The following are some valuable voiceover resources I recommend.
If you decide to work with any of them, please tell them I passed you along!
BLOGS
Backstage – daily blog – advice and acting jobs in the industry – https://www.backstage.com/
Dave Courvoisier – a personal blog from the Past-President of the World Voices Organization – 30+ years in broadcasting – some notable blog posts for newcomers: Are Voiceover Newbies Welcome?, VO Coaching Conundrum, and 5 Ways to Protect Yourself From VO Scammers
The DIY Narrator – excellent podcast/blog by a terrific voice actor for anyone who narrates their own eLearning projects
Findlaw.com – legal blog network and other interesting business-law posts
Get Started in VO – a FANTASTIC starting point in your journey into the world of voice overs!
Hootsuite – Social Blog – social media strategy, advice, and tips provided daily – a handy resource
HubSpot – Marketing Blog & Sales Blog – inbound marketing company offering a variety of marketing services, but have a decent blog
Hugh P. Klitzke – Voice Over for The Actor – voiceover coach and casting director in NYC with an interesting take on all things VO
I Want to Be a Voice Actor! – DEE BRADLEY BAKER’S “How do I get into Voice Overs” – the DEFINITIVE GUIDE!! <<<<<<
Medium.com – a plethora of articles daily on a huge variety of subjects
Mike Lenz – Mike Lenz is a professional voice actor, audiobook narrator, author, and podcast host
Nimble Blog – chock full of useful tips on social selling, productivity, and general business advice
Paul Strikwerda – Nethervoice – a true gentleman and “go-to” source for a pragmatic look at the voice over business
Rob Marley – An excellent read for anyone looking to “get into voice over.” <———*****
The Ad Contrarian – ruminations about the advertising world by industry veteran Bob Hoffman
TheSocialMS – content, social and online marketing blog
The Voice Over Collective – A whole range of resources for working voice actors.
VOBS.tv – Voice Over Body Shop – Dan Lenard & George Whittam put on the best live VO show on the internet – almost every Monday night at 6PT/9ET
Voice-Over Xtra! – A comprehensive site for all things VO – news, training, directories, info, etc.
BOOKS
Breakthrough Branding – by Catherine Kaputa
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 – by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves
Making Money in Your PJ’s, Freelancing for voice-overs and other solopreneurs – by Paul Strikwerda
More Than Just A Voice: The REAL Secret to Voiceover Success – by Dave Courvoisier
Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges – by Amy Cuddy
The Improv Book, Improvisation for Theatre, Comedy, Education, and Life – by Alison Goldie
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life – by Mark Mason
The Voiceover Entrance Exam – free ebook – Peter K. O’Connell
There’s Money Where Your Mouth Is – by Elaine Clark
Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook – by Tony Robbins
V-Oh!: Tips, Tricks, Tools and Techniques to Start and Sustain Your Voiceover Career – by Marc Cashman
Voiceover e-Book – by Dan Hurst
Voice Over Legal, Essential Information You Need to Successfully Manage Your Voice Over & Business Issues – Robert Sciglimpaglia Jr.
>>> Recommended Reading List – Feb 2024 – click to download a list of over 140 book recommendations covering voiceover, acting, business, marketing and personal growth! <<<
BUSINESS SERVICES
Ada Li – Creative/Art Director and Brand Strategist, (created my logo) – adapsli@yahoo.ca or 1-416-562-6981
Siteground – my website hosting provider – great deals and a solid web hosting provider
Voice Actor Websites – a great resource for website design, SEO/SEM, content writing and so much more!
Callback Headshots – local photographer (Toronto)
Kwik Kopy – local print shop (printed my business cards)
Tattoo Sound + Music – a local recording studio in Toronto, ON
Upper Level Hosting – Upper Level CRM – hosting and CRM system by a truly decent fellow voice talent – and who hosts this website!
Voice Actor Websites – if you need a bespoke website tailored to voice acting, these guys are among the best in the industry! But, if you can’t afford a fully custom site and are not tech-savvy, check out VoiceActor.com to get a FREE website built specifically for voice actors! Save $20 on the first year of the paid plan using the referral code “davidgvo”!
COACHES / SCHOOLS / TRAINING
“Uncle Roy” Yokelson, Antland Productions – All-round nice guy with many years of experience in the biz – coaching and demo production (among his various talents)
Edge Studios – NYC based training school with online classes/workshops
Everett Oliver, voiceactingdirector.com – amazing 23-year+ veteran booth director in animation with experience in casting, production and booth direction
Global Voice Acting Academy – Tons of great programming by some of the best coaches in the business, all online
Gravy for The Brain – online VO school based in the UK
J Michael Collins – if you want to learn from the king of casting sites, sharpen your VO business acumen, or get a first-class demo, he’s your guy
Jonathan Tilley – Creative Circle FB group – awesomely creative helping creative people shine online
Second City Improv – improv & acting classes in Toronto, Chicago, and Hollywood
Terry Daniel – 20-year veteran based in Minneapolis offers weekly training to new and seasoned VO’s
The Voice Over Network – the pre-eminent UK-based meetup organization for education and socializing organized by Rachel Naylor
VO Peeps – run by Anne Ganguzza, it’s an online global meetup group dedicated to providing resources and information about the Voiceover and related media industries
The Young Actors Glossary – a handy guide for anyone completely new to the acting world with definitions of key terms.
CONFERENCES
eLearning conference directory and another directory here
That’s Voiceover™ career expo & The Voice Arts® Awards – big shindig in LA for top talent, agents and various entertainment professionals
VO Atlanta – “the” voiceover conference of the year – the biggest and most in-depth in the industry
VOCation Conference – MEGA LIST of resources!
VO North – the ONLY conference in Canada for the voiceover industry!
VOX – the only conference in the UK for the voiceover and audio industry
WoVoconIV – only members of World Voices can attend, once yearly – see www.world-voices.org for the most up-to-date info.
EQUIPMENT
Audio-Technica – full range of audio products including affordable mics and headphones (including the mic I use AT2035)
Neumann – one of the leaders and producer of the popular TLM103 mic
Sennheiser – one of the leaders and producer of the popular MKH416 shotgun mic and the headphones I use (HD280 pro)
SOFTWARE
Adobe Audition – my digital audio workstation software of choice – spectral view with Autoheal is amazing
Audacity – free digital audio processing software
Nimble CRM – one of the best CRM systems around – customizable, very handy Chrome widget and much more!
Waveapps – Free accounting program – great for bookkeeping, invoicing, payments, etc.
Bodalgo call – FREE voice and video conferencing, no membership or software required, ISDN replacement option for remote direction/recording
ipDTL – voice conferencing using Chrome, ISDN replacement option for remote direction/recording
Source Elements – Source Connect – voice conferencing using Chrome, ISDN replacement option for remote direction/recording
Stripe – online credit card payments option
Bit.ly – a great tool to shorten URL’s for sharing
Dashlane – great password manager – never have to remember your passwords again
VoiceZam – one of the best demo players in the industry with unmatched features and benefits
VOCAL HEALTH / CLARITY
Denise Woods – One of the nicest and busiest women I have met! Speak It Clearly – voice, speech, and dialect coaching to Hollywood stars…and you!
Elissa Weinzimmer – vocal health educator and founder of Voice Body Connection
If you have any suggestions to add to this list please email me anytime.