Personal VO Views Archives - The Compassionate Voice

Voiceover Success is in the Focus

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips, Voice over Training, Voiceover Bussiness Tips

I’ve heard the expression that in decision making, you should “Thrown it (an idea) against the wall and see if it sticks.” Does this phrase apply to your voiceover success strategy? In voice acting like any other businesses, if you want to be successful, you must have a focus.

If you’ve ever watched dangerous pets being fed by trainers, you see them throwing an assortment of mouthwatering morsels that are quickly gulped up by the animal to make room for the next catch. As a voice talent, you don’t have to mock the feeding of an animal. It’s okay the choose what you want and what you don’t want to do in your business. Making wise choices in your running your voiceover business will improve your performance and lighten your mental load on your pathway to success.

It can take many years to become successful in business. Those of us in the business of voice acting, usually have no idea of how long it will take for us to reach our perceived success whether it be money or voiceover jobs. The uncertainty of time to success is the strongest reason to focus and choose what works for you in your business.

Know What You Do Best

Identify what you are best at as a talent. Are you drawn to performing commercials, radio promos, or narrations? Focus on that skill or those skills in your training pursuits. If you’re not sure yet, verify with your coach where your best voice performance lies and then research on how to be the best in that genre.

Not everything matters equally, and success isn’t a game won by whoever does the most. Yet that is exactly how most play it on a daily basis.” Gary Keller, author of The One Thing

You don’t need to go after all areas of voice acting. Focusing on what you are good at will lead you to success faster than the “catch whatever” attitude when searching for and accepting voiceover jobs. Target your best audience through marketing and focus on the jobs you want.

Now that you know what you are good at, what does the voiceover industry need in your preferred genre? What are the ideal styles that work best in reaching target audiences’ clients? Look, listen, and find out what voice producers want and focus on being in the position to deliver those tools with excellence.

Become the Best You Can

Train, practice, and train again. With the fast pace and change within the voiceover industry, you must be open to what is working now and what worked yesterday. Are you current in your voice acting delivery and style? How can you improve? Your best delivery today should be relevant for today and not what was good yesterday or last year.

Get the Word Out About You

Market to the voice-over seekers in your chosen genre. Purchase marketing or client lists if needed and find your reach out by email or social media sites or even cold calling. If your budget does not support the purchasing of voiceover contact lists, do your web search using keywords and phrases to narrow down potential voice searcher in your area. Once you feel you’ve exhausted the search in your area, expand nationally, and even internationally to find your target audience.

Stay Focused (Don’t Change Unless You Must)

You may receive offers to do other types of voice acting work, but you may want to steer clear of accepting those offers. I’m not suggesting you leave money on the table, but if you move from your goal, you may fracture your focus and lose sight of your goal. There are many types of voice acting, so staying in your voiceover genre will grow your business more steadily over time to the goal you want.

Focus as you break a lip!

Kindness: Shared, Remembered, Returned

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips, voiceover, Voiceover Bussiness Tips

I recently vacationed in Idaho and stayed at a resort hotel. Late in my stay week, I left my hotel room early one morning for breakfast. When I returned later that day, I found a note from the housekeepers thanking me for my stay. While the note could have been an indirect reminder of the gratuity, I’d like to think the note was just a sincere appreciation. Each time I encountered the cleaning staff, I made a point to greet them pleasantly and compliment them on their services. I was so moved by the note, that I left a “nice” gratuity in response. Never underestimate the power of kindness.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “kindness” as the quality or state of being kind, treating people with kindness and respect. Kindness, such as in the case mentioned above, prompted me to increase the amount of gratuity I planned for the cleaning staff. It also gave me a good feeling that I was appreciated as a guest.

Likewise, I had a different episode just a few weeks before my vacation. A neighbor in business has shown me little kindness over the past few weeks. While she has not said anything overly offensive, her short emails written in bold, capital letters and her curt responses to my emails regarding community matters, gave me the feeling that she has a low personal regard for me.

Now, this is not entirely a rant; it’s more of me pointing out a lost opportunity. I believe the services my neighbor offers could be enhanced through narrations, targeted voice marketing prompts, and information videos on her website. Moreover, I support her vision and applaud her as a successful entrepreneur. However, due to our interactions, I believe our working together would not be beneficial. Alas, the experience is a missed opportunity due to the lack of kindness.

