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What is the State of Voice Over Income in 2026? As the VO Strategist, I define Voiceover Income as the intersection of Cash Flow and Marketing Strategies. Analyzing the data from The National Association of Voice Actors 2022 to 2026 surveys reveals a widening "Viability Gap" between those trapped in the Crawl phase (making less than $10k per year) and those scaling to the Run phase (making more than $100k per year). Understanding these shifts is the difference between thinking like a starving artist vs. thinking like a CEO. How Was Voice Over Income in 2025? 2025 was a wonky year. Almost every voice actor I know in the Walk/Jog phase of their voice over journey experienced a serious dip in their income over last summer (including myself) and 2026 isn't starting out much better. I theorized it was due to both AI and tariffs and I stand by that. Now that NAVA has released the results of the 2026 Voice Over Survey and we have five years worth of data, I thought it would be fun to drill down a bit with some comparisons. Considering that a massive amount of data was collected and I ain't no statistician, I decided to look at only the income section of each survey. Shall we take a peek...? What are the Actual Trends in Voice Over Gross Income from 2020 to 2026? Let's examine the pie charts below using VO Strategist-speak: "Crawl" = up to $10,000 in voice over income "Walk" = $10,000-$50,000 in voice over income "Jog" = $50,000-$100,000 in voice over income "Run" = over $100,000 in voice over income Phase Income Threshold 2020 2021 2022 2024 2025 CRAWL Up to $10,000 56% 48% 55% 48% 46% WALK $10,001–$50k 23% 27% 22% 22% 24% JOG $50,001–$100k 9% 12% 11% 15% 14% RUN Over $100,000 12% 15% 13% 15% 16% How to Interpret the Data It's important to consider how many people take a survey. An accurate survey is taken by roughly 1% of a demographic. An average of 1,443 voice actors have taken the NAVA survey each year since 2020. If you look at the Gitnux survey , I think it backs up that the NAVA survey has a robust number of respondents that reflect the overall US voice actor population I bet there is a large overlap of voice actors who take the survey every year and most of them of had some kind of upward trajectory. That may explain why the Walk, Jog, and Run numbers have increased and the Crawl number has decreased so that section may not reflect the overall populace of voice actors. That aside, if 46% of the industry is still in the Crawl  phase, but the Run  phase is growing, what does that tell us? It may tell us the Middle Class of VO is being redefined. In 2026, you can't just be a voice. You have to be a solution. Those in the Walk & Jog phase are likely the ones diversifying into Digital Voice Solutions. Not fighting AI, but licensing their own models to create passive income streams that supplement their human performances. They aren't working harder; they're working smarter. The Walk & Jog voice actors may also be investing more in Pay-To-Play sites like Voice123 and Voices Dot Com. I've noticed that many production houses have migrated to online casting sites over the past ten years since it's easier to book a voice actor there and they can happily ignore all of our direct marketing emails. The Bottom Line So, what is the state of voice over income in 2026? It’s stratified.  Nowadays, you can’t just be another voice and expect to eat. You have to be the solution. The days of falling into a middle-class VO income within a few months of starting your journey are gone. The data may be revealing a divide: those who view themselves as a "service" depending on outdated marketing strategies are struggling in the Crawl and Walk phases, while those who view themselves as a solution and partner  are thriving in the Jog and Run phases. The growth in the $100k+ category despite the "Summer Dip of '25" proves that there is still plenty of money in this industry, it’s just moving into different pockets. I think it’s moving toward those who: Embrace the Hybrid Model:  Using digital voice clones as junior varsity versions of themselves to handle lower-budget work that aren't going to humans anymore. Skate to where the Puck is Going:  Acknowledging the steady shift toward online casting instead of fighting the tide of how production houses want to work. Prioritize Business Systems:  Treating their marketing and cash flow with the same respect they give their acting craft. If you find yourself stuck in the "Crawl" or "Walk" phases, don't panic, pivot. Use this data not as a scorecard of where you've been, but as a roadmap for where you need to go. A HUGE thank you to David Cui Cui and the rest of the NAVA gang for creating the Survey! As the VO Strategist , Tom Dheere has provided voice over business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

As the VO Strategist, I define effective marketing as the art and science of developing meaningful relationships. When you treat potential clients like a cash register and your voice over direct marketing efforts are like a crowbar trying to pry that cash register open, it tends to not go the way you hope. Here's an example... Recently, a voice actor sent me a LinkedIn invitation, which I happily accepted. I'm always up for connecting with my fellow voice actors on LinkedIn to grow my community and of course troll for students because I'm a dirty, dirty capitalist. As soon as I accepted their LinkedIn invitation, they immediately sent me a generic message, offering their services as a voice actor. Why? Because they didn't read my LinkedIn profile and thought I was a potential voice over client. Cringe. This is a perfect example of what not  to do. A series of mistakes were made here, so let’s break them down... Mistake #1: They Didn't Look at my LinkedIn Profile Since this voice actor thought I was a producer, than means they didn't even look at my LinkedIn profile. I'm sorry but there is no excuse for this. It doesn't say anywhere on my LinkedIn profile that I produce videos, ads, etc. so I don't know where they got the idea that I'm a producer. Maybe the fact I'm wearing a tie in my profile pic? Do all producers wear ties? If you are going to engage in Direct Marketing tactics like a cold email or cold DM, you need to research your client FIRST. Google the company they work for, actually read their LinkedIn profile, and if you want to contact them via email, use a CRM like Apollo.io (FYI that's an affiliate link) to find their email address. Mistake #2: They Sent an Impersonal Message The message they sent me was written for everyone and no one. I imagine this template was sent to other LinkedIn connections hundreds, or possibly thousands of times. In this age of "spray & pray" and AI-generated emails, sending a generic message is less effective than ever. On top of that, the message was sent as soon as I accepted