Episode 053 - The First 10 Seconds - Why Clients Stop Listening to Your Demo

Episode 053 - The First 10 Seconds - Why Clients Stop Listening to Your Demo

Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za, the South African search directory for voice artists and related services. I'm Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and this week I'm talking about the first 10 seconds of your voiceover demo, and why clients stop listening. Topics in this episode: * Why clients listen for suitability, not talent, when they press play on your demo * How audio quality, weak openings and generic delivery lose you the listener before you get a fair hearing * Why your strongest, most relevant clip should always come first, not buried at 35 seconds * What separates a focused audition from five unfocused takes, and when to slate More Info: VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za [http://www.voiceme.co.za] Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp [voiceme.co.za/support#pandp] Support - mailto:support@voiceme.co.za [support@voiceme.co.za] Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363) Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe) [wa.me/27828089070] Facebook - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.facebook.com/VoiceMeSA] X - @VoiceMeSA [https://x.com/VoiceMeSA] Instagram - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.instagram.com/voicemesa/] LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA [linkedin.com/company/voicemesa]

Episode 052 - Voiceover Red Flags, Scams, Fake Jobs and When to Walk Away

Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za, the South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I'm Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode I'm talking about voiceover red flags, scams, fake jobs and when to walk away. Topics in this episode: * How to spot and respond to overpayment scams, fake casting calls, impersonation schemes and pay-to-work traps * The AI voice data risk: what to watch for in contract language and clean sample requests from unknown people * Red flags from real clients, including unclear usage, no confirmed rate, unlimited revisions and identity that keeps shifting * A step-by-step verification checklist and what to do if you've already engaged with a suspicious enquiry More Info: VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za [http://www.voiceme.co.za] Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp [voiceme.co.za/support#pandp] Support - mailto:support@voiceme.co.za [support@voiceme.co.za] Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363) Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe) [wa.me/27828089070] Facebook - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.facebook.com/VoiceMeSA] X - @VoiceMeSA [https://x.com/VoiceMeSA] Instagram - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.instagram.com/voicemesa/] LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA [linkedin.com/company/voicemesa]

Episode 051 - Available Isn't Ready - Why Clients Book the Voice Artist Who's Easy to Work With

Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za, the South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I'm Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode I'm talking about why being available for a voiceover job doesn't automatically mean you're ready to be booked. Topics in this episode: * Why clients often book the voice artist who feels safest, not just the one with the best demo * The difference between a weak reply to an enquiry and one that wins the job, with real examples * How to be clear about rates and usage so the client knows exactly what's included * The technical and script prep that stops problems before they happen on session day More Info: VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za [http://www.voiceme.co.za] Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp [voiceme.co.za/support#pandp] Support - mailto:support@voiceme.co.za [support@voiceme.co.za] Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363) Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe) [wa.me/27828089070] Facebook - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.facebook.com/VoiceMeSA] X - @VoiceMeSA [https://x.com/VoiceMeSA] Instagram - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.instagram.com/voicemesa/] LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA [linkedin.com/company/voicemesa]

Episode 050 - Live Directed Sessions Without the Panic

Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, Information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za - The South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I'm Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode, I'm talking about live directed voiceover sessions, and more specifically, how to handle them without the panic. Topics in this episode: * Why live directed sessions feel harder than solo recording — and the two environments South African voice artists are most likely to encounter, including what changes when you’re walking into a professional studio versus working from your own setup * How to prepare for a pro studio session — arriving warm, knowing the copy, and building a working relationship with the studio engineer, who is one of the most underused resources in the room * How to listen to direction properly, decode vague or conflicting notes, and adjust your performance without ego or defensiveness — including what to do when the room does not yet know what it wants * The hidden skill that separates artists who get called back: emotional regulation — and how to stay steady when the room gets uncertain, indecisive, or just plain quiet   More Info: VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za [http://www.voiceme.co.za] Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp [voiceme.co.za/support#pandp] Support - mailto:support@voiceme.co.za [support@voiceme.co.za] Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363) Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe) [wa.me/27828089070] Facebook - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.facebook.com/VoiceMeSA] X - @VoiceMeSA [https://x.com/VoiceMeSA] Instagram - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.instagram.com/voicemesa/] LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA [linkedin.com/company/voicemesa]

Episode 049 - Revisions, Pickups and Scope Creep

Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, Information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za - The South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I’m Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode, I'm talking about revisions, pickups, and scope creep, and why this is often the point where an otherwise good voiceover job starts to go sideways. Topics in this episode: * The difference between a correction, a pickup, a performance revision, a script rewrite, and scope creep, and why treating them all as "just a revision" is costing you time and money * Why voice artists keep saying yes, how scope creep builds quietly, and how to recognise the moment a job has grown beyond what you originally quoted * Ready-to-use phrasing for communicating additional charges calmly and professionally, without damaging the client relationship * Practical tools including a simple three-part request filter, how to set revision windows, and why "unlimited revisions" is riskier than it sounds   More Info: VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za [http://www.voiceme.co.za] Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp [voiceme.co.za/support#pandp] Support - mailto:support@voiceme.co.za [support@voiceme.co.za] Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363) Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe) [wa.me/27828089070] Facebook - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.facebook.com/VoiceMeSA] X - @VoiceMeSA [https://x.com/VoiceMeSA] Instagram - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.instagram.com/voicemesa/] LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA [linkedin.com/company/voicemesa]