Finding a legitimate voice over coach means vetting them as both a voice actor who currently books work regularly and as a coach who isn't selling snake oil. If you're one of my lovely, loyal, current subscribers, you already know & trust me and I thank you for that!. But if you are a first-time reader who just found this blog via Google, one of the chatbots, or a recommendation from a friend, do not hand me your credit card yet! After you read this blog, go to www.tomdheere.com. Vet me as a working actor before considering working with me as The VO Strategist. I'm saying this because I've been noticing an increasing risk in the voice over industry. Too many talent pay for advice from unqualified guides without proper vetting. They see some goofball or predator on TikTok "keeping it real" and they just hand over their money. The Real Danger Of An Unverified Voice Over Coach The internet is flooded with self-proclaimed voice over experts who lack real-world voice acting experience. They are perfectly comfortable charging you thousands of dollars for outdated marketing strategies or crappy demos. Sometimes their teaching can actually damage your career. I recently watched a YouTube video from a voice over coach. They recommended using a web scraper on Voice123 and Voices.com to help screen auditions. DON'T DO THAT!!! Using a scraper is a blatant violation of the Terms of Service for both Voice123 and Voices.com. Following that terrible advice will get you permanently banned. The list of people actually qualified to hand out sound, current voice over advice is incredibly short. That means you shold vet everyone, including me. The Demo Mill Trap I recently sat down with Anne Ganguzza on the VO Boss podcast to discuss this very problem. Our conversation highlighted another massive red flag: coaches who push you into recording a demo after too few sessions. It happens every single day. A beginner books a consult. The coach tells them they have a great voice. Two weeks later, they're laying down a demo. And the final product sounds exactly like an AI voice because the talent was unequipped to perform. A reputable coach knows that the thickness of your vocal folds does not dictate whether you are an engaging storyteller. Use my Four-Layer Cake of Training Protocol. If your coach skips these steps just to make a quick buck, they're running a demo mill. Do not walk away. Run! The VO Strategist Coach Verification Protocol You must vet every voice over coach before you invest in any kind of program. Look past the charming personality and analyze the data. Verification Metric The Hype Trap The Tested Standard Market Currency Relies on historical strategies from 2015 that are now obsolete. Actively auditions and navigates the 2026 digital ecosystem. Operational Proof Has hidden, outdated, or non-existent professional demos. Maintains a visible and active creative product you can hear right now. Business Logic Assures success using vague emotional formulas. Focuses heavily on data, analysis, and informed risk management. Entry Standards Pushes immediate demo production to close a sale. Requires an initial consultation to level-set expectations and test cold-reading skills. Great public speaking builds a brand, but brands mean nothing if the business mode is flawed or predatory. The Strategy Health Check Working with a voice over coach is a business decision. Demand the receipts. Verify the operator. Cyberstalk their website & social media profiles to make sure they are the real deal. Ensure the coach is actually walking the path and not leading you down one just to take your money. If you discover a coach and you're not sure if they're legit, book a free 15-minute consult with me and we can figure it out together! From my village to yours, this is Tom Dheere, the VO Strategist. 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. This content is specifically designed for voice actors ranging from absolute beginners in the Crawl phase to top-tier veterans in the Run phase who seek concrete business diagnostics, mentorship, and sustainable independent career growth.

The Dream and the Reality of Becoming an Anime Voice Actor Anime has captivated audiences worldwide, sparking dreams in many to lend their voices to beloved characters. While the allure is undeniable, the path is complex, fraught with challenges, and a prime target for predators looking to fleece newcomers via demo mills. If you want to become an anime voice actor without getting scammed, you have to treat it as a profession from Day One. Quick Steps Take both acting (theater/on-camera) and voice acting classes to master character development and storytelling. Invest in professional home studio equipment and establish audio reliability standards. Record a character voiceover demo reel with a reputable coach. Avoid high-pressure sales pitches for cookie-cutter reels. Audition for indie animation and ADR dubbing studios via free online casting sites and self-marketing. The First Step: Self-Assessment Before diving headfirst into equipment or auditions, audit your skills. Anime is an athletic form of acting. You must possess a versatile vocal range, portray intense emotional arcs without strain, and have a foundational grasp of script analysis. Passion is the fuel, but sustainable vocal technique and acting chops are the engine. Get storytelling training before you drop thousands on a demo. The Business Reality Check As an anime voice actor, you are an independent contractor, the CEO of your own brand. Anime dubbing is notoriously grueling work and frequently pays some of the lowest indie rates in the industry. To survive, you must understand the true gatekeepers you are marketing to: The Developers and Studios: The creators who build the Intellectual Property (IP). Audio Production Houses: Facilities handling dubbing translation, recording, and editing. Casting Directors: The human ears running auditions and managing performance integrity. Talent Agents: Gatekeepers managing curated rosters for major anime accounts. Building Your Anime Portfolio: The Crawl, Walk, Run Framework To build a sustainable voice over business and a strong portfolio, use this framework: Phase 1: Crawl (Years 0-2): Focus on foundational technique, home studio setup, and asking: Am I viable? Phase 2: Walk (Years 2-5): Optimize self-marketing strategies, master CRM protocols, and build peer-to-peer relationships. Phase 3: Run (Years 5+): Move into premium representation and scale your operations to major studios. Case Study: How I booked Red Dead Redemption Let's use my own 30+ years of experience for a quick business breakdown. I have voiced characters in major titles like Red Dead Redemption and Inspector Gadget: Mad Time Party. How did I book Red Dead Redemption? Spoiler alert: it was not because I uploaded a raw MP3 to a generic casting site or got "discovered" on a game show. It happened because of long-term professional relationships, talent agencies, and casting directors who knew my skills & reliability long before I stepped into the booth to lay down those tracks. The business side of voice over is not a distraction from the art. It's the vehicle that gets your voice in front of the people holding the contracts. If You Really Want To Become An Anime Voice Actor, Do This... Hint: It is not parking your overpriced demo on a casting site & praying, and it is not some fan forum waiting to be discovered. I don't produce voice over demos, and I don't teach an expensive VIP masterclass. I have over 15 years of experience coaching the actual business mechanics of the voice over industry, and I want to give you a insurance policy for your career. If you are tight on funds, don't waste money guessing. Instead of dropping thousands of dollars on a rushed demo reel, let's run a VO Business Diagnostic to audit your studio space, your technical setup, and your business plan to see if your business is actually viable. If you are tired of guessing, let's look at the data. 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. 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! 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.

A bottleneck is any point of congestion that stops your forward momentum. Think of it as a traffic jam for your career. If you want to make a living behind the mic in todays' market, you must identify exactly what is stopping your progress. I see this all the time. Voice actors come to me frustrated. They tell me they can't book any work. They assume something is wrong with their marketing. But it often turns out their audition technique is lacking. Or their audio quality fails the basic industry standards. They misdiagnose the problem and that costs them time & money. Bottleneck In Your Business Model The fastest way to fix a stalled voice over career is to do a breakdown of your operations. Do this by evaluating your business across the five categories (thanks, Dan Duckworth!). Cash Flow: You don't have the money to run your business. Tools: You lack the right equipment, or you don't know how to use the equipment you have. Technique: Your foundational voice over training is weak. Maybe you need coaching in certain genres that don't excite you but will make you money. Marketing: You struggle to build a straegy. Maybe you can't execute campaigns effectively via email or social media. Health: You aren't in the physical, mental, or emotional shape required to run a competitive freelance business. Bottlenecks In Your Portals Every audition you get comes through one of three portals. Each portal carries its own set of challenges. Representation: This includes talent agents, managers, and casting directors. A bottleneck here usually means your not good enought to land an eagent yet. Maybe yo udo have an agent but you just can't book anything. Online Casting Sites: This covers both free rosters and Pay-to-Play platforms like Voice123 or Backstage. A bottleneck here is usually understanding how to feed the algorithms. Self-Marketing: This is divided into Direct Marketing and Indirect Marketing. Direct Marketing means sending targeted emails to a Voice Seeker. Indirect Marketing involves utilizing SEO, blogging, and social media. If your self-marketing is stalled, you are likely confusing Farming Vs. Hunting. Hunting is sending out a cold email today to book a job tomorrow. Farming is writing a blog post today to attract an instructional designer six months from now. Both are required. But mixing up the timelines will choke your pipeline completely. Breaking Your Voice Over Business Bottlenecks Education fixes many of these issues. Others require money or time. And some simply demand a massive shift in your mindset. The first step is always an accurate diagnosis. You can't fix a leaky roof if you are busy repairing the basement. Finding the exact source of the leak is tricky when you are inside the house. I can help you spot the problem. I run comprehensive business diagnostics for voice actors every single week. We look at your cash flow, your technique, and your marketing strategy. Then we map out a targeted plan to remove the congestion and scale your income. Book a strategy session today and let's get your career moving again. 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. This content is specifically designed for voice actors ranging from beginners in the Crawl phase to established veterans in the Run phase who require concrete business diagnostics, mentorship, and strategic growth solutions.

