A VO's Journey: Voiceover and more voice over Podcast

A VO's Journey is about helping new voiceover artists grow their business by listening to my journey to becoming a full-time voice actor. I have been an actor, coach, director, and teacher for over 20 years. I started six years ago in the voice-over industry and wanted to create a way to document my journey so other voice over actors could benefit from it. Voiceover is now my life, and I love every moment of it.

Ep. 323 - Starting Voice Over With No Clients? What I'd Do First

Send us Fan MailIf you were starting voice over today with no clients and no network, what would you do first? Someone asked me that on this Open Forum Friday at VO Journey Academy, so this episode is how I'd build a voice over business from zero.Training comes first, then a studio set up properly and a community around you. After that I'd make 30 to 50 demos and put them everywhere under the same name. Next is a website with real pages and a listing on Google Business and Bing. Then social media on every platform and emails every day. I'd keep auditioning, and I'd start a podcast that interviews local business owners. I also get into whether Fiverr is still worth it and why ads help.What you'll learn:Why training comes before anything elseHow many demos to make and where to put themWhy a one-page website does nothing for youHow a Google Business and Bing listing helps buyers find youWho your social posts should be aimed atWhich payment types to accept so you don't lose workChapters00:00 Welcome to Open Forum Friday00:16 The new VO Journey Academy website: beta in November00:32 A CRM, a tracker and a demo player for your site01:04 Discord built into the new site01:57 November: get your holiday characters out there03:05 Show buyers you're current04:19 If I started voice over from zero today05:33 Why training comes first06:07 Get your studio set up right07:53 Join a community08:19 Make lots of demos and put them everywhere08:56 Build a website people can find09:38 Get listed on Google Business and Bing10:24 Build your social media everywhere10:51 Rinse and repeat: email people every day11:23 Don't skip auditions12:31 Start a podcast in your own community14:04 Could you do all this in 90 days?14:23 Linking your website to Academy Voices15:17 Is Fiverr still worth it?15:41 Why Bing matters too16:11 Should you run ads?17:39 How much do you want to do yourself?18:21 Sticking with it when nothing happens18:49 Who are your social posts really for?19:45 Which payment types to accept20:27 Paying over time on Fiverr and Academy Voices22:01 How Academy Voices pays narrators23:02 Would I hire people?24:29 How we work on this inside VO Journey Academy24:52 Thanks, and Free Class Week 9-12 NovemberNew to voice acting? Start with VO Journey Academy: https://www.avosjourney.com/start?src=podcast-323Free Class Week, 9-12 November: https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcast-323Academy Voices, the alternative to ACX: https://www.academyvoices.com/Support the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 322 - Do You Need a Pen Name to Narrate Spicy Romance? Why Romance Sells, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailDo you need a pen name to narrate spicy romance? Gabby Nistico and I get into it on this Monday live at VO Journey Academy, the day after our spicy romance workshop.You don't need one, but it can help. We talk about when a pen name makes sense. Sometimes the work could cause real trouble at your job or at home. Other times you might just be a little embarrassed. A pen name also means a second set of accounts to run, and at some point people will want to see the person behind the voice.Then we get into why there is so much romance work right now. Romance readers go through books fast, and some authors have 20 to 40 books in a single series. Academy Voices is seeing more and more of it from new authors every week. We also talk about why laughing in the middle of a scene is normal, and Gabby explains why she sends her favourite outtakes to authors who have a sense of humour.What you'll learn:When a pen name is worth it, and when it isn'tThe hidden work of running a second identityWhy spicy romance is such a busy genre for narratorsWhy romance readers want long seriesWhat to do when you laugh in the middle of a sceneWhy some narrators send outtakes to their authors(00:00) Welcome back(00:41) Do you need a pen name for spicy romance?(02:36) The downsides of a pen name(03:39) You can't stay hidden forever(04:29) Why spicy romance sells so well(06:39) Authors with 20 to 40 books in a series(06:55) Big authors and ghostwriters(07:40) Why readers love a series(09:08) Books leave room for imagination(09:52) More romance authors on Academy Voices(10:20) Quick, fun reads(12:07) Fifty Shades and Twilight(15:10) What a romance hit can earn(16:25) Authors are asking about TV rights(16:46) Fifty Shades of Green(17:39) What the workshop covered(18:45) Laughing during a scene is normal(19:41) Sending outtakes to your author(20:20) Thanks for listeningWatch the full spicy romance workshop replay:https://www.avosjourney.com/spicy-romance-workshop?src=podcast-ep322Train with us live every week at VO Journey Academy:https://www.avosjourney.com/start?src=podcast-ep322Try a free class first:https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcast-ep322Academy Voices, the alternative to ACX:https://www.academyvoices.com/Watch this episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/nEe8CgHNNF818+. General information from working narrators, not legal or tax advice.Support the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 321 - Why Your Voice Over Website Isn't Bringing You Work, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailIs your voice over website bringing you any work? Gabby Nistico and I answer your questions on this Open Forum Friday at VO Journey Academy, and most of them were about websites.For years my own website