I’m a very thrifty person. Some might call me cheap. Those people would be correct. I hate spending money and I’m always looking for a deal. How can I not pay full price for something? Sometimes that’s a good thing. When my wife was pregnant with our first kid, you better believe I was hitting up yard sales looking for second hand baby stuff and clothes and things.
In voice over, being cheap can be to your detriment. Sure, when you’re just starting out, you can scrimp here and there on a mic or “free” memberships to pay to plays. If you want to take this business seriously, however, you’re gonna have to spend money, to make money. Take your demo for instance. It’s your calling card. It’s what producers, agents, and potential clients hear first. Yes, you can make your own, but guess what? It’s gonna sound like it. And that gets you thrown into the bin. A good demo producer can make you sound like the professional you are, but you’re gonna have to pay for it. I’ve seen prices from $500 all the way to $5000. For me personally, somewhere in the $1500-2000 range should get you a solid demo.
Another good place to lay out that cash is on equipment and your recording space. A $45 USB mic off of Amazon may do you well in the beginning, but you play with the big boys and girls, you’re gonna need a good mic. Something in the $300-1000 range. Don’t feel like you need to jump up and spend a grand on a TLM 103 or a Sennheiser 416, (I mean if you’ve got the money to spend, go for it) but get a good mic and work your way up. I see a lot of people that feel that they have to have one particular mic or another. Let me tell you, it’s all social media/mic envy. If your recordings sound good with your Rode NT1 and you’re making money, then why bother upgrading? Upgrade when needed, not just because you want to feel like a “real voice actor” with an expensive mic. The space you record in is more important than the mic anyway. A TLM 103 sounds just as bad as any other mic in your bathroom. Spend the money to acoustically treat your space. Don’t know how? There’s tons of YouTube videos as well as tons of other talent and producers and engineers who are just a click away to help.
Spend money on training when you can. Take as many classes as you can afford. Online Zoom classes are offered all the time and they aren’t expensive. Well, depending on who’s teaching. There are plenty of free workout groups or seminars you can find. Never stop learning.
I went the cheap route for several years and it really didn’t get me anywhere. It wasn’t until I buckled down and did the work and spent the money, that I started to see real improvements. I spent money on marketing, a logo, a website, on classes, and I will be spending money in the near future for a new demo. Your website! Unless you’re a website builder, spend the money and hire a pro to do it. None of this GoDaddy or Wix shit. I made my first website on Wix and thought it was pretty good. Nope, it looked like an amateur did it. It didn’t have that professional touch that I needed. I got recommendations and here we are! It looks amazing. Don’t forget to factor hosting costs into your website budget too.
Where else are you spending money to make money? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading.