, air conditioning or furnace noise and, of course, the dreaded lawn equipment noise. One of the most important decisions is which room to convert into your studio. We had to move from a room located in the front of the house to a walk-in closet on the backside of our house, just to avoid the neighbors’ lawn equipment.

You can enhance the quality of sound in your studio even further by combining soundproofing with an acoustic treatment. Acoustic treatments are designed to absorb excessive ambiance to make the acoustics in the room sound better.

And, while most people pay attention to the walls and ceiling, it’s easy to forget about sound-proofing the floor. A thick pad can do wonders for knocking out low frequency vibrations.

In Conclusion…

With these 10 components in place, your home studio will be equipped to produce high-quality voice over recordings indicative of true professional. You’ll also enjoy a setup that lets you perform your work in the most efficient and effective way. Doing your research and investing in quality equipment is definitely worth the time and effort, as it will provide you with everything you need to produce exceptional recordings for years to come.

High Quality Voice Over Audio

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients, For Voice Over Talent Tagged With: Featured, Featured Commercial, Featured Narration, Featured Phone Related

How Our Voice Over Business is Taking a Positive Approach to COVID-19

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. Our lives are shifting every day and there’s plenty of uncertainty right now. Our hearts go out to all those on the front lines; the doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, first responders, police and fire personnel, bus drivers, truckers, janitors, post office staff, fast food workers, grocery clerks and more who are taking care of those most ill and providing some normalcy for the rest of us by keeping essential services up and running. You are all heros.

We realize that everyone has a different story and situation, so if you are struggling with the current circumstance in ways that we aren’t addressing here, we send our prayers and wishes for the highest and best outcome for all. Faith is a fantastic tool.

With so much uncertainty and fear pervading our world today, my family and I have decided to do what we can to take a positive approach to COVID-19 by consciously focusing on the things for which we are grateful and the help we can provide. We are truly blessed with good health and prosperity, even in challenging times, and have found opportunities to try some new things that may lead to even better situations after we get past this crisis. Here are a few examples.

Home and Family

Our health and safety comes first, as does yours. If you and your family are healthy and safe, you have the top item on the list covered. Having a roof over your head is another positive, as is the ability to take the recommended precautions and remain home as much as possible.  We are blessed that our business was already set up to do this, so that is an unexpected bonus.

Since moving from Southern California to Michigan back in 2004, we have enjoyed the opportunities that go along with having a fairly large home in the Midwest. That’s part of the trade from moving from metropolis to Midwest…there’s more social distancing, naturally. We have plenty of living space for practical comfort in home and work life, (since home also includes the family business), and that extra space makes it easy to stay stocked up and prepared for a long quarantine. It also provides enough room to give every family member plenty of personal space – a great blessing when things get a bit stressful. Since we were already home-schooling our youngest (who is now fifteen years old), we didn’t even have to deal with the transition of no public schools in session. So, for our family, this was a pretty seamless transition.

I’m sure for other families and businesses there are different sets of challenges, and everyone has to start from a point where they are, and move forward. My wish is that using a spirit of gratefulness for the things you can be thankful for, will lead in a positive direction, for more good to flow.

The Business End of Things

Working remotely may be a big change for some, but it’s been a part of our routine for the last twenty-five years. So, we’ve been able to take this adjustment in stride and continue working without a hitch. Speaking as someone who is accustomed to working from home, I would encourage anyone new to the concept to focus on the positive aspects (of which there are many). Think of the commuting time you’re saving, lower fuel costs and reduced carbon footprint, home-cooked lunches and the ability to work in your slippers. Of course, there’s also the additional time you get to spend with your family. We’ve been enjoying the extra time we’re getting to spend with our daughter, now home from college for several more weeks due to the closure. That is an added bonus for us, though not what she had hoped for.