Kindness Matters

Speaker and author Bob Burg once said, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.” Do people trust you? Do people like you (and do you care)? Are you genuinely kind to others? We all have good and bad days, but do you try to maintain an attitude of openness and kindness? Small acts of kindness can determine your business’s future, primarily as a working voiceover artist.

Don’t Miss Your Opportunity

Working voice talents interact with many potential clients throughout the day. The person that serves us in the restaurant may be the owner. The Uber driver may be part of a small company burgeoning on video success. Your neighbor, whose child has just visited your door requesting a small donation to his or her high school band’s field trip, may be in need of your business services. Voice actors are like passion ambassadors.

We have fantastic opportunities to touch the world through our human voice. The art of vocally communicating emotions that compel others to act can best be performed by a voice actor and second to no other mode of communication. It all starts with the behavior of kindness.

Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”
Princess Diana

Never overlook kindness in building new friendships. Who knows, you may need the favor returned sooner than you think. Lastly, you may further be surprised as how being kind to others helps you stand out from the pack in all areas of your life.

Be kind as you break a lip.

A Voiceactor Legacy– Write your (Future) Obituary

Personal, Personal VO Views

If you’re a voiceactor like me, you can confirm that we have not lived an ordinary life. Many of us have had to find our way into the industry, and it has not been easy, direct, or typical. We’ve experienced various challenges most of which we’re glad are behind us. We’ll probably never get the chance to tell others about these challenges like how we recorded hours of audio and forgot to turn on the power. We’re not going to mention the time that we cleaned our computer and ended up erasing key files. We’re not going to talk about the fact that one day we called a potential client by the wrong name and company. And the last thing we’re going to tell others about is the time when a producer asked, “You’re a voice talent, right?” (I confess, it happened to me.) Consider writing a mock obituary about your life. Write what you want people to remember about you and keep building.

The idea of the mock obituary came to mind when I was reading Facebook the other day and saw a very unusual note. The post was an obituary for an Indiana man who died in January 2018. But instead of reading the usual date of death, high school attended, and career accolades, this man’s obituary included a small humorous tidbit that said the deceased is “…leaving behind 32 jars of Miracle Whip, 17 boxes of Hamburger Helper and multitudes of other random items that would prove helpful in the event of a zombie apocalypse.” Cute.

As a voice talent, you have a lot that you can share with beginner voice actors. Your final summary doesn’t have to be sad or morbid; people write them that way. We read the biographies of famous actors and voice actors like the great Don LaFontaine to gain insights into their success. I challenge you to write your obituary with a little quirkiness in your legacy.

I know this is not your typical blog posting but bear with me. If you’re taking on the task to write your mock obituary, I offer the following points to consider. If you need a little help, seek the services of a professional writer or maybe someone with experience in comedic writing to help you give your voiceover and life story a blend of humor.

The “Never Forgets” about You

Since public records contain your life facts, write about the remarkable facts such as what you liked to wear, when you had your first crush, your favorite toy, or what movies made you cry. Let people know what made you unique and important. Let others know where and how you found your well of creativity as a voiceactor.

What are your proudest life events? Maybe it was running that relay race against the fastest kid in your school and winning (or almost winning). Let others know how you felt when you changed a life-controlling habit, saw the face of your first child, or lost weight after years of failed diets. Let others know how you felt when you received your first payment for a voiceover job or heard your voice while walking in a mall or watching television. What about your studio and how many scripts you think that you have in storage…somewhere? What are the things that made you laugh? What is the script that taught you the most about being an actor, about being a person, and of course about being a voice talent? Share your feelings, your thoughts, your specialness.

Don’t forget to thank the “Big People”

Thank that high school teacher or mentor that told you that you could be whatever you wanted to be in life. Thank those “naysayers” who fueled your desire to make it in this business and prove them wrong. Thank the coach who put you off that sports team, giving you more time for books and becoming a good sight reader. Thank the voiceover coach who finally understood you as a person and gave you the encouragement that turned your voice over career around. Don’t forget the people who waited for you to finish your voiceover projects and brought you something from McDonald’s when your money was short. Thank the doctor who helped you through your ear, nose, and throat trials as well as colds, congestion, fevers, and all the other ailments that seem to like voiceactors. And finally, remember to thank your Creator for allowing you to voice act.

