You are all set for Mastering Home-Based Voice Over – just one last step
You’re in for the free lessons. To make sure you’re on the notification list, right now, go to your email inbox and click on the confirmation link we just emailed you (IF IT’S NOT THERE, CHECK YOUR SPAM/JUNK/QUARANTINED mail, especially if you’re on Hotmail, Yahoo or Apple mail).
(We just want to make sure we got your email address correct!):
And that’s it! You’ll be ready to view the Mastering Home-Based Voice Over course, all registered and everything, once it debuts on Thursday August 25, 2022 at 10 AM PT, and every new lesson will be yours as well!
And that’s it! You can click the button below to watch the most recent lesson in the Mastering Home-Based Voice Over course!
Complete list of lessons in the course
Lesson 1:
Introduction | The Art Of Voice Over (available 8/25)
Lesson 2:
The Commerce Of Voice Over (available 8/27)
Lesson 3:
The Science Of Voice Over (Part I) (available 8/29)
Lesson 4:
The Science Of Voice Over (Part II) (available 8/31)
Lesson 5:
The Mindset Of Voice Over (available 9/2)
Video 6:
Next Steps (available 9/4)
Now….have any voice over questions? Ask David below!
If you’ve always wondered about VO, the gear, the business, the performance of VO, how to find auditions, agents, casting sites…ask your question below. David will be reading them, and will answer them after the first lesson on Thursday:
Ask your voice over related questions here. What worries you about VO? What’s stopped you from doing voice over in the past? What are you most concerned about? Do you have questions about the business? The technology? Performing? Are audiobooks or animation your thing, and you just don’t know how to get started? Here’s your chance to ask your questions below, and I’ll answer them when we start the class this Thursday.
Hello David,
First, I would like to thank you for your investment in us. Next, I am looking into getting started in VO and have always wondered what is the best computer and program to invest in to get started, as well as, what is the best microphone to invest in when getting started in VO? I am a person who doesn’t mind putting in the work and investment, but if I’m not sure about the steps to take and the best equipment to invest in, then I get overwhelmed with questions and I don’t know where to start and then I become paralyzed and don’t move forward.
Thank you again,
Ezekiel
Great news: we’re going to completely lay out the tech you need (and that I use) in two separate lessons in the course. We’re going to dive deep and tell you exactly what you need. Stand by!
Hi, David – I have not received the email to confirm my email address, and I have checked my spam folder, so what do I do? One other question. I’m already signed up for a SAG/AFTRA webinar at 10 AM on the 25th – will yours be recorded, so that I can watch it another time?
Hope to hear back from you.
Best,
DeeDee Michaels
All the courses are recorded and will be available for viewing for several days after release. All good! Enjoy the SAG/AFTRA webinar!
My current challenge is to lower my ‘noise floor’ in my room. It would be temporary as I’ll be moving into a larger room we’re building out in my house. Appreciate your feedback. Also any advice on interfaces…thanks
Lowering the noise floor is a case by case type of analysis. What challenges have you already identified that you’ll need to try to ameliorate?
I am involved in audiobooks, and I found that more publishers are saying that they only want narrators that can do Punch and Roll. I have not used it up to this point. Can they tell you that you have to use it to work with them? Even if you edit well without it? Thanks!
I teach an alternative to punch and roll, called the Stairstep Method, that gives you the exact same end result, with far less effort and higher engagement in storytelling. The publishers will never know the difference. Can’t wait to share it with you in class!
Wow, first thank you so much for your time & energy. I am wondering if its possible to make a professional demo myself? If so, whats the best way to go about it.. I’d love to pay a producer but can’t quite afford It right now.
There are a few demos that require a really experienced producer to make them competitive in terms of quality, but there are lots of demos you don’t need a producer for. We’re actually going to cover that in the course!
Can you provide me with a bare bones list of the items needed to do an acceptable Vo recording?
We will do just that in lessons 3 and 4 on the Science of voice over, where we cover the gear. And you’ll be delighted with the price! Glad you’re registered.
Always more to learn!
Glad you’re on board for the class, Douglas!
Do you give your clients contracts/agreements, and if so, do you have a template to recommend?
Rarely. I can’t remember the last time my work wasn’t already covered by a union contract, or a contract provided by the casting site on which I booked the job. As you discover how to get work, you’ll also find that most of them have contractual requirements of both the talent and the clients. What contracts have you found you need?
Ongoing development is key – Thanks for this tall assist, it’s much appreciated!