Being a business owner comes with a lot of risk, but because of that, in our current situation, we fortunately don’t have to worry about the possibility of being laid off or downsized. Even though some activity may be slowing, many of our clients still have voice-over needs and we’re continuing to provide the high-quality services that we always have. Much of our business is in the telephony and  narration genres, so even if there is some slowdown in retail advertising for awhile, there are still plenty of projects in the works. We are thankful for our loyal and long-term clients who continue to send business our way.

I’m assuring my clients, it’s basically business as usual in my home studio, which is equipped with everything I need to do my job. We also have ISDN/Source Connect/phone patch capability, which makes it easy to connect for live, remote session work with clients anywhere in the world. Most of the live TV world is now using the technology we’ve been accustomed to for years.

Covid -19
Positive Voice Over Business during Covid -19

 New Opportunities – Coronavirus, COVID-19 and Voice Over

In addition to the usual types of projects that come in, we’re also seeing opportunities to help businesses and organizations deal with COVID-19. A couple recent examples include:

  • Company Phone messages regarding COVID-19, which are urgently needed by many businesses and organizations
  • Revised messaging about changing schedules, for hotels, showrooms and other large venues
  • Advertising messages and PSAs including the “we’re all in this together” common assurance to customers
  • Science and Medical VO regarding PPE and Clinical Trial work

Our daughter (and teen VO talent), Natalie, is now home from college for the rest of the semester. That makes her more available than she was when living on campus. This has actually simplified our work flow quite a bit, so it’s a welcome change.

Make This a Positive Change

Even if your own work has taken a downturn, you may find new opportunities to customize your services, products or offerings to help fill a need that didn’t exist before. Creative thinking can go a long way toward finding solutions, new streams of income and innovative ideas that otherwise may have never been born.

Many great discoveries and innovations happened by accident or when someone “took a detour” or “got off the beaten path.” That is exactly where we find ourselves right now. Outside of our comfort zone, outside the box and off of our usual path. Take time to look around and notice what you may never have noticed if this situation hadn’t happened. You may find something that is life-changing or transforms your business.

Once you get into the groove of thinking positive and counting your blessings, the days are suddenly lighter and brighter than they were before. We can and will get through these trying times, and a positive attitude will make it that much easier. Here’s hoping you get into that positive mindset – and that you and your family stay safe. Let’s all get to the other side of this thing as soon as possible so life can begin to get back to normal, even if it is a new normal.

Please also check out my followup post to this one, “How to Feel Good and Stay Positive in a Negatively Focused World.”

Contact me if you need any messaging or other voice-over work related to COVID-19 or any other projects you have brewing. I’m open to meeting tight deadlines and always happy to help.

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients, For Voice Over Talent Tagged With: Featured, Featured Commercial, Featured Narration, Featured Phone Related

Why Voice Over Actors Don’t Need to Lose Sleep over TTS

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 in the field, TTS remains unable to replace the real deal. Keep reading to find out why.

How TTS Has Advanced 

Text to speech (TTS) is a system that converts the written word into the spoken word. Simple enough, right? But it gets more complex from there. TTS systems store speech units that can include phones, diphones, words and entire sentences. It then puts those speech units together in specific combinations to create synthetic speech that says anything – all using the voice that initially recorded those speech units.

While the first talking machine was initially introduced back in 1939, advances in the world of TTS over the past several years have been more rapid and dramatic than over the past 75. Some of these advances include the ability to:

  • Incorporate a model of the vocal tract and other human voice characteristics to sound more human.
  • Correct synthetic speech mispronunciations, adjust regional pronunciations, add emphasis, and other tricks through Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML).
  • Produce robo calls that stop and ask “Can you hear me?” or wait for a reply, like a human would, before continuing their spiel.
  • Copy lip-movements for dubbing.
  • Fix small errors in voice over recordings with synthetic edits.
  • Create a model, or “voice bank,” of a real person’s voice for later use as synthetic speech

Once TTS began to converge with machine learning, big data and artificial intelligence (AI), it became smarter, more realistic and, as mentioned earlier, a perceived threat to some in the voice over industry.