Many aspire to become voiceactors but so few fulfill the dream. Thus, few will ever know what it’s like to spend precious time and money to pursue the voiceacting call and the deep feeling of satisfaction that comes from being a part of the VO community. It’s your obituary. Tell your story, and let it be uniquely about you. After all, it’s your last script.

Break a lip!

Time for Social Media or Voiceovers?

Personal VO Views, Uncategorized, VO Business Tips, voiceover, Voiceover Bussiness Tips

Spending time on social media is excellent for connecting within the voiceover community. The various outlets provide a unique way of keeping up with the trends, events, and innovations in the VO industry. How much time of any given day should one spend on social media? Is it possible to spend too much time socially surfing? Make sure your social media activities don’t overshadow precious work hours in other areas.

As a self-employed voiceover artist, I find time management is crucial. I know that many voice artists are versed in computer skills, which is necessary for successfully managing one’s home studio and electronic interactions. However, it is essential to plan your time wisely, so you are not spending more time on social media than in other areas of the voiceover business.

Schedule Your Time: If you share your time in many daily pursuits, plan when to check in with social media. Social media is an excellent marketing tool and provides a unique opportunity to connect with potential clients. Still, this is only one tool in your marketing plan.

Social Media and Your Business: Posting and networking are not just efforts at play. Curate your content to reduce wasted hours and individually shape your posts.

Katie Lance writes in Social Media Time Management: The Best-Kept Secrets Revealed for Curating, Creating and Promoting Hot Content “Whether you are building your Facebook presence, creating unique Stories for Snapchat, or building a community on Instagram – curating is probably going to be a part of your process.”

Make time for other Voiceover Management: Always seek ways to hone your skills. Regular practice helps you to develop a better voice delivery, so as they say, “Practice makes perfect.” Never minimize the need for practicing your voiceover skills over web surfing. Likewise, make sure you’re leaving time for client follow-up, auditions, and other necessary daily business habits.

Don’t leave out Human Interaction: Remember, you are a talent on the move. Compassion, tenderness, and kindness are great attractors within the human spirit. Let your soul show through when meeting others on and offline. Personal interactions can lead to new business relationships just as much web connections. Social media should not replace human interaction to give it a different flavor.

Okay, now go for it, and break that lip!

On the Clients’ Team

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips

Not too long ago, I made a drive to my client’s studio. This trip was special because it took almost an hour by car (especially with East Coast traffic) to reach the location for the two-minute narration. Because the client is a new voiceover contact, I accepted the offer to visit their studio to help build a new relationship. While I could have easily recorded the short script in my professional home studio, going into the client’s studio gave me an opportunity to meet the team and to lay the foundation for our working relationship. Yes, voiceover success includes building relationships.

As a voice talent, the business is more than just auditioning. The voice actor needs to reach out and touch those they work with and for. Placing a face with a name can help you make a long-term connection and friend. In my case, the numerous home repairs in my community provided an excellent opportunity to get away from my voiceover studio and take time to understand the needs of a first-time client personally.

Relationships within the voiceover community are essential. Moreover, developing relationships, in general, is good because it’s the human thing to do. Voice talents are the audio ambassadors for their clients’ thoughts, products, and purpose. Through good working relationships, you as a voice actor can let your clients know that his or her projects are in good hands (and voice).

Don’t forget the relationship building side of the business. Little things like following up with thank you cards and remembering your clients during holidays and special anniversaries not only keep you in other’s mind but can also keep you in their heart. Most folks do business with those whom they like. Look for opportunities to do and be nice because it’s the kind thing to do.

In a culture that is becoming more and more polarized, developing your human side as a voice talent and a person is usually unexpected yet welcomed. If your client or clients are near, take the time to visit the studio if possible. Bring some cookies or something else to encourage the friendship. Who knows, you may return more often than expected.

Your Voiceover Endgame

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips, Voice over Training, voiceover

My voiceover career has been one of the most exciting times of my life. For talents like me, voice acting is an expression of the innermost creative self. But, no matter how much we love our chosen profession, a day will come when we’ll have to move on. As a voiceover professional, you don’t want to suddenly fall off the radar screen. No matter the state of your career, give consideration and plan your voiceover endgame.

