VO Pro: The Business of Voiceover and Voice Acting

VO Pro: The Business of Voiceover and Voice Acting

Paul Schmidt

Join me as we discuss the hot topics in the voice over industry with voiceover insiders, voice actors, casting directors, agents, movers, shakers. and news makers. I get to the heart of the issues with my own no-BS takes and talk to the people who are shaping and shifting our industry. Plus, the VO strategies, tips, and best practices for growing your voiceover career you’ve come to expect. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Audible, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, SoundCloud, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Castbox, and RSS, and wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll also find helpful info...

How Much Should New Voice Actors Charge? The TRUTH About VO Rates

How Much Should New Voice Actors Charge? The TRUTH About VO Rates

If there’s one question every new single solitary voice actor who’s starting to seek work asks starting out it’s this: How much should I charge? If you're just starting out, the answer isn’t as simple as “pick a number and hope for the best.” Rates in voiceover aren’t arbitrary; they’re based on industry standards, market value, and genre.  So let’s break this down the right way, because guessing—or even worse, undercharging—can do more damage than you think. GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.

Feb 20, • 9:28

$1.1M Audition! Why I PASSED and Maybe YOU Should Have Too

$1.1M Audition! Why I PASSED and Maybe YOU Should Have Too

Why would anyone in their right mind PASS on a $1.1 million audition? And Paul, aren’t you the one always beating us over the head with, “Stand up for pro rates, “Know your worth,” “Make it worth your time,” and on and on? First of all, who ever said I was in my right mind? Secondly, I absolutely beat the drum of “Stand up for pro rates, “Know your worth,” and “Make it worth your time.” So why did I pass on a 1.1 million-dollar commercial audition? Why did I not even take a swing? Have I stroked

Feb 6, • 14:43

Voiceover Beginner Starter Pack: What Gear Do You REALLY Need?

Voiceover Beginner Starter Pack: What Gear Do You REALLY Need?

So, you’ve decided to get into voiceover.  Whether you’ve decided you want to do this as a career or just looking to make some cash on the side, you need gear.  But not just any gear. The RIGHT gear. Because no one wants to overspend on a mic that makes you sound like you’re recording in a rest stop bathroom. Lucky for you, I’m here to guide you through the maze of audio equipment and get you set up for success.  Mics: Audio-Technica AT2020, Rode NT1-A.  Audio Interfaces: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2,

Jan 30, • 16:47

The Voice Actor’s SURVIVAL Guide to Direct Marketing

The Voice Actor’s SURVIVAL Guide to Direct Marketing

Marketing directly to prospects as a voice actor can feel like standing on a diving board, staring into the deep end, and wondering if there’s a shark or a nuclear bomb in the water.  You’ve probably heard about cold emailing and thought, “That’s just spam, right?” Or maybe the idea of bothering someone with an unsolicited email gives you flashbacks to awful networking mixers where everyone exchanges business cards and fake smiles.  I get it—cold emailing feels like uncharted territory for a lot

Jan 23, • 14:48

8 MUST-HAVE Resources Voice Actors CAN'T Ignore, Newbie or Pro

8 MUST-HAVE Resources Voice Actors CAN'T Ignore, Newbie or Pro

You have the passion, the talent, and the excitement to kill it into the world of voiceover. But there is more to success in this industry than having a smooth voice and good gear. Voiceover is a mix of artistry, business, and endurance. It requires strategy, dedication, and a commitment to long-term growth. To make it past the early stages and build a career that lasts, you need to master eight critical resources.  These go beyond tangible items and touch on things that will define your mindset

Jan 16, • 16:51

The 10 COMMANDMENTS of VO Every Voice Actor NEEDS

The 10 COMMANDMENTS of VO Every Voice Actor NEEDS

Completely unlike Moses from the mountaintop, I bring you these 10 Commandment of Voice Over. Trust me, it’s not every day you get 10 commandments from an atheist. 😉 Now before you get your hackles up, we’re playing fast and loose with the word commandments here. There are no hard and fast rules that you should never, ever, ever violate, but these are pretty close. Think of them as my strong recommendations.  As always, you run your own business and career. But if I were you, I’d pay attention.

Jan 9, • 14:12

Advocating for WOMEN in VO: Building Doors w/ Christy Harst

Advocating for WOMEN in VO: Building Doors w/ Christy Harst

Fact: Women account for over 40% of the fan bases of the NFL, MLB, and NHL.  Fact: Women comprise 47.7% of viewership of Super Bowl 58.  Fact: Media coverage of women's sports has nearly tripled in the last five years.  So why isn't a female voicing this? "NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship. Attendance is encouraged. Passion is mandatory. Buy your tickets today at ncaa.com."  And why can't a female voice this? "It's more than the Super Bowl. It's the Super Bowl in Las Vegas."  When

Jan 2, • 41:44

The 7 BEST Tools for Voice Actors to FIND CLIENTS in 2025

The 7 BEST Tools for Voice Actors to FIND CLIENTS in 2025

Voice acting is an art, but landing clients? That’s a science—and one that can feel like a unicorn hunt if you don’t have the right tools in your box.  Sure, word of mouth, referrals, and P2P and gig sites are all fine and well, but if you’re serious your business and about building a steady stream of clients, scalable lead generation and outreach is a strategy and skill you have to develop. I’ve tried a lot of different lead generation tools out there. Some are better than others. Whether you’r

Dec 19, 2024 • 13:17

Casting Director Libby Clearfield of Voiceover Activate

Casting Director Libby Clearfield of Voiceover Activate

Today we sit down with Casting Director, VO Coach, voice actor, and head of Voiceover Activate, Libby Clearfield. Libby shares her journey from theater to voiceover, her experiences in casting, and the challenges and rewards of freelancing.  She also chats about the impact of AI in the industry, the importance of following directions in auditions, the value of community among voice actors, the significance of building relationships and maintaining professional standards in voiceover work. http:/

Dec 5, 2024 • 34:26

SEO for Voice Over: 7 Strategies to Improve Your RANK

SEO for Voice Over: 7 Strategies to Improve Your RANK

So recently a big healthcare advertising agency reached out to me through my website and handed me a great non-broadcast project for a massive pharmaceutical company. They handed me the project, no audition necessary.  And there are more jobs on the way. It looks like, fingers crossed, they’re going to be a great partner and a recurring client. So how did I get this primo client, you might ask. Did I market to them for months with snappy content and radically consistent follow up? Plot twist! No

Nov 21, 2024 • 14:01

Going Full-Time in Voice Over? 10 CRUCIAL Mindset Shifts!

Going Full-Time in Voice Over? 10 CRUCIAL Mindset Shifts!

Alright, let’s talk about the mental game of going full-time as a freelancer. I’m talking about the shifts that take you from “Hey, I’m doing this voiceover thing on the side” to “This is what I do. Period.”  The mindset stuff is just as gritty and real as all the tangible things you’re already doing to make the work happen. But the mental side is where you’ll make or break yourself long-term.  Let’s walk through the shifts that get you from being part-time to owning this path full-time and for

Nov 14, 2024 • 18:56

The Beginner’s Guide to Voice Over Conferences with Survival Guide

The Beginner’s Guide to Voice Over Conferences with Survival Guide

Today, we’re diving into voice over conferences—what they are, why they’re a must for serious voice actors, and how to navigate your first one like a pro. If you’re a new voice actor looking to grow your skills, connect with the VO community, or even just see what all the buzz is about, stick around.  From why to attend, to a practical VO Conferences Survival guide packed with tips, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make your first VO conference a smashing success.  Here's yo

Nov 7, 2024 • 24:56

Making Wavs with Bobbi Maxwell and Kevin Kilpatrick

Making Wavs with Bobbi Maxwell and Kevin Kilpatrick

Kevin Kilpatrick and Bobbi Maxwell, hosts of the Making Wavs podcast, join me to discuss their backgrounds in radio and how they transitioned into voiceover.  Kevin primarily works in automotive and e-learning, while Bobbi focuses on commercial work, particularly in the automotive and political genres. They also talk about the advantages and disadvantages of coming from a radio background in voiceover.  The conversation covers topics such as the different tiers of automotive work, the evolution

Oct 31, 2024 • 28:37

Tracy Lindley, Queen of LinkedIn, on VO, Marketing, and Kids

Tracy Lindley, Queen of LinkedIn, on VO, Marketing, and Kids

In this first-ever chat with our friend and colleague, we chat with the Queen of LinkedIn for VO, Tracey Lindley about her journey into the voiceover industry, her experiences with LinkedIn, and the importance of community and organization in building a successful career.  Tracy shares her unique background, the challenges she faced as a voice actor in a midsize market, and her strategies for networking and marketing herself effectively.  We also talk about the the evolution of LinkedIn and its

Oct 17, 2024 • 29:56

How In-Perpetuity Contracts Can Limit Earnings in Voice Over

How In-Perpetuity Contracts Can Limit Earnings in Voice Over

Alright, so you’ve landed a big commercial gig, and the client’s ready to pay you thousands to use your voice. You’re stoked, right?  But then, buried in the contract, you see it: in-perpetuity rights. Sounds fancy, sounds official, but what does it actually mean?  And why should you, as a voice actor, care? Let’s break this down. This is In-Perpetuity Explained. Make sure you stick around because there is a scenario around in-perp you likely haven’t thought of and we have a special guest to wal

Sep 5, 2024 • 17:55

The VO Strategist Tom Dheere: "Voice Over Is Contracting!"