Potential TTS Threats to the VO Industry

There is no doubt the advances of TTS have aroused a number of concerns across the voice over industry, with some of the most common outlined below.

Losing Ongoing Royalties

The royalty structure keeps giving us a steady flow of money each time our voice is used, regularly paying us even though we’ve already done the work. If we are recording into a voice bank, are we going to get royalties every time our voice is used to create synthetic speech? Probably not. While we can likely expect to be paid a large amount for the initial recording session, we may lose out on royalties each time our voice is used down the line. After all, how can we be paid royalties for a future recording that uses our voice but we didn’t technically record?

No Control Where Your Voice is Used

Since technology allows for a pre-recorded voice to be used to create any type of message or project down the line, voice over artists may fear they won’t have a say in the type of work that will be attached to their voice. Some work may be unacceptable, but we may have no control or say over the matter.

Being Prohibited from Future Spots

If we offer buyouts on our voice banks, we could be limiting our careers without realizing it. For instance, let’s say our voice is used for a car company. We would then potentially be prohibited from doing all spots for all other companies in the future – even though we didn’t know we’d be associated with a car company at the time of the buyout.

Continuously Declining TTS Rates

Recording sessions for TTS are no longer in the $50K range. As the technology advances, the rates continue to decrease. Methods of capturing and synthesizing voice take far less recording time, which means far less pay for the voice over talent.

Why Voice Over Actors Don’t Need to Fret

While TTS concerns may feel valid for us voice over artists, we don’t have to lose sleep over them for several reasons. For starters, TTS still harbors many limitations – like the inability to spontaneously generate the infinite human range of emotions and vocal techniques.

Being able to create synthetic speech by simply typing in the words you want it to say is also not something that can yet be done. And synthetic speech, no matter how advanced or finely tuned, has still not shown it can match the multiple nuances and components associated with a real human voice.

Ongoing payments may still even exist. In addition to a recording fee, we could arrange licensing agreements that outline when and where our voices can be used down the line. Turning our TTS fears into the framework for a clear-cut contract can help ensure we have all bases covered – and continue to thrive in our profession.

Filed Under: For Voice Over Talent Tagged With: Featured, Featured Commercial, Featured Narration, Featured Phone Related

Communication is Key for Voice Over Success 

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 communicating with our clients. Understanding this component of your voice over business is key to long-term success.

Good communication brings clarity to every situation, imparts professionalism and builds long-lasting relationships. Here’s how.

Communication for Clarity  

All voice over jobs start with a rundown on what the client wants, and the only way you’re sure to deliver is to ask the right questions. You need to ask relevant questions that give you the information you need to fully understand exactly what they’re going for. Questions here include things like vocal tone, file type, delivery method and all other details associated with a particular project.

It’s then imperative to carefully listen to what they say so you can deliver what they asked for. If things are unclear, clear them up before you begin. You’ll save a lot of time that you’d otherwise have to spend correcting something that was vague or misunderstood.

Communication for Professionalism

How you communicate with clients says a lot about your competence level, whether it’s through a quick phone call or a detailed email. You always want to be respectful and professional, ensuring you use appropriate guidelines for business correspondence. Sending a professional email is not like texting a quick message to your pal in all lower-case letters with two-letter abbreviations.

You want to use proper grammar and salutations, spell check before you send, and include your logo, branding, a professional email address and good tagline. Part of your online communication also includes your website and social media accounts. Every email you send, post you create and image you choose reflects directly on you as a professional.

Impeccable emails and a polished online presence indicate you’re someone who knows what they’re doing. They paint you as someone who is experienced and can be trusted to complete the project to the specs required. 

Communication for Building Relationships

While communication with a new or prospective client is best kept rather formal, you can relax the formalities a bit when you work with repeat clients over an extended period. I find ways to personalize communication, to make it feel more like a friendship when appropriate.

