As 2014 draws to even closer to the end, I thought it would be a great idea to round up all the top memorable and popular  voice over tips in one blog. I will be picking one popular blog for each month of the year, from January all the way to November. You should bookmark this blog because you will have all the in-depth and insightful advice you can imagine at your fingers.

1. The most read blog in January is Getting The Right Start. In this blog, I discuss seven ways to ensure a great start to the year as a voice over artist.

2. In February, the popular blog is 3 Real Facts About Voiceover Demos. In this Friday voice over tip, we discuss the importance of having a flawless voice over demo because it is your head-shot, an audition audio and a business card all in one. It is often the only introduction and audition for a client who might hire you. 

3. 9 Voice Over Tips for 2014 was the most read blog tip for the month of March. In this voice over blog tip, I gave you nine tips on how to prepare well to deliver great voice over auditions and different ways to take advantage of all the voice over opportunity.

4. In April, Promoting Voiceover Work Via Social Media was the most read blog for the month. I thought it was a brilliant idea to write a blog on social media marketing because the internet has made the world seem so small. You can work from anywhere and with voice seekers from around the world.

5. Do you post your rates on your website? That was the most read blog in the month of May. The blog post is called 3 Reasons To Post Voiceover Rates and it discusses the importance of having your rates readily available for voice seekers.

6. Back To Basics in 6 steps received a lot of traffic from our readers. In this blog post, I discussed ways to deal with the frustrations of working in an industry that is always changing.

7. On the heel of ways to deal with the frustrations of working in the voice over industry, I thought the best follow up blog would be Dealing with Criticism at Work. I discuss ways to embrace criticism as a voice over artist.
8. In August, Voice Over Jobs Gold Mine was the most read blog. Find out where you can hit gold in terms of voice over jobs!

9. Need a voice over website? Unless you’re a household name, no one’s going to be searching for your unique voice over services by your name alone. They’ll use keywords such as “professional voice over” or “male voice actor” or “female voice actor” and many more. The most popular blog post for September was How to Create Voiceover Website.

10. Finding the right voice over professional to record is of the utmost importance when presenting a target audience with accurately communicated information. So, it  is important as a voice artist to know what to do and what not to do in the VO business. Being aware of the common voice over mistakes ahead of time can really help you avoid them. In October, 6 Common Voice Over Mistakes was the most read Friday tip for the month.

11. And finally, in the month of November, Tools to make your read pop was the most read blog post. It is Friday tip on how to record a read that pops in a good way every time you enter the recording booth.

PS. if you are looking for special gift for aspiring voice artist, here are some ideas for you Perfect Gift Cards For Voice Artists. You can also get in touch and set an appointment to chat to Nate, our resident voice over manager guru!!  

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

The first question we must answer is “What is exhaustion?”. Exhaustion is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It is important for a voice artist to care for his or her voice so that fatigue, strain and injury may be avoided, so that it may function at its optimum. The vocal folds vibrate against each other in order to produce sound. In order to vibrate properly and to work effectively, they need to be well lubricated with moisture. Today we will discuss how exhaustion affects our voices.

What causes exhaustion?

Prolonged periods of physical stress, sleep deprivation, emotional stress and intense overwork put together is a package that can cause exhaustion. To avoid vocal exhaustion you must warm up your voice before performances and rehearsals. Consider taking acting or stage voice classes to learn how to project your voice without injury. Know your vocal limits and stay within them (pitch, loudness and stamina). Rest your voice before and after vocally demanding days of extended rehearsals, performances, voice-over work. Plan your voice use and pace your voice, especially during times of increased vocal demands. Stop speaking before you get tired. If you feel tired, you may have already done too much. Plan your performance schedule carefully and avoid overbooking.

How does exhaustion affect your voice?

Apart from making you moody and irritable, exhaustion affects your mind and body very quickly. Although suffering from exhaustion isn’t likely to affect you badly straight away, there’s little evidence that lack of sleep causes any immediate physiological damage to the body, it definitely affects how you feel and the way your brain works, which is a problem when you are trying to learn and understand your voice over copy for a recording session. Days of getting less sleep than you should can have a similar effect to being slightly drunk. Speaking is a physical task that requires coordination of breathing with the use of several muscle groups.

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

In an ongoing effort to provide the best voice over services, I would like to invite you to a special presentation on Thursday 13/11/14 18:00 GMT. Our resident voice over manager, Nate, will show and discuss the finer points of what makes Piehole Voiceovers a premier registry of choice. We have limited space for each presentation so to attend just confirm your interest and book your spot here. Shortly before the presentation starts, we will send details on how to log in.

Can’t make it? No problem, just send me your name and number and pick a time for me to call you via this link https://piehole.appointlet.com/ anytime that shows available there is good for me, whether it’s to discuss current needs or even a quick chat about future aspirations.

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

1. Study your script – Read through your script, find and underline keywords that will work best when emphasized. Practice reading the script with different tones, emotions and speed to perfect your recording session.

2. Know your voice – Vocal exercises are critical to establishing and reinforcing efficient, healthy voice use. Anxiety, depression, and negative thinking can sabotage the career of a vocal professional. Get a set of  different scripts and record yourself reading each one. Play back your recording session and self-evaluate. Figuring out your voice type is not only a matter of looking at your vocal range, but at a number of different characteristics.

All together your voice type is a result of the following vocal variables: Range – the notes your body can produce. Weight – light voices, bright and agile; heavy voices, powerful, rich, and darker. Tessitura – part of the range which is most comfortable to sing. Timbre – unique voice quality and texture. Transition points – points where you change from chest, to middle, to head register. Vocal registers – how extended each register is. Speech level – speaking range and physical characteristics. Piehole can help discover the beauty of your voice, just sign up for a test my voice session. 

3. Practice reading out loud – Identify the main message of the script. Read aloud clearly and communicate the message of the script naturally.

4. Choose your voice over field - Use your unique voice to set your services apart. There three main performance styles. They are soft sell, medium sell and hard sell. The soft sell approach is suggestive and persuasive without asking for the business directly. A medium sell is asking for the business but not in abrupt way and a hard sell approach demands business with a sense of urgency to close the deal. Straight narration requires a very clear voice. Commercials should be delivered by a persuasive and punchy tone of voice.  

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

Having a great profile is super important fora voice artist. Here is an excerpt from my latest blog, Friday Voiceover Tips: 6 Common Voice Over Mistakes, on putting your best foot forward at all times. Lack of quality control - In voice over industry, nothing happens until you create your first professionally produced demo. A professionally produced demo is a vital piece of your success. Often some voice artists do themselves a disservice by trying to cut corners and making some common mistakes which you can easily avoid. If you don’t know what a client specifically wants, it’s impossible to deliver the goods. Professional clients are specific about what they want. Voice over pros always ask for specifics instead of taking shots in the dark. You should discuss the details upfront and put them in writing so there’s no confusion. This includes the desired audio format, the sample rate and bit depth, as well as how the files will be delivered at what time. You also need to be clear on how and when you expect to be paid. Check out our blogs Friday Voiceover Tip: Creating a Voice Over Demo and Friday Voiceover Tip: Record enjoyable voice over narrations. Please check out the Piehole blogs for tips on the voice over industry.

Perdita Lawton

Zehra Jane Naqvi

Taryn kay

Melanie Fraser

Saffron Bentley

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

Being a voice over means you have to be everything in one. Owning a small voice over service company means finding creative ways to sell the business’s products and services to voice seekers. You can accomplish this by positioning the business in front of the right target audience and offering something they can’t refuse or find elsewhere. The smartest things a small business owner can do for their business is take the time to develop a small business marketing plan that will set them apart from the competition. There are thousands of ways you can promote your small business.

1. Refine your target audience.
2. Expand your product and service offerings. You can do this by offering producing services, for example, producing voice over demos for voice over artists.
3. Update your business cards. We can provide business cards for  your voice over business.
4.  Make your business cards stand out from the rest.
5. Create or update your brochure. Also create a digital version of your brochure for your website.
6. Explore a website redesign. Here is one of our tips on creating a website, Friday Voiceover Tip: How to Create Voiceover Website
7. Get creative with promotional products and give them away at the next networking event you attend. Give business gifts that people will use. Make these everyday items beautiful and they will be much more appreciated.
8. Include a clear and enticing call to action on every direct mail piece.
9. Send past customers holiday cards and other incentives to regain their business. Who says 10 percent doesn’t go a long way? Discounts can help you obtain long-term customers the easy way. Having different specials every month gives customers a variety of reasons to keep coming back. 
10. Buy ad space on a relevant website. Use stickers or magnets to advertise on your car. Also advertise on Facebook and LinkedIn.
11. Write blog posts on a regular basis and comment on other blog posts.
12. Send regular emails to your list and start a free monthly email newsletter.
13. Get started with social media for business. Create a Facebook page. Create a Twitter account. Reply or retweet someone else on Twitter.
14. Cross-promote your voice over services with other local businesses and approach a fellow voice artists about a collaboration.
15. Become a mentor. Plan a free webinar or record a podcast.

