The VoiceMe Podcast

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]

Episode 048 - How to Read a Client Brief Like a Producer

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 how to read a client brief like a producer. Topics in this episode: * Why a client brief is evidence, not just instructions — and how to read it that way * The four layers every brief contains, and why most voice artists only read one * Red flag phrases that signal a job needs more definition before you proceed * How reading a brief properly improves your performance, your quoting, and your professionalism   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 047 - The Client’s POV - What They Really Hear

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 today we’re stepping into a perspective that voice artists don’t often get to hear — the client’s. Topics in this episode: • Why clients use abstract language when giving notes • What they actually care about (it’s simpler than you think) • How to translate vague direction into actionable performance • Ways to manage contradictory feedback from multiple stakeholders • Practical strategies to become a “translator” clients trust More Info: VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za [http://www.voiceme.co.za/] Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp [http://www.voiceme.co.za/support#pandp] Support - support@voiceme.co.za [support@voiceme.co.za] Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363) Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe) [http://wa.me/27828089070] Facebook - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.facebook.com/VoiceMeSA] Twitter - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.twitter.com/VoiceMeSA] Instagram - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.instagram.com/VoiceMeSA] LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA [https://www.linkedin.com/company/voicemesa/]