the connection invite. There was no meaningful conversation, they went straight to solicitation. Mistake #3: They Ended the Conversation Quickly This wasn't a mistake as much as it was a missed opportunity. Once I told them I'm not a voice seeker, they apologized and that was the end of the conversation. Maybe they were embarrassed? Maybe they were late for an appointment and couldn't write more? My guess is that they saw zero value in talking to a colleague and just moved on. They could have turned this error into a networking opportunity, and not because I'm the VO Strategist. I've been saying for 20+ years that a voice actor's biggest asset is their fellow voice actors. But when voice actors devalue fellow voice actors, nothing good comes from it. l had a very similar experience this like this back in 2012 . Same attitude and a missed opportunity to move their voice over business forward. The Voice Over Direct Marketing Lesson Most voice actors don't get far in the voice over industry because they create friction for themselves when they think they're being savvy and strategic. The voice actor in question didn't just miss a potential relationship; they demonstrated legacy thinking, laziness, and a lack of current business logic behind their marketing. I don't mean to disparage this particular voice actor. What they did was all-too common. Please take this cautionary tale to heart. Take a long, hard look at your philosophy & business model. Determine if your marketing efforts are a result of what the loudest jerk in the Facebook group says or do you have a true understanding of how things actually work in voice over today. Want More Tools In Your Voice Over Toolkit? Stop guessing which microphones, hardware, software, and books are worth your investment! I’ve built a curated resource page with professional tools I trust that will both save time and help you make smart decisions for your business. Please note: As an affiliate partner, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Get my curated list of essential VO tools here. AND Check out my VO How-To Library! Want to stream as many How-To videos as you want? Get a Video Subscription - use code FORWARD  for 20% off your first month! Upcoming Events & Appearances Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Looking for help navigating the entertainment industry? Check in and Stay on Track... Don't know where to start? Let's chat. Grab 15 minutes with me for free - let's see what your business needs... As the VO Strategist , Tom Dheere has provided voice over business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

The 2026 Studio123 Strategy Summary As the VO Strategist, I define Studio123  as a managed-service for voice seekers who value their time over the traditional casting process. It’s essentially the Search Game on steroids, a curated sandbox where the robots handle the matching so you can spend less time auditioning and more time being a voice actor. Success here isn't about audition & pray; it's about feeding the Voice123 algorithm. What is Studio123? The voice-over industry in 2026 doesn't look much like it did even five years ago. As the VO Strategist , I always say that Legacy Thinking destroys careers. If you aren’t auditing the platforms you use, you become invisible and irrelevant. So when I heard about Studio123 , as a $2,200 tier subscriber  and affiliate for Voice123 , I reached out to see what it's all about. They signed me up, and I’ve been a member of Studio123  for a few weeks now. Here is the breakdown of what it is, how it differs from the standard V123 platform, and why you need to keep your CEO hat on when looking at the details. Voice123 vs. Studio123: What’s the Difference? Think of Voice123  as the "Audition Game." You pay for a tier, the algorithm sends you invites based on your Ranking Score, and you engage in the age-old tradition of Audition and Pray. Studio123  is different: it’s the "Search Game" on steroids. The Model:  Studio123 is a curated wing of Voice123 designed for voice seekers who want high-quality audio fast  without dealing with the traditional casting process. The Talent Pool:  Unlike the open V123 marketplace, Studio123 uses a curated pool of vetted human voice actors . The Workflow:  Clients submit project details, and Voice123 matches them with a specific voice actor from this pool. The Deliverables:  The platform emphasizes rapid delivery  and includes up to three revisions  in the base price. Seven-Year Usage Here is where we need to move from "Employee Mindset" (just wanting the job) to "CEO Mindset" (protecting the asset). Studio123 offers clients complete, long-term ownership  of the recordings for 7 years . Seven years is pretty long for broadcast usage. If your voice is selling a car or a soft drink on TV for seven years, that’s a potential loss of residuals and more potential for exclusivity issues. However, there are nuances: Non-Broadcast:  For internal corporate training or a short Explainer video, a longer term like this is often acceptable. The Math:  You have to weigh the upfront fee against the opportunity cost. As I've written before, understanding the difference between a simple usage fee  and a full buyout  is the difference between having a hobby and running a business. My Studio123 Experience So Far Within 24 hours of being added to the Studio123 roster, I booked a gig. It was a short industrial video that took me about ten minutes to do. It turns out that even though I clicked the Accept button and uploaded my audio files, the gig went to another voice actor. The Voice123 support team said that wasn't supposed to happen and they will look into. It's a new platform in beta so no big deal. The following week I booked another gig. Let's call it a marching band intro. I did three takes and sent it off. The client thought I was AI and said it was too polished. I did three more takes. The client said I sounded flat and emotionless. I did three more takes. They finally accepted the audio! My Thoughts Every platform is a lead-generation tool, not a slot machine. Treat it as such. Since the program is in Beta, many aspects, including usage terms, will likely evolve. I give them credit for developing a new platform that streamlines the process of casting voice actors and I'm all for that. Less auditions, more bookings, fine by me! Is this another Voice Bunny? Only time will tell! Your Playbook for Decoding Voice123 My Voice123 strategy is the result of 20 years of data, tracking, and insights. I've compiled all of it—my full keyword strategy, the "Content Bible" spreadsheet template, a deep dive into the algorithm, and a breakdown of how to craft a quality bid—into a comprehensive How-To video. It's called " Voice123 Decoded ." If you're tired of playing the lottery and ready to treat Voice123 like the business tool it is, this video is your user manual! In this video, you will learn to: Master the "Two-Sided Algorithm" (Audition vs. Search). Implement a pro-level keyword strategy to maximize your visibility. Craft proposals that build trust and increase your chances of booking. Watch my "Voice123 Decoded" video today and turn your profile into a client-generation machine.   Want More Tools In Your Voice Over Toolkit? Stop guessing which microphones, hardware, software, and books are worth your investment! I’ve built a curated resource page with professional tools I trust that will both save time and help you make smart decisions for your business. Please note: As an affiliate partner, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Get my curated list of essential VO tools here. AND Check out my VO How-To Library! Want to stream as many How-To videos as you want? Get a Video Subscription - use code FORWARD  for 20% off your first month! Upcoming Events & Appearances Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Looking for help navigating the entertainment industry? Check in and Stay on Track... Don't know where to start? Let's chat. Grab 15 minutes with me for free - let's see what your business needs... As the VO Strategist , Tom Dheere has provided voice over business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

I’ve heard it a thousand times in my Strategy Sessions A new voice actor spends 45 minutes obsessing over a three-line commercial script. They record thirty takes, agonize over the compression, and at the finish line they hit Delete instead of Send. If you’re taking an hour to record a single audition, you aren't being a perfectionist. You’re being a knucklehead! More importantly, you’re failing to act like a CEO. You don't have a talent problem; you have a trust problem . That lack of trust manifests in two different, destructive ways. You are either hiding from the world because you’re scared, or you are so in love with your own voice that you’ve become a liability. The Two Ways You Get In Your Own Way When you can't get out of your own way, you're usually stuck in one of two traps: 1. The "Don't Know What You Don't Know" Trap This is the student who agonizes over every syllable because they don't trust their training, their gear, or their process. They treat every script like a final exam instead of a business transaction. They are too busy being an unpaid assistant to their own anxiety, and it kills their ROI. 2. The Ego Trap On the flip side, some voice actors trust themselves too  much. They are arrogant and in love with the sound of their own voice. This ego trip usually translates to getting minimal training because they think they’ve already mastered the craft. The result? They become impossible to direct. In the "Walk" and "Run" phases of this career, being un-directable is a death sentence. If you can't internalize a note from a client in a directed session, you’re not a pro; you’re a hobbyist with a microphone. Trust the "Crawl, Walk, Run" Framework In the Crawl Phase  (Years 0-2), it’s normal for the process to be slow while you find where you fit into the voice over industry. But if you’re still agonizing over a single audition after two years, you’re stuck in legacy thinking and you need to bust out of that ASAP. Effective voice actors know that auditioning is a numbers game . Whether you're hiding in the booth or refusing to listen to a coach or client, you are failing the Farmer Analogy. You can't grow anything if you don't have fertile soil and that soil is built on humble, consistent training. The Business Reality: ROI Matters Time is your most expensive overhead . If you spend 60 minutes on one audition for a $250 job, and you have a 1-in-100 booking ratio, you are working for pennies. Trusting your training  enough to deliver a clean, directed take in two tries isn't lazy; it’s a strategic use of your time. Stop Guessing. Start Shipping. The "Poopy Grown-up Stuff" of this business—the invoicing, the marketing, the admin, requires you to be decisive. If you can’t get out of your own way in the booth, how can a client trust you with their brand? Reading about trust is easy. Implementing a workflow where you trust your training enough to hit "send" and move on? That’s the hard part. Want More Tools In Your Voice Over Toolkit? Stop guessing which microphones, hardware, software, and books are worth your investment! I’ve built a curated resource page with professional tools I trust that will both save time and help you make smart decisions for your business. Please note: As an affiliate partner, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Get my curated list of essential VO tools here. AND Check out my VO How-To Library! Want to stream as many How-To videos as you want? Get a Video Subscription - use code FORWARD  for 20% off your first month! Upcoming Events & Appearances Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Looking for help navigating the entertainment industry? Check in and Stay on Track... Don't know where to start? Let's chat. Grab 15 minutes with me for free - let's see what your business needs... As the VO Strategist , Tom Dheere has provided voice over business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

The 2026 Voice123 Strategy Summary Voice123 is a lead-generation engine that runs on data. While the drop-down menus (Language, Gender) get you in the door, the Keyword Field  is where you actually win. Since voice seekers can type whatever they want into that search bar, your job is to reverse-engineer their brain. Success in 2026 means matching your sample names and tags to the specific terms they’re typing in real-time. If you aren’t engineering your profile to be the exact answer to their "free-text" query, you’re just throwing money away. So, is Voice123 "worth it?" Let's find out...! When you hear "Pay-to-Play," do you cringe? For many voice actors, sites like Voice123 feel like a slot machine you pour money into, hoping to hit the jackpot. You create a profile, pay what you can, submit a pile of auditions, and then...nothing. It’s easy to get frustrated and declare the whole thing a scam. I get it, but I don't look at it as a slot machine. I look at it as a line item in my marketing budget. Voice123 isn't some magical client dispenser; it's a lead generation tool . And like any tool, you have know how to use it. If you’re doing nothing but auditioning & praying, you’re ignoring a valuable part of the platform. But if you shift your Systems of Thought & Execution and implement an effective strategy, the results can be huge. My Voice123 Experience As a business-minded mutant, I love number crunching! Let’s breakdown my own Voice123 investment & returns... I joined V123 way back in 2006. Over the last 19 years, I have invested over $9,000 in my Voice123 membership. Sounds like a lot, right? Maybe, but that $9,000 investment has generated well over $80,000 in voice over income. That’s a 9-to-1 return on my investment. This can  work, and work pretty damn well if you know what you're doing. But it wasn't a straight line. My income from the platform was great in the early years, then I left due to poor judgement on my part of how effective a P2P site can truly be. In 2020, I rejoined, and in 2022 I invested in the $2,200 tiers The results? Over $30,000 in bookings in 2022 and 2023 alone. That’s because I stopped guessing  and started engineering . Why Your Voice123 Strategy Isn't Working Most voice actors fail at using Voice123 because they’re playing the wrong game, and there are two games happening on the platform: The Audition Game (The 40%).  