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

Actor Mandy Gasson

Styles: Versatile, Narrator, Soft – Feminine, RP, and Home Studio

Description: Versatile, vibrant, multi-accented, clear & efficient

I am an extremely professional, bright & enthusiastic VO artist who can vary styles with ease, to make engaging & lively recordings. I have acted for many years in various styles of roles and characters, & I have been performing voice overs for the last 7 years, so I have an extremely good grasp of how to deliver confident & professional recordings. I am also a trained singer with a strong mezzo soprano/alto voice. I was trained by one of the UK’s top voice over artists, and as a result I have gained some very loyal relationships with various clients who rely on my prompt, reliable and extremely friendly service. I have worked for numerous companies, including Audible.com, Amazon.co.uk, Oxfam Germany, Garrigues, Emirates, Vodafone, Thomas Sabo watches and many others. I have my own home studio, as well as a portable studio kit, so I am always available at short notice, and can usually produce a job within 24-72 hours of receiving a script. 

If you wish to know more about me, do not hesitate to get in touch! 

 Actor Matt Abbott

Styles: Versatile, Relaxed Read, Baritone Voice, and Northern

Description: Deep, sonorous, chocolatey, rangey, Lancashire

Whether it’s for commercials or narrations, my voice can vary from deep, smooth and warm to punchy, edgy and raw. I can sound like the chirpy guy next door, a scary head-teacher or the wise old wizard. I can also provide a professional, friendly, straight read for e-learning or corporate videos. 

Starting out as the voice of King Arthur on Camelot Theme Park’s log flume (“My noble lords and ladies, you will get wet, very wet”), I went on to voice some of the early promos/jingles for Chorley FM. More recently I’ve provided the narration for a number of promos and events at King’s Church in Manchester, and worked with production company Born to Capture

 Actor Terry Fagan

Styles: Versatile, Characters, New Talent, and Home Studio

Description: Authoritative, Versatile, Sincere, Friendly voice.

After almost ten years as a DJ, I’ve decided it’s time to allow my voice to carry me to the next stage of my career. I have spent many years listening to and studying the masters of the profession such as Patrick Allen, Keith Barron and Ray Brooks and what they have taught me is this: the most beautiful and powerful instrument we all have at our disposal is our voice. It is versatile, demonstrates mood and conveys our message to the world. 

In a brief stint on Hospital Radio, my voice comforted the sick, informed the staff with news of the day and kept patients company when they could not sleep. 

In the various venues which I have worked, my voice is the friendly banter that punters enjoy, it is the jovial quizmaster and the authoritative time-caller at the end of the night. 

It’s time for the next chapter. Time to move to a profession that I was put on this earth to do. I am a Voiceover. I will succeed. 

 Actor James Furlong

Styles: Comedy, Versatile, Characters, Narrator, and RP

Description: Bright, Young, Natural, Upbeat

I am a young, animated voice-over artist with a natural, upbeat RP accent. 

I love to be behind a mic and to do whatever it takes to produce an outstanding read for my clients. “Good enough” is not good enough for me. 

I have a background in stage acting, so my voice is versatile and I can produce a great range. I also love to play with my voice: accents, character and cartoon voices, you name it, I love to try something new or bring out an old favourite. Before I began my career as an actor, I taught Science, so I have a great understanding of medical and scientific terms and have loads to bring to a more technical read.

 Actor Rebecca Saye

Styles: Hard Sell, New Talent, and Young – Trendy

Description: Husky, warm, inspiring, gravitas, energetic

“An engaging, smooth voice with the versatility to be young and trendy, or sophisticated and sexy.” 

“Excellent site reading skills and great at taking direction- a swift, successful recording session guaranteed!” 

A bundle of positive energy and proactivity. A graduate from Regent’s School of Drama, Film and Media with a passion for international work (based in central London).  I have my own home studio with an SE Electronics X1 Vocal Microphone + booth with Logic Pro editing software and Tannoy 502 Sudio Speakers. (Commercial reel was recorded using this equipment) 

I am a tenacious and relentless artist, striving for perfection, and exceeding expectations at every recording. 