Build a network of succession. Many seasoned talents become coaches and mentors to novice voiceover talents. If you are a coach, note your students who have similar vocal styles and temperament, then consider including them in your succession plan. Let your clients know you are connected to other talented voice actors that you have nurtured. As you get to know a person you have coached and or worked with, you come to know his or her work ethic and what your clients can expect from the talent. This is a great way of passing along your business to other skilled persons. Even in your end game, credibility is still important.

Publicize your other skills. Before becoming a full-time voice talent, I worked as a communication manager for a scientific agency. The essence of my position was to break down complicated subject matters into everyday language for internal and external customers. Such “translation skills” (as I call writing, designing, project managing, etc.) are skills I acquired aside from voice acting.

Think about what skills you have that may come in handy during your post voiceover period. Let others know now about your skills in areas such as writing, designing, public speaking, etc. By letting your clients know about your other talents, you’re opening the door for options you may want to pursue after you have passed on the voiceover mantle.

Plan for financial changes. Start managing your finances and save for your future. If you haven’t already, consider an individual retirement account (IRA), Money Market Fund, Certificate of Deposit (CD) or other saving vehicles to prepare for changes to your regular income. The reality of money is our needs change with time. Your VO endgame should include some sound methods to keep your lights on and a roof over your head. Benjamin Franklin said, “There are three faithful friends – an old wife (or husband), an old dog, and ready money.”

Maintain good health. It’s important that you maintain good vocal and personal health throughout your life (See suggestions in my blog, “Voiceover Success: Your Mouth Matters”). No matter how long you choose to pursue voice acting or other pursuits, you’ll need good health to keep going. Take time to rest and address any changes in your voice or personal health. I recommend getting regular yearly check-ups from head to toe.

To the best of your ability, be ready for whatever “new game” is beyond your voice over career. The time is now to prepare for your voiceover endgame.

Recharging Your VO Creativity

Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips, Voice over Training, Voice talent renewal

Life springs from our human soul. From that soul, we as voiceover talent bring the written word to life. But when we find that compassion has emptied and seeped away from us, our creativity weans. No matter how talented you are or how long you have been in the voiceover business, creativity is not guaranteed nor is it nurtured by the world surrounding most of us. Here are some approaches to recharging your creativity.

It’s not New, but the Change Starts with You

Creativity is in short supply. The findings in a major study using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, led by Dr. Kyung-Hee Kim, Associate Professor of Creativity and Innovation at The College of William and Mary, found that since 1990, while IQ scores have increased, creativity scores have been in a significant decline.

Prior to Dr. Kim’s study, a 1968 government-sponsored study by George Land and Beth Jarman (educators) had similar results. Some 1,600 children were tested and retested on creativity over a period of years. The study revealed that the children’s creativity decreased over time with the most creativity expressed at age 5 of 98 percent to a decreased creativity at age15 of only 12 percent. When only adults were tested for creativity, the result was at 2 percent.

The time is now to reclaim your inventiveness. Barnet Bain writes in “Reclaiming Your Creative Self, The key to finding resilience, courage, and wonder in a changing world,” that “The tension we feel—the chronic stress and weariness experienced individually and collectively—comes from attempting to meet life’s challenges with limited resources.”

Find a Creative Outlet or Inlet

In the infographic, “40 Little Things You Can Do to Break Your Creative Block” by Kate England, creative inspiration can include daydreaming, journaling, and even doodling. England writes, “Take up doodling as a daily practice. Brilliant ideas often start as a scribble on a cocktail napkin or envelope.”

Take a Recess

Never underestimate the power of play. Let your mind run free while you walk, exercise, or watch a funny movie. Give your mind a break from your voiceover routine. You can meditate, sing a song, take a voiceover sick day. The point is to find what feeds your creative spirit to rekindle itself, so you feel fresh and able to put a new spin on all your VO projects.

Touch Base with a Friend

Having friends in voiceovers is not a marketing ploy. I highly encourage friendships in the industry. Friends can help you think out loud and sort out your feelings. You, in turn, can help another and give advice or listen. Take time to listen and give a friend time to speak and express how he or she feels. Connecting with others will also allow you to explore empathy and compassion for others, which can fuel the spirit.

There are many more ways to recharge your voice acting creativity, but most center around getting out of your drying creativity well by pouring yourself into life and the world around you outside of your booth.

Don’t be a statistic. Creativity is how voice talents effectively serve clients, so always strive to be the most creative you can always be.

When to Say “No” to A Voiceover Job

Business Tips, Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips

Voice actors in business provide a service. The Internet and social media are key places for hanging one’s shingle and open for business signs. In turn, offers for voice jobs can come from many sources. But what happens when you must turn down a gig? We all want to be liked (and get paid), so saying “no” may seem like a business killer. Sometimes, giving bad news is a part of life, but knowing why, when, and how to turn down business can make all the difference in your future. Here’re my why, when, and how for saying “No” to a voiceover job.

Why Do It

Since the whole point of a for-profit business is to make a profit, turning down business seems like the last thing a working voice actor wants to do. Still, circumstances will arise in life when turning down a voice job works best. In “When to Say No to Work” (posted in Backstage, April 7, 2011), Michael Kostroff notes, “It’s often said there are only three reasons to accept an acting job: 1) for artistic satisfaction, 2) for money, or 3) for career benefits—contacts, experience, education, film for your reel, a valuable credit, etc. It’s a philosophy well worth adopting. You may want to consider passing up jobs that don’t meet any of these criteria, leaving that work to someone for whom it might have greater value.”

When It’s Best

There is always a cost in running a business. Voice acting is a creative pursuit, but that does not remove the need to run an efficient business. When a project is very costly in time, a low return on investment, or needs more than you can provide for a final quality project, you may want to pass. Passing on a job should be a stepping stone not a bolder in the road. Look for ways to keep it moving.

How to Say It

In “The 8 do’s and don’ts of delivering bad news” (CNBC Make It) Wed, 5 April 2017,
Rhett Power’s advises, “Don’t burn your bridge – say it nice: Even though you won’t be working for the organization, it’s in your interests to be polite and professional. You never know when you might want to work for the employer in future, so it pays not to burn bridges.”

If you know you are not able to fulfill the offer, let the client know as soon as possible. Write or speak your message in a respectful tone and manner. Give one or two reasons for your decision. Shy away from giving reasons like such as there is not enough money in the project, you’re taking your kids on vacation, or you want to watch a movie. While these may be your legitimate reasons, the client may not agree. If your goal is money, then you may want to negotiate with the client beforehand to try to reach a better payment for the project. However, if you have another engagement, conflict or many obligations, a personal emergency, etc., express the truth in your information to your client. It’s better to be professional and upfront with your situation to help keep good working relationships. There may be a time when you are available and can perform other voice work.

End with salutations and a request to keep in touch. Business relationships start with people relationships. It’s your job as a professional voice talent to be savvy and helpful even if you have to say “No.”

Voiceacting At Your Service

Personal VO Views, VO Business Tips, voiceover

Voiceovers is a great way to express your creative side. If you take your acting to the next level, voiceovers as a business can be challenging as well as rewarding. For any company, adding related services can help meet more client needs. Let your voice acting business be a launch pad for developing a creative suite of services.

Audio Services

Those new to the business may start with recording and editing the dry voice. Custom recordings can include being directed in your home studio through Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) or other remote audio monitoring and recording tools. The next logical step is to add music and sound effects to your voice recordings. Add-on products to your dry voice can help your client and reduce his or her need to find sperate sources to finalize the products.

Music can be purchased via the web (including licensing etc.) for adding to your project. Consider Royalty Free Music. In his blog, What is Royalty Free Music? What does it mean exactly?, Gilles Arbour explains “In a nutshell Royalty Free Music refers to a type of music licensing that allows the purchaser to pay for the music license only once and to use the music for as long as desired.” You want to make sure that you have the proper license and permission to use music when incorporating into a client’s production or demo.

Multiple Voice Actors

If you are partnered with other voice actors, you can contract out a portion of your voiceover work to a talent of another sex or talent who has a different sound for client products. Develop the partnerships and written agreements before you have that large project. Establish turnaround times and other specifics within your agreements with others to keep your plans on time and on budget.

Additional Services

Consider adding copywriting, editing or other services. If writing is a skill you can offer, consider that as a part of your business’s for-pay service. Also, add video development to your suite of services. Review the web-based programs and apps that allow you to develop a video and add your voice to the final product. Your client can provide the graphics and data, and you can produce a complete product for your voiceover client’s platforms. If that’s a service you’re not ready to provide, again partner with those with good video skills and develop a process of working together to build your projects.

