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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. 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

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

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 decision to hire 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 judgement 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.

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

Why Work Is Not the Be-All and End-All of Life (Not Even Voice-Over Work)

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

That’s where many in today’s society have gone wrong. Instead of having passions outside their jobs, they have been told make their jobs their passion. Many become compelled to only take jobs they feel have meaning, purpose and represent their true calling. They refuse to even consider any type of work unless they think it’s going to bring them fulfillment and contentment.

This alarming shift is outlined in an article in The Atlantic, where writer Derek Thompson explores the phenomenon of “workism.” And it’s wreaking havoc on the nation as a whole.

What is Workism?

Workism is the idea that work is more than just a way to earn money. It is instead viewed as the core of a person’s identity and life’s purpose, a way to find contentment and fulfillment. In other words, it’s pretty much the worship of work.

The roots of workism can be traced back to the long-standing American Dream, the idea that you’ll enjoy material riches and success only if you work hard and give it your all. But workism takes it to the next level, promising not only success on the material level, but on the emotional and spiritual levels as well.

Workism, for many, is taking the place of traditional faith, which is on the decline in the U.S. The workism movement has spread across generations, and particularly hits hard with millennials.

It’s become such an obsession that a full 95 percent of teens responding to a Pew Research study ranked “having a job or career that they enjoy” at the top of the list of “extremely or very important” things to have as an adult. The report, by the way, was examining the epidemic of youth anxiety.

Workism Side Effects

It’s no coincidence the Pew study had been investigating youth anxiety, as anxiety is one of the foremost side effects of worshiping work. Others include mass disappointment, disillusionment and inevitable burnout.

Expecting More than You’ll Get

Work was designed as a way to earn money, not as the be-all and end-all to the meaning of life. One of the dangers with trying to make your work be meaningful is that most work is not meaningful. It’s work, and generally something you probably wouldn’t do unless you’re being paid to do it.

When people devote their entire lives to work, worshipping something from which they can actually be fired, they’re setting themselves up for a painful fall if the market doesn’t behave. And its behavior is out of anyone’s control. The concept of workism is falling flat itself, with Gallup reporting nearly 90 percent of workers are not engaged at their jobs. It’s also creating a culture of misery, perhaps explaining why anxiety and depression have increased significantly over the past 40 years.

‘Meaningful’ Jobs Saturated

The jobs that appear somewhat meaningful, or seem that way to the masses, are becoming saturated with people seeking out their life purpose in their work. This creates a big supply of people interested in that type of work – resulting in a low demand and even lower pay. That tends to make “meaningful” work some of the lowest paying around, unless you happen to be the owner of the business or high enough on the totem pole to command a good salary.

The voice-over industry has experienced a massive influx of job seekers over the past few years, as have other industries that appear to have jobs which people think will bring on good feelings and a sense of wholeness. Now is exactly the wrong time to be pursuing so-called meaningful work, since so many young people are doing exactly that. A more strategic tactic would be to pursue a career in something that pays the bills, and then have a meaningful life outside of work.

Most people are actually happiest when they’re spending time pursuing their hobbies or with family and friends – not jammed behind a desk looking for the meaning of life.

Finding Meaning in Anything You Do

Another important thing to remember is that you bring the meaning to your work; it doesn’t bring the meaning to you. No matter what you do for a job, you can always create the meaning you want. While this might seem like a controversial idea to some, if you really examine it, you’ll find it to be true and accurate. More to come on this idea in the near future.

Depending on a person’s mindset, being a plumber or HVAC technician could have more meaning than being a Broadway producer or star. After all, which changes a person’s life more? Seeing a really great Broadway show or getting their furnace repaired so they can have heat during the winter?

Most folks would agree getting the furnace fixed is a more meaningful thing for them, because it impacts them all winter long. You can make a huge difference in peoples’ lives doing very ordinary things. This is the missing piece in today’s way of thinking about work. Millennials especially are failing to realize that THEY create their own meaning in what they do.

So yes, my voice-over work is very meaningful. I enjoy it, am passionate about it, and am extremely grateful to have it. But it’s not my only source of joy, or the only way I find enlightenment in life. And, like any job, it can sometimes be a source of frustration, stress and discomfort. That is the nature of the reality we live in. Nothing is perfect, every job has its drawbacks and downside. The attitude and perspective you have about those areas especially will make or break how much joy you experience in your work.

Are you looking for an experienced and passionate voice-over talent for an upcoming project? Your search is over… Contact Debbie today.

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