Episodes
Maybe Online Casting sites don't hate you after all? We may hate the algorithms and the business practices and the Terms of Use on some of these sites, but what if that's not the real reason you're not booking and finding success with these platforms? Brad Hyland is a very successful voice actor, and online casting is one of the places he's booking consistently. He reached out after the "Online Casting Sites Hate You" episode and said he wanted to make a counterpoint. I welcomed his...
Published 05/30/24
Online casting sites have been taking advantage of voice actors for years. How do we respond? By continuing to fork over membership fees. These same casting sites are only getting worse in their practices. Part of me feels like they're just testing the boundaries. "How much can we get away with before the voice actors catch on and take action?" Well, apparently they can get away with a lot! From extortion level commissions to punishing algorithms to terms of use asking for everything but your...
Published 05/23/24
Marc Scott discusses five important changes that have occurred on LinkedIn in 2024. He highlights the new 'People You May Know' feature on the profile page, the limitation on personal notes for free users, the introduction of AI capabilities for premium users, the changes to hashtags, and the impact of posting external links. He also mentions a bonus feature, which is the potential introduction of a video feed on LinkedIn. These changes have significant implications for voice actors using...
Published 05/09/24
Mandi Kaye joins Marc Scott to discuss AI Image Generation and how voice actors can use it in their marketing efforts. Mandi shares her experience and insights on using various AI tools for image generation, including Dall-E, Ideogram and Leonardo. They discuss the evolution of AI technology, the benefits and limitations of different tools, and the importance of prompts in generating desired images. Mandi shares how she uses AI image generation to create social media posts and marketing...
Published 04/11/24
In this conversation, Marc Scott interviews Anne Ganguzza, an award-winning demo producer and voiceover coach.   They talk about the trend of authentic and conversational voice over reads, using the example of the popular Poppi Superbowl commercial. Anne emphasizes the importance of channeling authenticity and creating a story in voice over performances. They also touch on the need to avoid sounding robotic or formulaic in voiceover work.   The conversation explores the evolution of...
Published 04/04/24
In this conversation, Marc Scott chats with the V123 Pros, Katherine Tole and Natasha Marchewka. They address issues such as the relationship between voice actors and online casting platforms, the importance of understanding the Voice123 algorithm, and the effectiveness of upgrading membership tiers. They also discuss the role of audition Likes in improving visibility and the importance of strategic auditioning. The conversation highlights the need for voice actors to adapt to changes in the...
Published 03/28/24
Sometimes it's good to get out of the voice over booth and actually meet people... face to face... in real life!! Haeley Porter has been making in-person networking a bigger part of her overall marketing strategy for a while now and it's really paying off in multiple ways. In this episode she shares some networking wins, experiences with her local Chamber of Commerce, a story about a poker game with Mr Beast, the archetypes you'll find at networking events, and of course, some good old...
Published 03/21/24
Imagine my surprise when I showed up to watch The Famous Online Casting Panel at VO Atlanta recently and found Jay O'Connor, the Interim CEO of Voices.com sitting on stage preparing to take questions. The panel did NOT disappoint. Thank you, J. Michael Collins for organizing it, and the Anna Collins for making it a part of the VO Atlanta lineup. A lot of voice actors have some pretty strong feelings about Voices[dot]com (myself included), and most of those feelings are not positive. Previous...
Published 03/14/24
When you earn your living with your voice, it only makes sense that you should do everything possible to protect it. But many voice actors aren't doing enough, if anything. Shana Pennington-Baird suffered a vocal injury early in her career, and to ensure it never happened again, she's become "religious" about both warming up and warming down. It's one way to you can build longevity into your performance career. In this episode, Shana shares a lot of great advice not only on why vocal warmups...
Published 03/07/24
Why aren't Sports Promos accessible to female voice actors when the statistics show sizeable female audiences? (44% NFL / 47% MLB / 37% NHL / 37% MLS) That's the question Christy Harst is asking, and it's the mission she's taken on for herself. She says females can't kick down the door to this genre because right now, the door doesn't even exist.  Christy's goal... is to build the door! Christy is partnering with other female voice actors to launch a grassroots campaign with the end objective...
Published 02/29/24
The voice over business is just that... a business. Yes, you need to act. You need to be in the booth. You need to know how to edit. You need your demos and coaching and studio. But you also need to know how to run a small business. That's the VOpreneur side of the deal! In this episode, I welcome Tom Dheere (aka the VO Strategist) to talk all things business and voice over. We dive into the difference between making money and keeping money. We talk tax strategy. We explore marketing...
Published 02/22/24
When you're starting your voice over journey, there's a lot of information to process and a lot of very important decisions to make. What should I coach with? Who produces quality demos? What equipment should I buy? What classes are worth it? What does it even look like to set up a small business? And the list goes on and on and on and on. Another vital question is "who can I trust?" Patrick Kirchner started his voice over journey in 2017. Along the way he's tried very hard to make the right...
Published 02/15/24
Like them or not, contracts are part of the voice over business, especially when you think and work like a VOpreneur. It's in your best interests to know how to read them and be willing to respond to them when you see things you don't understand or don't like. Voice Actor Lynn Norris, and her sister, Attorney Karen White, have come together to create a new course for voice actors designed to help them get over their fears of contracts and be more confident in dealing with them. In this in...
Published 02/08/24
At the beginning of 2020, Jennifer Clark was a stay-at-home mom with a dream to do voice over. A week before the pandemic hit, she booked her first paid voice over job. Things moved quickly from there. More jobs. Big clients. Respected brands. Award nominations. Along the way, one particular practice has been important to Jennifer, and it's the main reason I wanted to bring her on the show.  Jennifer has a #HappyJar, and by the time you're done listening to this conversation, I know you'll...
Published 02/01/24
For many voice actors, the dream and goal is to turn a part-time passion into a full-time career. That can be a challenge when you've only got limited time to devote to your voice over business though. For Bryson Carr, the solution was outsourcing. With a limited number of hours to give to voice over because of a day job, outsourcing aspects of his business to a virtual assistant allowed him to get more done and grow faster. Be inspired by his story, and take some notes because the same thing...
Published 01/25/24
A.I. isn't coming to the voice over industry. It's already here. The challenge for voice actors now is, how will we engage and respond as a community and industry. One of the organizations speaking on our behalf is NAVA (National Association of Voice Actors). They are deeply engrained in numerous conversations including with SAG/Aftra and various levels of government In this wide-ranging interview, I speak with Tim Friedlander (NAVA Founder and President) and Carin Gilfry (NAVA Co-Founder and...
Published 01/18/24
Social media can be a very powerful marketing tool for voice actors. Imagine having access to global audiences for the grand price of... free! Not a bad deal, if you ask me. With the start of the new year, I'm keeping an eye on new trends for social media in 2024. Things that could have an impact in how the platforms are used and how to we, as voice actors and marketers can get the most out of them. In this episode I share five different trends to watch as well as a bonus trend if you stick...
Published 01/11/24
As we head into the new year, and look to accomplish an entirely new list of goals, it's important to pay attention to where the industry is going, and what actions are the ones moving the needle. That includes in your self marketing efforts. Some strategies work better than others. Some tactics are more effective than others. In this episode, I share five different marketing trends I'll be keeping an eye on in 2024, as I believe they'll all have an impact on the growth and success of my...
Published 01/04/24
When it comes to A.I. and the voice over industry, there's a lot of fear. A lot of speculation. A lot of uncertainty. A lot of doubt. But there seems to be less hard data. Less actual information. Less real stories to back up all the fear, uncertainty and doubt. A.I. is here, whether we like it or not. It's going to be better as well. But that doesn't mean it's time to pack your studio and sell it on eBay. I genuinely believe there's still ample opportunity for professional voice actors. I'm...
Published 12/14/23
The 12 Voice Over Gifts of Christmas (#12VOGifts) is the most wonderful voice over contest of the year. In this episode, I share the story of how the contest came to be and how it's grown over the years to where we are today... with over $19,000 in prizes to giveaway! Learn more about this years contest, who has donated prizes, and most importantly, how to get yourself entered, if you haven't done it already! ENTER #12VOGifts 12 Voice Over Gifts of Christmas -...
Published 12/07/23
When I reached out to Sean Pratt, my goal was discuss audiobooks. A genre of voice over that I know nothing about and an entirely intimidated by. I expected to learn a few things, and uncover some helpful nuggets for podcast listeners who are in the space. What I got instead, was a virtual acting master class that can be applied across basically any genre of voice over, including audiobooks. Yes, we discuss books and strategy and marketing and A.I. and all those things. But Sean went so much...
Published 11/30/23
With Black Friday / Cyber Monday right around the corner, perhaps you're going to be looking for some great deals on some new equipment to upgrade your studio. Or, maybe you'd like to add some new studio equipment to your Wish List for Santa? In this episode, Jordan Reynolds offers up plenty of new gear for your consideration and he does it across multiple budget ranges as well. From microphones to interfaces and headphones to other fun gizmos and gadgets, you'll have plenty to go shopping...
Published 11/23/23
Telephony is an often overlooked genre of voice over. Ok, so maybe it's not as fun or glamorous as video games or promo or animation. But it can actually be very lucrative. A nice foundational genre for your business to have consistent income landing in your bank account while you're pursuing some of those other genres. Mention the the words telephony, IVR or on-hold messaging in the voice over world, and one name will come up nearly every time. That name is Liz de Nesnera. She is a master of...
Published 11/16/23
Are you planning on traveling this holiday season, but still want to be able to do voice over recording? George the Tech joins me on the show to discuss all things travel recording and voice over. You'll get some very practical tips for making the entire road recording experience easier. From unplugging the refrigerator, to booking rooms away from hotels, considering your car as a recording space, and tips for making audio recorded while traveling match with audio from your home...
Published 11/09/23
Every audition spec we see asks for genuine and authentic reads. But how do we get there? First, it may involve some tears! Dave Walsh is one of the most respected and admired coaches in the voice over industry. He has a gift for peering into the souls of voice actors, and helping us get past all "stuff" to be able to find our TrueTell®. When we get there, that's when we deliver absolutely genuine and authentic reads. In addition to offering plenty of advice for how we can get out of our own...
Published 11/02/23