 Actor Tim Hartwell

Styles: Versatile, Relaxed Read, Corporate, and Home Studio

Description: Warm, versatile, reassuring, persuasive and authoritative

I have been interested in voices for as long as I can remember. 
I am versatile. My natural speaking voice has warmth. I range from reassuring and personal to authoritative, persuasive and erudite. 
I am able to interpret and respond well to direction. I am also willing to go that extra mile for clients. 
I am particularly interested in children’s e-learning projects,corporate presentations, promotional and training productions and documentaries. 
I also do some pretty wacky accents!
 

 Actor Stephen Colfer

Styles: Comedy, Relaxed Read, Narrator, and Young – Trendy

Description: A uniquely deep and youthful voice.

I have previously provided voice work for Dublin Bus, Devious Theatre and KCLR 96FM Radio Drama, and the European Opera Centre. 
 

 Actor Paul Dower

Styles: Versatile, Characters, Relaxed Read, Narrator, and Highly Experienced

Description: Reliable, Versatile, Accents, Lively, Relaxed.

Paul has been in the Irish radio industry since January 1980 and began voicing adverts in pirate radio. His voice is natural Irish but he is versatile, ”Ever since I was a kid I could do a variety of accents, both Irish and British, it was fun, it still is today”. 

 Actor Jake Zennaman Rayner

Styles: Versatile, Characters, Relaxed Read, Hard Sell, and East London

Description: Compelling, engaging, warm and true, Best Value!

Jake has branched into voiceover work with the intention to provide an on-demand service to meet your requirements. Using the same zeal and commitment to precision that made the music gigs a success over the last few years. There are a variety of voices, the natural voice has a London tinge to it which is deep, warm and compelling. The sales voice can either be the traditional hard sell approach that engages rapidly, or the soft, velvety voice that wraps itself around the listener to captivate, the ‘Richard Burton’. Please enquire directly as to what style and delivery you require, and he will emulate and deliver something creative, accurate and engaging for you and your audience.

 Actor Ronan Anderson

Styles: Comedy, Versatile, Characters, and Narrator

Description: vibrant, neutral, versatile, crisp, warm

Ronan is a trained actor, broadcaster and comedian who has huge potential as a voice over. His is a deep, crisp and versatile voice which can enliven both the character and grab the audience quickly.

 Actor Anna Bernard

Styles: Versatile, Relaxed Read, Narrator, and Soft – Feminine

Description: Friendly, Husky, Open, Edgy, Current
 

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

What is a full buyout? A full buyout is a one time payment from the voice seeker for your services. This means the voice seeker is allowed to use your audio for however long and for whatever purposes they would like. Generally, non-union rates are almost always a buyout. Some talents arrange for residuals or royalties to be paid to them in the event that the audio is used during particular seasons or for prolonged periods of time – each agreement is different depending on the circumstances and nature of the voiceover work. Unions usually set minimum fees for broadcast buyouts and copyrights which will help you as a voice over to set up your buyout fees. They can also collect the buyouts for you and provide protection and legal help if your talent or producer’s rights have been violated. There are two types of media content, broadcast(TV programs, TV series, animation, TV and radio commercials, films, video games etc) and non-broadcast. Usually, the buyout compensation for TV content is additional 30% to your voice over production rate (talent fee, studio recording, editing).

The buyout compensation for commercials could be:

- A flat rate per spot for unlimited use (all media channels, territory and a period of time)

- A flat rate per spot for limited use (media channels, territory and/or period of time)

- A percentage of the commercial spot voice over production fee for limited media channels, territories and a limited period of time

It is important as a voice talent and the voice over producer, to charge for buyout compensation for both services. Once the buy-out fee has been finalized then the voice seeker can use your voice recording on any platform and as often as they like. This means you need to make sure that you get paid a fair rate.

So what kind of questions should you be asking the voice seeker so that you know precisely how your voice over will be used? 

- What’s the nature of the project? TV, radio, online promo, website video or all these things?

- How long are they going to use it? TV and radio ads might be for a short space of time but an online video for YouTube could be there indefinitely so you need to know.

- Where will your voice over be used? Is it for regional, national or international coverage?

When you know the answers to these questions, do a bit of research and negotiate a fair rate for your services.

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

Jake has branched into voiceover work with the intention to provide an on-demand service to mett your requirements. Using the same zeal and commitment to precision that made the music gigs a success over the last few years. There are a variety of voices, the natural voice has a London tinge to it which is deep, warm and compelling. The sales voice can either be the traditional hard sell approach that engages rapidly, or the soft, velvety voice that wraps itself around the listener to captivate, the ‘Richard Burton’. Please enquire directly as to what style and delivery you require, and he will emulate and deliver something creative, accurate and engaging for you and your audience.

