We are living in a post-Voicebank world.
Can you believe it’s been over a year since Voicebank was bought out and dissolved? Click here to get reacquainted with the Voicebank buyout and subsequent fallout.
A lot of weird **** has gone down since then. I think the most interesting development has been the glut of new websites that have tried to fill the void. Two in particular have done a great job:
Voice Casting Hub provides casting notices to agents and the VO Weekly Workout gives voice talent the opportunity to be critiqued by industry pros (these were the two main services Voicebank provided). Here are some other sites that have emerged in the post-Voicebank world.
VOPlanet.com (I count it as new even though it’s a reboot)
Some are great, some are shoddy but well-intended, and a few are scam-tastic. If you have experience with any of these sites, feel free to praise or trash them at your convenience by commenting on this here blog entry.
Another interesting post-Voicebank world development is the formation of the Voice Agent Alliance. Who would have thought that talent agents in direct competition with each other would unite to promote fair industry standards?
In the past year many voice seekers have gone out of business like Soundscapes, but I can’t say if their demise is related to the dissolution of VoiceBank. If you know of any other studios or agencies that have closed their doors recently and why, please share.
TIP OF THE WEEK
What does all of this mean?
Considering that rates are still going down, more and more voice talents are flooding the market & undercharging, and cheap voice seekers & shady demo producers are capitalizing on newbie naivete, effective education and communication is more important than ever. If you are the member a voiceover-related Facebook group and newb #1,463 of the day posts what is an obvious question to us, be kind & informative but firm. Be sure to tell them:
They can have a fulfilling and long-lasting voiceover career if they set themselves up for success.
They can set themselves up for success if they are properly educated and make substantive investments of time, money, and energy.
They can succeed if they understand the importance of having a business plan and an effective marketing strategy.
99% of the questions they have have already been answered. Google and the search function of the Facebook groups are their friends.
NEWS AND NOTES
I’m getting a new VO Strategist website! We’re putting the finishing touches on it and it should be ready within the next few weeks. A monstrous thank you to Nikki Saco and Sara Waters for doing such an incredible job.
This week’s Audio Book Memory Lane title is “Humble Leadership”
I blogged about this fascinating book just a few months ago but it’s worth repeating. You can enjoy a sample here and order it here.
Thursday, September 20th @8PM EST: My next Edge Studio Business and Money 201 webinar will be “Workflow”. We’re going to talk about how to streamline the day-to-day operations of your voiceover business. Click here to sign up.
Thursday, September 27th @8PM EST: My next Edge Studio Marketing 201 webinar will be “What Your Website Says About You”. We’re going to talk about everything that you need (and don’t need) on your voiceover website. Click here to sign up.
SOLD OUT Sunday, October 14th @11:30 AM EST: At Arts On site in Manhattan I will be leading the conversation, “Marketing For VO”. In this 2-hour in-person-only workshop we will discuss the basics of marketing, branding, the Sales Funnel, and much more! This is a donation-based event. $35 is the suggested donation, but you are free to contribute whatever you want. If you want to get on the waiting list, just PM me with the subject line “Add Me!”
SAVE THE DATE Sunday, November 4th and Sunday, November 18th: I will be leading two workshops at Soundvine Studios in Manhattan. More details to come…!
November 9-11: MAVO 2018 is less than two months away! Click here to check it out the event schedule. There are still a few tickets left! Click here to register.
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Cheeseburger Day and Miniature Golf Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“As president, I believe that robotics can inspire young people to pursue science and engineering. And I also want to keep an eye on those robots in case they try anything.”
President Barack Obama at the launch of his Educate to Innovate Campaign
From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, The H is Silent, but I’m Not.
Tom Dheere is a 20+year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. He is also voiceover business consultant known as the VO Strategist and is currently producing the comic book “Agent 1.22”.