A Working Voice Actor’s Perspective on Union Membership, Benefits, AI, and Career Opportunities One of the most common questions I hear from voice actors is: “Should I join SAG-AFTRA?” Depending on who you ask, SAG-AFTRA is either the best thing that can happen to your career or a limitation that keeps you from taking work. The truth, like most things in this industry, is somewhere in the middle. I’ve been working professionally in acting for over 20 years, in voice over for

How Do Voice Actors Get Started in the Industry? Understanding Entry Points, Training, and Building a Sustainable Career Jean-Francois Donaldson The Deep Voice Guy If you’ve ever watched a cartoon, played a video game, listened to a commercial, or heard a documentary narrator and thought, “I could do that,” welcome to club. It's fun we have snacks. One of the most common questions I get is: “How do I get started in voice acting?” Unfortunately, there are a lot of people onlin

DO I NEED TO BE AN ACTOR TO BE A VOICE ACTOR? WHY VOICE ACTING IS ACTING FIRST AND VOICE SECOND Jean-Francois Donaldson The Deep Voice Guy One of the biggest misconceptions about voice acting is that having a great voice is enough. I hear it all the time. “People tell me I have a great voice.” “I’ve always been told I should be on the radio.” “I can do a bunch of cartoon voices.” That’s great. But none of those things make you a voice actor. What makes you a voice actor is…ac

Where, Why and How to Hire a Pro Voice Actor (And How to Choose the Right One) You're not Just hiring a voice. You're choosing your brand's personality, tone, and emotional Connection By Jean-Francois Donaldson The Deep Voice Guy July 28, 2026 You’re not just hiring a voice. You’re choosing your brand’s personality, tone, and emotional connection to your audience. Finding a voice actor used to mean calling an agency or posting on a casting website and hoping for the best. Tod

One of the biggest misconceptions about voice acting is that clients are “just paying someone to talk into a microphone.” If only it were that simple. Professional voice over pricing isn’t based on how many words are in a script (well not all the time). It’s based on: experience acting ability usage audience reach exclusivity production quality branding value reliability You’re paying for your brand's voice. You’re paying for the sound people associate with your company, your