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.

casting sites, marketing, professional development, the vo industryPaul SchmidtOctober 19, 2023lies, fiverr, upworkComment

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.

acting, business, mindset, professional development, tech/gearPaul SchmidtOctober 13, 2023marketing, training, mindsetComment

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.

casting sites, the vo industryPaul SchmidtOctober 5, 2023voices, Voices.com, bodalgo, castvoices, voquent, voplanet, Voice123Comment

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.

acting, AI/TTS, business, sag-aftra, the vo industryPaul SchmidtSeptember 28, 2023AI, ai voices, strike, economy, training, covid-19Comment

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

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.

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.

business, casting sites, mindset, professional development, the vo industryPaul SchmidtAugust 31, 2023myths, getting started, becoming, mindsetComment

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

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