File Naming Hey Reader, We talk a lot about performance and audio quality, but sometimes the simplest business tasks make the biggest difference. A consistent, professional file naming system is one of those tiny details that tells a casting director or client, "This person has their act together." You want your file name to be a clean, clear calling card. 1. The Audition Naming Rule The goal of an audition file name is purely identification. The client needs to know immediately who the file...
9 days ago • 2 min read
Input Levels Hey Reader, When you’re recording and processing your auditions or final files, you should aim for your absolute loudest peaks (usually a plosive or a sudden loud word) to land around -6 dBFS to -3 dBFS. This crucial bit of space is your headroom. It ensures two things: Safety: You guarantee that you won't accidentally clip or distort your signal during an unexpectedly loud read. Flexibility: You give the client or the mixing engineer plenty of room to apply their own...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Pre-Read "Pause" Hey Reader, As voice actors, we are often asked to deliver reads that sound "natural," "conversational," or "spontaneous." The biggest obstacle to achieving this is the fact that we are reading. Our eyes move faster than our brains can process the meaning, which can sometimes lead to a smooth but ultimately robotic delivery. Something that may help you with this, is a subtle Pre-Read Pause. What Is the Pre-Read Pause? The Pre-Read Pause is a strategic moment of silence just...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Pitching Yourself Hey Reader, When a client or casting director first encounters you—whether on a casting platform, your website, or in a cold email—they don't need your life story. They need to know two things immediately: What you do and why it matters to them. Here is a simple, powerful framework for crafting a Two-Sentence Client Bio that gets straight to the point and hooks their interest. Sentence 1: The 'Role and Specialization' Hook (What You Do) This sentence defines your primary job...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Follow Up Hey Reader, One of the hardest parts of the VO business is staying top-of-mind without being annoying. You know you need to follow up, but the fear of sending a "Just checking in!" email that gets immediately deleted is real. The best way to reconnect and stay relevant is to follow up with value, not a sales pitch. The goal is to drop a five-minute email that genuinely reminds the client that you exist and that you are professional, without asking for anything. Here are two good...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Re-Record Hey Reader, Let's talk about efficiency in your home studio, specifically around one of the biggest time sinks: editing technical mistakes. You've just wrapped a great take, you hit stop, and you hear it: a little mouth noise, a small mic bump, or maybe a stray breath that really sticks out. Your first instinct is likely to zoom way in on the waveform and start surgically removing the flaw. You grab the pencil tool, you spend five minutes finding the perfect replacement breath from...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Using your Demo Hey Reader, When you're pitching for a specific gig or a client asks for a sample, do not automatically drop the link to your full, compilation demo reel. Instead, take a second to tailor your response using an appropriate clip. Read the Client's Brief: Analyze the job posting or script. What is the core tone? (e.g., Sincere corporate, high-energy retail, warm e-learning). Match the Track: Go into your demo files and find the one sample clip you have that perfectly matches...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Underplay the Read Hey Reader, A tendency that I find a lot of VO talent have, especially newer ones, is the instinct to "perform" and sort of "put on" a voice or style when reading a script. While there are cases when this could be called for, generally it is going to result in a performance that is too "forced" or dare I say "cheesy". Sometimes the best read is the one that sounds like you’re doing the least. Don't Act It Out, Just Be It In voice-over, we often have the impulse to "sell" a...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Quick Story Hey Reader, I just wanted to share a quick story in this week's tip, and hopefully you can glean something from it. I have a client I've been working with for probably about 5 or so years at this point, doing various commercials - TV, Radio, CTV, Web, etc... The sessions always go super smooth, the jobs pay very well, the producers are great to deal with, everything is great - except....they almost always pay late. We have a net 30 agreement meaning they pay within 30 days of...
2 months ago • 1 min read