There has been lots of research over the years in the retail and service industries showing that consumers are more likely to post reviews about and share negative experiences than positive ones. The psychology suggests that this comes from a bias towards reporting negative outcomes over positive ones because we tend to simply expect the positive, and feel wounded when those expectations are not met.
Similarly, there has been much written about a similar bias in news media, the, ” If it bleeds it leads,” mantra that negativity gets more eyeballs than positivity. Open any news site, from any perspective, (and let’s be honest, there aren’t many objective ones anymore, are there?,) and you’ll be served heaping portions of what’s wrong with the world today, with perhaps a small side dish of feel-good for balance.
Unfortunately, the voiceover industry is not immune to this phenomenon. Whether in the form of social media, blogs, webinars, or other interactive engagements, we are exposed to a daily barrage of whatever the latest VO outrage may be. Fiverr and P2Ps are fun punching bags. Lately, fear of AI has spread faster than hungry fleas at a dog party. Tomorrow, it will be something new.
Moreover, sorting through VO social media is like navigating a sea of, “Why am I not booking?,” “This client ripped me off,” or, “My agent/manager/Keeper of the Jobs/whatever is screwing me over.” Cream doesn’t rise to the top. What floats in a commode does.
When legitimate, and many of them are, these complaints should never be dismissed…….but, they risk portraying what remains one of the best parts of the entertainment industry in an undeservedly unflattering light. Especially when the noisiest voices are often the ones least invested in the industry in terms of daily client engagement and bookings.
Here’s the actual truth: Not much has changed in the last 5 years or so.
The people who book consistently are still booking consistently. Indeed, many established talent reported 2020 to be the strongest year of their careers, as non-broadcast narration seemed to double in volume and commercial defied expectations and grew in the middle of a pandemic. And many of these same talent are seeing no drop off in 2021 after unprecedented year on year growth. Go ahead…ask any of the pros you know who book regularly what their 2020 looked like compared to 2019. Many have kept quiet what a substantial growth year 2020 was out of respect for those in other industries who were ravaged by the lockdowns, but the bottom line is that VO thrived to the point that agents and managers across the country were hustling to get their on-camera and theater actors trained up in the one side of the business that was still booking. We’ll likely, (and hopefully,) never see a year with that kind of forced growth again, but even just maintaining or slowly growing those gains in 2021 and beyond will take many talent to a whole new place in their career.
Newer talent had a rough ride at the start of the pandemic, but by the end of the summer agents were encouraging submissions and the additional work was starting to spill over. There was and continues to be a flight to familiarity among clients, but there’s more work today than there has ever been, and despite growing numbers entering the field, there are only so many with the requisite natural ability and training to book consistently….and, eventually, many of them do.
Has competition and the dominance of the home studio pushed down commercial rates? Absolutely, especially at the high-end. Local and many regional spots and campaigns remain largely static compared to 5 and 10 years ago, but there’s no question that nationals pay less than 5 years ago, frequently with more versions and lifts attached, and significantly less than 15-20 years ago. Nevertheless, savvy talent have become strong negotiators, and the savviest are making up for anything lost on national rates by feasting on the unprecedented volume of commercial work that new media has introduced. Over time, the very concept of a national commercial will likely fall away into geo-targeted micro-campaigns that may even feature multiple talent reading the same spot and distributed to different parts of the country. Commercial will continue to evolve into a volume game, but those who play the game well will be rewarded for their persistence.
The same is NOT happening in Corporate/Industrial, E-Learning, Explainer, and Medical Narration. Will AI eat some of these jobs? You bet! But there is absolutely no sign of some sort of apocalyptic singularity in which every buyer suddenly embraces Skynet. As with commercial voice over, there is more work out there than quality talent to do it, and those who book continue to book, and in many cases more than ever. Funny thing about busy voices is that they don’t have time to engage in the chattersphere every day, so you just may not hear them as much.
And heavily union and LA/NYC genres like Promo, TV/Documentary Narration, Animation and Video Games are doing just fine, as much of this work continues to be controlled by an iron guard of serious gatekeepers who won’t yield on the rates set by SAG/AFTRA.
If you’re terrified of robots, Fiverr, or P2P, there’s an easy solution: Cultivate the kinds of clients who are not attracted to such outlets. You’ll be surprised to find how many of them are out there.