brought in nothing. Gabby explains the difference between design and function: design is the pretty part, and function is how buyers move through your site. She also says there's no such thing as a beginner website. We talk about what buyers need from you, why most visitors aren't ready to hire you that day, whether a producer can download your samples, and why a one-page site is hard to find on Google.What you'll learn:Why design is the small part of a voice over websiteWhy there's no such thing as a beginner website or a beginner demoWhat to do about visitors who aren't ready to hire you yetWhy buyers need to be able to download your samplesWhy more pages help you get found on GoogleWhere a custom website lives, and why site builders can hold you backHow the e-books in the Academy Voices store open in Apple Books or Kindle(00:00) Welcome to Open Forum Friday(00:59) A new story series on Academy Voices(02:02) Kindle Unlimited becomes Kindle+(03:13) The first series and its founding authors(03:55) Is Anthony's website built on WordPress?(05:17) Where a custom website lives(05:42) Will there be website tips for voice actors?(06:20) Why site builders hold you back(07:38) Design vs function on your website(08:36) A demo player you can put on your own site(09:17) There's no such thing as a beginner website(10:17) Why my old website never brought in work(12:11) Make your website the hub of your business(12:35) Why most website help isn't built for voice actors(13:23) What buyers want when they land on your site(13:56) Most visitors aren't ready to buy today(14:16) Can buyers download your samples?(15:13) Where websites are stored(16:15) Why Academy Voices has almost 2,000 pages(18:09) Free templates and tools taped together(18:53) Can authors publish through Academy Voices?(20:11) E-books that open in Apple Books or Kindle(21:33) The new VO Journey Academy website on 1 December(23:24) One page or many? Websites and Google(23:41) Why long scrolling pages lost on Google(25:15) Thanks for listeningTrain with us live every week at VO Journey Academy:https://www.avosjourney.com/start?src=podcast-ep321Try a free class first:https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcast-ep321Academy Voices, the alternative to ACX:https://www.academyvoices.com/Watch this episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/0Ia2fZUC2DcSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 320 - Should You Follow the Audition Directions? Taking Risks in Voice Acting, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailShould you follow the directions in an audition, or take a risk? Gabby Nistico and I talk about taking risks on this Wednesday live at VO Journey Academy, in your acting and in your business.Taking a risk in a read means risking embarrassment, and most of us were taught as adults to avoid that. Kids fail over and over until they get it. I tell people in class I give them permission to play, because we're paid to do what other people can't do. Gabby's rule for auditions is that directions are meant to be followed, and then completely ignored. Give them what they asked for first, then give them something unexpected.Then we get into the business side. Gabby explains why voice actors are slow to hire help, the ceiling you hit when there isn't enough of you to go around, and why you may not pay yourself at first. We finish with a listener question about working two full-time jobs and whether an editor is worth it on royalty share audiobooks, and we do the math on what your time is worth.What you'll learn:Whether to follow the audition directions or try your own takeWhich take to put first, and the exception for animationWhy giving yourself permission to play makes you a better actorWhen to stop doing everything yourself and hire helpWhy many business owners don't pay themselves at firstWho Gabby hired first: a financial advisor, a health insurance broker, then a CPAHow long a two-hour audiobook really takes to record and finishWhy I point narrators to the Academy Voices proofing tools before they pay for an editor(00:00) Welcome: taking risks in voice acting(00:37) Why growth stops when you play it safe(01:06) Pat Fraley: leave everything on the table, then move on(02:39) Risking embarrassment, and how kids learn(03:42) Permission to play(04:34) You're paid to do what other people can't(06:34) Breaking out of the box(07:28) Should you ignore the audition directions?(07:52) Follow the directions, then ignore them(09:01) Know your lines and have an idea(11:14) Which take goes first, theirs or yours?(12:00) The exception: animation(13:07) Auditioning for a role written for the opposite sex(13:58) Taking risks in your voice over business(15:00) Pick one kind of buyer and go after it(16:02) Eggs in one basket, and the first idea for Academy Voices(17:09) Starting a podcast next to your VO business(19:13) The risk of hiring someone to help(21:08) Keep business money separate(22:15) When do you pay yourself?(25:12) Hire for a project, not a payroll(26:04) Audiobook narrators: most of the time is recording(27:52) Stepping away to think(28:41) Where do you find people to help?(29:07) Who to hire first(31:58) The only person on payroll is you(32:49) Ask other voice actors for referrals(33:18) Two full-time jobs: is an editor worth it on royalty share?(35:52) What is your time worth?