This is the reactive  game. You see a casting call, you submit your audio, and you hope you get picked from the pile. This is what almost everyone does, and it’s where 1,000 other people might be right for the same project. The Search Game (The 60%). This is the proactive  game. This is where clients don't post a public job. They go to the search bar and type in what they need—"warm, trustworthy, professional," "high-energy, retail, friendly"—and the algorithm gives them a list of our profiles. This is where clients send you  direct invitations. Most voice actors spend 100% of their time on the 40% and 0% on the 60%. That's leaving money on the table. Stop Auditioning, Start Engineering Your V123 Profile Winning the 40% search game means treating your profile like a storefront designed to be found. The engine of the Voice123 search algorithm isn't your demos or even your auditions. It's your samples. Voice seekers don’t listen to your Commercial Demo. They search for "perky, college, university" and listen to the sample that matches. Your job is to create a library of samples that are tagged with the right keywords, Voice Styles, and Purposes of Recording. You have to think like a client. A producer for a healthcare company isn't typing "great voice" into the search bar. They're typing "empathetic, knowledgeable, medical." Your profile needs to be populated with those terms, or you will be invisible to them. This requires a system. I call it my "Content Bible"—a spreadsheet where I map out every single sample, its name, its description, and its keywords to ensure I'm covering every possible search term a client might use for projects that I can match up with. The "Secret Weapon" Hiding in Plain Sight Look at the "Additional Proposal Details" section when you submit an audition. Most people leave this blank or write something like "Thanks for the opportunity!" That's a waste of real estate. This is your chance to both manage risk and build trust. You can communicate your value before they even listen to your audition. My Additional Proposal Details section includes: My studio specs (Sennheiser 416, Adobe Audition, etc.) to build confidence in my quality. My Source Connect profile name to signal I'm ready for a directed session. My typical turnaround time to manage expectations. My revisions policy to prevent scope creep. A direct CTA: "If you like my audition, please give it a thumbs up and favorite my profile." (this feeds the algorithm) This turns my proposal from a hopeful audition into a professional bid, making it easier for the client to say "yes." IMPORTANT!!! I strongly recommend following these three steps to start feeding the algorithm the right way the first time. Get a FREE Voice123 account FIRST Optimize your profile (see below to learn how) Subscribe to at least the $495 tier. Here's my affiliate link to do that with a discount ! Your Playbook for Decoding Voice123 My Voice123 strategy is the result of years of data, tracking, and insights. I've compiled all of it—my full keyword strategy, the "Content Bible" spreadsheet template, a deep dive into the algorithm, and a breakdown of how to craft a quality bid—into a comprehensive How-To video. It's called " Voice123 Decoded ." If you're tired of playing the lottery and ready to treat Voice123 like the business tool it is, this video is your user manual! In this video, you will learn to: Master the "Two-Sided Algorithm" (Audition vs. Search). Implement a pro-level keyword strategy to maximize your visibility. Craft proposals that build trust and increase your chances of booking. Watch my "Voice123 Decoded" video today and turn your profile into a client-generation machine. Want More Tools In Your Voice Over Toolkit? Stop guessing which microphones, hardware, software, and books are worth your investment! I’ve built a curated resource page with the professional tools I trust to save you time and help you make smart decisions for your business. Please note: As an affiliate partner, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Get my curated list of essential VO tools here. AND Check out my VO How-To Library! Want to stream as many How-To videos as you want? Get a Video Subscription - use code FORWARD  for 20% off your first month! Upcoming Events & Appearances Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Looking for help navigating the entertainment industry? Check in and Stay on Track... Don't know where to start? Let's chat. Grab 15 minutes free - let's see what your business needs... As the VO Strategist , Tom Dheere has provided voice over business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

When I started my voice over journey back in 1994, the industry looked completely different. Back then, voice over was essentially a side hustle for on-camera and theater actors. We didn't have online casting sites. Entire genres that dominate today (Explainer videos, App narration, etc.) didn’t even exist. We were just actors looking to pay the rent between gigs. Fast forward to today, and the landscape has shifted. Now, I see a glut of Gen Y and Gen Z aspirants entering the market with a singular, laser-focused goal: they want to narrate video games and cartoons, specifically anime. It's totally cool to chase the genres we enjoy consuming as fans. You grow up watching Dragon Ball Z  and think, "I want to do that !" But here is the hard truth I’ve learned after decades in this business: Being a fan of a genre doesn’t mean you are built to work in it. In fact, forcing yourself into a genre that conflicts with your psychological makeup is a one-way ticket to burnout. It is bad ROI. It is a waste of marketing dollars. And frankly, it’s exhausting. Today, I want you to stop thinking about your dreams and start thinking about your brain. Let's do a Psychological Audit  to find the voice over genres that actually fit your psyche. The "Fan" Trap vs. The Business Reality I see this constantly in my coaching sessions. A student comes to me, desperate to break into animation. They love cartoons. They know every character and have been practicing their voices in the mirror since they were kids. But when we look at their personality? They crave structure. They need financial security. They hate rejection. Animation voice over is bonkers. It is chaotic, low-paying, and has a rejection rate that would make a telemarketer cry. This student is trying to force a square peg (them) into a round hole (anime) because they like the hole. Most business owners have to separate hobbies from revenue streams. You can love watching anime while making a killing in eLearning because that is where your temperament thrives. The Psychological Audit: Who Are You? Let’s look at the genre archetypes through the lens of psychology and habits. 