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.

Recording and editing a voice over can be tricky but setting up your voice over rates can be difficult. Voice over work is often priced per project, although certain industries may require a per-hour rate. Below is a guideline of how to charge for different projects. These rates are determined by a variety of factors which include the type of voice over, where it will being used, the length of the recording and the experience level of the voice actor. The rates for union voice overs are often higher than non-union rates. Rates are in USD, include Full Buy-Outs and session fees. All the rates below are a guideline only and you have all the rights to charge a fee that aligns with your voice over service standards.

Audio books

Audio book recording sessions are often different and it is suggested that voice seekers pay voice artists $250 – $500 per finished hour of audio.

Business and Corporate Videos

Voice artists are usually paid per finished minute of recording, with a going voice over rate per minute of $100.

Non-broadcast recordings:

• 0 – 5 mins >  $100 -$250
• 6 – 15 mins > $250 – $500
• 16 – 30 mins > $500 -$750
• 31 – 45 mins > $750 -$1000
• 46 – 60 mins > $1000 -$2500

Cartoons and Character Voices

Cartoon voice overs may involve narration, character acting or a combination of the two. The recommended rate is $250 – $500 for one hour of studio time and $100 for each additional hour.

Educational Videos and Training Videos

The rate for one hour of studio time is $250 – $500, with another $100 added for each additional hour.

Movie Trailers

The rate for local or regional trailers is $300 for a 15 to 60 second recording. This increases to $500 in cities such as Chicago or New York. Movie trailers broadcast on a national scale require payment of at least $2000. Internet trailers are now also becoming popular but like local trailers, these have a going rate of $300.

Narration for Documentaries

The rate for a documentary narration should be $100 per minute, or $1500 for a 45-minute recording. As many documentaries are over an hour in length, special price quotes may be set for longer projects, based on the scope of the documentary.

Non-broadcast recordings:

• 0 – 5 mins >  $100 -$250
• 6 – 15 mins > $250 – $500
• 16 – 30 mins > $500 -$750
• 31 – 45 mins > $750 -$1000
• 46 – 60 mins > $1000 -$2500

Podcasts

Podcast recordings are split into three main categories which are podcast commercials, bumpers and traditional podcasts. Aired during the middle of podcasts, podcast commercials are typically 15 or 30 seconds long. The advised rate per project is $150. Bumpers and sweepers are also between 15 and 30 seconds in length and have a going rate of $150 per project. The length of the actual podcast may vary, but in general, voice artists are paid $250 – $500 for one hour of studio time and $100 for each additional hour.

Radio Commercials

Radio commercials are paid in increments of 15, 30 or 60 seconds. A minimum rate of $200 is advised for local radio commercials, while those being broadcast across the nation should have a minimum pay rate of $1,000.

• Regional minimum $300
• Local minimum $200
• National minimum $1000
• Station promotions minimum $200
• PSA minimum $200

Telephone System Recordings

The suggested rate for this type of voice-over work is $100 per minute, or $1500 for a 45-minute recording.

Non-broadcast recordings:

• 0 – 5 mins >  $100 -$250
• 6 – 15 mins > $250 – $500
• 16 – 30 mins > $500 -$750
• 31 – 45 mins > $750 -$1000
• 46 – 60 mins > $1000 -$2500

Television Commercials

As with radio commercials, pay for television commercials is provided for voice-overs between 15 and 60 seconds long. Due to demand, pay for TV commercials is generally higher, with voice-over artists working for $300 per local market project and at least $2,000 for national campaign.

• Regional minimum $500
• Local minimum $300
• National minimum $2000
• Station promotions minimum $300
• PSA minimum $300

Video Games

As with cartoons, narration and character acting both come into play for video game voice-overs. The suggested rate for this type of voice-over work is $100 per minute, or $1500 for a 45-minute recording.

Android Games, iPad games, iPhone games,  Console Games:

• 0 – 5 mins >  $100 -$250
• 6 – 15 mins > $250 – $500
• 16 – 30 mins > $500 -$750
• 31 – 45 mins > $750 -$1000
• 46 – 60 mins > $1000 -$2500

Have questions for us? Simply set an appointment and we will get in touch for a little chat.

Click on these links to Become a voice over or hire voice over artist.