Subscribe on YouTube for the latest... Don't Start Voiceover Demo Marketing Too Soon! If you're entering the voice-over industry, it's common knowledge that you need a voice-over demo. The challenge lies in creating a demo that's marketable. While some might be tempted to send it off to agents right away, it's important to invest time and effort in crafting a demo that showcases your best work. "Making a demo that's actually worth marketing is about taking your talent and working with a good coach to help you realize your talent" - Tom Voiceover Demo Marketing things to consider... If you want your voiceover demo marketing to actually work, it's important to work with a professional coach and demo producer who can guide you through the basics of voice-over, genre proficiency, and self-direction. Consider your intended audience and what you hope to achieve with your demo. Keep in mind that you'll likely need to make multiple demos throughout your career. While it may be tempting to do it yourself, investing in quality training and a demo is key to success in the competitive voice-over industry. Takeaways: Be patient Take acting & improv classes Develop your skills Keep Going - Watch this Next: Market Your Demo Have a great demo, but don’t know what to do with it? Tom shows you marketing strategies and tactics that will help get your demo in front of the right people. Learn how to prepare and submit your demo, what to do once they have it, and more… He's the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. Tom Dheere is also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover 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 your worth as a voice actor as the intersection of your Systems of Execution and your Market Viability. Understanding this distinction is the difference between playing the "Audition Game" and winning the "Search Game". True value is found when you stop thinking like an employee and start acting like a CEO. What is your worth as a voice actor? I’m not talking about being talented or funny or owning an expensive microphone. I’m talking about actual, practical worth. Your talent is the least valuable part of your worth. Your worth as a voiceover business is a combination of the three P’s… Professionalism: the competence or skill expected of a professional. If you get quality training from an established voice over coach you can comport yourself professionally even if you’ve never booked a gig. That means... You must have a home studio with a verified noise floor that meets pro standards. You need a website that feeds the robots via SEO, AEO, and GEO so the humans can actually find you. You must comport yourself as a peer to the client, not a subordinate. Preparedness: a state of readiness. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you book a voice over gig. Have effective Systems of Execution in place so there no surprises and you don’t forget anything. That means... You have confirmed the rate. They have accepted your AI Rider. They have approved your Retake Policy. Project Management: the planning and organization needed to complete a project. Most voice actors are busy being unpaid assistants to themselves. They spend hours doom-scrolling instead of asking what the most strategic use of their time is. You must be organized and understand every element that goes into a successful voice over gig. That means... You have reviewed the script and confirmed all pronunciations and acronyms. You have confirmed the audio file format (naming convention, mp3 vs wav, etc.) You have confirmed if they want the audio files raw, dry, or wet. (Don't know what that means? Download my Service Guarantee!) Of course you should focus on being a better narrator. That’s critical, but it’s not enough these days. Think your way through every step of the process of auditioning, producing, and billing. Create a checklist that you will adhere to on every single voiceover project. THAT will improve your worth. From my village to yours, this is Tom Dheere, the VO Strategist. 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.

In the voice over industry, Legacy Thinking suggests that you are paid only for your time in the booth. FALSE. As a VO CEO, you aren't selling minutes; you are licensing a performance. With that in mind, let’s break down the mechanics of the voice actor's Usage Fee. What is a Usage Fee? A usage fee is when you get paid for a voice over depending on where it’s used and how long. Think of it as a licensing fee. When you see a picture of Spider-Man on a T-shirt, the company that made the T-shirt had to pay Marvel Comics a fee to use the image of Spider-Man. In effect, you are licensing your voice. Doesn’t the session fee already include the usage fee? Not necessarily. There is a difference between the session fee (how much you get paid to record the voiceover) and the usage fee (how much you get paid for the recording to be used). You should always get paid a session fee, but not necessarily always a usage fee. Sort of. When should you get paid a usage fee? It depends on whether it’s union or non-union and whether it’s broadcast or non-broadcast. In its most basic terms: Genre Usage Fee? Why? Broadcast (TV/Radio) YES High audience reach and potential brand conflicts Digital/Social Media SOMETIMES Depends on Paid Placement (Ads) vs. Organic (Posts) Non-Broadcast (eLearning/Corporate) NO Usually covered by a higher flat fee FYI this is a sweeping generalization and there are many exceptions. How much should the usage fee be? It depends on the size of the audience, the length of time it will be used, and if there is exclusivity/conflicts. The bigger the market, the bigger the usage fee. (local cable vs Los Angeles metro area vs national) The longer it’s used, the bigger the usage fee. (six weeks vs one year vs in perpetuity) The bigger the conflict, the bigger the usage fee. For example, if you book a TV spot for Maybelline and you’re not allowed to voice any other makeup brand for two years, you should get compensated for that loss of potential income that you could have gotten from other makeup companies. If you're good enough for Maybelline, you're probably good enough for Revlon. I’ve noticed that commercial usage fees can be anywhere from 50% to 200% of the session fee and higher, so clearly it can vary wildly. What’s the difference between a Buyout and a Rebuy? A buyout is when they pay you a one-time usage fee no matter how long the voiceover is used for a.k.a. in perpetuity. A rebuy is an agreement to use it for a certain period of time, but if they want to use it after that time has elapsed, you get paid an additional usage fee. Often it’s the same amount as the original usage fee but it can vary. FYI buyouts are common in non-union voiceover work. To learn more about buyouts, click here. What are cut-downs? Cut-downs are when you record, say, a :60 radio commercial and they further edit it so it can also be used as a :30, :15 or maybe even a :05 radio commercial. If they do cut-downs, you should get paid a usage fee for every version of that spot. TIP OF THE WEEK This is a large, complicated subject but it is critical that you understand how usage fees work. As always: do your research, ask good questions, and don’t get pushed around! To better understand union usage fees, go to https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-agreements-101 To better understand non-union usage fees, go to https://globalvoiceacademy.com/gvaa-rate-guide-2 From my village to yours, this is Tom Dheere, the VO Strategist. 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! Tom Dheere is a 30+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”.

Originally Published: Sep 4, 2018 | Updated: Feb 2026 In 2018, the debate around Fiverr was heated. While veteran voice actors warned of blackballing and brand damage, some aspiring voice actors looked at top-tier sellers making six figures and wondered: “Why not me?” Looking back at this email exchange today, my student’s logic, scaling up on high-volume platforms, made sense at the time. However, the industry has since hit a massive roadblock: Generative AI. Recent reports from the National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) and 2026 marketplace data indicate that the "entry-level" work my student describes (e-learning and explainers) has seen a 60% to 75% reduction in human hiring as clients pivot to AI clones for non-broadcast projects. THE ORIGINAL FIVERR EXCHANGE: SEPTEMBER 2018 Hi Tom. My question below is about Fiverr. From your last webinar I attended, can you clarify your position on Fiverr? Because I truly don’t get it. I am seeing Fiverr (as it exists and functions now) in the same lane as Voice123, Voices.com, Voice Bunny, Voice Realm, etc. That is, all of these online v/o markets are playing the game of high volume, low pay gigs, with many v/o-seeking clients offering lousy usage rights and terms of service. I am even seeing a trend for production companies and talent agencies to use these online v/o markets rather than using in-house auditions and production rosters. Clicking a demo link is easier than seeing people. If you go the website for JE Talent in San Francisco, they link directly to Voices.com for their v/o talent. On Fiverr I have found many very successful v/o artists (at least according to their Fiverr stats, self-promos, jobs-in-queue, and customer reviews). Their Fiverr videos show solid home studios, great gear, and v/o demos that are often better than mine. Further, with