Yesterday I read a post that was a good reminder of why the business side of voiceover is just as important as the art side. The post’s author took issue with a studio charging their client fives times the amount for VO talent than they paid the VO talent they used. The pay was also lower than GVAA rates, and there was no contract in place. The VO talent was on this studio's internal roster. Now I don't know how the poster came across this info, but I do know this situation h

Authors and Publishers, you have to pay for lifts. For those that don't know, a "lift" is when a client takes a portion of a recorded audio and uses it in a new spot, instead of hiring the voice over artist to record the same line. They’re mostly used in advertisements, and they’re pretty common. Lifts are not free in the voiceover industry, and the GVAA* rate guide offers guidance on how to charge for them. They're almost non-existent in audiobooks. There’s little need to re

What do they mean by that? Hey casting directors, are you guys guessing on how to ask for an African American voice in your casting calls? I just saw a casting call seeking an African American female voice. The words "looking for an AAVE female voice" is written in the description. Ok. So far, that's fine. Then I see "Think Viola Davis or Jada Pinkett-Smith." Huh? Davis and Pinkett-Smith are not known for speaking in AAVE. Using them as examples of AAVE in a casting call make