(37:11) The math on a two-hour audiobook(39:19) Ask, and people step up to help(40:21) Thanks for listening Train with us live every week at VO Journey Academy: https://www.avosjourney.com/start?src=podcast-ep320Try a free class first:https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcast-ep320Academy Voices, the alternative to ACX:https://www.academyvoices.com/Watch this episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/VXBA7TLjIaASupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 319 - Do Voice Actors Need a Talent Agent? Commissions, Contracts and the Union, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailDo voice actors need a talent agent? Gabby Nistico and I dig into it on this Monday live at VO Journey Academy.It started with some news. Gabby got word over the weekend that Cast Voices, a casting site that agents used to manage their rosters, is shutting its doors on 30 October. If most of your work comes through one website or one company, a closing like that can wipe out your business overnight. So we talk about spreading yourself across many places, the same way you'd spread money across a portfolio.Then Gabby walks through how agents really work. There are tiers, from celebrity agencies down to small regional ones, and most new voice actors simply aren't ready for an agent yet. She explains how commissions work, what an exclusive contract can lock you into, and why an agent will turn down low-budget jobs you'll never even hear about.I built my business without agents, and Gabby works with about half a dozen. Both paths work. We finish on rates and supply and demand, plus a question from the chat about whether joining the union costs you auditions.What you'll learn:Why you shouldn't rely on one website or one agent for your workThe tiers of talent agents, and which ones take on newer voice actorsHow a referral from someone on the roster helps you get signedHow agent commissions work, and what to ask before you signWhat exclusive contracts and agent territories mean for youWhy having an agent can mean losing low-budget jobs you never seeWhy you still audition, even with an agentHow right-to-work states and "must join" status affect non-union actors(00:00) Welcome to VO Journey Academy Live(00:49) Cast Voices is closing on 30 October(01:48) Don't put all your work in one place(05:17) Diversify like a portfolio(06:33) Why top agencies won't sign newer voice actors(07:40) The tiers of talent agents(09:43) Which agents to approach in your first five years(10:41) Why mid-size agencies want a referral(11:28) Most new voice actors aren't ready for an agent(12:07) How are agents doing right now?(13:31) Zero percent of zero: how commissions work(15:10) The Hollywood discovery myth(16:00) Giving up a percentage of your earnings(18:00) Exclusive contracts and agent territories(21:08) Why voice actors can have more than one agent(23:32) Know your contract before you sign(25:27) Does your kind of work even need an agent?(26:47) Calling the union: hiring union voice actors(29:14) Agents turn down low-budget jobs(31:24) Rosters and other paths to work(33:15) An agent doesn't stop you auditioning(35:02) Why do we have to fight for our rates?(38:26) Supply and demand in voiceover(39:44) Union actors who go Fi-Core or work non-union(41:16) Am I a studio or just a talent?(41:50) Will joining the union cost you auditions?(44:34) Different paths, and both can workTrain with us live every week at VO Journey Academy:https://www.avosjourney.com/start?src=podcast-ep319Try a free class first:https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcast-ep319Watch this episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/5_nzCp0PbvkSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 318 - Improv for Voice Actors: How to Give More Than One Take, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailHow do you give more than one take that actually works? Gabby Nistico and I talk about the tool that helps most, improv, on this Open Forum Friday at VO Journey Academy.You won't be improvising the words. The script is the script. What you improvise is your reaction to the words, and that's what keeps a read from sounding like you've done it a hundred times.We go through the improv games we use with voice actors, like the boat scene and the question game. Gabby's favorite is New Choice. You can play it alone in your booth, and it's a great way to get real variety into your ABC reads.Gabby explains why voice actors get married to their first idea so fast, and how stage actors avoid it. I share the three questions I ask myself before every script, starting with "who am I?" We also talk about the "yes and" rule, and why selling a product you've never used is pure improv.At the end, we talk about narrating spicy romance, and why most of the romance genre is a lot milder than people think.(00:00) Open Forum Friday with Gabby Nistico(00:06) How do you give more than one good take?(01:21) Improv and the illusion of the first time(02:55) The boat scene: an improv game for voice actors(04:52) We improvise the reaction, not the words(05:24) Storyline and the question game(06:01) New Choice, an improv game you can play alone(07:09) Use New Choice on your ABC reads(07:27) Don't get married to your first idea(08:31) What's the multiverse in this script?(09:05) Voice actors get less time to build a character(10:27) Backstory, and the different versions of you(11:29) Why improv matters, beyond being fearless(12:24) "Yes and": accept what you're given(13:15) Selling a product you've never used(14:12) The pizza and the manhole cover(15:16) Should we run an improv workshop?(16:45) Narrating spicy romance: is it for you?(19:12) The business side can be overwhelming(20:06) Get out there and auditionNarrating Spicy Romance, live workshop, Sunday 25 October at 7pm ET ($27, replay included):https://www.avosjourney.com/spicy-romance-workshop?src=podcastTrain with us live every week at VO Journey Academy:https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastWatch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R-Neccu187USupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 317 - Is the Voice Over Industry Correcting Itself? AI Audiobooks and Human Narrators, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailIs the voice over industry starting to correct itself? Gabby Nistico and I talk about the push back toward human work. A Washington Post piece puts acting in the group of jobs AI will reorganize rather than wipe out. Distributors are limiting how many books one account can upload because of the flood of AI books. And authors are calling us because they want a real person reading their book.Gabby asks the question the AI audiobook sellers don't answer: if a human still has to sit and listen to the whole book to check it, where did the AI save any time or money?We also talk about where AI is fine and where it isn't, why I'd like us all to say "generative AI" when that's what we mean, and how readers and narrators can help bring authors to Academy Voices, our alternative to ACX, where every audiobook is read by a real person.