just a little Google investigation, I also found these same successful Fiverr artists with their own websites, and with their own profiles on Voices.com and Voice123. Their artist bios show training. Several of these artists display on their Fiverr profiles and personal websites brand-name national companies for whom they have done work. From their customer reviews, I can see these artists are getting repeat customers, too. One guy was just recently featured on CNBC as having made over a million dollars through Fiverr over the past three years! In his first month he made $400. I am not making any money right now, not even on Voice123. A million dollars over three years all due to great customer care and scaling up services seems really tempting – and possibly easy on Fiverr. Now I have read a few articles by Debbie Grattan. I learned from her Fiverr is good for clients with little money, and one should be careful about client theft and cancelled jobs. From Steven Jay Cohen’s blog I got the total fear of being industry black-balled drilled into me were I to use Fiverr. I heard Dan Lenard rail against Fiverr and Voice Bunny because they undervalue real v/o artist training and expertise. And I have read sundry other articles on VoiceOverXtra related to Fiverr as it existed in 2012 and how it does not respect the expertise, training, and professionalism of real v/o artists. The “you get what you pay for” thing. But I am still at a loss. Once you get to a certain seller status on Fiverr (I think it is Level 2), you can charge whatever starting rate you want and up-sell from there. These rates are often below industry standard. But how is that bad if you are getting consistent paid work? So far on Voice123, I am finding clients (actual ad agencies and real production companies) posting auditions for projects with ok-to-terrible usage rights matched to budgets that are often below industry standard rates. How is that different from Fiverr where the main gig expectation is a 24hr turn around for a complete buy-out at low pay? The online world wants fast and perfect and cheap. Trained artists don’t like this. I’ve put a lot of time and money into VO practice and training, and into my studio. But what value does all that have if I am not getting any paid work? There is no guarantee I will get paid work in any online market. But it seems more likely that I would if I am on a lot more than just one v/o online market. And Fiverr seems as good a bet as anything. (Incidentally, I have put a lot of time and training into my education at xxx University and have never made a dime of profit or income from that. I am well trained. I am respected. But so what?) It seems to me from the reading and investigation I have done, all of the online v/o markets sit squarely in the long-tail of the voice over industry: high-volume for low pay. I think it would be logical to assume that getting on to as many high-volume/low-pay platforms only increases one’s odds of getting a lot of work and money. So why is Fiverr frowned upon so fiercely? I don’t want to get blackballed for using it (if that even happens). But it seems like these Fiverr artists are making good money. I want to make good money, too. This is how I Replied I want you to make good money, too! Here’s my take on P2P sites in general: they are like guns, fire, or polka music. It’s not what they are, it’s how you use them that make them instruments of good or evil. I was on V123 for about 6-7 years. It helped me to better understand the industry and I acquired some regular clients. I stopped using it when I found myself deleting auditions every day because I was too busy working and more & more of the rates were becoming too low. Nowadays I don’t use any P2P sites but one and I’m dropping that one this year. As to Fiverr, yes it’s in the same lane as the other P2P sites you listed. Some users are bottom-feeding and some site creators don’t care because they make their money from subscriptions. X is an extra-special kind of scumbag because they make money from the subscriptions, the percentage they take from the gigs, and telling the voice seekers the talent is getting paid one rate then they pay the talent a lower rate and pocket the difference. Cold Hard Fact #1: Your revenue goal of $100,000 per year is going to be very, very difficult to achieve any time soon, much less $200,000. In our strata I can count on two hands the number of voice talent I know who make that kind of money. To make that kind of money you need to either: Have a steady stream of quality clients paying you rates that are commensurate with the industry standard after developing your skills & relationships (this may take years) Be in the union, have a good agent, and do Class A national spots (this may also take years) You could try doing a massive volume of low-paying work on P2P sites, but it probably won’t work. You can’t raise your rates because those types of clients won’t value you. If you try to get a raise they will dump you and go to the next guy because you’re treating yourself like a commodity and so will they. Those types of clients tend to be picky, demanding, and likely to vanish without paying you. Cold Hard Fact #2: if you go on Fiverr, your profile is public. If the voiceover community finds out, you will be vilified and many agents & talent will never work with you. That is the current reality of the voiceover industry. I’d be