I have many clients with whom I’ve worked for years, so in some instances I know details about their families, their work transitions and their overall lives. When it’s appropriate, I enjoy being chatty and casual. I like to deepen the bond with them, so they see me as not just a voice talent, but a trusted friend and a fellow human being.

I also never under estimate the importance of a thank you. This could be for a referral, a recent job, or just for being a loyal client. I’ve tried many different approaches to this over the years, including sending postcards, personalized notes, birthday cards, gifts, or just reaching out through email or social media.

Posting a review for a client on their LinkedIn page or other platform shows your thoughtfulness and may help them with their marketing. Letting clients know how much they’re appreciated and valued can go a long way, especially when you do it in a way that gives them an extra boost to their own business.

Two More Tidbits on Communication

In a previous blog I wrote about The Biggest Voice Over Customer Service Mistakes, and it’s no surprise that poor communication made the list in two instances. They bear repeating. One was delay in communication, which can give off the vibe that you don’t really care. The other was not really listening or understanding what the client wants, which we also touched on above.

Responding to audition requests or messages to clients as quickly as possible shows you’re a pro who is ready to deliver what’s required. In the case of new clients, being the first to respond is often the move that gets you the job.

Truly listening and understanding what a client wants is another big deal. It’s better to ask tons of questions than make tons of mistakes. Good communication involves good listening skills and really paying attention to what the client is saying.

Keep these communication tips in mind as you move forward in your voice over career, and you may be happy to find your career moves forward with success. You’re apt to be seen as a true professional who can deliver exactly what the client wants while building beneficial relationships that can endure for years.

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients, For Voice Over Talent Tagged With: Featured, Featured Character, Featured Commercial, Featured Infomercials, Featured Narration, Featured Phone Related

Looking for Free Voice-Over Talent? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t

Looking for Free Voice-Over Talent? Here's Why You Shouldn’t

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, with the promise of coming back to purchase loads and loads of additional items in the future.

Think the cashiers will go for it?

Not if they want to keep their job.

In fact, you may be lucky if you get out of the store without a personal security guard escort.

But this very scenario happens all the time in creative industries, particularly in the voice-over world. Asking VO talent to work for free is a ridiculous request in the world of business. It hurts their business for obvious reasons, but it can also hurt yours. Still, some companies still ask for it, and some VO actors still oblige.

Why Free Voice-Over Talent May Agree to Work for Nothing

Finding free voice-over talent may be easier than you think, especially with increased competition popping up in every corner of the internet. But you need to be wary of those who agree to performing work at no cost, as not all the reasons for accepting such work may promise exceptional – or even usable – results.

free voice-over talent can be very inexperienced

The talent is new or inexperienced.

Nabbing that first voice-over job can be tough. But nabbing that first free voice-over talent gig can be relatively easy. Even if the new voice-over actor has talent, it may be rather raw.  And inexperience in the business may leave the final product in a state of incompleteness, or worse. Hiring a full-time pro VO talent from the get-go can save your company time, money and headaches in the long-run. It can also ensure you get the job right the first time.

The talent believes the promises of more work to come.

Even if your company has the honest intent of providing more work for the person if the first freebie is a goody, there is usually nothing binding you to make the promise come true. And if you really look at the deal from the talent’s point of view, additional work from a company that is too cheap to even pay for the first job may not be such a good deal after all.

The talent wants exposure, professional samples.

This reason is not all that horrible, as it’s always a good move to stock a voice-over portfolio with stellar samples of your work. But it also uses the project as a training ground, and if the voice-over talent is providing their contribution to the project at no cost, it can make you wonder how highly other aspects of the project are valued. This could result in a decidedly less-than-stellar sample out of the gig.

The talent thinks that’s the way the industry works.

