Some general thoughts about Voiceover in 2024. I did this sort of post in 2022 and figured that an update is in order. So here are my current thoughts about Voiceover in mid 2024.

Please keep in mind that these are all my opinions, and yours may be different.  (I am not an expert, nor do I play one on TV.) This is based on what I’ve seen in the industry over the last 6+ years coupled with my previous 5+ years in voiceover “back in the olden days”.

In no particular order, stuff I’ve mostly learned along this most recent leg of my VO journey.

1.  There is more than one way to grow and prosper in this business.  You have to figure out what works for you and ignore everything else.  In other words, no one else is going to build your business for you, so you have to figure out how best to do that for yourself.

     1a.  There are also no real hard and fast rules for how to succeed in VO.  Your path is your own, and no one can say that it’s wrong but you.  On the flip side, anyone that tells you they have the easy answer to VO success is probably trying to sell you something.  And if they are pushing really hard, then they are probably making most of their money from selling you that thing, and not from actually doing VO.

VO is not a static business. You have to evolve.

2.  Since I wrote my last thoughts on the industry. A HUGE amount has changed. AI is a thing now. (More on that in a bit). Read styles have changed. There were several major strikes that affected the industry. Clients are looking for more diverse talent. Pretty much everything you knew 2 years ago is outdated. So it’s even more critical right now that you are coaching and training and working out to keep your skills sharp. You cannot do what worked 2 years ago and expect to dominate. You have to keep working and pushing and learning.

3.  I said 2 years ago that I had to figure out what I really wanted to do in VO, so I wasn’t wasting energy on things that would not get me to where I wanted to be.  That is still absolutely true. I still look at every bit of my business through the lens of “How is this going to get me where I want to go?”.  As harsh as it sounds, you have to make hard choices. Sometimes I pass on workshops that sound fun, that don’t actually move me in the direction I want. And sometimes I just have to buckle down and dive deeper into what is working to refine even more. That depth and focus isn’t always the shiny new thing. But I’ve heard from major agents that they prefer a talent to have skills an inch wide and a mile deep. Become the best you can at what you do, so hiring you becomes a no brainer for clients.

What if I want to try lots of things?

3a. There are so many genres in the business that there are always shiny new things to try. While it’s good to dip your toes into a lot of different pools at the beginning of your career, the further along you go, the more you are going to need to specialize. When you figure out what genres you are awesome at in VO, you then dive deep. Learn everything you can about that area and stay on top of the trends.  Once you are awesome and working regularly, then branch out into other areas that interest you. As I said in 2022, If you want to do VO full time and support your family with it, then you need to figure out what you want to do AND where the industry thinks you fit best and put all your energy into that. Almost all of the big names in the business specialize. You should as well.

So where are the jobs now?

3b. With the pandemic and the strikes, the business is smaller now. Budgets are smaller, companies are playing with AI, and agencies are reducing rosters.

• eLearning is still either booked direct, which requires you to do direct marketing.  Or it’s occasionally booked via P2P sites. 
• Online video and explainer videos are mostly booked directly, so you need to get on production company rosters. Some companies are trying AI so be aware.
• IVR is one of the areas that’s moving to synthetic and AI voices. So don’t bank on making your money doing IVR.
• Medical and technical narration is similar to eLearning in that most is booked directly. There are some eLearning companies that keep rosters of talent though, so look into getting on those rosters. Some companies are exploring AI and synthetic voices.
• Some local and regional commercials are booked through the p2p sites. Rates have been low this year. So be aware of fair rates.
• Same as 2022, national commercial work is usually booked through the major agents.  Which means you need a top-notch demo, and the skills to back that up. You can’t just be good. You have to be amazing, current in your read styles, and usually booking consistently.
• Promo and in show narration is done through major agencies/management companies. And with the strikes last year, that seems to have slowed a little.
• Indie animation and smaller video game titles are still booking off of social media to a degree.  (Twitter mostly from what I see.)  So, if that’s your thing you probably want to start following and interacting with some of the indie studios and producers.   
• Big time AAA video games, and major studio narration projects are mostly done through agencies still.  (See: Commercial, promo, and in show narration.)

So what about AI?

3c. Well kids. AI is a thing now. Like it or not, for the time being it’s something we have to deal with. Is it going to take our jobs? Probably some of them like IVR and HR videos, and things that don’t really require super high quality. Will it replace us on the higher end jobs. I don’t think so. Creative folks still want to be able to direct talent find just the right performance. And you can’t do that with AI. And at the end of the day, AI doesn’t have a soul, or a point of view, or any humanity. It can’t add some life experience into the read. It can’t feel or care or hurt in the middle of the script.

So we are good now?

4.  Sort of. We can weather the AI storm and come out the other side stronger, but we have to work at it. It takes coaching and practice to make sure that we are getting our own humanity into every audition and project that we touch with our voice. Be engaged and imperfect and determined and tough and above all else, be human. You have to earn that booking and show every client why hiring human is not a choice, but the only real option. If you are not working and growing and getting better every darn day then AI will eat your lunch and you will be out of a job. I’m not ok with that, so I’m kicking things UP a notch this year and working even harder to be the best that I can be.