doing you a disservice if I told you otherwise. I will never tell another person how to support their family and you gotta do what you gotta do, as they say. I could be dead wrong and you could use those sites to make the money you need and then some, but it’s highly unlikely and there is a risk of being blackballed. In short, this industry is not for the faint of heart. Here’s how I became a successful voice talent. I failed a lot. I was broke a lot. I learned, learned, learned and I’m still learning. I tried to be a good human and collect good humans. I tried to be humble. I asked good questions. I took a skill set (teaching and business acumen) and turned it into a voiceover strength. I helped as many people as I could even though I didn’t have much practical voiceover experience. I recommended fellow voicers for my clients’ other projects and sent them casting notices that I thought was right for them while I was looking for my own work. I went to voiceover conferences and tried to contribute to the voiceover community as much as I could. The day I came home from my first VO conference I got avalanched with work and I haven’t looked back. Some years are better than others due to a massive amount of factors that you have zero control over, like some of your top clients vanishing without warning (this has happened to me more than once). Not 24 hours after this conversation, fellow voice talent Chris Thom posted the In Both Ears representation requirements on Facebook. Remember when I talked about part of it in last week’s blog? Here’s the other bit: We are no longer working with talent who have active accounts with Voices.com, Fiverr.com, Voicebunny.com, etc. Any situation or site where fair rates are compromised does not align with us philosophically. 2026 POST-SCRIPT Reading this today, my student’s desire to scale up on Fiverr was based on a world where a human was the only option for a cheap voiceover. That world is gone. The "high-volume/low-pay" strategy that seemed logical in 2018 is the sector AI has conquered. As of 2026, the marketplace has fundamentally changed. When you compete on price and speed alone, you aren't competing with other humans; you're competing with machines that work for pennies. The student’s question, "What value does training have if I’m not getting paid work?" has a new, harsher answer: Training is the only thing that keeps you from being replaced. The "fast and cheap" market has been won by the algorithm. To function now as a voice actor, you have to be human and specialized. The era of the "Million Dollar Fiverr Seller" was a window in time, and that window has largely closed. FYI within a few months of writing that email, my student left the voice over industry. I occasionally think about them and wonder if they ever gave voice over another try. Regardless, I wish them and all of you well! Source Note: Data from the 2025/2026 NAVA State of Voiceover surveys and recent freelance marketplace earnings reports indicate that while high-value projects (>$1k) are growing, low-end transactional categories like basic narration and e-learning have seen human hiring displaced by AI at rates between 60% and 75%. From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, The H is Silent, but I’m Not. Tom Dheere is a 30+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”.

Subscribe on YouTube for the latest... Catch the replay - Animation, Coaching, and SkillsHub AMA with Jennifer Hale In a captivating interview, renowned voiceover artist Jennifer Hale opens up about her journey in the world of acting and voiceover work. With a career spanning iconic video games like BioShock Infinite and cartoons like X-Men '97, Jennifer shares the unique challenges and rewards that come with bringing characters to life with her voice. As a co-founder of SkillsHub, Jennifer is passionate about nurturing new talent in the voiceover field. SkillsHub provides valuable education and coaching resources for those looking to break into this competitive industry. One of the most compelling aspects of the interview is Jennifer's emphasis on diversity and representation. She stresses that the voiceover world must reflect the richness of real life, with a wide range of voices and backgrounds. This is a powerful reminder of the impact that more authentic representation can have on audiences everywhere. Jennifer Hale's story is one of dedication, resilience, and the joy of creating memorable characters. Her insights offer a fascinating look behind the scenes of voiceover work and the gaming industry as a whole. Learn more about Jennifer: www,JenniferHale.com Join the SkillsHub family: https://acting.skillshub.life If you want to build a real video game voice acting career instead of just hunting for random auditions, you need a legitimate business strategy. So Nadia Marshall (my next guest) and I built a blueprint to help you navigate modern interactive casting. We call it The Video Game Voice Over Playbook. It's a breakdown of the business models and performance standards required to survive in the modern market. Click here to unlock the entire course. Because raw enthusiasm won't protect your career longevity. Up Next - award-winning voice actor and lead generation expert Nadia Marshall! Through VO Strategist, Tom's provided voiceover business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 25 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.