(00:00) Is the voice over industry correcting itself?(00:15) Why we started Certified Human Voice(01:08) The Washington Post on AI and jobs(03:36) Audible's AI Dracula beta(04:50) Why more VO platforms should say no to AI(05:39) Authors who want human narrators(06:30) Who checks an AI audiobook?(08:10) The author who tried AI and hated it(09:47) Distributors now limit uploads because of AI books(11:27) Readers don't care until they care(12:21) Can an author use AI to help them write?(13:25) AI-written books and copyright(15:30) Why I don't use AI to write(16:33) Do author books get priority on Academy Voices?(17:25) What's in Audible's contracts(18:47) Upload limits, and passing 800 audiobooks(20:02) Tell the authors you love about Academy Voices(21:08) If 350 narrators each reached 10 authors(22:23) Say generative AI, not AI(24:19) People want to know there's a real person(24:58) Bringing author friends over(25:58) Offering royalty share to win over a client(26:50) Not just royalty share: paying authors are joining(28:04) Why Trustpilot and Google reviews matter(29:15) The Audible name problem(30:12) Accessibility, and a script prep tool that labels characters(32:00) How people find things now: ChatGPT and Gemini(33:36) Short books to practice on(34:08) Does Academy Voices offer editing for authors?(36:07) A demo of the prep tools is comingNarrating Spicy Romance, live workshop, Sunday 25 October at 7pm ET ($27, replay included):https://www.avosjourney.com/spicy-romance-workshop?src=podcastAcademy Voices, the alternative to ACX:https://www.academyvoices.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1cPh2GInUIYSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 316 - Should You Pay for Voice123 or Voices.com? When to Join a Pay-to-Play Site, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailShould a new voice actor pay for Voice123 or Voices.com? I used to say wait a couple of years. I've changed my mind, because I've seen people join in their first month and start getting work.So the question isn't when to join. It's whether you're going to use it. These are audition sites. If you pay and then don't audition, you really have wasted your money. Gabby Nistico adds the other half: treat it like a business investment. Fill every audio category, write your profile for the buyer, and learn how that one site works.We also talk about your availability during the work day, the red flags to look for before you pay any coach or school, and how the Academy Voices audiobook store works.(00:00) Welcome, with Gabby Nistico(01:04) Why this question keeps coming up(01:40) Why I changed my mind(02:43) The real danger: paying and not auditioning(03:05) Gabby: treat it like a business investment(05:11) Don't aim to just make your money back(05:58) Audition sites are not Fiverr(06:50) Are you available during the day?(07:42) Why I started with audiobooks(09:01) What changed when I went full time(09:58) Why fast replies win clients(12:09) How the Academy Voices store and app work(15:02) Why royalty share got a bad name(17:59) Why there are no Audible codes for our titles(19:33) Uploaded the wrong file to ACX?(20:34) Red flags before you hand over money(22:50) Gabby: what to expect from a coach(25:56) Fixing an audiobook after it's publishedNarrating Spicy Romance, live workshop, Sunday 25 October at 7pm ET ($27, replay included):https://www.avosjourney.com/spicy-romance-workshop?src=podcastSit in on our live VO Journey Academy classes free this week, through Thursday 15 October:https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcastWatch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xRZYefgFZPoSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 315 - When Your Family Doesn't Get Your Voice Acting Dream

Send us Fan MailSomeone asked how to keep going with voice over during a hard stretch, and it turned into the whole episode.When you start building a VO business, the people closest to you often don't get it. You're spending nights in a closet or a blanket fort with nothing to show for it yet, and it costs money. They get worried, and worry usually comes out as frustration. I talk about what I learned the hard way: shoulder that worry instead of fighting it, keep going, and prove two things. That this works, and that you're not going to quit.(00:00) Open Forum Friday, solo today(01:51) How do you keep going with VO during a hardship?(02:35) When your partner or family doesn't understand(06:03) Why it's so lonely at first(06:49) Shoulder their worry instead of fighting it(07:25) Businesses take three to five years(08:47) Fear comes out as anger(10:06) The hobo fort years(11:09) You have to prove it works(15:48) "What video games are you in?"(17:10) Prove you're not going to quit(19:02) Why the to-do list isn't enough(25:46) Never waking up wishing for another job(28:56) Why a supportive community mattersSit in on our live VO Journey Academy classes free during Free Class Week, 12-15 October. It's four live classes, no charge:https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcastWatch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vJS4Uicx0bwSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 314 - Audible, AI and Your Voice: Academy Voices One Week In, with Gabby Nistico and Angela Ohlfest