Yes, even in this age of information, many remain uninformed on the basics of the voice-over industry. Attention clients and talent alike: working for free is NOT how the industry works. Anyone who tells you differently may also have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

Using free voice-over talent can hurt your business

How It Can Hurt Your Business

If you’re not yet convinced that asking voice-over talent to work for free is not the best route to take for your business, a few more reasons may do the trick.

You get what you pay for.

This adage holds true all across the board. Cheaper services can often mean cheaper results. And you can’t get much cheaper than free. It simply doesn’t make sense to cheapen your marketing or video efforts with a free voice-over talent added to the mix.

You can earn a reputation as a cheapskate.

Once your company is known for offering low-cost or no-cost gigs, a cheapskate reputation can be hard to shake. Even if you up the ante in the future and start paying fair rates for professional services, your name may already be tainted enough for talent to view you with suspicion or avoid you altogether.

You can end paying more in the long run.

A free recording technically costs you absolutely nothing, at least in theory. But in reality you must account for the possibility of multiple do-overs as well as the editing, training and babysitting you may have to provide.

An anecdotal case in point comes from a friend who owns an event planning firm. She’s frequently had to clean up after her unpaid staffers by retracing their missteps, correcting their mistakes and apologizing to business partners they’ve alienated.

She notes it’s easier to hire one decently paid person who knows what she’s doing than deal with nine unpaid people who can make things difficult.

And no matter how many unpaid voice-over actors you may go through, results may still fall flat. Then you have to add in the time, effort and additional resources it takes to seek out and hire an experienced, versatile, professional voice-over talent who would have done it right in the first place.

hiring free voice-over talent can lead to bad karma

Your company can end up with lots of bad karma.

Finagling free work out of people is an unethical practice that can even be illegal in certain situations. While voice-over actors can often be legally classified as independent contractors that exempt you from federal and state labor and wage regulations, the definition of independent contractor is a hazy one.

And karma does tend to come around. You may not notice the negative effects right away, but you can rest assured they’ll be on their way.

While the karma idea may sound philosophical, it also contains a major dose of common sense. Bad karma can create a massive drag on your profits:

  • Abuse customers and they’ll flee as soon as they find a competitive deal
  • Abuse employees and they’ll jump ship as soon as they can get another job (while the really talented folks will avoid you entirely)
  • Abuse the community and you’ll end up with protests, boycotts and court cases
  • Abuse the law and you’ll end up getting caught and punished, no matter how long it takes

It’s tough to be profitable when you’re stuck with fleeing customers, disgruntled employees seeking escape, boycotts and court cases, and monetary penalties or prison time.

One final reason to steer clear of free voice-over talent was mentioned by voice actor and audio producer Chris Mezzolesta. He pointed to the extraordinary feeling you get when you create something fantastic and watch it come to life with an equally fantastic voice-over talent, a creative partner that knows his or her job.  Finding that kind of creative partnership with someone with no real stake in the game may not even be possible.

Remember, the voice of the actor is the voice of your business. Treating the talent well will not only make you sound better, but feel better for the long haul.

If you are in need of quality voice-over services at very fair prices, please contact me today for a free voice-over quote or custom audition. Or give me a call and we can discuss the details of your project.

You might also enjoy reading these related articles:

“A Client’s Guide to Selecting the Right Voice-Over Talent”

“Five Reasons to be Wary of Cheap Voice-Overs”

“The Downside and Dark Side of Hiring Voice-Over Talent on Fiverr”

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients Tagged With: Featured Phone Related, free voice over, voice over price

Is Debbie Grattan the Voice of Ooma?

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, you already know what Ooma is. The small, stand-alone electronic device replaces traditional landline telephones with VoIP, or Internet phone service, with a reportedly lower rate and higher quality.

Based on the number of searches launched for the voice of Ooma, which refers to the voice that comes from the small, stand-alone device in the Ooma ads, it’s clear that the company’s fun and flirty promos have been a monster hit.