The VO Strategist Tom Dheere: "Voice Over Is Contracting!"

Tom Dheere, known as the VO Strategist, shares his origin story as a voice actor and discusses the changes in the industry over the past 30 years.  Tom emphasizes the importance of being a good storyteller and adapting to the evolving industry, including the use of AI, and offers guidance and mentorship to voice actors, helping them navigate the industry and make informed decisions.  He also discusses the potential impact of AI on the voiceover industry and advises voice actors to consider their

Aug 29, 2024 • 39:20

The REAL PROBLEM with Voice Over - NOT What You Think!

The REAL PROBLEM with Voice Over - NOT What You Think!

The current state of the voice over business is not the problem. Generative AI, the pay-to-plays, the glut of talent, the seemingly endless string of strikes… none of that is the reason you’re not succeeding in voice over. Today, I’m talking to me as much as I’m talking to you. You think everyone else, especially coaches have it all together all the time and I’m here to tell you I don’t always have it all together. No one does. Today is a pep talk for both of us.  _____________________________ ▶

Aug 22, 2024 • 9:52

The 14 BEST Voice Over PODCASTS in the Industry

The 14 BEST Voice Over PODCASTS in the Industry

To me, a great VO podcast has to be current – this industry changes at light speed and if you’re last episode was 4 months ago or you publish when you feel like it, you’re not keeping the community up to date. A great voiceover podcast has to be educational and insightful and give solid advice on the industry. If it’s full of get rich quick and Fiverr advice, it’s just garbage. And a great voice over podcast has to be listenable. The host or hosts have to be engaging and interesting. If they fea

Aug 16, 2024 • 12:55

Erikka J: From P2Ps and Local Studios to VO of the YEAR

Erikka J: From P2Ps and Local Studios to VO of the YEAR

Today we chat with the incredible Erikka J. and we cover a lot of ground, including imposter syndrome, Erikka's journey in the voiceover industry, the importance of building relationships, and the evolving opportunities for women and people of color in the industry.  Erikka shares insights from her experiences with various coaches, including Kay Bess, Cliff Zellman, and Everett Oliver, and all with a ton of laughs along the way.  A must-listen, especially if you’re newer to the business. _______

Aug 8, 2024 • 24:38

7 Habits of Highly Successful Voice Actors + 2 Bonus Tools

7 Habits of Highly Successful Voice Actors + 2 Bonus Tools

Every Olympian has a goal of winning gold. Every team starts the season with the goal of a championship. It’s the systems, the habits, that separate elite from very good, very good, from good, good from mediocre, and mediocre from bad. So today, I’m going to lay out for you the Top 7 Habits of Highly Successful Voice Actors – the seven strategic systems or habits I believe to be the most effective for building a successful career in VO. And stick around because I’ll have a two special free bonus

Aug 1, 2024 • 16:46

The VO Toolkit: 11 ESSENTIAL Apps for Your Voice Over Business

The VO Toolkit: 11 ESSENTIAL Apps for Your Voice Over Business

There are hundreds of apps out there to help run our voice acting businesses, but finding the right ones can be like finding a needle in a haystack. After a lot of trial and error, I’ve found a set of tools that works for me. In this video, I’m going to break down why I prefer these specific apps, what the learning curve is like, and how much they’ll set you back. Center Stage Design: https://centerstage.design/ App Links: https://www.hubspot.com/products/crm https://quickbooks.intuit.com/self-

Jul 25, 2024 • 21:31

Top Animation Coach Everett Oliver: "Animation Down 75%!"

Top Animation Coach Everett Oliver: "Animation Down 75%!"

Today, an eye-opening chat with the best animation coach in the business, Everett Oliver, as we discuss the state of the animation business, Everett's background in the animation industry, the importance of developing relationships, and the difference between voicing a character and creating a character.  We also touch on the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike and the need for diversity in voiceover roles. Everett emphasizes the importance of being creative and bringing a unique perspective to voice

Jul 11, 2024 • 34:28

What To Do When It’s SLOW in Voice Over (YES, IT WORKS!)

What To Do When It’s SLOW in Voice Over (YES, IT WORKS!)

Just about everything in the voice over business slows down in June, July, and August.  But I also hear a lot of talk about a more macro slowdown in the voice over industry overall. Is that real? Is that just a chicken little reaction to AI? Are there other forces at play? Is this a perfect storm that means existential crisis for our business? Do you want the real answer? Who cares. In my humble opinion, which is all I have because there is no data on this that anyone is aware of, yes there appe

Jun 20, 2024 • 8:58

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

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.  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

Jun 13, 2024 • 20:19

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

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. Distracti

Jun 6, 2024 • 9:11

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

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

There are Seven Deadly Sins in voice over. Things you should never do under any circumstances, and things that, if you do try to get away with them, I guarantee you it will bite you in the ass, either in the near or long term. Some of these will seem obvious, some not as obvious, but I can tell you I’ve personally seen multiple examples of ALL of them in the real world, and one of them is not just common, but it runs rampant in our industry. Today, I’m going to break down these Seven Deadly Sins

May 30, 2024 • 10:45

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

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. And we'll kick it all off with a story.... Takeaways: Voice actors often have fears and misconceptions about marketing their services. Sales and marketing are vital for the success

May 23, 2024 • 12:52

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

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

The voiceover industry is experiencing significant changes due to the rise of AI and ongoing strikes.  However, there are still opportunities for human voice actors in certain genres.  Audiobooks, e-learning, animation/video games, and commercials are hot genres that continue to rely on human narrators. On the other hand, telephony/IVR, simple narration, and audio description/localization are not as in-demand and are being taken over by AI.  To navigate this changing landscape, voice actors shou

May 16, 2024 • 14:17

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

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

May 13, 2024 • 29:17

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

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

May 10, 2024 • 11:41

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

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

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 narratio

May 6, 2024 • 31:48

9 Networking No-Fail Nuggets for Non-Assertive Narrators

9 Networking No-Fail Nuggets for Non-Assertive Narrators

Today’s episode is brought to you by the letter N - 9 Networking No-Fail Nuggets for Non-Assertive Narrators and Voice Actors 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 frow 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. 25 years ago, live networking wa

May 2, 2024 • 13:39

Mark Rider VO: Movie Trailers, Promos, Commercials, and WORK

Mark Rider VO: Movie Trailers, Promos, Commercials, and WORK

I'm so happy today to chat with my friend, Mark RIder, as he shares his journey from radio to voiceover and his experiences in the industry.  Rider stresses the importance of having a diverse skill set and not limiting oneself to one genre and discusses the need for passion, talent, action, associations, and faith in order to achieve success.  He also highlights the significance of evaluating and communicating with agents to ensure a fruitful partnership. The conversation concludes with a funny

Apr 30, 2024 • 28:44

Terry Daniel: "That Sh*t Sticks With You For Life"

Terry Daniel: "That Sh*t Sticks With You For Life"

Today we welcome voice actor, head of UVT Coaching, and my one-time coach, Terry Daniel. Terry discusses his journey in the voiceover industry and his experience as a coach. He shares how he got into coaching and the importance of training with coaches who are still booking voiceover work.  Terry also talks about the obstacles people face when starting in voiceover, including fear and impatience. He emphasizes the need for patience and hard work in building a successful voiceover career.  We als

Apr 23, 2024 • 19:23

The UNFIXABLE MISTAKE You CANNOT Make in Voice Over

The UNFIXABLE MISTAKE You CANNOT Make in Voice Over

There are metric tons of bad mistakes you can make in voice over. You can have no training or be undertrained. You can have a bad recording space or bad equipment. You can do your own demos. You can have a bad website. All of those are fixable. No training? Start training. Bad recording space, bad equipment, bad audio? Totally fixable. Call Uncle Roy, George The Tech, Jordan Reynolds, or Tim Tippets. Bad demos? Work with a reputable demo producer. Bad website, work with a pro designer. But there