1. The Sprinter (Commercials & Promo) The Vibe:  Fast, high-pressure, and inconsistent. The Psyche:  You have a short attention span and thick skin. You don’t mind doing 50 auditions to get one "yes." You are adaptable and can change direction on a dime when a director says, "Do it again, but... happier?" The Cautionary Tale:  If you are a perfectionist who needs to analyze every script for 30 minutes, Commercials will crush you. You will overthink it, miss the deadline, and drive yourself crazy. 2. The Marathon Runner (Audiobooks) The Vibe:  Solitary, endurance-based, and detail-oriented. The Psyche:  You are an introvert’s introvert. You can sit in a padded box for 4-6 hours a day without human contact. You have the patience of a saint and the organizational skills of a librarian (because editing 10 hours of audio requires it). The Cautionary Tale:  If you are an extrovert who needs constant feedback and variety, Audiobooks will feel like prison. I’ve seen talented actors quit Audiobooks not because they couldn’t read well, but because the isolation and what they perceive as monotony drove them mad. 3. The Teacher (e-Learning & Corporate) The Vibe:  Educational, structured, and consistent. The Psyche:  You are reliable. You like rules. You probably color-code your calendar. You find satisfaction in clarity and transferring knowledge. You don’t need to be the "star"; you are happy being the guide. The Cautionary Tale:  If you crave the spotlight and emotional highs of acting, e-Learning might bore you to tears. And a bored voice actor sounds like a robot. (See my post " I Love eLearning Narration "  for why this structure works for me). Your Personality Is Your Voice Over Genre When you align your business with your psyche, everything gets easier. Marketing  feels less like lying and more like sharing. Workflow  becomes smoother because you aren’t fighting your natural rhythm. Profit  increases because you are more efficient. Stop trying to be the voice actor you wish  you were. Be the voice actor you are . Look at your daily habits. Do you need variety or stability? Do you crave attention or solitude? Answer those questions, and you will find your most profitable voice over genres. And if you’re still confused? That’s what a Strategy Session is for. Let’s look at your business (and your brain) together. Want More Tools In Your Voice Over Toolkit? Stop guessing which microphones, hardware, software, and books are worth your investment! I’ve built a curated resource page with the professional tools I trust to save you time and help you make smart decisions for your business. Please note: As an affiliate partner, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Get my curated list of essential VO tools here. AND Check out my VO How-To Library! Want to stream as many How-To videos as you want? Get a Video Subscription - use code FORWARD  for 20% off your first month! Upcoming Events & Appearances Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Looking for help navigating the voice over industry? Book one of these sessions... Don't know where to start? Let's chat. Grab 15 minutes free - let's see what your business needs... As the VO Strategist , Tom Dheere has provided voice over business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

Don't hide your past. It’s your biggest asset. I get asked this question almost every week... "Tom, should I make a separate LinkedIn profile for my voice over business? I don't want to confuse people with my background in accounting/nursing/IT." I understand the impulse. You want to be seen purely as an artist. You want a fresh start. But from a business perspective? Absolutely not. Unless you have a very specific legal reason (which we will get to in a moment), creating a second LinkedIn profile is a massive strategic error. It dilutes your brand, doubles your administrative workload, and robs you of your unique selling proposition. Who You Were Is Who You Are In the voice over world, we talk a lot about "finding your niche." Your previous career is  your niche. Every job you have done before you stepped behind the microphone is an asset. It is a collection of skills, knowledge, and vocabulary that makes you a more valuable voice actor. If you spent 10 years as a nurse, you are a medical narration specialist . You know how to pronounce "myocardial infarction" without stumbling. You understand the context of patient care. A casting director for a hospital explainer video will hire you over a generic voice talent in a heartbeat if they know you have that background. Get it? Heartbeat? Worked in HR? You are the perfect voice for corporate training and e-learning. Worked in construction? You are the authentic voice for industrial On The Job (OJT) modules. The Opportunity of a Fresh Start When you create a new LinkedIn profile, you start with zero connections. You have zero social proof. You are an unknown entity. However, your existing profile likely has hundreds of connections from your past jobs as well as schools you attended. Those former colleagues, bosses, clients, and alumni? They are your first potential leads. Don't ghost your existing network. Leverage it. The Only Exceptions (The "Risk Management" Clause) There are three scenarios where a separate profile (or hiding your VO work) may be necessary: Contractual Prohibition:  Your current employer has an explicit policy forbidding moonlighting or outside employment. Conflict of Interest:  Your day job is in a highly sensitive field (like intelligence, journalism, or high-level politics) where a public media presence creates a conflict. The "Stealth Mode" Strategy:  You simply aren't ready for your current boss to know you are building an exit strategy, and you fear retaliation or termination. If you fall into one of these categories, you have to prioritize putting food on the table. Embrace the "And" You can be an accountant AND  a voice actor. You can be a Teacher AND  an eLearning Narrator. Clients love subject matter experts. When you combine your voice skills with your life experience, you stop being a commodity and start being a specialist. Update that headline. Rewrite that About section. Let your history be part of your story on LinkedIn. Want More Tools In Your Voice Over Toolkit? Stop guessing which microphones, hardware, software, and books are worth your investment! I’ve built a curated resource page with the professional tools I trust to save you time and help you make smart decisions for your business. Please note: As an affiliate partner, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Get my curated list of essential VO tools here. AND Check out my VO How-To Library! Want to stream as many How-To videos as you want? Get a Video Subscription - use code FORWARD  for 20% off your first month! Upcoming Events & Appearances Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Looking for help navigating the entertainment industry? Check in and Stay on Track... Don't know where to start? Let's chat. Grab 15 minutes free - let's see what your business needs... As the VO Strategist , Tom Dheere has provided voice over business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

Let’s talk about market pressure in the voiceover industry. Last week, the student who inspired  this blog  entry from a few months ago emailed me to share his frustration over the recent changes to Voice123 and his struggle to book gigs. One line hit me right between the eyes: If I don’t audition for a job with terrible usage rates or buyout in perpetuity, someone else will.  There is no market pressure to keep rates fair . Here’s a definition of market pressure: Forces of demand and supply representing the aggregate influence of self-interested buyers and sellers on price and quantity of the goods and services offered in a market. In general, excess demand causes prices and quantity of supply to rise, and excess supply causes them to fall. How does market pressure apply to the voiceover industry? Due to Pay-To-Play sites and the increased affordability of home recording, the supply of voice talent has increased massively. While there is a greater demand for voice talent than there used to be, the plummet in rates may indicate that supply is much greater than demand. The fact that voice seekers now have a myriad of ways to cast voice talent on the cheap also plays a large role. Since the price of products and services are generally dictated by supply and demand, and now that there is a much larger supply of voice talents than there used to be (many of which are non-union who don’t have to comply with union rates) does that mean that the rates to pay voice talent are  supposed  to drop? Are we in the midst of a market correction? If so, what will be the “new normal”? Will SAG-AFTRA need to lower their rates to stay competitive? Speaking of SAG-AFTRA, it’s supposed to be the main applicator of market pressure in the voiceover industry. As a voice seeker, you can take their rates or leave them. Over the past couple of years, more and more have chosen to “leave them” and use non-union voice talent for their projects. In response to the lowering of rates, the proliferation of P2P sites, etc. three entities have emerged: World Voices Organization , The Global Voice Acting Academy , and the VO Agent Alliance . All have made a valiant effort to educate both voice seekers and voice talent on how to comport themselves and use rates that are commensurate with the industry standard. WoVO has created a mentorship program and its own talent roster  of vetted voice talent who charge proper rates. The GVAA has created a comprehensive rate sheet  (which I use regularly). The VOAA has agreed upon a set of standards and practices to uphold quality rates and not represent talent who are contributing to the problem. I’m sad to say it hasn’t been very effective. Rates continue to drop. In-perpetuity usage and cut-downs are becoming more and more common. Why? There is zero incentive for voice seekers to pay like they used to. On top of that, many voice talents don’t want to price themselves out of the market. They’d rather get paid a lower rate than lose the gig or their career. One counter to the argument is that voice seekers are getting lower quality talent and therefore a lower quality product. As a whole, they don’t seem to care. Another counter is that if everybody joins SAG-AFTRA, voice seekers will be forced to pay fair rates. That is never, ever going to happen. Some voice talent will never join the union because they can’t afford it. For others, they would lose too much money to the garnishing of wages and the loss of their non-union clients. And some will never join any union ever just on principle. Case in point: I just tried to figure out which of my 2018 clients I could ask for a raise. Once you eliminate the studios who have set rates, the clients who already pay me well, and a few other factors, there was only one I thought I’d have a chance with. One. When I asked them for a raise they said no. Why? They pay in Euros and since the value of the Euro has dropped over the past few years, their profits have dropped. Ergo, they can’t afford to raise my rate. Wow, that was depressing to write. TIP OF THE WEEK There is no way we can make thousands of voice talents, voice seekers, and P2P sites all over the world act the way we think they should act. The rates will probably continue to fall and bottom-out at some point. Whether those rates will be sustainable for voice talents who are trying to earn a living wage, I have no idea. I’m a pretty optimistic dude, but this sucks. As the voiceover community, how do we apply market pressure in an effort to maintain quality rates in 2019? Educate every voice talent and voice seeker you encounter Keep training, keep growing, and continue to increase your market value Focus on developing meaningful relationships with your clients so they value you Say no to crappy rates and terms, no matter how much it hurts Be patient I know the state of the industry looks a bit grim right now, but we are a family. We will continue to support each other and strive every day to make the voiceover community a better place for everyone! NEWS AND NOTES Thursday, January 10th @8PM EST:  My next Business and Money 201 webinar will be “Cost/Benefit Analysis”. We’ll talk about how to figure out what worked (or didn’t work) for your voiceover business in 2018. Thursday, January 24th @8PM EST:  My next Marketing 201 webinar will be “The Sales Funnel”. We’ll discuss what it is and how to push voice seekers through it. March 29-31, 2019:  I’m presenting at  VO Atlanta 2019 ! I will be teaching a one-hour “Learning to do eLearning” Breakout Session and a TBD three-hour X-Session. More details to come, but check out the  Conference Agenda  to see all of the wonderful sessions being offered. Hope to see you there! HAPPY HAPPYS Happy Tempura Day and Cuddle Up Day ! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people from coughing, Ralph Richardson Tom Dheere is a 20+year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. He is also voiceover business consultant known as the VO Strategist and is currently producing the comic book “ Agent 1.22 ”.