     4a.  So lets talk rates. I see folks auditioning for jobs with horrible rates. And the reasoning that I hear over and over is that “Someone is going to do the job for that rate, so it might as well be me.” I get it. We all need to make a buck. But accepting those rates hurts EVERYONE in the business. It tells clients that we are NOT worth reasonable and fair rates. Every low budget job that we take reinforces that the rate they are offering is “OK”. And its helping to turn voiceover into a commodity. VO is not something you can drop a nickel into a vending machine for and get perfect files back overnight. WE are not a commodity. What we do takes training, and hard work and skill and perseverance, and a heck of a lot of time. Don’t sell yourself short.

A couple of small notes to ponder…

    4a1. A side note. I’ve seen coaches out there that have been telling everyone that will listen that what “you” charge as an individual is your business and only your business. And if you want to charge below market rates, then that’s your choice to make. Now to a point I agree that your business is your business. That being said, I feel that if you want to have a business next year and 5 years down the line, then you probably should be concerned with fair market rates. If you take less this year, the odds are good that the clients will offer less again next year. And that’s no way to run a business. You should start charging fair market rates, and then you should raise your rates every year to cover cost of living increases.

    4a2. Something to think about. When was the last time you got a discounted rate from your plumber because it was his first day on the job? Did you get your morning coffee cheaper because the barista is new? And did you get your surgery cheaper because your surgeon was still in his first year of practicing? It sounds silly to ask those questions. But I’d ask why you as a voice talent is any different. Even on your first day, you have trained and practiced, and invested time and money into getting good at your craft. Why should you charge any less than accepted industry standard rates?

So what about social media?

5.  I am going to be the last person to tell you that you need to make sure that your social media game is on point. I personally think that social media is a waste of time. Everyone tells you to be “authentic” and then they carefully curate every thing they post. Slightly less than true authenticity in my opinion. That being said, if you are comfortable with social media, then you do you! I will caution you to be careful with what you post though. The internet is forever, and the depth of information available on the internet about YOU is probably larger than you would be comfortable with. Take care to protect your family and your privacy. Because once it’s gone, it’s gone.

6.  Speaking of social media. If you are going to actively partake of social media, then please treat those login credentials with the same care as you would your bank information. You social media presence is the public face of your business. And if it’s compromised, or worse, then there could be massive reputational damage to you and your business. Be careful folks. The are bad people on the internet.

As long as we are wasting time on the internet.

7.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Other people doing cool and interesting VO stuff has zero to do with your talent, skill, or drive to succeed.  It’s ok to be a little jealous if something sounds cool that someone else books, but you need to channel those thoughts into energy and motivation to make YOUR work better.  The only person you are competing against is yourself.   If a client want’s Talent X rather than you, then it was not your job to begin with. So you haven’t lost anything. Make sure that every audition contains the things that make you authentically YOU. THAT is your competitive advantage.  Embrace that.  Grow that.  Be awesome at just being you. Then take anything that is not getting you to where you want to be and toss those things out of your life.

Sometimes enough isn’t enough.

8.  Sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, it’s not enough. Things aren’t happening like you want them to. Auditions are slow. Bookings aren’t coming because the auditions are slow. The entire business feels like it’s stacked against you. And that’s ok. Not every day is unicorns and rainbows. Sometimes things stink. On those days though, you have a choice to make. You can wallow in pity and feel bad for yourself. Or you can find something else cool to do that will give you a bit of joy when the rest of your business kind of feels stagnant. Join a new workout group and stretch your skills. Start a podcast. Blog. Learn an accent just to learn an accent. Join a competitive tongue twister league. Find something creative to do to keep that little spark burning inside you.

Get back on that horse.

9. Keep moving forward. Activity doesn’t always mean progress is happening. You can hop on a merry go round and move but you don’t actually get anywhere new. Make sure that whatever you are doing is helping you move forward toward your goals. If its not, its most likely wasted time.

• Keep coaching with better and better coaches.
• Find other talent to work out with that will challenge you to up your game.
• Find your niche in the business and focus on whatever that niche is.
• Keep up with all of the new trends and reads in your genre of choice.
• Make sure your business is running like a business. Keep things updated and current.
• If you are doing social media, then make sure you are doing it consistently. A post a month isn’t going to get you much visibility.
• Learn a new business skill that can help you run your business better.
• Don’t get discouraged. It’s a long haul, success isn’t going to find you overnight. Success will most likely trip over you while you are working with your head down. So keep working.

Present yourself as a professional in everything you do.  You are the expert, and you have the skills to back it up. You also have to own those skills and charge fair rates. If you don’t recognize your skills, no one else will either.  The more confident you are, the more relaxed you are, and the better your work is.  Don’t stress about AI, just keep getting better and let your humanity shine. And get up every day, and do the thing that you do.

TL;DR

The world has not ended. Thing are different now, but not too terrible. You still get to do something cool that you love. So embrace that. Lean into your work and your craft and your growth. Be awesome at being you. Be human and stay humble. Treat your business like a business. And just keep doing the thing. Over and over, every single day.