The 5 Biggest LIES in Voice Over & the REAL TRUTHS BEHIND THEM
The 5 Biggest LIES in Voice Over & the REAL TRUTHS BEHIND THEM

One of the biggest problems that folks new to the business coming into voiceover run into as new voice actors is how to separate, how to sort out the good information from the bad.

In fact, it's one reason I started this channel because there is a substantial amount of factually incorrect garbage going on in our business that's floating around out there and the only way to fight that is with real facts and honest truth.

Now, is truth in the eye of the beholder. Largely, yes. But again, there's stuff out there that is just factually garbage and has to be called out as such.

So, today we're going to do just that. We're going to talk about the five biggest lies in the voiceover industry, what the source of those lies are and the corresponding truths that you need to know to be a successful voice actor.

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casting sites, marketing, professional development, the vo industryPaul Schmidtlies, fiverr, upworkComment
Should I Get into Voice Over? 9 CRUCIAL Questions
Should I Get into Voice Over? 9 CRUCIAL Questions

Several times a week, people reach out to me, and I'm sure I'm certainly not the only one and say, “People say, I have a nice voice. Should I get into voice acting?”

My answer used to be, “Sure. This is a great business, and it's the best job I've ever had. And second isn't even close. Come on in!”

And while that's still true as much as it ever was, my answer has changed.

Voice over and voice acting isn't for everyone.

Some don't have the talent. Some don't have the drive. Most think it's something it's not - and that is a quick way to easy money with no experience.

So how do I answer the question? Should I get into voice over truth fully when I know little to nothing about the person answering the question?

Today I'm going to do just that. So, if you're considering getting into the voiceover field, if you're wondering if you're cut out to be a professional voice actor, I have nine questions for you that will help you answer that question.

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acting, business, mindset, professional development, tech/gearPaul Schmidtmarketing, training, mindsetComment
David Ciccarelli OUT! And Why That’s BAD for Voice Actors
David Ciccarelli OUT! And Why That’s BAD for Voice Actors

Well, two weeks ago I said that Voices was getting desperate and ten days later they ousted their CEO, David Ciccarelli.

Earlier this week, Voices made the following announcement:

Dear Valued Customers and Friends,

Today, we share some bittersweet news as we bid farewell to a cherished member of our team, David, who has been at the helm of Voices.com, Inc. as its chief executive officer for the past 18 years.

Since founding Voices.com, David and his wife Stephanie have been instrumental in nurturing and growing the community and building the marketplace.

His dedication and leadership have been integral to our success and we are immensely grateful for the journey we have shared under his guidance.

David's decision to step down as CEO was not made lightly.

So, what does this mean for Voices going forward? And more importantly, what does it mean for voice actors?

Spoiler alert: It ain’t good for anybody.

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casting sites, the vo industryPaul Schmidtvoices, Voices.com, bodalgo, castvoices, voquent, voplanet, Voice123Comment
Is Voice Over Work DRYING UP?!? THE 6 BIG CAUSES
Is Voice Over Work DRYING UP?!? THE 6 BIG CAUSES

As I touched on in my last video, 2023 has been a slow year for voiceover. In fact, this might be the first year in the 21st century that we can honestly say that voiceover work has not… available work… has not grown year over year.

There's no hard data that I know of in the voiceover industry that shows the exact amount of available work. But I talked to a lot of people in this business and pretty much everybody agrees it's been a down year.

This has also been the year that A.I. has exploded onto the scene.

Terms like generative AI were barely on our radar a year ago and they're now part of our everyday lexicon. A year ago, A.I. Voices was a term and a concept we all knew and were aware of and knew was coming. But nobody had any idea what that was going to mean for 2023.

Now, that said, if we agree that voiceover is in a bear market then that begs the question: why?

There are six main reasons VO is slow right now and I'm going to break them down for you today.

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acting, AI/TTS, business, sag-aftra, the vo industryPaul SchmidtAI, ai voices, strike, economy, training, covid-19Comment
Is PANIC Setting In at Voices.com? 2 Signs
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.

