J Michael Collins: "P2Ps Are in DECLINE"

In our chat with J. Michael Collins, he emphasizes the importance of using voiceover sites wisely and not overspending on memberships.

He highlights the significance of having a strong marketing game and reaching out to clients on a regular basis.

He also talks about the benefits of search engine optimization for visibility and attracting clients. JMC emphasizes the importance of networking and building relationships in the industry.

Finally, he provides some insights into what can be expected at VO Atlanta 2024.

interviews, AI/TTS, the vo industry, rates, marketing, conferences/conventionsPaul SchmidtJanuary 29, 2024JMCComment

GRATEFUL for AI?!? SURELY YOU MUST BE JOKING!

I've been getting a little discouraged lately about the voiceover business.

We are hearing stories of lots of people potentially being allegedly hornswoggled by a particular coach. People are making up Zoom calls with celebrities that probably didn't happen. There's La Niña and war and unrest on the world stage and I'm feeling it all heavier in a way that I probably haven't since maybe 2016.

So when that happens, one of the best strategies I've found to manage it myself is to go hard in the paint on my gratitude practice.

Consistently practicing gratitude does a world of good for my mental well-being. It boosts my overall mood, it lowers my anxiety and my depression. And it's not just about feeling good. It improves my relationships, my sleep. It's good for the immune system. Lots of good stuff there.

So, as we head into Thanksgiving week here in the States, I thought it would be a great time to remind myself and count down the top five things I'm grateful for in the voiceover business.

AI/TTS, conferences/conventions, professional development, rates, sag-aftra, the vo industryPaul SchmidtNovember 16, 2023SAG-AFTRA, GVAA, NAVA, AIComment

Is PANIC Setting In at Voices.com? 2 Signs

I talk to a lot of people in the voiceover business. Voice actors, casting directors, producers, agents, you name it. And while not everybody's business is flat or down at any given time, think most people acknowledge that right now, the voiceover industry is going through a slow period.

Now, as I film this, we're in the back half of September of 2023, and I think most people will acknowledge that this summer particularly was slower than most summers, and it's been that way for several months.

Now, one of the facets of the business that I think is seeing maybe the most change right now are the online platforms.

And today, we're going to take a look at two specific pieces of communication that I think give a really good snapshot in time of just how desperate Voices appears.

casting sites, rates, the vo industry, AI/TTSPaul SchmidtSeptember 21, 2023voices, Voices.com, AI, ai voices Comments

This Rate "Guide" Is RIDICULOUS! DO NOT USE IT!

I recently posted on social media a great guide from the website of a well-known coach in this business.

And today I call bullsh*t. I'm going to break down exactly why I think this entire rate guide is a crap sandwich and be specific about the damage it does to voice actors and the industry as a whole.

You may want to put on coveralls. This is going to get messy.

I want to make it clear that this is not an attack on this coach personally, but it is an opposition to his teachings and practices in this rate guide which I believe are harmful to the careers of voice actors who put this right guide into practice and damaging to the industry as a whole.

business, casting sites, professional development, rates, sag-aftra, the vo industry, working with a VOPaul SchmidtSeptember 14, 2023rates, bad rates, bad dealsComment

Voquent CEO Miles Chicoine: AI's 3 Big Threats to the VO Biz

Today, a fascinating discussion with the CEO of UK-based Voquent, one of the major voiceover service providers globally about their recent stand against AI. It's an especially strong stand in the context of the ones that the other providers have taken in recent months, and we talked to Miles Chicoine today about that stance. Miles has got some amazing insights, some really interesting insights about AI and how it's affecting both the voiceover industry and the world at large. This is our chat with Voquent CEO Miles Chicoine.

AI/TTS, casting sites, rates, sag-aftra, the vo industryPaul SchmidtAugust 24, 2023ai, ai voices, voquent, miles chicoine, interviewComment

NEW! VO Pro – A Private Global Community JUST for Voice Actors

There are a million voice over Facebook groups and most of them are great, but let’s face it, Facebook itself is a toilet and all the groups are largely the same thing – it’s an online forum and that’s mostly it. Discord is powerful but looks like Slack on meth and has a big learning curve.

So the question has been how do we leverage the power of community to help educate, connect, and support voice actors in a way that we currently haven’t been able to reach.

How do we bring together growth-minded, driven voice actors who are committed to their craft, along with top coaches, the best educational tools in the business, and help them more deeply connect with each other, learn from each other, and support one another?

Well, I have an answer: VO Pro.

GVAA Rate Guide: CRAZY Origin, Present & EXCITING Future Plans

The GVAA Rate Guide creator, David Toback, tells the crazy story of how the guide that our industry depends on was an accident, how he founded it with Cristina Milizia, what it is, WHY it's so crucial for talent to use it when quoting professional voice over rates, and what some of the exciting future plans for the guide are.

business, professional development, rates, the vo industryPaul SchmidtApril 13, 2023GVAA, DAVID TOBACK, CRISTINA MILIZIAComment

WOW! Voices.com NEW Rate Guide vs. GVAA

Today, we’re going to go over Voices' new rate guide and compare it to the GVAA so that you’ll know exactly the differences between the 2 guides, where exactly Voices' rates are substandard and stick around because we’ll also show you where they’re actually above standard.