Send us Fan MailOne week after the new Academy Voices website went live, Gabby, Angela and I got together to talk about how it's going, what's coming next, and the news everyone has been asking us about: what's being said about Audible letting listeners interact with characters in the narrator's voice, and ACX's new room tone rule.(00:00) One week in, and the new site is holding up.(01:23) How week one went. New authors posting per-finished-hour work, authors bringing their audio over, and narrators using the tools bundle or buying tools as they need them.(03:21) Fewer questions than the old site. The fifteen-minute check is now a recommendation if you've already done books with us, and contracts are created automatically when you accept an offer.(04:48) Coming soon: an Academy Voices store and app, so listeners can buy audiobooks straight from the people who made them.(08:39) Seeing your sales almost in real time.(10:00) Is an AI-enhanced headshot OK? I check every profile myself. Subtle editing is one thing. If people can tell straight away it was made by AI, don't use it.(14:38) You'll get an email whether or not you were cast for an audition on the new site.(16:03) Selfie headshots are fine. Get your whole face in, and hold the camera up high.(17:38) Short stories under 5,000 words? Yes, we have those.(19:08) What's going around on social media about Audible and interactive characters, and the questions nobody has clear answers to yet: the author's rights, the narrator's consent, and pay.(22:56) If your voice gets used for hours of conversation, should you be paid for that time?(25:52) Why listeners still want a real person.(26:58) ACX's room tone change. It's now 1 to 5 seconds at the start and the end of every file, and our audio checker has been updated to match.(30:26) Why the change worries us, starting with retail samples that open on four seconds of silence.(36:20) An author who tried AI narration before coming to us, and why AI narration isn't free.(38:17) Don't forget the listener.(38:44) Duet narration on Academy Voices. How to audition, and why each narrator signs their own contract.(41:29) Moving your account over: use the same name and email.(41:57) Can you opt out of voice replicas on ACX? We don't know yet, and that's part of the problem.(43:15) What authors and narrators earn on our own store. Academy Voices keeps 20 percent.(44:31) Auditioning for a duet without a partner? Audition anyway.(46:22) A safe space for human narration.(47:17) Disclosure and consent, and how writing tools are blurring what counts as AI.(48:48) Getting the word out, with a press release once the store is ready.(50:03) Should the Academy Voices app carry podcasts?(52:14) Distributors and AI-narrated books.(54:00) Running a convention? We'd love to come.Academy Voices is $9 a month or $97 for the year. https://academyvoices.comOur live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcastWhen you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastEvery episode of the podcast is at https://www.avosjourney.com/podcast/Support the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 313 - How to Edit an Audiobook Faster: My DAW Editing Workflow, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailIf editing takes you longer than recording, this one's for you. Gabby and I talk about how to edit an audiobook faster. Learn your shortcuts, keep moving forward while you listen, and fix your room before you reach for a plugin. Then I go through my whole editing and mastering chain, the order I do it in, and why I do the exact same thing every time.(00:00) Editing audiobooks, commercials, all of it. Free Class Week is next week.(01:29) Why editing turns into a bottleneck for so many people.(02:02) Learn your keyboard shortcuts. If you're doing everything with the mouse, you're probably taking twice as long. I have about seven or eight keys bound to the things I do every single time.(04:37) Keep moving forward. Edit while you listen and only stop for something big.(05:57) Why editing speed decides how many auditions you can send in a day.(07:21) Why I edited my first audiobooks by hand, and what it taught me.(08:43) My DAW editing workflow. Step one isn't in the software at all. It's your studio. Get four to six inches of treatment if you can.(11:07) Record clean, then a simple EQ with the high pass filter on. Save it as a preset so it's one click.(12:36) A single band compressor. Minus 12 dB threshold, 2.5 to 1 ratio. Then a boost and a hard limiter if you need it.(14:37) Clean-up. Mouth de-click and voice de-noise, both saved as presets.(15:19) Why I don't trust breath plugins. They can clip your consonants.(17:21) Do audiobooks need breaths? When in doubt, take them out, but watch your pauses.(18:58) Do it in the right order, or you'll end up running the same fix four times.(20:28) The same chain every single time on my own audio.(21:22) What a hard limiter actually does, and how it's different from a soft limiter.(23:46) Editing vs mastering. Gabby and I explain the difference.(27:12) Every engineer does it a little differently. Find what works for you.(28:54) If you're doing 20 or 30 things to your audio, pull it back. The box I bought early on and finally unplugged.(31:04) Most raw audio sounds better than the processed version. Processing should never make your audio sound worse.(31:31) Time is money. Find your bottleneck and go looking for a better way.(33:27) How to trust your process once you have one.(36:18) What is mixing?Post a read in our Facebook group and get a note on it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourneyNew to your DAW? Adobe Audition For Beginners: https://www.avosjourney.com/offers/TtoY2qLB?src=podcast-ep313Audacity For Beginners: https://www.avosjourney.com/offers/R6NzcQrq?src=podcast-ep313Our live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcast-ep313Every episode of the podcast is at https://www.avosjourney.com/podcast/Support the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 312 - The Auditions Numbers Game: How Many Auditions Does It Take to Book an Audiobook?

