The VoiceMe Podcast

The VoiceMe Podcast

By Andrew SutherlandBusinessEntrepreneurshipTechnologyArtsPerforming Arts
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The VoiceMe Podcast episodes

  • Episode 054 - The Dangerous Middle: Why Intermediate Voice Artists Get Stuck

    You've done the training, sent the auditions, and booked some work. So why does it feel like nothing's actually moving? This episode looks at the dangerous middle: the stage where beginner effort has run out but professional momentum hasn't shown up yet, and where a lot of voice artists stall for years without ever making a clear decision to quit.

    Topics in this episode:

    • Why an old demo or marketing message that worked once can stop working, and how to tell the difference between movement and real momentum.
    • How to review your last 12 months of enquiries and bookings so you're fixing the actual bottleneck instead of guessing.
    • Why weak positioning, outdated demos and stale marketing keep good voices invisible to the right clients.
    • A practical 90-day reset for picking one constraint (craft, proof, positioning, or service and systems) and building evidence around it

      • More Info:

      VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

      Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

      Support - mailto:[email protected]

      Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

      Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

      Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

      X - @VoiceMeSA

      Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

      LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

      32 min
    • Episode 053 - The First 10 Seconds - Why Clients Stop Listening to Your Demo

      Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za, the South African search directory for voice artists and related services. I'm Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and this week I'm talking about the first 10 seconds of your voiceover demo, and why clients stop listening.

      Topics in this episode:

      • Why clients listen for suitability, not talent, when they press play on your demo
      • How audio quality, weak openings and generic delivery lose you the listener before you get a fair hearing
      • Why your strongest, most relevant clip should always come first, not buried at 35 seconds
      • What separates a focused audition from five unfocused takes, and when to slate

        • More Info:

        VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

        Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

        Support - mailto:[email protected]

        Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

        Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

        Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

        X - @VoiceMeSA

        Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

        LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

        25 min
      • Episode 052 - Voiceover Red Flags, Scams, Fake Jobs and When to Walk Away

        Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za, the South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I'm Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode I'm talking about voiceover red flags, scams, fake jobs and when to walk away.

        Topics in this episode:

        • How to spot and respond to overpayment scams, fake casting calls, impersonation schemes and pay-to-work traps
        • The AI voice data risk: what to watch for in contract language and clean sample requests from unknown people
        • Red flags from real clients, including unclear usage, no confirmed rate, unlimited revisions and identity that keeps shifting
        • A step-by-step verification checklist and what to do if you've already engaged with a suspicious enquiry

          • More Info:

          VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

          Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

          Support - mailto:[email protected]

          Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

          Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

          Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

          X - @VoiceMeSA

          Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

          LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

          29 min
        • Episode 051 - Available Isn't Ready - Why Clients Book the Voice Artist Who's Easy to Work With

          Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za, the South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I'm Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode I'm talking about why being available for a voiceover job doesn't automatically mean you're ready to be booked.

          Topics in this episode:

          • Why clients often book the voice artist who feels safest, not just the one with the best demo
          • The difference between a weak reply to an enquiry and one that wins the job, with real examples
          • How to be clear about rates and usage so the client knows exactly what's included
          • The technical and script prep that stops problems before they happen on session day


            • More Info:

            VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

            Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

            Support - mailto:[email protected]

            Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

            Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

            Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

            X - @VoiceMeSA

            Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

            LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

            24 min
          • Episode 050 - Live Directed Sessions Without the Panic

            Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, Information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za - The South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I'm Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode, I'm talking about live directed voiceover sessions, and more specifically, how to handle them without the panic.

            Topics in this episode:

            • Why live directed sessions feel harder than solo recording — and the two environments South African voice artists are most likely to encounter, including what changes when you’re walking into a professional studio versus working from your own setup
            • How to prepare for a pro studio session — arriving warm, knowing the copy, and building a working relationship with the studio engineer, who is one of the most underused resources in the room
            • How to listen to direction properly, decode vague or conflicting notes, and adjust your performance without ego or defensiveness — including what to do when the room does not yet know what it wants
            • The hidden skill that separates artists who get called back: emotional regulation — and how to stay steady when the room gets uncertain, indecisive, or just plain quiet

              •  

              More Info:

              VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

              Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

              Support - mailto:[email protected]

              Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

              Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

              Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

              X - @VoiceMeSA

              Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

              LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

              37 min
            • Episode 049 - Revisions, Pickups and Scope Creep

              Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, Information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za - The South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I’m Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode, I'm talking about revisions, pickups, and scope creep, and why this is often the point where an otherwise good voiceover job starts to go sideways.