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casting sites, rates, the vo industry, AI/TTSPaul Schmidtvoices, Voices.com, AI, ai voices Comments
This Rate "Guide" Is RIDICULOUS! DO NOT USE IT!
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.

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business, casting sites, professional development, rates, sag-aftra, the vo industry, working with a VOPaul Schmidtrates, bad rates, bad dealsComment
The TOP 7 REAL Reasons You’re Not Booking VO Jobs
The TOP 7 REAL Reasons You’re Not Booking VO Jobs

It's no secret. Actors historically are notoriously bad business people. We just are.

And statistically, we're even bad at booking work, something that we're supposed to be able to do as part of the job.

Even elite voice actors book maybe 5 to 10 out of every 100 auditions they do. And chances are you're booking way less than that. And today I'm going to teach you why.

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acting, AI/TTS, business development, business, casting sites, marketing, mindset, professional development, the vo industryPaul Schmidtbookings Comments
Top 7 Myths About Becoming a Pro Voice Actor
Top 7 Myths About Becoming a Pro Voice Actor

Let's face it. There's a lot of B.S. and myths out there about becoming a voice over actor, a professional VO actor, and about the voiceover industry in general. And sadly, a lot of this bullshit is put out by snake oil salesman, so-called coaches in this business who will fleece you from your money or pick your pocket. And I'm not being disingenuous.

So today we're going to bust the top seven myths about becoming a pro voice actor. And we're going to set the record straight.

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business, casting sites, mindset, professional development, the vo industryPaul Schmidtmyths, getting started, becoming, mindsetComment
Voquent CEO Miles Chicoine: AI's 3 Big Threats to the VO Biz
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.

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AI/TTS, casting sites, rates, sag-aftra, the vo industryPaul Schmidtai, ai voices, voquent, miles chicoine, interviewComment
SAG-AFTRA & WGA Strikes: Fighting for HUMANITY in Art
SAG-AFTRA & WGA Strikes: Fighting for HUMANITY in Art

Here, today, right now, those developing generative AI are threatening to put a lot of us out of work. In October of 2020, the World Economic Forum said that while AI would likely take away 85 million jobs globally by 2025 (and we’re more than halfway there, by the way), it would also generate 97 million new jobs in fields ranging from big data and machine learning to information security and digital marketing.

But here’s the thing: The jobs it’s taking away aren’t the same jobs it’s creating. It’s not creating jobs for creatives. It’s taking them away. Good luck quitting your job as an actor and waltzing into a machine learning job.

And for a prime example of just how this is happening, look no further than our own industry and the current SAG-AFTRA and Writer’s Guild of America strikes against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which includes the major streaming services and Hollywood studios.

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AI/TTS, creativity, sag-aftra, the vo industryPaul SchmidtSAG-AFTRA, WGA, strike, AI, ai voicesComment
5 MUST-HAVE Features of Your Voice Over Website
5 MUST-HAVE Features of Your Voice Over Website

Maybe you’re building your voice over website for the first time. Or maybe you’re redesigning your VO website. How do you design your voiceover website to not just look good, but to actually help grow your business? Specifically, what are the website features you must have? How do you make it easy for customers to do business with you through your website?

So in this video I’m going to give you 6 website features you must have on your voice over website to insure it will help you grow your VO, and at the end I’ll tell you how you can get my Top 10 Website Strategies ebooklet that has 4 additional strategies you can use to boost the effectiveness of your VO website design.

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marketing, the vo industry, business developmentPaul Schmidtwebsite design, websites, VO websitesComment
9 VO Lessons I Learned in the Gym
9 VO Lessons I Learned in the Gym

When you think about it, the gym and the VO booth have more similarities than you might think, and I think the gym is a great metaphor for the booth. Both are dedicated spaces where you’re focusing on self-improvement, on learning new skills, on getting uncomfortable and stretching and literally growing. In both you have tools for feedback – in the gym it’s a mirror, in the booth, it’s your headphones and studio monitors. Both have coaches or trainers to help guide us.

So, let's dive into the 9 voiceover lessons I've picked up from an unlikely place - the gym.