While I very much appreciate the extra traffic the voice of Ooma searches have been sending my way, I must clarify that I am not the voice of Ooma – and that’s a GOOD thing for anyone looking to hire a female voice-over talent to record phone messaging. Here’s why.

I’m Not Under a Binding Voice-Over Talent Contract

Phone-related voice-over services are one of Debbie's specialtiesSince the Ooma ads are so widespread and visible, there’s a solid chance the voice-over actor who scored the gig also had to sign a contract with exclusions that limit availability for other similar projects. That means if you did indeed find the voice of Ooma, you may not be able to use her services for your own phone-related recordings or other projects that may be on the exclusions list.

With no exclusive or limiting contracts to a specific communications provider, my availability is open for any and all phone-related services. This includes on-hold messages, interactive voice response (IVR) messages, informational recordings, marketing blasts and any other phone or non-phone-related project. Depending on your needs, I can often provide a turnaround time in 24 hours or less.

I Don’t Charge Exorbitant Voice-Over Rates

Debbie offers very affordable voice over ratesOnce voice-over talents beef up their resumes with major gigs, you can pretty much bet they’ll be beefing up their rates. Although I am not the voice of Ooma, I have had a number of notable roles and projects over the past 22 years as a professional female voice talent. Yet one of my main aims is to keep my rates affordable and fair for both myself and my clients. You can also take advantage of special discount offers and my client loyalty program that rewards clients who repeatedly use my services.

I Can Provide a Unique Voice for Your Unique Company

Providing unique voice-overs for unique company needsWhile the voice of Ooma may be great for Ooma, your company deserves a specific voice that’s as unique as you are. You can still certainly keep the same friendly demeanor the Ooma box emits, but you can fine tune the details to best fit your specific brand. After all, if every company looking for a voice-over talent to record their phone-related projects ended up with the voice of Ooma, the voice would go from marvelous to mundane in a millisecond.

I Can Go Beyond the Flirty and Fun

a voiceover for all types of businessesOoma’s flirty, fun and friendly tone is fine, but it may not be the tone and style your company needs. It would be tough picturing the voice of Ooma doing a serious phone voice for a law firm or doctor’s office, for instance. Or perhaps your company requires a voice-over actor who can deliver a very specific accent, cater to a very specific target audience, or explain very specific information in a no-nonsense yet compelling way. I may not be the voice of Ooma, but I do have all the other points covered.

And Way Beyond the Straight-Up Voicemail Recording

Voice-overs to me are far more than simply reading words off a page. My professional acting background has given me the ability to actually become virtually any given character, while my more than two decades of voice-over experience makes it easy for me to help with script editing and direction as needed. If you’re not sure how a script should be read, I can give you ideas and variations – on the spot – ensuring each session flows as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

get outside-the-box voice over service

I Don’t Live in a Box

Perhaps the greatest benefit of not being the voice of Ooma is not being forced to live in a little black Ooma box. I instead enjoy recording my sessions at my fully equipped home studio, outfitted with everything from a high-end microphone to editing software and phone patch that lets you sit in on the recording in real time.

Yes, we know the voice of Ooma doesn’t really live in the Ooma box. We also know the device doesn’t really talk except in the fun and flirty commercials. And now you additionally know why it’s good to not to limit yourself to the voice of Ooma when it comes to hiring a female voice-over talent to deliver exactly what you need.

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients Tagged With: Featured Phone Related

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Debbie Grattan is a top-rated professional female voice over talent with more than 22 years of experience delivering voice over services worldwide. She regularly records commercial voice overs for radio and tv as well as infomercial voice overs and direct response marketing for children’s toys, health, fitness and beauty products. Other specialties include female narration voice overs for corporate narration, web videos, tutorials, explainer videos and technical medical narration. Debbie also provides phone-related voice over services including phone prompts, messages-on-hold and outbound phone marketing for companies in the United States and Canada.

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