              Topics in this episode:

              • The difference between a correction, a pickup, a performance revision, a script rewrite, and scope creep, and why treating them all as "just a revision" is costing you time and money
              • Why voice artists keep saying yes, how scope creep builds quietly, and how to recognise the moment a job has grown beyond what you originally quoted
              • Ready-to-use phrasing for communicating additional charges calmly and professionally, without damaging the client relationship
              • Practical tools including a simple three-part request filter, how to set revision windows, and why "unlimited revisions" is riskier than it sounds

                •  

                More Info:

                VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

                Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

                Support - mailto:[email protected]

                Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

                Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

                Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

                X - @VoiceMeSA

                Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

                LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

                29 min
              • Episode 048 - How to Read a Client Brief Like a Producer

                Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast, Information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za - The South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I’m Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode, I’m talking about how to read a client brief like a producer.

                Topics in this episode:

                • Why a client brief is evidence, not just instructions — and how to read it that way
                • The four layers every brief contains, and why most voice artists only read one
                • Red flag phrases that signal a job needs more definition before you proceed
                • How reading a brief properly improves your performance, your quoting, and your professionalism

                  •  

                  More Info:

                  VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

                  Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

                  Support - mailto:[email protected]

                  Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

                  Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

                  Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

                  X - @VoiceMeSA

                  Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

                  LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

                  22 min
                • Episode 047 - The Client’s POV - What They Really Hear

                  Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast — information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za, the South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services.

                  I’m Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and today we’re stepping into a perspective that voice artists don’t often get to hear — the client’s.

                  Topics in this episode:

                  • Why clients use abstract language when giving notes
                  • What they actually care about (it’s simpler than you think)
                  • How to translate vague direction into actionable performance
                  • Ways to manage contradictory feedback from multiple stakeholders
                  • Practical strategies to become a “translator” clients trust

                  More Info:

                  VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

                  Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

                  Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

                  Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

                  Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

                  Twitter - @VoiceMeSA

                  Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

                  LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

                   

                  32 min
                • Episode 046 - Marketing Outside the VO Bubble

                  Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast — information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za, the South African search directory for voice artists and related services.

                  I’m Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and in this episode, we’re diving into a topic that could change the way you think about finding work - Marketing Outside the VO Bubble.

                  Topics in this episode:

                  • Why the VO bubble is so crowded, and how to stand out by stepping outside it.
                  • Which industries are ripe for voiceover work (and often overlooked).
                  • How to reframe your marketing so it speaks your client’s language, not just VO jargon.
                  • Practical strategies: partnerships, case studies, and cold outreach that works.
                  • The challenges of educating first-time clients, and how to turn them into loyal, repeat business relationships.

                    • More Info:

                    VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

                    Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

                    Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

                    Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

                    Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

                    Twitter - @VoiceMeSA

                    Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

                    LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

                     

                    14 min
                  • Episode 045 - Demos Done Right

                    Welcome to the VoiceMe Podcast — information and advice on the world of voiceover, presented by voiceme.co.za — the South African Search Directory for Voice Artists and Related Services. I’m Andrew Sutherland, founder of voiceme.co.za, and today we’re talking about one of the most powerful tools in your entire voiceover career — your demo.

                    Topics in this episode:

                    • What a Demo Is (and Isn’t)
                    • Booking Scenarios from Specific Demos
                    • How to craft your demo like a powerful sales tool
                    • The pros and cons of a single multi-clip reel vs individual clips
                    • Tips for Updating and Refining Your Demo Over Time

                      • More Info:

                      VoiceMe - voiceme.co.za

                      Profiles & Pricing - voiceme.co.za/support#pandp

                      Phone - 0861 VOICEME (0861 864 2363)

                      Whatsapp - Andrew Sutherland (Bigmouth Studios & VoiceMe)

                      Facebook - @VoiceMeSA

                      Twitter - @VoiceMeSA

                      Instagram - @VoiceMeSA

                      LinkedIn - @VoiceMeSA

                       

                       

                      35 min

                    About The VoiceMe Podcast

                    From the publisher's feed

                    The VoiceMe Podcast. Information and advice on the world of voiceover, hosted by Andrew Sutherland, founder of VoiceMe South Africa - The South African Search Directory for Voice Artists. and Related…