For years, the voice acting community has been begging Voices dot com to take solid steps to protect voice actors from unfair rates and practices on their site.

And I am happy to report that they seem to be taking some steps to do that.

First, Voices has revamped their rate guide for 2023.

business, professional development, ratesPaul SchmidtFebruary 16, 2023voices, Voices.com, GVAA, rates, bad rates Comment

Voices.com Changes – For The Better or Worse?

In my last video called I Offended Voices.com. and Here's How, the founder and CEO, David Ciccarelli asked me to lay out my points as to why I asserted that Voices puts profit before talent.

Now I laid out five facts that detailed their history of disregard for transparency when it comes to fees, taking egregious cuts of the budgets and a few others.

The reaction was just nuts, Unprecedented. Here's just some of what you had to say…

rates, the vo industryPaul SchmidtDecember 22, 2022Voices.com Comment

WHY Negotiate Voice Over Rates?

"How do I set and negotiate proper voice over rates?" That's one of the most common questions I get from newer voice actors. In fact, just this week I had one of my students in the VO Freedom Master Plan ask it in just this way. “I also feel like a huge obstacle for me is pricing knowledge. Knowing how to price myself and how to justify my prices, I don't want to do cheap work in many businesses I've reached out to directly have told me they just use places like Fiverr to buy cheap VO. Drives me nuts"

It drives a lot of people nuts, so let’s get into it.

business, business development, mindset, rates, the vo industryPaul SchmidtSeptember 1, 2022GVAA, rates, bad rates, negotiation Comments

How To Avoid BAD Voice Over Rates

One of the hardest things to learn when you're in the first few years of your voice over career is rates. Specifically how to avoid bad voice over rates, how to deal with aggressive voice over job listings. You know what I'm talking about? How to negotiate voiceover rates and when and why in perpetuity is bad for voice actors.

Now, when you're in the first few years of your career, rates and negotiation tend to be a bit of a black box.

First of all, why do we negotiate? Why do we negotiate voice over rates? How do we spot aggressive voice over job listings on the voice over websites and voice over job boards? And ultimately, how do we avoid bad voice over jobs and bad voice over deals?

The Top 3 Worst Sites For Voice Over Work

Nobody starts out looking for the worst places to find voice acting work.

But if you're going to look for the best voiceover websites to find voice acting jobs online, it's also useful to know the voiceover websites to avoid and more importantly, why they're sketchy at best.

Quoting All-Media Buyouts in Voice-Over

A fellow voice actor recently reached out to me on LinkedIn:

Hey Paul!

I was wondering if you had a quick minute to help me price a VO project. I'm not great at pricing things, tbh, and I don't know what to do with the GVAA rate guide when it comes to multiple usages. I could really use your guidance!

It's a [foreign] production company that's doing a [category] campaign. They want a :90 script with multiple cut downs, a :20 script, 5 years, worldwide, all media.

I'd love your thoughts on this!

Let’s discuss the All-Media Buyout.

business, rates, mindset, messagingPaul SchmidtMay 26, 2022buyouts, all-media Comments

Quoting Voice-Over Rates: Abundance vs. Scarcity

I’ve been pretty vocal on social media about so-called “coaches” in this business who purport that Fiverr, Upwork, Craigslist (for chrissakes), and the like are the key to a career as a professional voice actor.

My problem is not with these sites. My problem is with the scarcity mindset and the so-called “coaches” who teach it.

How To Handle Lowball Budgets – 2 Real World Examples

It can be very confusing trying to figure out how to handle casting notices that come in that are well below the going rates.

This week, I thought it might be useful to show two real-world examples I’ve received very recently as well as my actual responses so that you can see how to handle these less than ideal requests.

business, rates, work, working with a VOPaul SchmidtApril 28, 2022lowballers, marketing, quotes, rates Comments

Businesses Don’t Beg

Businesses, especially businesses who sell to other businesses (B2Bs) set their own rates as the seller at whatever they deem necessary, within what the market will tolerate. They don’t go groveling to their customers every year and beg.

Many voice actors and freelancers, the overwhelming majority of whom have likely been employees at some point, carry this submissive seller mindset into setting and maintaining professional rates.

rates, businessPaul SchmidtDecember 16, 2021rates, negotiation Comments

Free Food Will Cost You

I recently came across a video on YouTube by a voice talent whose stance was that it’s ok to charge $5 for a voice-over in certain circumstances, notably for new voice talent who wanted to get potential buyers to “try” or “sample” their wares.

Good idea? Not if you want to be in business.

business, business development, professional development, ratesPaul SchmidtNovember 4, 2021rates, priceComment