Send us Fan MailYou sent 10 auditions, heard nothing, and now you're wondering if this works. In this episode I talk about why voice acting is an auditions numbers game, how many auditions it really takes to book an audiobook, and how to keep going and track your numbers while you work a day job.(00:45) The auditions numbers game. Quality matters, but quantity gets you further. Casting is subjective, so give your best take and move on to the next one.(02:11) Why people quit after 10 auditions. Nobody gives you feedback, you doubt yourself (imposter syndrome, and we've all had it), and you don't have a community telling you to send 10 more.(05:40) What booking looked like in my first year. I auditioned for everything on every platform I could, with a $40 microphone and a pop filter made out of pantyhose. In the first three to four months I booked maybe one to three jobs. Training and better equipment made the difference, and year two got a lot better.(10:45) Titles that fit your voice, or audition for everything? Casting often doesn't know what they want until they hear it. Do the titles that fit your voice first, then go back and audition for the rest.(14:05) A weekly number that works with your job. When I started I worked all day, had dinner and put the kids to bed, then worked from 10 or 11pm until 3am. Find the number you can hit each day and week, then grow it.(15:02) Track every audition. Pen and paper or a spreadsheet. The numbers show what you're actually doing, not what you think you're doing.(15:49) 30 auditions and nothing back? It takes hundreds, even thousands of auditions. Like flipping a coin, the odds only even out over a big enough sample.(18:23) Do this today. Find titles that fit your voice and style and get five or 10 auditions in, then five or 10 more outside your usual style.(19:00) Keep training while you keep auditioning. If you're not hearing back, it may be your audio, your read of the directions, or that you're not quite ready yet. That's normal early on. You need both.(21:43) Don't quit. When you're not booking, that's the time to send more auditions and get training.Post a read in our Facebook group and get a note on it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourneyOur live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcast-ep312Support the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 311 - Casting Directors Now Want Video Proof You're Not AI, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailCasting directors are starting to ask voice actors for video proof that they're real. One of our members was asked to send a video of themselves reading the script before they could be booked, and it was a real casting agency, not a scam. Gabby and I talk about why this is happening, what it means for your audio and your branding, and why the people hiring you want to see who they're getting.(00:00) Day two of the new Academy Voices. Unused tool credits now roll over for up to three months.(01:40) Today's topic. Casting directors want video proof you're not AI.(02:20) The member who had to send a video of themselves reading before they got the job.(03:02) Who owns it? Why work made mostly by AI causes problems with rights, royalties and contracts.(04:18) Clients feel duped. When the audition, the finished audio and the directed session don't sound like the same person. Gabby on why agents test talent beyond the demo.(05:41) Audio tools are like Photoshop for your voice. Too much, and the client isn't getting what they cast.(06:41) The real reason we'd lose work. It's not that clients don't want human voices. It's when we're too hard to work with.(07:34) Mouth noise. Processing it out instead of fixing the problem at the source.(08:07) Should your samples be video? A listener asks about Upwork. Try a couple of live performances.(09:04) The people who hire you want to picture you as the voice of their brand.(09:48) Business on top, party on the bottom. Looking presentable on camera.(10:26) From phone patches to browser sessions. The more tools clients have, the more they'll want to see you.(11:42) Why requests for proof will keep growing, and California's new rule that AI voices and actors have to be disclosed.(13:01) Can you still tell what's AI? The pull back to analog and the political ad problem.(15:18) There's proof in the pudding, but you have to make the pudding. Put your work out there so people can see you're real.(17:11) Is the AI threat overhyped? There's still plenty of work out there.(18:09) Why younger people spot fakes faster than older ones.(19:30) You need proof too. If someone asks for a video, check who they are first. Scams on automated platforms.(20:38) It's no different from a client asking for a noise floor test or a short raw file.(21:13) What actually hurts us is the AI companies' marketing. You have to run your business and market it.(22:19) Being found when people search with AI instead of Google.(23:24) A listener asks about custom samples on Upwork that never get a reply.(24:13) Why you rarely get feedback. Most voice over companies are one to five people looking after hundreds of talent.(26:30) Get your profile up on the new Academy Voices. Human only, from the start.(27:30) Voice cloning offers on casting sites, and ACX's rule on AI. More on this next week.(28:55) Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October.Our live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcastWhen you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastNarrators, Academy Voices is human only. https://academyvoices.comEvery episode of the podcast is at https://www.avosjourney.com/podcast/Support the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 310 - Academy Voices Is Live: What's New for Audiobook Narrators and Authors, with Gabby Nistico and Angela Ohlfest

Send us Fan MailAcademy Voices has a brand-new website, and we went live on launch day to walk through it. Gabby and Angela joined me to talk about what changed for narrators and authors, why you need to make a new account, what happened to auditions from the old site, and the new tools. We also get honest about how much work is still going on behind the scenes.(00:00) Launch day. The new site went up early this morning and people have been moving over all day. Gabby is moving about 200 projects across by hand.(02:05) Try the tools. For launch day every member gets a free hour of the proofing tool and one free script prep to test them.(02:38) Moving over. Everyone links their account a little differently depending on how they pay or where they came from. It only happens once.(03:47) Set up your profile. Headshot, at least one demo, your bio. Then it comes to me to approve. Profiles that aren't finished don't show up to authors.(05:30) What happened to the old auditions? Nothing is lost. Those projects are still being cast, and once they are you'll get a contract through the new site.(07:00) Make a brand-new account. Don't try to log in with your old details. Your membership links automatically, and we can't send you a contract until you're on the new site.(10:00) Why we rebuilt it. Over 2,000 audio files sitting in a Dropbox, auditions posted in a comment section, and contracts sent by hand.(10:55) Your profile page builds itself once you're approved.(11:50) For authors. A whole launch kit to help them sell their audiobook, from emails to a launch calendar.(12:50) The tools bundle. Proofing hours and script preps come together with social post generation. Pay monthly or yearly, and top up if you need more.(14:05) The audio checker. It's included for everyone. It checks your file against the standards and fixes what it can, and if your noise floor is too high it sends the file back to you.(16:30) Sales and statements. A sales overview, plus monthly statements you can download, updated about three times a month as the reports come in.(18:00) Why royalty reports run two to three months behind, and why every platform pays on a different schedule.(19:30) What we're seeing on ACX lately, including the spam narrators are getting, and why every narrator on Academy Voices is checked by a human.(24:13) Due dates. The system sets them automatically, and you can send the contract back and ask for more time.(26:48) What's next. A big push to get authors to know we exist. The front page now shows a running count of the books we've published this year.(31:23) The new logo, and yes, the moose.(34:48) A shareable Academy Voices logo for your website is on the list.(37:03) Coming soon: a blog post for each audiobook, and a newsletter.(39:38) Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October.(41:33) The old site is closed to everyone but the team.(45:32) If you're not a member right now but you narrated books with us, you can still log in and see your royalties.(48:57) Linking your account. PayPal links by hand on our side. If you pay through Stripe, sign up with the same name and email.Academy Voices is $9 a month or $97 for the year. https://academyvoices.comOur live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcastWhen you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastEvery episode of the podcast is at https://www.avosjourney.com/podcast/Support the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 309 - Reading Dialogue Without Tags: How to Keep Every Character Clear

Send us Fan MailWhen a book drops the "he said" and "she said", you can lose track of who's talking, and so can your listener. In this episode I go through how I prep a scene like that and how to make each character easy to follow without doing big voices. Then the two mistakes I hear most.(01:18) The problem. Some authors leave out the dialogue tags, sometimes on purpose. As the narrator you still have to know who's speaking, and it gets harder when there are more than two people in the scene.(03:09) Prep first. At the very least, read the chapter before you narrate it. Then mark the speakers, one highlighter colour per character, so you can see who's talking at a glance while you record. If you've done the prep and you're still not sure, ask the author. They'll be glad you did.(06:40) Your listener doesn't know either. Give each character a small, consistent difference in pitch, pace or attitude rather than a big voice, and anchor it on the first line they speak.(08:04) Reference files. I record a few lines of each character, or write notes on them, so I can listen back and find the voice again when they come back into the story.(08:46) The first common mistake is characters drifting into sounding the same, especially late in a scene. Check yourself against your reference files. Stop and re-listen when you need to.(11:00) The second is overacting to make up for it. Extreme pitch turns a real person into a caricature. Small touches do more, like a little more breath for one character or a slower pace for an older one.(14:59) Try this today. Take one page of dialogue and mark the speakers. Then record it without the tags. Listen back and check you can hear who's who from your performance alone.Post your read in the free Facebook group and I'll give you a note. https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourneyThere are over 1,600 free voice over scripts to practise with at https://www.avosjourney.com/scripts/?src=podcast and Academy Voices opens its new website on 1 October at https://academyvoices.comOur live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcastWhen you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 308 - Royalty Share or Per Finished Hour? How Audiobook Narrators Actually Get Paid

Send us Fan MailYour first audiobook offer will make you choose how you get paid. In this episode I go through the three ways narrators actually get paid, what a finished hour really takes, and when royalty share is worth it and when it isn't.(02:02) Per finished hour. You're paid a set rate for every hour a listener hears. A six-hour book at $150 per finished hour is $900, sometimes with a part paid up front and the rest when you finish. You're paid either way, but you have no stake in the book after that.(04:00) Royalty share. Nothing up front, and you split the royalties with the author. On ACX that runs for seven years. On Academy Voices it's 10 years with authors and 20 years on our own house projects, because I wanted people to be able to build a career on royalties.(06:34) Royalty share plus. Royalties plus a smaller payment up front. The author who can't pay $900 might manage $200, and you still share in the sales.(08:00) Why royalty share helps you against AI. An AI narration is cheap, but no AI company will take a share of the royalties and help sell the book. Flexibility is something only we can offer.(11:31) What a finished hour really takes. Early on, one finished hour is about four to six hours of prep, recording, editing and pickups. It takes real time, and there's always more audiobook work.(14:00) Cutting that time down. The script prep and proofing tools in the new Academy Voices site analyse your script and check your audio against it, which can take a finished hour down to two to four hours of work.(16:34) Red flags. Spam offers on ACX, and long royalty share books with no sales history unless you're ready to help sell them. Shorter books, three hours or less, are a good place to start with royalty share.(19:30) What to charge. Our rate guide covers per finished hour rates from beginner to pro, with a calculator.What to charge per finished hour, with the rate calculator: https://www.avosjourney.com/voice-over-rate-guide/?src=podcast-ep308Academy Voices relaunches Thursday 1 October. Audition for audiobooks there: https://academyvoices.comOur live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcastWhen you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 307 - Quitting in Year One, and How Not To