Folks, the fact is that the voiceover business is doing swell. If that’s not your reality….your best bet might be to spend more time upgrading your performance game, sharpening your auditioning skills, improving your sound, and tuning out the negativity bias that pervades so much of our media.
Will the industry look different in 5 more years? Probably. But chances are it will look far less changed than you might think.
10 Comments
Joshua Alexander August 03, 2021
JMC, I LOVE your blogs. They’re always so articulate and well-researched. Thank you for this gift! As an entrepreneur who is dependent on the success of the industry to keep providing for my family of a SAMH and 2 kiddos, yes, I’m concerned about the future of the industry. AI is my primary concern driver, but I and so many other mortals look up at you and know how connected you are to the pulse of the business, and it’s always reassuring to drink deep of these blogs and know that the solution isn’t in sitting and hoping and praying; it’s in learning, adapting, and overcoming…and your blogs are always all about that. Thanks again for revealing a bright future in VO!
Bo Barker August 03, 2021
I don’t often comment on blog posts or even often on online threads.. but your perspective was much needed here. We all have people that will retort just for the sake of doing so.. So I am sure there will be some who will cast scorn at your observations… Let then do what they do… it will fade away… I so totally agree with the words …”the noisiest voices are often the ones least invested in the industry in terms of daily client engagement and bookings.” As I like to say.. time for people to “‘Shut Up’ a Just ‘VOICE!!
Jon Gardner August 03, 2021
God, I needed this. Not to dispel my fear about the future of VO, but rather as a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the negativity. Thank you again for your balanced and well articulated droplets of wisdom.
Diana August 03, 2021
JMC – indeed in the midst of so much negative comments, your words of positivity ring
true! Thank you for your articulate and wonderful blog ..
Paul Strikwerda August 03, 2021
Here’s what I have noticed after 25 years in journalism and 17 years of blogging:
People tend to focus more on the negative because we are hard-wired to respond to things that are out of the ordinary. It’s a survival skill to keep us safe.
One bad meal at a restaurant will be remembered forever. One good meal simply lives up to our expectations. Controversy attracts attention, and is more memorable. A feel-good story about “everything is A-okay” and “we have nothing to worry about,” will not find as many readers. A story about “this is what you need to be afraid of” is guaranteed to gain more traction. If it’s between a carrot or a stick, a stick will always win.
Is the VO industry doing just fine? I don’t know how one would objectively measure that, but I think different people will tell a different story. I know colleagues on all sides of the spectrum. Some are selling their gear on eBay. Others are ready to buy an expensive Studiobricks booth. Some are booking more than ever. Others are lowering their rates to attract more customers.
Signing up for a voice over career means choosing an unpredictable path filled with risks and rewards, leading you from gig to gig. One thing I know for sure: the voice talents who are making the big bucks, are doing VO as a side-hustle. They are the on-screen celebs who made a name on TV, in the movies, or in stand-up. They get paid a hefty sum for a cameo or a lead in the latest animated picture. I’m certain they are doing just fine.
Kim Morton August 03, 2021
Huh! I’m glad to hear that the industry is doing well, but that hasn’t been my social media experience at all. If anything I see a flood of positivity nearly all the time. It’s like 40% booking announcements and voice-over memes, 2% people talking about how they aren’t actively booking, or how audition culture has worn them down, 5% sudden bursts in discourse over things like AI, and whatever else other. Interesting to see you’ve had such a different experience there!
Jason Thomsen August 03, 2021
Terrific post. You are right in the negativity bias. It is human nature to identify threats. Then overreaction tends to take over. I am still building my VO career and tend to ignore the negativity. It just does not help unless you want to find reasons to quit. As you said, there will always be threats.
As a newer voice, I just put my head down and push forward. Those that are dedicated will push forward and those swayed by the negativity will stop.
There will always be something, but as long as we have something to give, there will be a need somewhere.
Lisa Brandt August 04, 2021
I absolutely agree. I’ve never been busier and I also believe in getting back what you put out there. Positivity isn’t as contagious as negatively, unfortunately, but it’s better for business! Great post.
Lisa Brandt August 04, 2021
Er negativity… 😉
Randy Latta August 04, 2021
It takes a Seasoned Pro like JMC to help us step back and observe a bigger picture that is encouraging and hopeful. Yes! Business is up and one day I may even reach that personal golden equilibrium between valued work and precious time off. In the meantime, never stop honing your skills or seeking VO work that gives you personal joy in performing, for that is where you will truly shine!
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