My 6th Sennheiser 416-aversary! A little over six years ago, I bought a Sennheiser 416 microphone (FYI that's an affiliate link) . I got it because as much as I love my old AKG 420 , I needed something much more portable. I wrote a blog about a mic shootout I put together and it is by far my most popular blog entry. I mean like it has thousands more hits than the next most read blog entry. I guess a lot of people Google the 416 or maybe it's just so well written. Probably the first one. " Vague goals give you vague results. Specific goals give you specific results . " - Tom 6 years later... The 416 is still da bomb. I have had virtually no issues with it. At one point, the XLR port got loose so I sent it in and they fixed & returned it super-fast with no problems. Oh, and I custom-built a carrying case but it got flagged by the TSA way too many times so I had to get rid of it. Looking at the picture, you'll see why: And no, the Str Wars stickers didn't make it look innocuous enough. Tip Of the Week The key to getting the most out of a Sennheiser 416 is positioning. There are many articles, blog posts, and YouTube videos out there and I suggest you check them out. I can't give you specific advice on how to set it up because I don't know which genres you regularly narrate, how loud or soft you usually speak, or the dimensions of your booth. I'm also not a technophile. I will say that you should experiment to find your sweet spot, then mark where your chair and/or mic stand is. As to pop filters, there are as many opinions as there are voice actors. Some voice actors are more "poppy" than others so needs vary. Some use the pop filter it comes with, but some argue that's it's not very good and eventually it degrades and the particles can get in your mic and mess it up. I don't know if that's true. Others use no pop filter at all. I use the OCTO 842S Pop Filter made by The Hook Studios . It's very popular right now as it's small, fits right on the 416, is easy to travel with, and is reasonably priced. Oh, and don't forget that 'Get Booked! Direct Marketing' is this Thursday. Use the promo code EVENT to get a discount! No blog next week. Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped. Elbert Hubbard Join me at an upcoming event Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Study on your own time - download & watch VO How-to Videos Use Promo Code GETMORE for 20% off 3 or more videos! Paid Links Grab Studio Gear VO Strategist Book & Gear Club This week's recommendation is the Sennheiser 416. What a shocker! Want more studio gear & reading recommendations? VIEW ALL As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Keep Going - Work with Me Book a Strategy Session and get your VO business together! Want more VO Strategist? Subscribe on YouTube for the latest... Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist , a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

Navigating the Union Maze Few topics in the voice-over world can start a holy war faster than the discussion about joining SAG-AFTRA as a voice actor. For some, SAG-AFTRA is the protector of the realm, the only thing standing between professional talent and low-balling clients. For others, it's an outdated gatekeeper in a rapidly changing industry. Then there’s the Fi-Core option, which gets its own special brand of vitriol. The conversation is often packed with emotion, assumption, and a whole lot of confusion. My goal here is not to tell you what to do. It’s to give you a strategic, business-focused breakdown so you can make an informed decision for yourself. What IS SAG-AFTRA? The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was formed in 1933, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) in 1937. They were created for the same reason most unions are: to protect workers through collective bargaining, ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions. They merged in 2012 to form SAG-AFTRA, which today represents over 160,000 performers. Their purpose is to negotiate and enforce contracts (or "agreements") that set minimum pay rates and working standards for its members. Understanding Your Union Status Your relationship with SAG-AFTRA comes down to one of three statuses: Union (SAG-AFTRA Member):  You've officially joined. You pay an initiation fee and annual dues. You are obligated to follow all union rules, most notably Global Rule One (see the definition below). Non-Union:  You are not a member. You are free to work for any client, union or non-union, but you must negotiate all your own terms and rates. Financial Core (Fi-Core):  This is a legal status, not a union one. Through a loophole in national labor laws, you can resign from the union but continue to pay fees for the union work you do. This allows you to work both union and non-union jobs, but you lose all rights and privileges of membership. Key Terms You MUST Know The union debate is filled with jargon so here are some common terms... Global Rule One:  This states that no SAG-AFTRA member can work for an employer who hasn't signed a union contract. In simple terms: once you're in, you can only do union work (with a few exceptions we'll cover). The Taft-Hartley Act:  This law allows a non-union performer to accept their first union job without immediately joining. You get "Taft-Hartleyed." After this, a 30-day window opens during which you can do more union work. Once that window closes, you become a "must-join," and you cannot do another union job until you become a SAG-AFTRA member. Right-To-Work States:  In the 25+ states with "Right-to-Work" laws, you cannot be forced to join a union as a condition of employment. This means you can theoretically keep getting Taft-Hartleyed and never become a "must-join." However, if you voluntarily  join SAG-AFTRA in a Right-to-Work state, you are still bound by Global Rule One. Converting & Non-Jurisdictional Work:  Can a union member do non-union work? Sometimes. You can sometimes convert a non-union job to a union one using a signatory paymaster service. More importantly, there is a whole category of non-jurisdictional work —voice-over genres not covered by any SAG-AFTRA agreement (like radio imaging or some narration). Union members are free to do this work without violating GR1. Pros and Cons for Voice Actors There is no universally "best" choice for voice actors joining SAG-AFTRA. Each path comes with significant trade-offs. Being a SAG-AFTRA Member Pros:  Access to union-only jobs, minimum guaranteed rates, residuals on some contracts, health and retirement plans (if you meet the earning threshold), and a powerful organization to ensure you get paid on time. Cons:  A hefty initiation fee (around $3,000), annual dues, and being unable to work with non-union clients due to Global Rule One. FYI only about 20% of voice over work these days is union work. Being Non-Union Pros:  Total freedom. You can work with anyone, anywhere. You are the CEO of your own business and keep 100% of your revenue (after taxes, of course). Cons:  You are on your own. You must find your own health insurance, fund your own retirement, and chase down every invoice. You have to be disciplined in setting and maintaining fair rates for yourself. You're also responsible for your own legal protection when things get weird. Going Fi-Core Pros:  The ability to work both union and non-union jobs, which can seem like the best of both worlds. Cons:  You lose all member benefits—voting rights, discounts, workshops, etc. More importantly, you will be viewed as a "scab" by many union members and producers, which can have reputational consequences. My Non-Union, Pro-Union Perspective I believe in the power of collective bargaining. I believe every worker deserves a living wage and access to benefits. I am pro-union in principle. I am also, for strategic reasons, a non-union voice actor. My career evolved in the non-union world. If I were to join SAG-AFTRA today, the business math is simple but brutal: I would pay a $3,000 fee with zero guarantee of getting a single union job. I would instantly lose nearly every client I have spent over three decades cultivating. I would still have to pay for my own health insurance and retirement plans, because making the union's earning threshold for benefits (over $26k/year from union work) would be an uphill battle. What Are Your Assumptions? The choice to join the union, stay non-union, or go Fi-Core is not just about money or politics. It's about examining