Send us Fan MailMost people who start voice over are gone within a year, and usually it isn't because they can't do it. In this episode I go through the four things that make talented people quit and what the ones who stay do differently. Then there's one thing to set up today that will carry you to the end of the year.(02:02) The silence. You send auditions and hear nothing back. That's normal, and it isn't a verdict on you. The person casting is often the producer or the rights holder too, and they can't send notes to 200 people. I went through a stretch of complete crickets myself, and what changed it was changing my style and sending out a lot more auditions.(05:16) The gear spiral. New mics and interfaces, and a studio that's never quite right. Early on you're training your ears for the first time, so every click and mouth noise sounds huge. Nine times out of ten the fix is treating your space, not buying more gear, and then auditioning more.(08:38) Going it alone. We spend hours by ourselves in a closet. With nobody to give you feedback, you repeat the same mistakes a hundred times. The people I see last are part of a community where they can read for others and get notes back.(10:58) The wrong yardstick. Comparing your first year to someone's tenth, or your audio to someone on a $5,000 microphone. You get better at speaking into a mic the more you do it, and that takes time.(14:19) What the people who stay do. They set a weekly audition target and get regular feedback somewhere. Most of all, they track what they do rather than what they book. Bookings and money are the result. The auditions are what you control.(18:43) Do this today. Set a weekly audition number you can keep for the next 12 weeks, through the last quarter of the year, and track it every day.Post a read in the free Facebook group and I'll give you a note. https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourneyThere are over 900 free voice over scripts to practise with at https://www.avosjourney.com/scripts/?src=podcast and you can audition for audiobooks at https://academyvoices.comOur live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class?src=podcastWhen you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 306 - How to Prep a Book Before You Record a Word

Send us Fan MailMost narrators lose hours in the booth fixing problems they could have caught before pressing record. In this episode I walk through the prep routine I use between signing the contract and recording the first line. There are five steps, and none of them need special software. I also share the time I narrated a Minnesota army sergeant with a Brooklyn accent.(00:00) Why prep matters. Pickups and re-records cost you the performance and the money.(03:18) My first audiobook, and what I didn't know I didn't know.(05:45) Step one, read the book. Or at least read each chapter before you narrate it.(08:30) Step two, build a character list, and record reference clips so voices don't drift.(10:28) Step three, the pronunciation list. When in doubt, ask the author.(13:40) Step four, mark up the script. Who's talking when there's no tag, plus mood words beside each paragraph.(20:45) Step five, plan your sessions. About 9,300 words per finished hour, and why not to start with chapter one.(24:30) The script prep tool coming to Academy Voices on 1 October.(25:35) Your homework. Write a character list for the first three chapters of any book.Sit in on our live classes free during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcast-306When you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 305 - Does Your Logo Get You Work? What Casting Checks First, with Gabby Nistico

Send us Fan MailDoes your voice over logo actually get you work? Gabby Nistico spent 25 years in advertising, casting and copywriting, and she tells us what casting really notices when they look you up. We get into the five-second check she runs on every demo, the minimum a voice over website needs, and why a proper email signature still matters in 2026. We finish with the things we see people wasting money on.(00:00) Does your logo actually get you work? Short answer from the casting side: no. Plus headshots.(05:01) What casting notices in the first 10 seconds. Fonts, emojis, and knowing who you're talking to.(15:05) The first three things casting checks on a voice actor they've never heard of.(21:42) The minimum website, and why your email signature matters.(28:12) What makes casting pass on a talented actor, and pen names for romance narrators.(32:46) Social profiles. Use the same name and photo everywhere, with a one-line bio.(36:37) What voice actors waste money on.(41:25) Is it OK to use AI for your logo?Sit in on our live classes free during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. Gabby teaches Acting on the Monday at 6pm ET. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcast-305Watch this conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/w5f3mSh_ZfwWhen you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/ 

Ep. 304 - Duet vs Multi-Cast Audiobooks: How Duet Narration Really Works

Send us Fan MailDuet, dual and multi-cast audiobooks get mixed up all the time. These are the highlights from our live workshop with narrators Rebecca Heddinger and Caesar Esturco. We get into what each one actually is and how two separate home studios end up sounding like one book. Then Rebecca and Caesar read a short duet scene live, retakes included.(00:00) Welcome, and meet Rebecca and Caesar.(02:27) Dual vs duet vs multi-cast. In a dual, narrators alternate chapters or points of view. In a duet, both voices run through the whole book, and multi-cast is a full cast. Dual needs more prep up front, while duet editing is much like solo narration afterwards.(06:23) Making two studios sound like one book. Caesar on matching your room and your EQ to your partner's, and why he won't work with anyone recording in an untreated space.(09:41) A live duet scene. Duets are recorded apart, so self-direction matters. Rebecca and Caesar read a short scene, with a real retake left in.(12:48) How the money is split. Per finished hour is paid by each narrator's share of the words. Put the royalty split in writing before anyone records.This is a highlight reel. The full workshop replay, with the casting stories and the whole Q&A: https://hospitable-hoopoe.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/10840452/registerOur live classes are open to anyone during Free Class Week, 12 to 15 October. https://www.avosjourney.com/free-class-week-october-2026?src=podcast-304There are 210 free duet and multi-cast scripts to practice with at https://www.avosjourney.com/scripts/duet/?src=podcast and you can audition for audiobooks at https://academyvoices.comWhen you're ready to train with us, here's VO Journey Academy. https://www.avosjourney.com/join?src=podcastSupport the showSocial Links:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anthony_pica_vo/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AVOsJOURNEYFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/avosjourney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypicavo/