Why VO Communities Matter

Are VO Communities important to your work life? They can be! There are a great many options for voiceover communities now, far more than existed even ten years ago. There are in person groups in many locations, as well as a plethora, and endlessly growing number of groups on social media. It’s easy to find these groups overwhelming and not want to bother with finding a good place to hang out and find community. 

Our industry can be extremely isolating since there is no automatic group of co-workers nearby that you can talk to and share with. If you’re going to have an ‘office environment’ you kind of have to make your own. A good component of work/life balance is to find people to share with and discuss work elements with. VO communities can be tricky, so first I’m going to give you a couple cautions. 

Vet your communities

• If there’s one thing true in voiceover, it’s that there are more groups for the industry every single day. The vast majority of these will be a waste of your time, even if you’re just starting out. Most groups are little more than captive audiences for various sales and coaching pitches, or stadiums full of ignorant cheerleaders who will send you off into the weeds for bad advice. A little googling will give you a quick idea who is who and what their backgrounds and experience are, and who is full of crap. There are plenty of people out there with a moderate amount of knowledge who will present themselves as an expert, but they’re not. Or if they have good knowledge in one area, they might be lacking where you ask the question. 

Expect Ignorance

• In all but the most carefully curated communities, ignorance can make its way inside. Expect that sooner or later you will encounter someone who thinks they know better than you, or who thinks that your experience doesn’t mean anything against whatever they want to believe. A good group moderator will send them packing or school their attitude before they can cause harm. 

So enough with the cautionary tales. You can and will find friends, teachers, and helpers through the communities you can connect in person and on social media. Like any online group, there can be a lot of okay people, a few great ones, and some that you don’t have much to do with. But the overall quantity of helpful people you can turn to is pretty great! Everyone understanding the ups and downs of a freelancer’s life make things much closer than they might otherwise be. Here are some benefits to your VO community both local and worldwide!

Get together in person

• Depending on the group you find, this can be easier or harder. There are always conventions to meet up at, but these aren’t necessarily within everyone’s budget. If you’re in or near a major city, you can often find local meetup groups to hang out with, but these can be kind of hit or miss depending on the group expertise and what they’re interested in looking into or talking about. If you’re outside of a major city, well it’s something to save for to find a place or time to meet with your friends–and hey depending on the nature of the trip, it can be a tax deduction too! 

Industry news

• Our industry, although one that affects more and more people every day, is rather a niche one in terms of news. Voiceover groups are a great place to find the sifted news that’s most relevant to us. There are voiceover specific blogs and news sites, but hearing news from colleagues can add a personal touch. For example, the recent suing of app giant TikTok by Bev Standing for using her voice without permission or compensation. Or the latest trends and concerns over AI voices, and who’s done a cool project or was able to win an award. 

Referrals

• Making friends and community in the industry is a great way to get referrals for jobs! Not only will colleagues recommend you if they know that you’re a good fit for a part from time to time, but you can also get casting notices from colleagues. 

Borrowed Studio

• Traveling is the greatest trick to get urgent work for a voice talent. Many people set up makeshift pillow forts in hotel rooms. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you can also look to borrow a treated space from a colleague. This can be a better option than balancing pillows on a luggage rack and hoping for the best! We all know that consistency in delivery is one of the better ways to keep good clients. 

Who to watch out for

• Unfortunately, in recent decades, voiceover has been framed as a get rich quick industry in some quarters. This has ramped up the number of snakes and other dishonest folks who are looking to make a buck off of voice talent. A good community group can give you a heads up to avoid this type, and tell any newbies you know the same. And as any industry, we have our bad apples. Thankfully there’s lots of folks willing to watch your back, and give you a heads up. 

Water Cooler Time

• When you’ve spent days or weeks locked in your little room on a deadline, isn’t it an incredible joy to share with people who truly understand? It’s hot. The neighbors won’t stop mowing the lawn. Seventeen trucks passed by today. Oh and two airplanes. 
• Or the complicated array of equipment that’s needed to create a recording space. There are so many things that can go wrong or get confused, someone will always be around that you can get techie knowledge from. Software updates can throw things off, and driver updates can mess them up further yet. Someone will know whether or not you should hit that button, or if things suddenly broke, what you might be able to do to reset and get back what you lost. 
• There are a hundred ideas on how to stay cool in your tiny hot box, and different strategies to minimize noise and maximize breeze. And every voice talent has to deal with a family or home that will be roasting while they record in hot summer temperatures. 

When you join a new group, it can be pretty intimidating. But well established groups and boards often have archives that can give you a hand up. It gives you a chance to get familiar with the types and flows of discussions that happen. You also can answer any questions you may have before you even start. (Plus it’s a bit of an etiquette thing to at least try and search archives before popping yet another question up about v dot com or another voiceover perennial!) Reading will give you ideas of who you might want to approach. Or what events are coming up on the calendar where you can have a chance to meet people in person. Just remember that giving people the benefit of the doubt goes a long way for first impressions. If someone tells you you’re wrong, or not making the best effort, doubling down will start your community life badly indeed.