Sharing Knowledge

Teaching is an excellent way of giving back and helping others along their way to voiceover and business success. Consider volunteering or giving a free seminar in your community on getting into voiceovers. You can develop blogs or papers on voice acting and related skills and post to your website and social media platforms. Not all your information has to be only about voiceovers. Companies in different genres share the need for sound business practices and keeping abreast of valuable information. Share what you know to help improve the relationship between you and your current and potential clients.

Consider writing an eBook of your business knowledge or even a subject you consider yourself an expert. For example, if you are a cyclist, you may want to write about the basics, equipment maintenance, physical conditioning, accouterments, or other related topics. Let others know that you have interest and knowledge that link back to the excellence of your voiceover services. You can even voice the audio portion of your eBook and make your final product for sale or a giveaway to those visiting your website.

Keeping Your Clients Up to Date

As you evolve to more and better services, keep your clients in the loop through newsletters and social media postings. Your clients may have a project on the horizon, and your new company services will help fill the bill.

Don’t use consumers as your test case. Make sure your expanded services are tested and tried. Your clients should receive a seamless final project in the same manner as when you provided voiceover services alone.

Be Indispensable

The voice acting business can lead to so many creative services. Possible talents can include storytelling programs, video blogs, audio newsletters, and more. Take time and research what skills and services you can add to your business. Network with other voiceover actors, see what other skills they have, and combine the right skills to expand your suite of amenities.

Lastly, infrequently poll your existing clients and see if they have new service needs. Your clients may be looking for the know-how you recently added to your enterprise. Look for ways to expand your business to a full suite of creative tools to become your clients’ one stop shop.

Voiceover Learning Sites-My Picks

Business Tips, Personal VO Views

To stay on top of the ever-improving voiceover business, you’ve got to keep up with what’s going on. Doing voiceovers is the best. But as members of a networking society, reading blogs and reviewing useful Web sites can help keep you on top of trends and changes in the VO industry. Online voiceover information is freely available to help educate you and increase your understanding of the everchanging voiceover career field. Interacting with the voiceover community will not only help improve the quality of your vocal delivery but the quality you provide to your clients as well. Learn from the best through social media and the Web. Below are a few of my favorite sources of information for personal and professional voiceover success.

Nethervoice Blog

Paul Strikwerda is one of my favorite talents and voiceover business persons. As a wildly successful and grounded voice talent, Paul regularly shares excellent advice on many key topics. He freely shares from his decades of experience on trends in the VO industry as well as insights personally and professionally. I recently posted a blog on working from home inspired by Paul. (See “Voiceovers at Home but Not Alone.“)

VoiceOverXtra

Your “One-Stop Resource for Voice-Over Success” is a wealth of non-stop information on the voice-over industry. The site lives up to its name with daily resources, resource centers, help for new talent, regular advice from seasoned pros, polls, hardware and software information, and access to training and troubleshooting your home recording area. Also, the site has an easily accessible catalog of “how-to” information that is a must for receiving training resources from industry experts and working pros.

Gravy for the Brain

Gravy for the Brain has online courses, personal interaction events, and more aimed at raising the “standard of the voiceover industry.” Voiceover industry webinars and other training are also available. The concept, created in September 2013 by successful voice talent/business persons, is to keep voice acting professionals at the highest benchmark worldwide. The site is regularly updated to keep visitors fresh on what’s happening in voiceovers.

SocialMediaToday

Social media is here to stay and must be taken seriously as a venue for voiceover business marketing. Social Media Today posts updates and trends, as well as digital marketing, content marketing, and influencers’ renews in the social media arena. This distinctive source keeps businesses across all sectors current on social media trends and trend makers now and into the future.

Facebook Groups

Facebook has a wealth of voiceover related groups. There are groups to help with acting skills, marketing a business, studio gear, travel rigs, etc. There are even groups for honest expressions of business up and downs, how to deal with clients, voice and whole-body health, and sharing your favorite vocal booth tips. Some groups are private, but many are open to anyone seriously seeking to learn and interact with like-minded voice over talents. Access to Facebook group permission sites usually require responding to a few questions confirming the earnestness of the requester, but once in, your voiceover career will never be the same.

My list is by no means exhaustive. The Internet is growing every minute, so keep searching platforms for legitimate groups on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc. The offering of information and skills can be overwhelming, but this short list can lead you to reputable sites and instructors who can provide legitimate information via your fingertips for developing a successful voiceover career from just about anywhere in the world.

(Photo credit: Tom Baugis)

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