Apr 18, 2024 • 9:29

9 Engagement KILLERS to GET OFF Your Website NOW

9 Engagement KILLERS to GET OFF Your Website NOW

Stop doing this dumb shit on your voice actor websites!  Today we’re going to talk about the nine engagement killers that after you watch this video you should be tripping over yourself to get the hell off your website. They’re like people repellent and you either need to remove them or I will hunt you down with a giant butterfly net and send you off to a special padded room with no microphone. These website blunders will KILL any chance of prospects, producers, casting directors, the people who

Apr 11, 2024 • 11:05

Accountability Is NOT What You Think: Coach Amanda McKinney

Accountability Is NOT What You Think: Coach Amanda McKinney

Today we chat with Amazon Best Selling Author and Accountability Coach, Amanda McKinney about the importance of accountability and goal-setting for entrepreneurs.  She defines accountability as taking ownership of one's actions, regardless of the outcome, and emphasizes the need to let go of what cannot be controlled. She also addresses the issue of guilt and how to manage it when holding oneself accountable.  She explains significance of setting realistic goals based on honesty, capacity, and c

Apr 10, 2024 • 30:48

8 CRUCIAL Questions BEFORE You Go Full Time in Voice Over

8 CRUCIAL Questions BEFORE You Go Full Time in Voice Over

The decision to go full time in voice over or not may be the biggest decision you make in your career, and often one not easily made. There are so many things to think about and consider. It can be super confusing, overwhelming, and deflating – if you let it. When I had this decision to make, I didn’t ask myself all these questions and it almost put me out of business. Today, I’m going to give you my checklist of the crucial questions you’ll want to ask and answer when you’re considering going f

Apr 4, 2024 • 9:31

Emma O'Neill: Homeless Student, Yoga Guru, Top Voice Actor

Emma O'Neill: Homeless Student, Yoga Guru, Top Voice Actor

In our chat today, Emma and I talk about her journey into voiceover, from discovering the industry to joining an agency and building her business.  She also discusses her experience of being homeless and living in different countries, which has influenced her acting. Emma emphasizes the importance of marketing services directly to clients and the limitations of pay to play platforms.  She highlights the power of social media in growing her business and building relationships.  Emma's story showc

Apr 1, 2024 • 28:58

The Beginner’s SIMPLE Guide to Voice Over Training

The Beginner’s SIMPLE Guide to Voice Over Training

You’re brand new to voice over and you think you want to become a voice actor. So how do you get started?  Your first real step will be to start training, but in order to do that, you need to understand the various types of voice over training available and that’s what I’m going to guide you through today, so that you can choose the kind of training that’s right for you and your level of interest and budget. I’ll go through the different types of training and how much they cost, including free s

Mar 28, 2024 • 10:37

4 Ways to Look Like a BEGINNER Voice Actor – DON’T DO THIS!

4 Ways to Look Like a BEGINNER Voice Actor – DON’T DO THIS!

In the world of voice over, if you want to stand out like a sore thumb and look like a beginner there are a multitude of ways to do that.  In today’s video, I’m going to give you 4 ways to look like a voice over newbie so that you can understand how to avoid them.  And hang with me until the end, because I’m going to answer the most common question I get, “So how do I get into voice over?” Takeaways: Maintaining a beginner's mindset is essential for growth and success in voiceover. Avoid using t

Mar 21, 2024 • 11:02

From $5 a Holler to KILLING IT with AUTHENTICITY: Troy Holden

From $5 a Holler to KILLING IT with AUTHENTICITY: Troy Holden

In this conversation, we chat with voice actor, Troy Holden. We talk about Troy's background, growing up in Nashville, and the influence of transplants on the Southern accent.  Troy shares how he got into voiceover and his journey to becoming a full-time voice actor. He talks about the wrong path he initially took and how he course-corrected with the help of mentors. We also discuss the mindset shift needed to value one's worth and the importance of training and competence in the voiceover indus

Mar 18, 2024 • 29:31

Voices CEO UNANNOUNCED Pop-in at VO Atlanta: FIREWORKS ENSUE

Voices CEO UNANNOUNCED Pop-in at VO Atlanta: FIREWORKS ENSUE

There was a surprise, stealthy, mystery guest this year at VO Atlanta, and fireworks ensued!  There I was, on stage in the main ballroom at VO Atlanta, getting ready to take my seat on The Famous Online Casting Panel. J. Michael Collins, the moderator, walks by and announces to the panel, “65 seconds!” I turn and a man in a blue plaid sportcoat holds out his hand and says, “Hi, Paul. I’m Jay O’Connor, Voices CEO.” And my first thought was, is this guy gonna curse me out? Stare me down? Take a sw

Mar 14, 2024 • 10:28

How to Set PROPER PRO Rates by KNOWING Your Worth

How to Set PROPER PRO Rates by KNOWING Your Worth

Not all voice actors know how to set proper rates. Fewer still know what proper rates are. Even fewer quote them consistently. Very few voice actors not only know and quote proper rates consistently, but they also know their worth. Today, we’re going to delve into knowing your voice over rates, knowing and getting grounded in your worth, and the relationship between the two. Chapters 00:00 Understanding Industry Rates 01:20 Non-Union Rates and the GVAA Rate Guide 03:32 Knowing Your Worth 04:02

Mar 7, 2024 • 10:52

What Voice Actors Can Learn from Photographers: Freelancer Series

What Voice Actors Can Learn from Photographers: Freelancer Series

Voice actors and photographers have more in common as freelancers than you think, especially regarding marketing. Jeanine McLeod, a successful children's photographer and host of the Fully Booked Photographer podcast, shares insights on marketing strategies and the mindset shift needed to succeed.  She emphasizes the importance of focusing on the business side of photography and understanding the cost of acquisition. Jeanine discusses the role of online marketing, including Facebook advertising

Mar 4, 2024 • 38:57

Lisa Biggs: The Unravelling of a Voice Over Reputation

Lisa Biggs: The Unravelling of a Voice Over Reputation

The following post appeared December 21st, 2023 on the VOcation Facebook Group: “Hey everyone. I didn’t want to have to make this post, but I’m trying to look out for others. There is a demo producer and coach who specializes in Children’s Media who has taken money from actors promising to make demos, and then just never made the demos. Some of these demos came in a “2 for 1 package” where one demo was made and the other wasn’t. Other demos have just never been made. This person has also hired a

Feb 29, 2024 • 36:26

Dervla Trainor: P2P Auditioning a HUSTLE. Marketing EASIER!

Dervla Trainor: P2P Auditioning a HUSTLE. Marketing EASIER!

The lovely and talented Dervla Trainor, a successful voice actor and creator of the VO Kickstart program, joins the podcast to discuss her journey in the voiceover industry.  Derv shares her experience transitioning from pay-to-play sites to marketing and finding direct clients, the importance of marketing and building relationships in order to have clients come to you.  She also highlights the value of attending voiceover conferences for learning, networking, and staying current in the industry

Feb 26, 2024 • 28:02

5 BIG CHANGES to LinkedIn in 2024: What VOs NEED to Know

5 BIG CHANGES to LinkedIn in 2024: What VOs NEED to Know

LinkedIn has a ton of big changes coming in 2024 and if you’re not up to date, you could be missing huge opportunities and getting left behind. LinkedIn is bringing a massive change to Creator Mode, a dedicated Services section, search filters, and more.  In this video, I’ll break down 5 Big LinkedIn Changes in 2024, what they mean for you, and how to update your LinkedIn profile accordingly for maximum effect. Takeaways: LinkedIn is a valuable platform for freelancers, voice actors, and audiobo

Feb 22, 2024 • 9:45

TikTok VO Maven Mandy Fisher: Social Media Made Me ANGRY

TikTok VO Maven Mandy Fisher: Social Media Made Me ANGRY

Mandy Fisher, known as @astoriaredhead on TikTok, shares her voiceover journey and insights into the industry. She started as a child actor and transitioned into voiceover work, focusing on commercials and e-learning. We talk about importance of finding agents who nurture and support your career. She also discusses the role of social media, particularly TikTok, in combating misinformation and educating aspiring voice actors. Mandy believes in the power of direct marketing and building relationsh

Feb 19, 2024 • 37:57

How To Get a Voice Over AGENT: 3 BIG Questions, 3 Big Answers

How To Get a Voice Over AGENT: 3 BIG Questions, 3 Big Answers

I got a message last week from one of our VO Pro members who says, “I have a topic that could go down a BIG rabbit hole! For all us newbies out here...When is it time to look for an agent?” What milestones should you have met or be meeting to find an agent? How do you go about finding an agent and soliciting them? I’ll answer these and other burning questions today on Paulie’s Secret Agent Plan. Yeah this is a big one, especially for newer pro voice talent. You’ve got your baseline training. You

Feb 15, 2024 • 11:53

Toby Ricketts: "It's NEVER Been Harder” To Be a Voice Actor!

Toby Ricketts: "It's NEVER Been Harder” To Be a Voice Actor!

My guest today is not just a highly experienced voice actor of over 20 years. He is also the head of Gravy for the Brain Oceania and runs his own voice acting academy in New Zealand. Please welcome to the podcast, Toby Ricketts. Toby Ricketts is a highly experienced voice actor and head of Gravy for the Brain Oceania, discusses his journey in the voice acting industry and the importance of community. He shares his experience with Gravy for the Brain and how it led to the establishment of the Voi

Feb 13, 2024 • 41:52

7 Voice Over Audition Red Flags – RUN, DON’T WALK AWAY

7 Voice Over Audition Red Flags – RUN, DON’T WALK AWAY

Auditions are the lifeblood of any voice actor. They are the main way we compete and win work in our business.  Assuming you’re properly trained and competitive, the more auditions you do, the more work you will ultimately book. That’s a great thing.  But what about bad work? Work that is exploitative, unfair, or downright dishonest? How do you avoid those jobs?  The best way to avoid bad work is to not audition for bad work.  Today, I’m going to walk you through 7 common audition red flags in v

Feb 8, 2024 • 13:54

3 HARD FACTS for Freelancers & Voice Actors - Straight Truth

3 HARD FACTS for Freelancers & Voice Actors - Straight Truth

If I asked 100 voice actors to tell me what they do for a living, how many do you think would use the word freelance? Probably zero. The truth is, if you’re a voice actor, you are a freelancer.  What does that mean? First, it means you are not an employee. It means working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by one company. It means you’re self-employed. That means you are solely responsible for all the functions of any company. Production, logistics

Feb 1, 2024 • 9:57

J Michael Collins: "P2Ps Are in DECLINE" - Full Interview

J Michael Collins: "P2Ps Are in DECLINE" - Full Interview

In our chat with J. Michael Collins, he emphasizes the importance of using voiceover sites wisely and not overspending on memberships. He also highlights the significance of having a strong marketing game and reaching out to clients on a regular basis. He also talks about the benefits of search engine optimization for visibility and attracting clients. JMC emphasizes the importance of networking and building relationships in the industry. Finally, he provides some insights into what can be expec

Jan 29, 2024 • 21:56

Voice Over CONFERENCES 2024 – Downloadable Calendar

Voice Over CONFERENCES 2024 – Downloadable Calendar

Last year we started our Voice Over Conference Calendar here on the channel and it was a hit. I got a lot of feedback, comments on the video last year, and the video and downloadable conference calendar were both well received. So we’re back this year with my 2024 Voice Over Conference Calendar. Again, this list is not meant to be exhaustive or definitive or comprehensive. This is simply my list of conferences I believe you should consider if you're putting together your plan for conferences for

Jan 26, 2024 • 16:06

Jim Cooper: Cancer, Caregiving, and Voice Over

Jim Cooper: Cancer, Caregiving, and Voice Over

Today, my guest is audiobook narrator, voice actor, and author, Jim Cooper.    Jim shares his experience as a caregiver for his wife Sally during her battle with cancer. He discusses how he wrote a book on cancer caregiving and the impact it had on his wife and their relationship. Jim offers advice for those facing a cancer diagnosis and emphasizes the importance of finding support and taking care of oneself.   He also reflects on the voiceover industry and the challenges faced by voice

Jan 22, 2024 • 57:32

Jen Greenfield Takes Her Moonshot. Routinely.

Jen Greenfield Takes Her Moonshot. Routinely.

My guest today can probably best be described as a force. When she's in the room, you know it. She is a successful voice actor. She helps people with branding and Linkedin and networking. And most impressively, she is what I call a moonshot taker. Please welcome to the podcast, my dear friend and work wife, Naked Jen Greenfield. _____________________________ SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@paulschmidtpro?sub_confirmation=1 The VO Freedom Master Plan: https://paulschmid

Jan 15, 2024 • 1:01:21

8 Strategies To Vet Reputable Coaching & Demo Production

8 Strategies To Vet Reputable Coaching & Demo Production

There are currently at the time we’re filming this, allegations against a specific voiceover coach and demo producer. The concerning part of these allegations is that they’re being made against someone who at one time had a sterling reputation in the voiceover business. They are a highly accomplished voice actor and were for years a trusted coach. That’s scary stuff. And it’s nightmare fuel for newer and even more experienced voice actors when it comes to vetting reputable coaches.  Who do you t

Jan 11, 2024 • 9:47

Linda Bruno: "You Have To Be HUNGRY"

Linda Bruno: "You Have To Be HUNGRY"

Linda Bruno has been doing voiceover for a hot minute. Since the '90s. She started out with big, big dreams and made it all happen. She's voiced national campaigns for AT&T, been the voice of Disney Junior for Southeast Asia, and made a "crapload of money," over the course of her more than 30 year career. I got the chance to chat with her at length about her start, and about how things have changed, gotten better, and gotten worse. Linda loves this business and it shines through in every word. S

Jan 8, 2024 • 32:32

Wanna GROW Your Voice Over Business? CUT the CRAP!

Wanna GROW Your Voice Over Business? CUT the CRAP!

This time of year, early January, everybody’s all fired up about their New Year’s resolutions. I hate them. But, I understand them.  Typically, New Year’s resolutions involve setting goals, broken down into added behaviors. It’s the psychology of achieving more through doing more, and I myself have subscribed to it for a very long time. But what we don’t talk about is the fact that we all have only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. But every year we add all these new behaviors to those day

Jan 4, 2024 • 8:21

Jamie Muffett: "I had impotent rage."

Jamie Muffett: "I had impotent rage."

Jamie Muffett is one of the smartest people in voice-over. The British expat is an audio engineer, voice actor, coach, conference organizer, and podcaster and that combination of roles gives him a unique and nuanced perspective on our business.  In this episode, we learn a little about Jamie as a person and how his voice over story could be called "Coming To America." We talk about his disdain for video courses, his impotent rage, and why he started the VO SChool Podcast, the VOcation Conference

Jan 2, 2024 • 44:08

Tina Morasco Has Sat in ALL the Chairs

Tina Morasco Has Sat in ALL the Chairs

Agent. Actor. Casting Director. Demo Producer. You name it and Tina Morasco has done it and done it all at the highest levels. We've been friends for a couple of years and even I didn't know the depth and breadth of her experience and how that makes her uniquely qualified to be both the Head of Casting at Sound and Fury and the best commercial VO coach I've ever been around. In our chat, Tina briefly tells her own story, gives me her theory on why 2023 was a slower year in voice over, and why (

Dec 18, 2023 • 33:42

Voice Actors’ Top 5 Biggest Social Media Mistakes

Voice Actors’ Top 5 Biggest Social Media Mistakes

If you’re like most voice actors, you feel an immense amount of pressure to constantly post content on social media, hoping to use that as a strategy for business development and that takes a ton of time, effort, sweat, and stress. You’ve got to plan it, conceive it, design it, produce it, and schedule it. Omg, no wonder you’re stressed out about it. But here’s the thing: you’re probably going to all that trouble for almost nothing in return in terms of revenue produced because of it. The fact i

Dec 14, 2023 • 9:15

Craig Williams Has Been in WAY TOO MANY Helicopters

Craig Williams Has Been in WAY TOO MANY Helicopters

Today, we talk with voice actor Craig Williams. He's a British expat living and working in Houston, TX. Craig has been in voice over for 7 years and brings a unique perspective to the industry because of his upbringing, Scottish heritage, experience as an electrical engineer and club DJ. In today's episode, we chat about all of that, why he's been in way too many helicopters, the coach that changed his VO career, and why our accountability calls have led to the success both of us have had in our

Dec 11, 2023 • 30:32

Your 6-Point Plan to ROCK VOICE OVER and LIFE in 2024

Your 6-Point Plan to ROCK VOICE OVER and LIFE in 2024

You have a choice. Keep doing what you’ve been doing and keep getting what you’ve been getting, or decide you’re done with excuses, done with kidding yourself, and done with half-assing your VO career and your life. I said it in last week’s episode there are two kinds of people: those who make excuses and those who make it happen. And the fact of the matter is, you can’t make it happen without a plan. Decide now. You’re either gonna rock the coming year, or it’s gonna rock you.  The fact is, you

Dec 7, 2023 • 10:46

The 6 BIG Reasons YOU'LL QUIT VO

The 6 BIG Reasons YOU'LL QUIT VO

If you’re a professional voice actor or audiobook narrator, your job is to stay in the game as long as possible. Voiceover is not a long game. It’s an infinite game. Author Simon Sinek says that in finite games, like football or chess, the players are known, the rules are fixed, and the endpoint is clear. The winners and losers are easily identified. In infinite games, like business or voiceover or life itself, the players come and go, the rules are changeable, and there is no defined endpoint.

Nov 30, 2023 • 12:03

GRATEFUL for AI?!? SURELY YOU MUST BE JOKING!

GRATEFUL for AI?!? SURELY YOU MUST BE JOKING!

I've been getting a little discouraged lately about the voiceover business.  We are hearing stories of lots of people potentially being allegedly hornswoggled by a particular coach. People are making up Zoom calls with celebrities that probably didn't happen. There's La Niña and war and unrest on the world stage and I'm feeling it all heavier in a way that I probably haven't since maybe 2016. So when that happens, one of the best strategies I've found to manage it myself is to go hard in the pai

Nov 16, 2023 • 12:05

An Open Letter to Voices' New CEO: 7 Ways to Make Up with VOs

An Open Letter to Voices' New CEO: 7 Ways to Make Up with VOs

It’s November and as we stare down the barrel of the Holiday Season, it's clear that 2023 has held more change and transition for the VO business than any of us knew at the start of the year.  We’ve also seen some change and transition in the PSP platforms, especially at the largest of the VO-specific platforms, Voices, as they replaced Founder David Ciccarelli as CEO with interim CEO Jay O’Connor in October. So today as we start wrapping our heads around 2024, I think there’s an opportunity her

Nov 9, 2023 • 10:21

The Rise and FALL of VOICES.com & VOICE123

The Rise and FALL of VOICES.com & VOICE123

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to remember Voices and Voice123. Both had lives with so much promise, yet cut so short. We had such hopes for you. But as The Good Book says, “Yay, though I walked through the shadow of the valley of the pay to plays, I shall fear no evil. For the GVAA Rate Guide is with me. Lord, we pray for these souls, Voices and Voice123, that though they be twisted and tortured by the evil of publicly traded corporations, that you may deliver them, Lord, once again

Nov 2, 2023 • 8:30

A Voice Over MASS EXODUS? Will 80% of Voice Actors Be OUT?

A Voice Over MASS EXODUS? Will 80% of Voice Actors Be OUT?

Music Radio Creative’s Izabela Russell recently said on their channel that she sees a mass exodus happening in the voice over industry.  And while Izabela’s take is stark, and blunt, it’s not new. Do I agree with her? Yes.  And no. I’ll get to that. I agree, and I’ve said this for years, that AI will obliterate the bottom end of the industry where price is and always has been the primary driver. And I think that’s a good thing because for those of us who have taken the time and effort to get the

Oct 26, 2023 • 8:37

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

Oct 19, 2023 • 10:50

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 with the question, “People say I have a nice voice. Should I get into voice over?” And my answer used to be “Sure! It’s a great business! It’s the best job I’ve ever had and second isn’t even close!” 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: a way to make quick money with no experience. So

Oct 13, 2023 • 12:17

David Ciccarelli OUT! And Why That’s BAD for Voice Actors

David Ciccarelli OUT! And Why That’s BAD for Voice Actors

Two weeks ago I said that Voices was getting desperate and ten days later they ousted their CEO, David Ciccarelli. I hate to say I told you so, but… 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 hav

Oct 5, 2023 • 8:49

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 on

Sep 28, 2023 • 10:24

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 voice over industry regularly – voice actors, casting directors, producers, agents. And everyone acknowledges whether their business is up or down that the industry has been slow for the last several months. One of the facets of the business that is seeing the most change is the online casting platforms, and this has become evident most recently in two ways, specifically on Voices.  Today, we’re going to look at two pieces of communication to get a snapshot in ti

Sep 21, 2023 • 8:36

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

Sep 14, 2023 • 13:33

The 7 REAL Reasons You’re Not Booking VO Jobs

The 7 REAL Reasons You’re Not Booking VO Jobs

Actors, in general, are notoriously bad business people. And statistically, we’re bad a booking work. Even elite voice actors will book 5-10 jobs out of every 100 they audition for. Chances are you’re booking way less than that and today I’m going to teach you why. First, there are some overarching truths about voice actors: 1. We are historically, willfully passive.  According to the State of VO Survey, conducted by NAVA, the National Association of Voice Actors, about 75% of us report reaching

Sep 7, 2023 • 11:22

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 video 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. ________________

Aug 31, 2023 • 7:29

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 voice over service providers globally about their recent stand against AI. It's an especially strong stand in the context of the ones that the other voice over 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 voice actors and the world at large.  This is our

Aug 24, 2023 • 34:50

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. And for a prime example of just how this is happening, look no further than our own i

Aug 17, 2023 • 8:31

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? My voiceover website, PaulSchmidtVoice.com has been nominated twice for Best Voice Over Website at the SOVAS Awards. I worked in web developm

Aug 11, 2023 • 12:39

VO Freedom Master Plan - "I LOVE THIS PROGRAM!"

VO Freedom Master Plan - "I LOVE THIS PROGRAM!"

This clip is from our VO Freedom Master Plan Coaching Calls and was recorded on August 3, 2023. These testimonials were spontaneous, unsolicited, and unscripted. I had no idea that these students were going to speak up like they did. Our coaching calls are private events and both students gave me their permission to use this clip.  I am super grateful to them and all our VO Freedom Master Plan students and VO Pro community members. The connections I have made with these folks and the ones they h

Aug 6, 2023 • 2:01

9 VO Lessons I Learned in the Gym - NO JOKE!

9 VO Lessons I Learned in the Gym - NO JOKE!

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

Aug 3, 2023 • 15:49

SAG-AFTRA Strike: The Most Important Moment in Acting History

SAG-AFTRA Strike: The Most Important Moment in Acting History

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. _____________________________ https://sagaftrastrike.org ▶️ Watch this video next: https://www.youtube.

Jul 20, 2023 • 9:37

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 feeling

Jul 13, 2023 • 12:16

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 se

Jun 29, 2023 • 9:58

The ONE Thing that Changes EVERYTHING in VO and LIFE

The ONE Thing that Changes EVERYTHING in VO and LIFE

There’s ONE thing, one hack, one great secret to growing your VO business. And this one thing is so powerful, it works for not only growing your VO business, but it works for improving your physical fitness, your mental fitness, your emotional intelligence, 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 any 6th grader can get it, and so obvious, that when I say it you will kick yourself, becaus

Jun 22, 2023 • 9:51

Contracts: To Use, or Not To Use... THAT Is the Question...?

Contracts: To Use, or Not To Use... THAT Is the Question...?

Today, we're talking about the importance of using contracts for voice actors and outline the benefits and protections they offer. This episode emphasizes the need for clear expectations, protection of rights, payment security, scope management, liability limitations, professionalism, and dispute resolution.  While formal contracts are generally recommended, I also mention situations where email communication may be acceptable as a substitute, such as for informal or small-scale projects with tr

Jun 8, 2023 • 12:26

Overcome Common Objections and BOOK the Gig

Overcome Common Objections and BOOK the Gig

Even the most talented freelance creatives…. voice actors, video producers, writers, graphic designers, developers, social media strategists, etc… run into common customer objections that can get in the way of or even completely derail closing deals and booking gigs.  Today, I’m going to help you do just that. We’ll will explore some common customer objections and provide some valuable strategies to address them so that you can close more deals. _____________________________ ▶️ Watch this video

May 25, 2023 • 11:38

Voices.com Finally CAVES - NAVA Announces fAIr Voices

Voices.com Finally CAVES - NAVA Announces fAIr Voices

Tim Friedlander, president of NAVA, the National Association of Voice Actors, discusses the recent victory in which Voices dot com amended their terms of service to address the use of voice actors in AI voices. Tim credits community efforts and demonstrates the power of collective action.  The fAIr Voices Campaign, focused on ethical AI use, consent, compensation, and control, has been launched. The major voiceover-specific platforms have signed the fAIr Voices pledge, but legislation is needed

May 18, 2023 • 20:55

Surviving in VO – Growing Relationships & Income Streams

Surviving in VO – Growing Relationships & Income Streams

Over the next five years, one in four jobs is expected to undergo significant changes due to AI, digitization, green energy, and supply chain modifications. While AI may not pose an immediate threat, slow economic growth, supply shortages, and inflation are currently more concerning for job stability.  The future of earning income is uncertain, with a shift towards freelancing and self-employment, reflecting the growing $1.5 trillion global freelance market. Variable income is becoming the norm,

May 11, 2023 • 13:09

Voice123's Rolf REACTS: Voices.ai & the FUTURE of VO

Voice123's Rolf REACTS: Voices.ai & the FUTURE of VO

▶️ Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/gGpSG7xAVgM SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@paulschmidtpro?sub_confirmation=1 NEW COURSE - VO Rates 101 Quote with Confidence : https://vorates101.com The VO Freedom Master Plan: https://paulschmidtpro.com/vo-freedom-master-plan Private 1:1 VO Business Coaching: https://paulschmidtcoaching.com USE CODE YOUTUBE20 to get 20% off your first paid session. My Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://paulschmidtpro.com/newsletter The Paul S

May 8, 2023 • 31:22

Voices.ai Is Here - IS the AI Voices Sky Falling?

Voices.ai Is Here - IS the AI Voices Sky Falling?

David Ciccerelli and Voices have finally launched their AI product called unshockingly, Voices dot ai. It’s here kids. It’s like the lump of coal you’ve been waiting to get in your stocking for years now. Except Santa-relli has been telling you all along what a good little girl you are. And somehow the whole time you knew the coal car was gonna be backing up with a big black nugget with your name on it. It's here. Let’s break it down. _____________________________ ▶️ Watch this video next: http

Apr 27, 2023 • 17:00

Will ChatGPT TAKE OVER Voice Acting?!?!?

Will ChatGPT TAKE OVER Voice Acting?!?!?

ChatGPT. AI. Text-To-Speech. Speech-To-Speech. Are the digital boogeymen here to decimate our business and take our lunch money? Today, we’ll look specifically at ChatGPT and AI in the larger sense… apps like Revoicer, Respeecher, and Speechelo… and make some sense out of all the hype and fear in the voice acting community. With the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning, a lot of us are starting to wonder whether that’s enough to keep us relevant moving forward.  Enter ChatGPT, an

Apr 20, 2023 • 9:14

GVAA Rate Guide: CRAZY Origin, Present & EXCITING Future Plans

GVAA Rate Guide: CRAZY Origin, Present & EXCITING Future Plans

The GVAA Rate Guide creator, David Toback tells the crazy story of how the guide that our industry depends on was an accident, how he founded it with Cristina Milizia, what it is, WHY it's so crucial for talent to use it when quoting professional voice over rates, and what some of the exciting future plans for the guide are. GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com _____________________________ ▶️ Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/Mcl57d2pmbw SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@paulschmidtp

Apr 14, 2023 • 18:11

You DESERVE Better Voice Over Rates: Worthiness

You DESERVE Better Voice Over Rates: Worthiness

Do I deserve fair and reasonable, professional rates for my work? You’re either feeling deserving of fair rates or you’re not. Today we’re going to talk about why you’re not getting the rates you deserve, what to do about it, and how to identify and mitigate your own limiting beliefs. To sum up this video, I’ve created a Rates Worthiness Flowchart. If you’d like to download it, click on the link below. Let’s start with the question, “Do I deserve professional rates for my work?” We didn’t ask do

Apr 6, 2023 • 13:03

Get Paid ON TIME: Freelance Billing Practices that WORK

Get Paid ON TIME: Freelance Billing Practices that WORK

One of the biggest pains for freelancers and voice actors who work directly with clients is getting paid on time. It seems everyone I know has outstanding past due invoices, or worse yet, has been completely stiffed by a client. It’s rare, but it happens. Today we’re going to talk about how to manage your billing so that you minimize risk, maintain a positive relationship with your clients, and get paid on time. My policies page: https://paulschmidtvoice.com/policies ____________________________

Mar 30, 2023 • 14:23

The REAL Solution to Low Voice Over Rates

The REAL Solution to Low Voice Over Rates

The real solution to low voice over rates is not what you think. The problem is not Fiverr, or Voices.com, or David Ciccarelli, or the pay-to-plays, or bad clients. It’s not AI, text-to-speech, or speech-to-speech. A student in my VO Freedom Master Plan course sent me this audition from Voices dot com: • Online Ad - two years - worldwide usage • Five sixty second spots • Client: PayPal. A global brand who last year made $21.5 billion in revenue. • Budget: $750 - $999  For those of you who don’t

Mar 23, 2023 • 11:56

Voice Over Career Suicide – AI, TTS, VO Contracts, & More

Voice Over Career Suicide – AI, TTS, VO Contracts, & More

Today, we talk with Robert Sciglimpaglia, noted VO attorney and voice actor, who warns us how to avoid bad voice over contracts regarding AI, text to speech, synthetic voices, and more.  We recently told the story of one voice actor who’s own voice she discovered on an AI voices website without her knowledge. Rob explains how Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Google have been building voice databases for years, how companies like Revoicer are operating legally and ethically, and most importantly, ho

Mar 16, 2023 • 17:10

DIY Voice Over Demos – DON’T DO IT!!!

DIY Voice Over Demos – DON’T DO IT!!!

There are lots of coaches here on YouTube, one in particular, and even Voices.com who will tell you how to make your own DIY voice over demo, and I’m here to tell you in your best interest, ESPECIALLY if you’re a beginner, DO NOT make your own demo. Today, I’m going to tell you exactly why, in no uncertain terms, making your own VO demo reel is an awful idea and can significantly damage your voice over career before it even gets started. _____________________________ ▶️ Watch this video next:

Mar 9, 2023 • 13:29

"AI STOLE My Voice!!!" - Voice Actor Remie Michelle Clarke

"AI STOLE My Voice!!!" - Voice Actor Remie Michelle Clarke

One of the scariest aspects of being a voice actor in modern times is AI, artificial intelligence, synthetic voice, and text to speech. Most of the discussion has been around the question of, Well, what happens when AI steals our work?  The scarier question to me is what happens when A.I. steals your voice?  Joining us from Dublin is the Irish voice actor and author Remie Michelle Clarke with her story of how her voice was stolen directly by artificial intelligence and the difficulties she's had

Mar 2, 2023 • 19:35

VO Atlanta 2023: NEW THIS YEAR with J Michael Collins

VO Atlanta 2023: NEW THIS YEAR with J Michael Collins

The biggest event in voiceover is coming up. VO Atlanta 2023, new this year, March 23rd through 26th at the Hilton Atlanta Airport, the traditional venue. But this year, under the new direction of new owners J Michael and Anna Collins.  Also, the 10th-Anniversary edition of VO Atlanta. I got a chance to sit down with J Michael this week and talk about the improvements, both in the creature comforts and in the actual meat of the conference, the programming and speakers, what tracks are going to b

Feb 23, 2023 • 27:04

WOW! Voices.com NEW Rate Guide vs. GVAA

WOW! Voices.com NEW Rate Guide vs. GVAA

Today, we’re going to go over Voices' new rate guide and compare it to the GVAA so that you’ll know exactly the differences between the 2 guides, where exactly Voices' rates are substandard and stick around because we’ll also show you where they’re actually above standard. For years, the voice acting community has been begging Voices dot com to take solid steps to protect voice actors from unfair rates and practices on their site.  And I am happy to report that they seem to be taking some steps

Feb 16, 2023 • 7:39

Top 7 Beginner Voice Over Marketing MISTAKES to Avoid

Top 7 Beginner Voice Over Marketing MISTAKES to Avoid

One of the most common marketing questions I get from voice actors is, “How do I differentiate myself? How do I set myself apart? How do I make myself different?” We’re going to start by flipping that question around and asking, “How do you not look like everyone else?” So here are 7 of the most common marketing mistakes in voice over _____________________________ ▶️ Watch this video next: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVUuUfwNTG--7SOIG9FS0huEcwX3vyUZx SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@p

Feb 9, 2023 • 13:22

SHOCKING REAL CALL with an EXPLOITATIVE Voice Over Producer

SHOCKING REAL CALL with an EXPLOITATIVE Voice Over Producer

What you are about to hear is an actual call about an exploitative practice that is too common in our business. It is a prime example of a tiny number of producers who purposefully seek out younger and/or less experienced talent and knowingly exploit them for the benefit of their own organizations. This call is shocking in its brazen self-awareness. The following is a clip of a call I recently had with a producer for a non-profit religious organization that produces and distributes video and aud

Feb 2, 2023 • 11:03

7 Truths U MUST Know B4 You Get Started in Voice Acting

7 Truths U MUST Know B4 You Get Started in Voice Acting

Welcome to 7 TRUTHS U MUST Know B4 You Get Started in Voice Acting. If you’re wondering how to get into voice acting, today’s video is essentially all the stuff I wish I had known when I was starting out in voice over, and the stuff that you should know even before you get into voice over. My goal and hope is that I can help you avoid some of the mistakes I made and learn some of the lessons I learned. My Dad used to tell me all the time, “Paul, you insist on learning the hard way,” meaning I di

Jan 26, 2023 • 10:18

How To Drive AMAZING Voice Over Client Experiences

How To Drive AMAZING Voice Over Client Experiences

How do you provide an exceptional customer experience? So good that it drives loyalty among your customers and generates repeat business? It all starts with understanding and identifying customer needs. Today, we’re going to talk about understanding customer needs at each level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and how it applies to the business of voice over. Voice over is, at its best, a business of service. It's not just providing a service as opposed to a product, although the product is cruci

Jan 19, 2023 • 11:03

A Dialogue with Voice123: Can We CHANGE the P2Ps? Dialogue with Voice123: Can We CHANGE the P2Ps?

A Dialogue with Voice123: Can We CHANGE the P2Ps? Dialogue with Voice123: Can We CHANGE the P2Ps?

What if we could really change how the P2Ps work? What if we could have a real dialogue with the people that matter, the decision makers, the policy makers, at the online casting sites? What if we could make actual recommendations directly to those people at the very top of the pay 2 plays? It’s one thing to have an online monologue to someone in such a position, as we did to David Ciccarelli of Voices. But it’s another thing entirely to be able to ask questions of and make honest recommendation

Jan 12, 2023 • 8:42

Voice Over Conferences 2023 CALENDAR: VO Atlanta and More!

Voice Over Conferences 2023 CALENDAR: VO Atlanta and More!

So I thought the first video of the new year would be a good time to lay out the voice over conference 2023 calendar for you, including the big ones like VO Atlanta but also some smaller boutique conferences like MAVO.  Now, if you’ve never been to a voiceover conference before, let’s start with the central question: Why? Why go to a voiceover conference? Why spend all the time and money, why take time out of the booth, why travel hundreds or thousands of miles? Why step out of your comfort zone

Jan 5, 2023 • 15:33

Voices.com CHANGES – For The Better or Worse?

Voices.com CHANGES – For The Better or Worse?

In my last video, I Offended Voices.com and Here’s How, David Ciccarelli, the Founder and CEO of Voices, asked me to lay out the facts of my assertion that they put profit before talent. I laid out five facts that detail their history of disregard for transparency when it comes to fees, taking egregious cuts of project budgets, and others. The reaction was, to say the least, just nuts. Unprecedented. Here’s just some of what you had to say… _____________________________ ▶️ Watch this video next

Dec 22, 2022 • 8:56

I OFFENDED Voices.com. And Here’s WHY…

I OFFENDED Voices.com. And Here’s WHY…

In my last video, My (No Gear) Voice Over Christmas Wish List, one of my wishes was this:  “I wish all of the pay-to-plays were ethical, but the chief offender here, of course, is Voices.com, but they're certainly not the only ones that put profit before talent and clients. These companies control a huge amount of work globally in the voiceover business, and it's a travesty to me that rather than seeing themselves as leaders and stewards of our industry, they couldn't give a reindeer turd about

Dec 15, 2022 • 9:09

My (No Gear) Voice Over Christmas WISH List

My (No Gear) Voice Over Christmas WISH List

Christmas is right around the corner and of course this is the time of year voice actors get the steamy undies for all kinds of gear on their Voice Over Christmas Wish List – mics, interfaces, pop filters, cables, headphones, preamps, compressors, limiters, you name it, we as a group want it. But I think in this season of gratitude and giving, I’m more about a different kind of VO Christmas wish list. Sure, I love new gear like the next voice actor, but what I want for voice over is not for me.

Dec 8, 2022 • 11:43

How To Survive Losing a BIG Client: Voiceover Crisis Management

How To Survive Losing a BIG Client: Voiceover Crisis Management

Crisis management in voice over is crucial to the continuity of your business. I was seven months into my full-time voiceover career and I lost my biggest and best client, one of the ones that helped me make the leap to full-time voice over. With that phone call, 50% of my income evaporated instantly. In most cases, if you’re paying attention, you can see it coming. I was and I didn’t.  Hence, I was completely freaking out. What in the hell was I gonna do? Well, here’s what I did and it will hel

Dec 1, 2022 • 11:04

How Voice Over Saved My Mental Health

How Voice Over Saved My Mental Health

I was in a dark place. I had been through a series of jobs for about a year each. I had largely failed at each one of them. I was a single Dad. I was paying my bills but just barely, living paycheck to paycheck.  Near the end I was working for people I didn’t respect. I didn’t believe in the company. I wasn’t enjoying any success at that job I was sure I was going to be fired in a year. I was approaching 50 and was just thoroughly sick of working for other people, sick of doing jobs I had no pas

Nov 24, 2022 • 9:55

Get Started in Voiceover Work: Choosing Your FIRST Coach

Get Started in Voiceover Work: Choosing Your FIRST Coach

So, you’ve decided you want to get into voice acting and learn to do voiceovers and maybe even become a professional voice actor one day. Great! As the song says, yes, there are two paths you can go by. First, maybe you just want to make a few bucks, have some fun and maybe make voiceover a hobby. You can jump on Fiverr or Upwork and find a ton of jobs to audition for and that’s great.  But if you think you might want to go pro one day, or even if you don’t know, but want to find out, don’t go t

Nov 17, 2022 • 9:59

NEW Voices Affiliate Program: BRAZEN. RIDICULOUS. SHAMELESS.

NEW Voices Affiliate Program: BRAZEN. RIDICULOUS. SHAMELESS.

Voices affiliate program, in a new all-time low, now has the unmitigated brazenness to ask you to refer clients, the ones you’ve not gotten from their platform, the ones you’ve worked so hard to earn in the first place, the ones you’ve developed relationships with, and leads you’ve yet to even develop into a profitable relationship - over to them. So that they can now take 25-80% of the budget from those clients and have you compete with thousands of other voice actors, and all for the life-chan

Nov 10, 2022 • 9:47

Using Online Casting Sites SMARTLY: 3 Scenarios

Using Online Casting Sites SMARTLY: 3 Scenarios

I am staunchly against relying on voiceover casting websites as a long-term strategy for growing your business. Note, I said relying on. If the lion’s share of your business is coming from the casting websites, you’re likely not developing your own relationships and you’re leaving your business and yourself vulnerable. But I do believe that there are certain times and circumstances where websites for voice over work can be used strategically. In this video, I’m going to lay out three scenarios -

Nov 3, 2022 • 10:03

Conference Sneak Peek: MAVO 2022 - Mid-Atlantic Voice Over

Conference Sneak Peek: MAVO 2022 - Mid-Atlantic Voice Over

MAVO, the mid-Atlantic Voice Over conference is coming up Friday, November 11th through Sunday, November 13th, at the Westin Dulles in the Washington, D.C. area. MAVO was my first conference, and it's very special to me. And so today we're going to do a little preview of MAVO 2022, the faces you can expect to see what you can expect to hear, why MAVO is different than certainly the 800-pound gorilla conferences in our business and what makes it special. And to tell us about all that is the chief

Nov 3, 2022 • 27:30

Absolutely CRUSH 2023: Your 3-Step Voice Over Business Plan

Absolutely CRUSH 2023: Your 3-Step Voice Over Business Plan

Here’s my first prediction for 2023. 2023 will be your year! But only if you have a solid voice over business plan, including a voice over marketing plan. In this video, I’ll give you the three most effective steps to building a rock solid 2023 action plan for your voice over business. And at the end, I’ll reveal the real secret sauce to success in 2023 and beyond. The old saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail” is absolutely true. Here’s exactly how plan and crush 2023. Chapters: 0:00 – 0

Oct 27, 2022 • 11:53

Voice Over Jobs Websites – 5 RED FLAGS!

Voice Over Jobs Websites – 5 RED FLAGS!

There are tons of voice over websites where you can find voice over jobs for beginners, voice over work for pros, and everything in between. Everyone is trying to make money online and voice over websites have become a popular way to voice over job opportunities.  Today, I’m going to give you 5 red flags to look for on the voice over jobs websites. Chapters: 0:00 - 0:35 Welcome to Voice Over Jobs Websites – 5 RED FLAGS! 0:35 – 2:10 1. Avoid the Freelancer Sites 2:10 – 4:26 2. Flat Rate Pricing F

Oct 20, 2022 • 10:14

KILL Your Fear of Rejection and Failure - 8 PROVEN Methods

KILL Your Fear of Rejection and Failure - 8 PROVEN Methods

George Addair famously said, “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” So true for voice actors. When I spoke to almost 70 voice actors, failure was by far the biggest fear we have. That one root fear permeates everything we do... fear of rejection, fear of auditioning, fear of reaching out to clients, fear of annoying people, fear of standing up for our worth, fear of pushing back on a client, fear of demanding fair rates, fear of not executing the audition spec… the list is

Oct 13, 2022 • 11:16

A Voice Over Marketing Plan Is CRITICAL to Your Voiceover Business

A Voice Over Marketing Plan Is CRITICAL to Your Voiceover Business

It’s a cold hard fact: A Voice Over Marketing Plan Is Critical to Your Voiceover Business. Marketing for voice actors is a fraught subject. And most voice actors don’t have a voice over marketing strategy, email marketing strategy, or even any faint direction in their voice over email marketing. Most voice over artists are petrified at worst or nauseated at best when it comes to marketing for voice actors. Today, we’re going to get you over that fear. Buckle up, Buttercup. Chapters: 0:00 – 0:31