Angela Butler Voice
You’re welcome..:just wait until we get started this Thursday!
Hello! Looking for advice on breaking out of my decades-long eLearning voiceover work (it’s my “bread-and-butter”) into more varied short jobs like telephone messages, radio ads, etc. Thanks so much!
Well, you’ve come to the right place. IVR was my number one income category for nearly three decades, and I love teaching it!
Hello David. My primary area is audiobooks, but I would really like to do other long form narration like documentaries, eLearning, and audio tours. Aside from the P2P sites, where else can I find work in these areas?
It depends on your union status, and, to a degree, your location and where you market. What avenues have you tried to mine already?
Hi David,
I am curious about Source Connect. In my VO career thus far, I have managed to work without it. However, I am at a point now where many of my new clients are requesting it as they want to be able to direct our sessions remotely. My problem at the moment is that my studio space is limited as it is, being that it’s in a converted room (small den) in my apartment. How much of an investment should I expect to make to add Source Connect, and what else would I need in my arsenal besides the subscription (hardware, other equipment, etc.) to get up and running while still sounding (and looking) professional? Many thanks in advance!
There’s no extra equipment involved (like there was with ISDN), and the size of your space isn’t a factor at all. You can install SourceConnect anytime, and the free SourceConnect now will work just fine until you need something more complex. We’re going to cover this in the course as well, but that should put your mind at ease.
Hi David, just out of curiosity will these lessons be recorded if you are unable to make it to class live this Thursday? Also I had sort of question about recording from home and agencies. With home recording slowly becoming the norm in the industry do you think it would be possible for a VA who doesn’t necessarily live in places like LA Dallas or NY to book an agency based in those cities and do all the auditions they get sent from their home studio just with the expectation that if they get a callback or book something then they would have to venture out to those high demand cities?
Thank you,
Blake
All the lessons are recorded and you can listen to them anytime you like, not right at 10 o’clock on the morning they are released. So not to worry!
Very rarely these days would you be required to go to a studio in a far off city. You can either be recorded from your own quiet space at home, or more likely, the net that is cast by the casting director would be local to the city where things are being recorded if that was a requirement. Here in LA, many jobs are not cast outside the city if the final requirement is that a talent attend an in-studio session in town. Remote recording is absolutely the norm these days.
Cools, thank you!
How can we best sound treat a room and check that its been done right?
That’s a question that can be best summed up as “it depends.“ Every room is different, but a good level to aim for is the -60 dB standard set by Audible for audiobook narration recordings. It’s always nice to have a quieter room than that, but how to address your particular situation all depends on what noise incursions you have going on in your space. We’re going to go over this in depth in lesson 4 of the class so standby for that!
Can IPdtl be used to connect to clients who are not subscribers? if so, how?
I use Cleanfeed these days to connect, but I’m pretty sure you can still get a a ipDTL Day Pass for your client for $20. Here’s a link (And once you get it, it’s a simple as sending a link to them via email to connect up with you):
https://ipdtl.com/get_account.php?day_pass
Hope that helps!
Hellooo there! Can’t wait to attend Session 1 and can almost smell the pencil shavings. Meanwhile, a question: will these be recorded? I’m on vacation this week so can attend this Thursday, but my pesky day job schedule will interfere with my attending live sessions during business hours… thanks!
It sure will be. Just visit the link you’ll get on Thursday morning anytime and it will be waiting for you.
Hello David,
Do y prefer a nylon or metal mesh pop filter? Any recommendations?
Thanks,
Jeff
I prefer The Mike Sock. It allows me to get closer to my mic when I need to go take advantage of the bass proximity effect.
https://www.voheroes.com/get-mikesock
Hope that helps!
Hi, I took some classes in this a few months ago. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be, but it is fun and I love it. I am very excited to meet you!
I can’t wait! See you Thursday (at your convenience)!
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Hi David I would like to know it all. I am trying to get back into learning about the industry. I don’t really know what to ask but I would love to listen and hear what knowledge you have to give.
Glad you’re here, Traci, and I hope you enjoy the course!
I have been doing a lot of research and study about the VO industry, Im one of those people that likes to map things out for myself and adjust as needed.
I have a few questions such as; how would you go about searching for and submitting demos to a client? What do you do personally to build an audience for your content as a VO? If you have everything from equipment, software and some training, where could a beginner VO go from there?
I look forward to the learning experience!
Thank you,
Steele Bird Copeland
We’ll look at all of these things in the course itself, but to answer one question (building an audience), I prefer to publish a podcast – it lets my audience know what I’m doing, my thoughts on industry developments, advice I have on success in the industry, and we even talk about how to do this in the 2nd lesson!
Hi David!
I am wondering about animation and video game VO. I have been wanting to get into the voice over game for a while, as I have some talents that I feel would do well in the above mentioned areas of the industry. I would love to connect with you if you have any insights on this! Thank you so much for offering this free class!
Consider yourself connected, and I hope you enjoy the content on animation and video games – we have a lot of it in the course!
Howdy David
I used to do commercial production in radio a little over 10 years ago and had a couple chances to do a promo and some imaging a couple years back. I have the equipment but how do I put myself out there? Are there head hunters or agencies?
Head hunters? No. Agencies? Absolutely! We’ll look at how someone who has experience and is prepared, as you are, will be able to find those agents. And welcome!
I’m a working voice over artist however most of my work comes through the P2P sites, I have an agent but she doesn’t get me all that much work. About one job a year. I would love to know how to get more consistent higher paying work. I’ve voiced everything from animation, explainer videos, commercials, sleep apps etc. I sit very comfortably in the conversational tone…
That’s awesome to hear! I would be careful about thinking about your agent as “getting you work” – that’s nothing she can control. She can get you opportunities, but booking the work itself is beyond the control of either one of you. I see talent moving on to other agents and experiencing the same lack of booking. We’ll talk more about this in Lesson 2.
I’m green to this field & have been speaking with Tad. I’m looking to pivot my work & am intrigued by the possibility. What products would you recommend for setting up a studio?
Uma! You’re going to be green, but not for long! Any friend of Tad’s is a friend of mine! Welcome!
looking forward to all the insights of acheiving the goal
If I have a very limited budget to get started, what equipment would you suggest I buy? I am a teacher and would like to do audiobooks.
Lesson 3 and 4 are hand crafted just for you – all the gear will be shown there, and you’ll be surprised at the price.
Hi David,
Can I use a USB MICROPHONE for voiceover? I want to get started but training and funds are holding me back. I believe a face-to-face instructor to show me how to succeed on zoom would help me a lot. Thanks for the information!
I can’t wait to share the USB mic I use. It’s not a typical one, and you’ll see it in Lesson 3!
What can I do to get rid of “wet mouth” and clicking? I got a pop filter, try to stay hydrated, a healthy distance from the mic and it’s so hard! I would like to know best placement in speaking to avoid these noises.
That’s really the only thing stopping me is trying to get rid of these damn noises.
Different things work for different people – green apples help some, but they make me salivate. It also tends to be something we notice far more than others. I’d be careful with this and ask someone (like me) to listen to a sample to see if it’s as bad as you think. It often isn’t.
I love voice acting and do character voice acting
Looking forward to the course
VO is a career investment to me and is the future , I like all aspects of it from audio books to animation and I would say animation is my main interest my problem is I live in a one bedroom apartment and not a lot of space to record, I also don’t know where to really start to get into that aspect of it and voice overs itself I had some training but I am weak at knowing how to use the technology to get started and my budget is very small. I also sing too and heard that if you like to sing that is a good way to develope voice overs too. Is this true?
A lot of things to overcome here, but hopefully you’ll get a lot of info on how to set up your space, and at a very affordable price. That’s lessons 3 and 4.
I am ready to dive in as a home recording voice talent but not sure where to begin?!!
We’ll give you the roadmap in lesson 1!
Where do I start?
Lesson 1 is coming on Thursday, and it’s a step by step process – beginning with where do you start, so tune in that morning. I hope it helps you, Paul!
First, thank you. If I don’t seem to have a strong voice for VOs, should I pursue this?
We always seem to be our own worst critic, and it always depends what you’re comparing yourself to. I’d note that the world of VO is not about “strong” voices solely – but rather, relatable voices. Give yourself some credit, and see where this all takes you!
Look forward to your seminar
Thank you so much for doing this! I don’t have any experience with voiceovers but I’ve always wanted to do it. My question is: Do I need a voiceover agent in addition to the agent I already have or can my current agent submit me for voiceovers? Can I submit myself? Also, do you have advice on where can I get professional training for voiceovers? (Although I’m guessing this will be covered in the lessons, I thought I’d ask anyway). Thanks!
It depends on your agent, where they are, what projects cross their desks, what experience they have in repping VO talent, etc. I’d have a conversation with you agent and find out how the agency is set up. If it’s not geared for VO, they likely won’t know about possible projects to put you up for. Hope that helps, and you’re welcome!
Hi David,
Thanks so much for doing the presentation with Summer. I am taking a class to learn about audiobooks. Just wondering about the software that is used? Are there programs that I can use for both commercial vo and audiobooks. Would I be able to use the microphone you suggested that is USB for audiobooks, or would I still need to get the mic that plugs into an interface. New to this and really confused about the what I need to get started with basics.
I promise you we’ll go over the easy way to get a great mic (with NO INTERFACE NEEDED) in lesson 3. Stay tuned!
There are so many now on the web selling their services for voice-overs. And when I hear them speak, they sound professional. So how does a normal person from NJ with what some call an accent (its THEY who have the accent!) qualify to speak on anything recorded? 🙂
I must say, I’m looking forward to this voice over workshop.
Thanks a lot
Francie
PS: I’ve already filled out my name and email address.
I live in Dallas and I am 5k short of my SagAftra pension amount. Would love help auditioning for Sag work.
Thoughts
Hi David, thank you for taking the time to answer questions.
For a while I lived in Kansas City MO and there was little to none SAG-AFTRA work out there for me so I got my chance to break into some voice over work and loved it.
Now I’m back in CA.
I’ve heard pros and cons about listing yourself with voices.com or voices123 vs. waiting and having your agency submit. I see listings on Actors Access now and then for VO but not very often.
I have a manager, and am going on a targeted agency search soon. However, in the meantime I was considering self listing on one of the sites above. As SAG-AFTRA I know there are some extra guidelines I would need to follow.
So, two questions. 1: Do you recommend beginning on either of those voices.com or voices123 ? Or is there another method you prefer?
2: Any advice on to how to negotiate it through the union, and self-hire as my own company? Thank you in advance.
Will a condenser mic that’s used for recording vocals along with a interface, which I’ve already got, be adequate enough to do pro VO work?
I’ve always been told I have a distinguished voice from other people. Thought I might try putting it to use professionally.
What kind of training and gear do you need to get started?
How does an individual find VO work!
You may address this – tips for creating a home recording space. List of equipment etc.
Im so excited for this.
Thank you!
Hello David,
Thanks for offering this class, I’ve always wanted to have more training in VO and hopefully start building my home studio & put my voice out there!
Can’t wait.
What are the easiest VO types to work in? WHat would make me money with the least amount of effort?
I have been wanting to set up a home voicemail studio for years but my husband and I are not techy. Is there an idiots guide to setting up a home studio? Also is there a system you can use on your phone to do it Like a podcast or do you have to do a specific software that has a learning curve, etc.? Thank you so much. My husband and I both studied voiceover and Chicago in 1988 and still have to get our home studio.
Hi, I keep trying to sign up for the free Mastering Home-Based Voice Over course, but I never get an email. (I checked spam). It looks really good. I am struggling with mic technique and what I do in the DAW after recording to make it audition quality.
What do you do if you do not receive the email and do not have the money to invest in the equipment for the VO Business?
First, check your spam/junk folder, or if you have an overly aggressive email service, check their quarantined mail on their server. But…you’re all set. As to not being able to afford the equipment, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the cost – it’s a lot less than you think. Watch in Lesson 3.
Hi David, thank you for offering this course! I’ve always wanted to jump into VO as I do many character voices! But truly, I don’t know how to get started with an agent, demo, self submissions and where to look. I’d love your feedback and really looking forward to learning! Thank you!
I’m concerned about needing to have a dedicated “padded” room and having all the right technology and technology skills for recording and editing.
How to take classes at an affordable rate in Los Angeles, Ca?
Hi David,
I’m trying to register for the “Mastering Home-Based Voice Over” Course but I don’t seem to be receiving the confirmation link e-mail. I have checked junk/spam, etc.
I initially filled out my name and e-mail at the first stage of the process.
(I have completed courses before so I should be “in the system”.)
Really looking forward to the class! Thanks for all the great info!
Mark Jennings
What actions or exercises can I do to broaden my vocal abilities. I already have a strong announcer style/emphasis voice, but I know many projects want something more natural. What is the best way to cultivate that style too. Thanks
Been out of the industry a long time (acting), wanting to start back up. However in a different country now,UK. How to start, to attract the right agent? Do I need a demo reel?
Cheers
Thank you!
Great I would love to review the home based VO program
Thanks for offering this wonderful opportunity David!
Victoria recommends you so highly, and I learned so much from your other class.
I am looking forward to Thursday’s class!
(PS website not quite live yet–should be within next couple of weeks!)