Why You're Not Getting Repeat Voice Over Clients (And How to Fix It) Getting repeat voice over clients is the holy grail for a stable freelance business. But it's a challenge. Most voice actors think it’s only a matter of a viral video or a relentless barrage of emails to get repeat clients. That can be somewhat true, but it’s only a part of it. There is so much more to client retention than just the occasional desperate “do ya have more work for me?” email that, frankly, most clients have learned to ignore. If you feel like you're on a "marketing treadmill," always chasing the next gig while past clients fade away, it's time to stop. You don't have a marketing problem; you have a systems problem. Why Clients Disappear No matter what you do, you will lose clients who will never come back. This is the "stuff happens" file. It's not (always) your fault, but you have to account for it. It's risk management. Sometimes, clients leave for reasons that have zero to do with you: The company closes. These things happen. Back in 2012, I lost a huge client to Super Storm Sandy. It literally washed their business away. 🙁 Your contact leaves. The new voice seeker at the company has their own internal roster and you're not on it. The company pivots. They stop using voice actors, either switching to AI (eek!) or shifting their business model entirely. Casting methods change. Maybe they stopped using the agent that represents you, or they started using a Pay-to-Play site that you’re not on. You're a niche voice. They loved you for that specific job, but they just don’t have any more work that fits your unique sound. It Might Be You Then there's the other list. This is the one we don't like to talk about. Sometimes, they don't come back because... well... you were hard to work with. You did a lousy job. You didn't take direction well. You had tech issues (bad internet, can't operate your DAW, etc.). You were just... a jerk. The surest method to even be considered for repeat work is to do a good job. Be a good listener. Take direction well. Have a strong internet connection, mastery of your DAW, and deliver audio files properly. Make strong choices in your narration. That's just the price of admission. Doing a good job makes you a reliable vendor. It doesn't make you a memorable partner. Vendors are replaceable. Partners are indispensable. Your Voice Over Client Retention Strategy The occasional phone call, email, or newsletter can help, but only if it's strategic. Your real goal is to embed yourself into their workflow as a problem-solver. Strategy #1: Become the Easiest Part of Their Day This is all about reducing friction. The client is busy, stressed, and juggling 10 other things. Your job is to be the one part of their day that just works. Deliver your audio in multiple formats (WAV and MP3) without being asked. Label your files with obsessive clarity: ProjectName_TomDheere_Take1_FINAL.wav. Send a single, organized email with a link to a cloud folder instead of 20MB of attachments. Anticipate their needs before they do. Strategy #2: Become a Problem-Solver, Not Just a Performer This one shift elevates you from a performer-for-hire to a consultant. (And consultants get paid more and get called back.) If you spot a line in the script that feels clunky, don't just read it. Politely offer an alternative. For example: "I noticed this phrase is a bit of a tongue-twister. For safety, I've recorded an alternate version with a slightly different phrasing, just in case you need it." This shows you're thinking about their final product, not just your performance. You've just saved them a potential headache in the edit bay. That's a massive win. Strategy #3: Master the Strategic Follow-Up Your follow-up process is key, and it can't be "needy." It has to be professional. The Immediate: A simple thank-you email confirming they received the files and it was a pleasure to work with them. The Two-Week: A short email asking how the project turned out and where you can see/hear it. (This also gives you a chance to gather testimonials!) The Quarterly: A check-in via your CRM. This isn't a "got work?" email. This is a "provide value" email. Forward an interesting industry article or share a recent project you did that's similar to theirs. The goal is to stay top-of-mind by being helpful. Tom Dheere is a voice actor with over 30 years of experience narrating just about every type of voiceover you can think of. He also helps voice talents navigate the voiceover industry as the VO Strategist. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the epic 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 voice over 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 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. Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 230years 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.