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mental health, mindset, personal development, professional developmentPaul Schmidtgym, consistencyComment
SAG-AFTRA Strike: The Most Important Moment in THE HISTORY OF ACTING
SAG-AFTRA Strike: The Most Important Moment in THE HISTORY OF ACTING

SAG-AFTRA is on strike, and it can be very confusing to non-union actors and voice actors, and those who aren’t actors.

Today I’m gonna break down the major issues around the strike, why this is a watershed moment in the history of acting (and no, I’m not overblowing it), and why non-union actors should not only pay attention, but should absolutely support the strike and advocate for us all.

Remember that episode of friends, when Joey lost his health insurance?…

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AI/TTS, business, the vo industry, sag-aftraPaul SchmidtSAG-AFTRA, strike, union, streaming, tvComment
Feeling Overwhelmed: Relieve Stress & Simplify Your VO Life
Feeling Overwhelmed: Relieve Stress & Simplify Your VO Life

Loneliness. Doubt. Knowledge gaps. Distraction. Overwhelm. Rejection.

Voice actors battle these struggles every day and oftentimes they lead to unfocused action, wasted resources, poor decision-making, and feelings of overwhelm (or VO-verwhelm).

Without the right support and resources, it's no wonder why so many voice actors and audiobook narrators burn out before achieving their dreams.

VO-verwhelm is a real thing, and today we’re going to talk about what it is, and how to recognize the feelings of overwhelm, reduce stress, and simplify your VO life.

Here are 7 strategies to tame the overwhelm beast:

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mental health, mindset, social media, the vo industryPaul Schmidtoverwhelm, akrasia, depression, anxietyComment
NEW! VO Pro – A Private Global Community JUST for Voice Actors
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.

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professional development, mindset, mental health, marketing, rates, the vo industry, business development, AI/TTSPaul SchmidtVO Pro, the vo communityComment
Are You Serving SPAM? Demystifying Email Deliverability
Are You Serving SPAM? Demystifying Email Deliverability

One of the biggest objections I hear from voice actors is I don’t want to be spammy in my email marketing. And I get what people are saying here, and they’re right. They don’t want to be perceived as sending irrelevant, salesy, sleazy messages to poorly targeted, or not targeted at all, people.

In other words, if they reach out to prospects, they want that to be a quality engagement and I 110% support that philosophy.

BUT there’s another kind of spam. And it’s this second kind that you may be sending and not even know it. It’s unintentional spam. It’s messaging that you’ve taken the time to craft, taken the time to target your prospects, taken the time to try to do all the things right, and yet it’s not even making it to your prospect’s inbox, because the ESPs, the email service providers are marking it as spam and culling it from the system before you’ve ever had the chance to say Hello.

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business development, marketing, messaging, businessPaul Schmidtemail, marketing, marketing mistakes Comments
The ONE Thing that Changes EVERYTHING in VO and LIFE
The ONE Thing that Changes EVERYTHING in VO and LIFE

There's one hack, one great secret. One thing you can do for your growing your voiceover business. And it's so powerful that it works for not just growing your video business, but for improving your physical fitness, your mental fitness, and your emotional intelligence. It works for improving your relationships.

It's the difference between setting goals and achieving them. Between a dream and reality.

And it's so simple to understand that even a sixth grader can get it. And when I say what it is, you will kick yourself because you already know it to be true.

So what is this cheat code to all good things in your life?

Two words…

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marketing, mindset, professional development, personal developmentPaul Schmidtconsistency, perfectionismComment
WHY IS THE VOICE OVER COMMUNITY SO SPECIAL?
WHY IS THE VOICE OVER COMMUNITY SO SPECIAL?

The VO community to me is far and away the most supportive, uplifting, collaborative, encouraging group of people I have ever been around. That to me is clear. What is not clear, what really want to get to the heart of is… WHY? Why are voice actors and audiobook narrators so…kind and helpful and all the good things?

WHY? I asked our community on social media recently this very question… Why do you think it is? Does voice acting attract better people? Or does it just bring out the better in us? And if so, why? How?

And that’s what we’re gonna dig into today. As answered by you.

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mindset, mental health, the vo industryPaul Schmidtthe vo communityComment