Free tips.
The internet is awash in information. Some of it is great, some of it is, well, flushable.
But among all the noise there are some gems. And there’s a host of free information for voiceover that can augment your VO education.
Let’s start with weekly online shows: Voice Over Body Shop and VO Buzz Weekly are two that come to mind. Both feature interviews with VO pros in a variety of genres. (You’ll even find our own Melissa Moats in both of these shows’ archives.) Voice Over Body Shop also includes technical tips each week and savvy home studio advice. VO Buzz Weekly spends the entire show on an interview, sometimes spread over several episodes with one guest, getting deep into it.
Then there are Facebook pages. You can find at least one Facebook page for many VO genres: audiobooks (a bunch), elearning, and so on, aimed at either pro level or beginners. Use the FIND feature at each page to locate posts about the topic that interests you.
Just beware that not all advice on social media is created equal. Sometimes you can get info from people who think they know but really don’t. Protect yourself by not relying on social media exclusively to make buying decisions. Ask around. Talk to TVAS coaches. Post questions at the Vegas Voicers page or search our page for the topic.
SoundCloud and YouTube: you’ll find a number of reputable VO coaches on these sites who have created short audio talks or videos as well as teasers for upcoming classes that contain great tidbits. Again, you can also find videos that are out of date or inaccurate. So look for coaches that you know or who have credibility in the VO community at large. Then again, somebody from Middle of Nowhere, PA, may have a great tip on how to ventilate a home studio that’s just what you needed.
Online webinars are another way to gather gems. Every once in a while there’s a free one, usually to entice you into the paid series to follow, but salted with a few juicy tidbits. VoiceOverXtra, the daily online news site for VO is one source for webinars, and certainly a source of free articles, too.
It is for sure the Wild West online. Anybody with a keyboard can play. So be sure to ask around, look around, and see what other online sources say before you lay down your cash for that next best thing somebody online said you just must do.