Oct 6, 2022 • 8:16

How To Go Full Time in Voice Over – 7 Steps

How To Go Full Time in Voice Over – 7 Steps

Welcome to How To Go Full Time in Voice Over - 7 Steps. When starting a career in voice over, figuring out how to become a voice over artist and make voice over a full time career can be daunting. Going full time in voiceover isn’t easy. Today, we’re going to talk about what it takes to go full time in the voiceover business, including voice over training, voice over marketing tips, voice over coaching and more. I’m Paul Schmidt, a voice actor, a VO marketing pro, and voice over business coach,

Sep 22, 2022 • 8:59

The WORST Thing You Can Do on Fiverr and Voices.com

The WORST Thing You Can Do on Fiverr and Voices.com

When it comes to Fiverr and Voices.com, and Upwork, there’s one WORST thing you can do to make money online doing voice over work. Today we’ll discuss that on Fiverr vs. Voices.com, voice over freelance sites in general, how successful voice over professionals find voice over jobs online, how they make money online, and how professional voice talent generate voice over job opportunities and create voiceover work. Chapters: 0:00 - 0:24 Welcome to The WORST Thing You Can Do on Fiverr and Voices.co

Sep 15, 2022 • 6:21

5 Career Killers (& 5 Best Practices) EVERY Voice Actor Should Know

5 Career Killers (& 5 Best Practices) EVERY Voice Actor Should Know

Welcome to 5 Career Killers EVERY Voice Actor Should Know About. Today we’re going to warn you about 5 ways to damage your voice acting career, things that can truly hurt your voice over career and give you a negative reputation. And stick around because we’ll also give you best practices to help build a positive reputation in the voiceover industry, build your career, and enrich your life.  Chapters: 0:00 - 0:50 Welcome to 5 Career Killers EVERY Voice Actor Should Know 0:50 - 1:01 The Five Care

Sep 8, 2022 • 10:36

WHY Negotiate Voice Over Rates? The Answer Will STUN You

WHY Negotiate Voice Over Rates? The Answer Will STUN You

When it comes to voice over rates, one of the biggest questions is, "why negotiate rates"? Negotiating voice over rates is tricky because most new voice actors don't know how to negotiate proper voiceover rates. The first question is, why is it so hard for voice actors to set proper pricing, and I think there are two reasons for this. Chapters: 0:00 – 0:34 Welcome to WHY Negotiate Voice Over Rates 0:34 - 1:50 Why Is It So Difficult to Set Proper Rates? 1:50 -  2:51 Why Standard Rates Are So Impo

Sep 1, 2022 • 8:03

3 HARD TRUTHS About Voice Over Agents

3 HARD TRUTHS About Voice Over Agents

Hi and welcome back and welcome to the three hardest truths about voiceover agents. And stick around because at the end I'm going to give you a bonus truth. You're not going to want to miss. To start, one of the biggest questions for many voice actors in the early years is, “How do I even know when I'm ready for an agent?” Chapters: 0:00 – 0:17 Welcome to The 3 Hardest Truths About Voice Over Agents 0:17 – 1:17 Thinking Like An Agent 1:17 – 3:32 Hard Truth About Voice Over Agents #1 3:32 – 4:09

Aug 25, 2022 • 7:09

$35,000 of Voice Over in 1 WEEK!!! How I Did It

$35,000 of Voice Over in 1 WEEK!!! How I Did It

Welcome to How I Booked $35K of Voice Over Work in 1 week. Is there money in voice overs? If your goal is to get paid for voice overs after you open a voice over business, this is one example of what’s possible.  Disclaimer: While this series of events is absolutely true, it is not typical or even likely. Building a thriving voice over business takes months and years and a massive amount of focused action. Any coach or talent who says or implies otherwise is lying to you. Chapters: 00:00 – 00:10

Aug 18, 2022 • 9:49

How To Avoid BAD Voice Over Rates: Aggressive Listings & More

How To Avoid BAD Voice Over Rates: Aggressive Listings & More

Welcome to How To Avoid BAD Voice Over Rates, deal with aggressive voice over job listings, how to negotiate voice over rates and when and why in-perpetuity is bad for voice actors. When you’re in the first few years of your voice over careers, rates and negotiation tend to be a big black box. Why do we negotiate? Why negotiate voice over rates? How do we spot aggressive voice over job listings on the voice over job boards and voice over websites? How do we avoid bad voice over jobs and avoid ba

Aug 11, 2022 • 7:04

Is Voice Over Rigged? What the VO Business SHOULD Be

Is Voice Over Rigged? What the VO Business SHOULD Be

This is my vision for what the voice over business should be. I have a vision for voice over and why this channel exits. Many think that there are voice over gate keepers or wonder is voice over too competitive. Is voice over rigged? In this video, I’ll lay out in my view what voice over should be, what the voice over business ought to be, why voice over is important, a vision for voice over, why this channel exists, why i started this channel, and why I'm a professional voice actor. I believe t

Aug 4, 2022 • 7:19

How NOT To Use Linkedin To Find Voice Over Work

How NOT To Use Linkedin To Find Voice Over Work

Welcome to How NOT To Use Linkedin To Find Voice Over Work. When it comes to LinkedIn for voice artists, how not to use LinkedIn is important. These are the best LinkedIn tips for voice over when it comes to how to find voice acting clients. Now you've got a robust list of targeted leads. Congratulations! Great job. And, yes, you do have to reach out to them. And this is where most voice actors will take the next seemingly logical step and reach out to those folks with a connection request manua

Jul 28, 2022 • 7:09

The 3 Biggest Voice Over Website Design ERRORS

The 3 Biggest Voice Over Website Design ERRORS

Today, we’re talking about the 3 biggest voice over website design errors in the business. Specifically, the most common website strategy errors most actors make when building a voice over website. We’ll also show you some voice over website best practices you can use when creating your own voice over website, so that you avoid these website design mistakes. As solopreneurs, voice actors are often put in a no-win position, faced with having to oversee their website design, or do it themselves, a

Jul 21, 2022 • 7:19

Top 3 WORST Sites For Voice Over Work

Top 3 WORST Sites For Voice Over Work

Here are the Top 3 Worst Sites For Voice Over Work, a list of the 3 worst websites to find voice over jobs, including the worst websites for your voice over career, the worst free sites to find voice acting work. I’m Paul Schmidt, a voice actor and voice over business coach. No one really starts out looking for the worst places to find voice over work, but if you’re looking for the best places online to find voice acting gigs, it’s useful to also know the voice over websites to avoid. In this ep

Jul 14, 2022 • 10:42

Do I NEED a Logo for My Voice Over Business?

Do I NEED a Logo for My Voice Over Business?

Do I need a logo for my voice over business? Newer voice actors often ask about a logo for my voice over business. Is there any value in a voice acting logo? Is a logo necessary for voice acting? Is there a difference between a logo for voice over and voice acting branding? There seems to be a lot of confusion over voice over branding, voice over logo design, the distinction between a logo and brand identity for voice over. I’m Paul Schmidt, a voice actor and voice over business coach and in thi

Jun 30, 2022 • 6:26

The Number 1 Threat KILLING Your Voice Over Business

The Number 1 Threat KILLING Your Voice Over Business

The number 1 threat killing your voice over business is not AI in voice over, online voice over casting, are the voice over algorithms stacked against me, how many voice actors are there, or a saturated voiceover market. Take ownership of what you can control. Get better at voice over and market your voice over business proactively. Don’t rely on the pay-to-plays. Don’t rely on your agents or representation. Be your own best agent. Free: 7 Steps To Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover:

Jun 23, 2022 • 6:21

How to Handle LOW Voice Over Budgets: 2 REAL EXAMPLES!

How to Handle LOW Voice Over Budgets: 2 REAL EXAMPLES!

Today, we're going to talk about How to Handle Low Voice Over Budgets and how to handle low budget voice over projects from low-budget voice over clients when they come in. low budget clients and low ball rates happen all the time. If you're getting sufficient opportunities you're going to get some of these and it would behoove you to know how to handle them. I'm going to give you a couple of low-budget voice over case studies today of what a low-budget voice over project looks like when it come

Jun 16, 2022 • 7:45

New Voice Over Marketing Channel

New Voice Over Marketing Channel

Welcome to the channel. This is a new voice over marketing and business channel specifically for voice actors. If you’re a voice actor in the first few years of your pro career you’ll learn strategies for how to market voice over, how to grow your voice acting business, how to free yourself from voiceover pay-to -plays, how to find voice acting jobs and gigs, how to get new voiceover clients, how to generate leads for voiceover work online, and more. This channel is for you if you’re a working p

Jun 9, 2022 • 2:54

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