Are Voice Overs Better Off Working at McDonald's?

A voice over told me recently that she got an enquiry for a local radio station jobby. She quoted ?100 (which is fair quote for a local station IMHO). And then the radio station replies "eh, how about ?16.50 instead?" So she ended up doing the job for ?16.50. I think this is a prime example of when it's OK to turn down work. Why?

Number 1 - it doesn't look good dropping your rates so dramatically, as it discredits your original quote.

Number 2 - you can't work for ?16.50, you'll be out of business in no time. At those rates you're better off working at McD's as they pay ?5 per hour, but at least they give you 8 hours a day, every day.

Number 3 - remember that radio stations get paid to sell ad space, and not to produce radio ads. They make their money by selling ad space to companies, so to sweeten the deal, they often throw in the production for free. As such, they are normally on a very tight production budget since they are not getting paid to produce work (the production in this case is a business expense). You on the other hand, being a voice over, are being paid to produce work. That's your livelihood. You can't make a living charging 16.50 per job.

I'm not saying you can't get a good "cheap gig." I also know a number of VOs who do tons of work at that price for radio stations. The difference is that they get a high volume of these gigs, and they are quick and easy to knock out. So if people want that price, they gotta buy in bulk. Voice overs could consider selling a pack of 10 or 20 gigs at a discounted rate, so that you guarantee yourself the volume.

Of course there is always going to be some VO willing to do a once-off job for 16 pounds, that's OK, let them have it. But it's important to walk away from those jobs, because they just drive the price down for VOs everywhere. It's a race to the bottom and everyone loses. If more people say no to those McDonald's rates (yes, you will actually be better off working at McDonald's at those rates) it means that companies will have to try harder to find a VO at that price, which means it will cost them more time and effort... more time and effort means more money. Which means... ta-da! The rates go up! Spread the word.

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Performing International or Global Voice Overs

All hail the Interweb! (tee-hee!) With its global reach, the Internet gives us voiceover gurus the opportunity to branch out and communicate on a level never seen before in history. It's amazing to think that just 20 years ago, no one even knew what the Internet was or what it would mean to society. And now look at us. What would we do without it? Well, one of the things we voice talents wouldn't be able to do is promote ourselves internationally.

This technology allows us to show our voiceover skills to potential clients around the world, but be warned It can be tricky and it isn't something you'll want to dive into unarmed. One of the things to consider upfront is, can you crank out voice over projects in different languages? If so, you have a big edge over the rest. Advertising for voice services in multiple languages to multiple countries can expand your profits exponentially.

If standard American English is all you speak, however, there's a good chance you can snag a well-paying international voice over client. The reason is that English is spoken so widely, many companies outside the United States regularly seek voiceover talents with American accents. That's great news, but how do you get to them?

Simple -- consult the Interweb! Use the Internet to fish around for foreign businesses that may be looking or have use for an American accent. Think about it... there are tons of Americans and English-speaking folks living or working in different places around the world. Whoever they're working for needs to reach out to them in mass communication style every so often. Retail and service outlets in these foreign lands need to reach them as well. Get the picture? There's money to be made outside the U.S. for the courageous voiceover talent.

Once you find these companies, try this. Send your voice demo via e-mail and follow up with them to find out if they can use you. If they don't right then, you will have at least put the bug in their ear and when they do have a need for an American voice talent, guess who they'll call? Create websites for your international voice over services and optimize them accordingly. When you send them your demo, provide a link to your voiceover site so they know you're serious and professional (not just an amateur looking for more money).

One thing to watch out for, however, is that you must be careful and do your homework. Though English is widely known and recognized, the same words can carry totally different meanings in other countries. As an example, where in America a talent might use the phrase, "voice over," a customer in another sovereign country might say "voice actor" and "voice over" may not have much meaning to them. So, it's important to find out the proper industry terminology in that country, otherwise you may not get any clients... just confusion when they see your website. So as not to offend, you may also want to do a small amount of reading on the country you're aiming for. Simple things like a wave "hello" in America could be offensive to someone from another part of the world (be sensitive). Another task you'll need to complete is finding out what the going rate is for voiceover services in that region. Look up other voice talents and research their rates. You won't want to frighten prospective clients away by charging more than the home-grown talent. It's also a good idea to learn about the country's accepted technical specs, so you'll be familiar with the most prevalent audio file formats in that region.

The Internet is a vast and wonderful tool but like any other, research, cunning and patience are key to being profitable, particularly for voice over talents.

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