your assumptions. Do you assume joining the union guarantees high-paying work? Do you assume being non-union means you're undercutting the industry? Do you assume going Fi-Core is a magic bullet with no consequences? Non-union does not necessarily mean anti-union. Non-union does not necessarily mean unethical. And non-union does not necessarily mean cheap. I charge fair rates based on the GVAA Rate Guide and turn down low-paying work all the time. Meanwhile, some union members quietly violate GR1 every day because they have bills to pay. Don't believe me? Read this section of the NAVA 2025 Survey. Your path depends on your career goals, your target genres, where you live, and your personal values. Do the autopsy on your own assumptions, weigh the opportunity costs, and build the career that makes sense for your  business. Helpful Links SAG-AFTRA Main Site:   www.sag-aftra.com SAG-AFTRA Voiceover Page:   sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/voiceover Understanding Fi-Core:   www.sagaftra.org/financial-core The Taft-Hartley Act:   www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions List of Right-To-Work States:   www.upcounsel.com/right-to-work-states Keep Going - Watch this next: Control Your Time Want to stream as many How-To videos as you want? Get a Video Subscription - use code FORWARD  for 20% off your first month! Want More Tools In Your Voice Over Toolkit? Stop guessing which microphones, hardware, software, and books are worth your investment! I’ve built a curated resource page with the professional tools I trust to save you time and help you make smart decisions for your business. Please note: As an affiliate partner, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Get my curated list of essential VO tools here. Upcoming Events & Appearances Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Looking for help navigating the entertainment industry? Check in and Stay on Track... Don't know where to start? Let's chat. Grab 15 minutes free - let's see what your business needs... As the VO Strategist , Tom Dheere has provided voice over business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

The Dreaded Question Last week I had multiple students (from newb to 10+ years of experience) ask me the exact same question... Can you help me find voiceover clients? This is the #1 question I'm asked at webinars, conferences, podcasts, and private coaching sessions by voice actors of all experience levels. And I always answer the same way... NOPE! As a voice over business & marketing consultant, it's not my job to find you clients. It's my job to explain how the voice over casting process works and give you the tools to help you find your own clients. BTW any voiceover coach who says they can help you find clients is full of crap. I will say that there some high-end demo producers out there who will introduce you to certain agents and production companies once you produce a demo with them, but that is one of the few exceptions. How Do I Find Voiceover Clients? There is no easy answer. Well, that's not necessarily true... The easiest place to find voiceover clients are on Pay-To-Play sites. Whether you can actually book any gigs from said potential clients AND get a fair rate is another question. Another place to find voiceover clients is via agents & managers. Whether you can land a quality agent AND book auditions is another question. Tip Of the Week Every audition, cold call, email, blog post, etc. is an investment in your voiceover career. Ergo, make sure both the tools you use and the content you create has value. Google is your friend to find companies that cast voice actors LinkedIn is your friend to find individuals that cast voice actors The Hunter Chrome extension is your friend to find the email addresses of individuals that cast voice actors Quote of the Week You know, you put more value on every minute...I mean, I always thought I kind of did that. I really always enjoyed myself. But it's more valuable now. You're reminded to enjoy every sandwich, and every minute of playing with the guys, and being with the kids and everything, Warren Zevon Join me at an upcoming event Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Study on your own time - download & watch VO How-to Videos Use Promo Code GETMORE for 20% off 3 or more videos! Paid Links Grab Studio Gear VO Strategist Book & Gear Club Today's pick: the audio-technica ATHM50x Headphones! This is the second set of audio-technica headphones I've owned and I'm very happy with them. One of my favorite features is that they're collapsible and fit snugly into the travel bag that comes with it. And they're reasonably priced! Want more studio gear & reading recommendations? VIEW ALL As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Keep Going - Work with Me Book a Strategy Session and get your VO business together! Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist , a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

An Interesting Debate Recently in a voiceover-centric social media group, someone asked how much voice actors spend on Direct Marketing efforts vs. Pay To Play sites. It turned into a conversation about the virtue of Direct Marketing vs. Pay-to-Play sites and some made the case that they're more alike than different. "If you don't like Twitter, don't use Twitter!" - Tom How much do I spend on Direct Marketing? As a voice actor I currently don't spend any money on ads, lists, or LinkedIn Pro. I rarely outsource lead generation to virtual assistants. In 2021 I did invest about $400 in website maintenance (both internal and external), upgrading features, etc. That covered domain registration, the website plan, and apps. That doesn't include paying my webmaster. I will say that in 2021 I spent over $3,000 on rebuilding www.tomdheere.com and adding a lot of new features to www.vostrategist.com. Currently I don't have a paid subscription on any Pay-To-Play site. FYI this conversation is not just about whether you use Pay-to-Pay sites, Direct Marketing methods, both, or neither. It's also about how much money you're spending and how much time you're spending. The cold hard truth is that the majority of people who try to do voiceovers for a living will never book a gig. They can join all the P2P sites out there and use every Direct Marketing tactic that exists but they lack the talent and/or skill sets to do voiceovers for a living. But as Shakespeare wrote, "The attempt is all". Tip Of the Week Every audition and cold call is an investment in your voiceover business. If you think you're investing wisely but not seeing any returns, then it's not a smart investment. Don't dismiss any method for booking voiceover work until you've given it a try. To say that Direct Marketing is inherently better than Pay-to-Play sites or vice versa is inaccurate. Don't put any particular method for booking voiceover work on a pedestal. What works for you may not work for others. Educate yourself on how both Pay-to-Play sites and Directing Marketing tactics work. Try them both. Spend some money to properly use them. See what works and what doesn't. If you're spending every day for months doing nothing but auditioning & praying on Pay-to-Play sites and booking little or nothing, try something else. If you're spending every day for months doing nothing but cold calling, cold emailing, blogging, and posting content on social media and booking little or nothing, try something else. Quote of the Week Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are Anger and Courage; anger at they way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are. Saint Augustine Join me at an upcoming event Here's what I've got going on in the next few weeks - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Study on your own time - download & watch VO How-to Videos Use Promo Code GETMORE for 20% off 3 or more videos! Paid Links Grab Studio Gear VO Strategist Book Club Voice Over Legal was written by my buddy and crackerjack lawyer/voice actor/video producer Rob Sciglimpaglia. If you want to get a better understanding of what voice actors need to know on a legal level, this book is for you! Want more studio gear & reading recommendations? VIEW ALL As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Keep Going - Work with Me Book a Strategy Session and get your VO business together! Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist , a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.