How to Get Started in Voice Over for Beginners: Complete Guide

One of the problems with voice over advice on YouTube and in general is that it often comes from successful people. Huh? Well duh, why would we take advice from idiots, Paul?

Stay with me.

Among the things it takes to be successful is time. So, the people that are successful today started years and often decades ago.

And the problem with that is voice over is a very different business than it was 30, 20, 10, even 5 years ago. And so many of the strategies and paths and techniques that made successful voice actors even in the 20-teens don’t apply today, here, now, in the mid 2020’s and beyond.

If you’re just getting into the business today, that’s a problem.

So today I’m going to tell you exactly what I would do if I were a new voice actor. I’ll give you the timeline and how I would spend my time, money, energy, attention. I’ll tell you what tools I would use, gear I would buy, and just as importantly, mistakes I would not make that rookies today make often.

Paul SchmidtJune 13, 2024Comment

My Most HONEST, BLUNT ADVICE for Voice Actors (& Grown Ups)

We need to talk. Whenever a conversation starts with that sentence, you know it’s going to be uncomfortable. But you need to hear this and I need to say it. I say it with love and kindness, but it’s going to be real, honest, and direct. Blunt, even.

Voice actors, I talk to dozens of you every week. I ask you straight up what’s holding you back in your voice over career.

Here are the Top 5 most common answers I get: Procrastination. Time management. Shiny object syndrome. Perfectionism. Distraction.

Sense a theme?

Paul SchmidtJune 6, 2024 Comments

The 7 DEADLY Sins of Voice Over – NEVER DO THESE!

Today, I’m going to break down these Seven Deadly Sins, explain to you why they are gigantic no-nos written across the sky in red neon, and what the consequences are for committing them are.

In fact, let’s get the consequences out of the way. Are these sins deadly as in will they kill your career? Some actually can. But at the very least, they will kill the most important relationships you have in this business, damage your reputation in the industry, and in some cases, will get your ass hauled into court.

In case I haven’t made it clear, NEVER, as in ever-ever-never do these seven things:

Paul SchmidtMay 30, 2024Comment

The 2 Biggest Voice Over Marketing FEARS & Why They're BULL

Voice actors are petrified of marketing their services. Today, we’re going to get into what those fears are, why they exist, and why they’re complete and utter B.S. We’ll talk about some of the misconceptions around sales and marketing your voice over business, and what sales and marketing really are at their core.

Paul SchmidtMay 23, 2024Comment

THE 4 HOT Voice Over Genres in 2024 and the 3 that ARE NOT

The voice over industry is like a roller coaster on steroids right now, thanks to the generative AI boom, recent SAG-AFTRA and ACTRA strikes, and a bunch of other factors shaking things up.

You’re here because you want to know where to focus your energy and where to maybe pump the brakes a bit. So, let’s dive in and break it all down, no BS, just the facts.

Paul SchmidtMay 16, 2024Comment

Is Voices LISTENING, AI Legislation, and More w/Carin Gilfry

Carin Gilfry, founder of Voice Actors of New York City and co-founder of the National Association of Voice Actors, discusses the Vocation and eVocation conferences, whether Voices is listening to voice actors, the impact of AI on the voiceover industry, and the work of NAVA in advocating for voice actors.

She points out the need for legislation to protect voice actors' biometric data and right of publicity, and highlights the importance of authentic representation and casting practices.

Carin also shares her passion for voice acting and her desire to explore more opportunities in video games and animation.

Paul SchmidtMay 13, 2024Comment

TOP 6 Ways to Get GREAT Clients/Partners and RECURRING WORK

To be a successful business, you have to have great clients. What are great clients? They are ones that understand the value you provide, pay you well, and send you a lot of recurring work. We’re not talking about getting one-off jobs here. Any trained monkey can do that.

That means strong relationships with great partners. Obvious, right?

But not so obvious is HOW to get great clients, HOW to build strong relationships with great partners.

Today, I’m going to give you my Top 6 Ways to Get Great Clients and Keep Them.

Paul SchmidtMay 10, 2024Comment

In-Show | Documentary | Commercial | Promo - Mr. Versatile Thom Pinto

Thom Pinto is one of the most accomplished voice actors of the last 30 years. In a rare interview, Thom sits down with me and discusses his experience and success in various genres, including commercials, promos, in-show narration, and movie trailers.

He talks about the importance of versatility and the ability to adapt to different genres and shares insights into the challenges and strategies for each genre, such as storytelling in promos, tailoring the voice to the network in in-show narration, and capturing the essence of the drama in movie trailers.

He also discusses the joy he finds in teaching and helping others succeed in the industry.

This is our interview with the great and kind Thom Pinto.

Paul SchmidtMay 6, 2024Comment

9 Networking No-Fail Nuggets for Non-Assertive Narrators

Let’s face it, the vast majority of the marketing you do to grow your business is online. We live in an age where it’s completely normal, NAY natural, to start and grow relationships digitally through social media, LinkedIn, and so on.

That’s exactly why networking, yes, live and in real life, is especially relevant in today’s digital age.

There is no better way to start and grow real, human relationships than in-person networking. There is no better way to leave a lasting impression.

Paul SchmidtMay 2, 2024Comment

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