The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to produce voiceovers and its effect on the industry has been a topic of serious discussion lately. The latest round of debate started around some recent developments:
When the producers of the Anthony Bourdain documentary "Roadrunnner" used AI to simulate the late chef's voice.
When the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS) published an article regarding voiceovers and Artificial Intelligence
When voice actor Bev Standing sued TikTok for using her voice without her permission.
When Voice123 published a survey regarding Artificial Intelligence and the opinions of voice seekers.
There is a lot to unpack here so I suggest you read the above publications and check out the other blog entries & articles out there regarding the subject.
How much will Artificial Intelligence disrupt the voiceover industry? Nobody knows. I think it will depend on:
How much voice seekers care if the narrator is an AI
How much listeners care if the narrator is an AI
What agents, SAG-AFTRA, and Pay-to-Play sites will do to protect voice actors
I think that eventually many of the lower-tier narrators will lose their livelihood. There is no hard data to support this, but did you know that many audio book listeners increase the playback speed? All of that hard work narrators are doing to include nuance and subtlety in their narration is never noticed. I have a feeling many listeners will not care if an AI narrates many of the audio books they listen to since they will speed it up anyway nor will they care about whether many other genres of voiceover use it either. Many people don't give a moment's thought to whom or what is narrating most of the the content they listen to, anyway.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Yes, Artificial Intelligence is already beginning to disrupt some aspects of the voiceover industry. Yes, some voice actors may lose their livelihood eventually. The big question is, is that going to be YOU?
Ask yourself these questions:
What is the ceiling of your talent, your skill sets, your marketing acumen, and your intestinal fortitude? Is that ceiling high enough to keep you in the voiceover industry?
What are you doing to protect your voice when you audition for and book projects?
Are you willing to license your voice to an AI company?
You need to answer these questions ASAP and do whatever you can to stay educated and relevant.
RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS
In this new section of the VO Strategist Blog, I will occasionally suggest stuff that may help your voiceover business. Some of these suggestions may include an Amazon Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you click on the link and purchase the item in question, I get a few cents at no extra cost to you.
Today's recommendation: shock mounts! Last year I bought the Eggsnow universal shock mount & mic clip. The problem is that a few of the rubber bands broke and apparently Eggsnow has no website, contact info, or any way of buying replacement rubber bands (I bought it on Amazon, BTW). Since I'm not interested in playing the guessing game of what size the rubber bands are and ordering from someone else, I decided to get a new shock mount.
I purchased the Rycote InVision INV-7 HG mkIII Microphone Shock Mount. While the Eggsnow shock mount was under $10 and the Rycote shock mount is $75, if nothing else this shock mount doesn't require rubber bands to secure my Sennheiser 416. And it looks really cool!
NEWS AND NOTES
Thursday, August 12th @8PM ET: Time Management. In this one-hour Edge Studio webinar, this class will give students a game plan of how to best utilize their day and where you need to focus your time as a voice talent.
Saturday, August 14th @5PM ET: Be a Practical Voice Actor. In this Voice Actor Studio webinar, you will learn how to develop your decision-making skills so you can move your voiceover business in the direction you want it to go. You’ll also learn to determine what questions you need to ask yourself and how to find the right answers in order to be the voiceover artist and business you truly want to be.
Wednesday, August 18th @8PM ET: Tracking Your Stuff. In this 90-minute "VO How-To" webinar, we will discuss how to effectively and efficiently track your clients, your Cash Flow, and your invoices. This webinar will be recorded so if you can't attend you can still sign up and get a copy of the video.
Thursday, August 26th @8PM ET: Brand Yourself. In this one-hour Edge Studio webinar, students will be given insights on how to brand yourself as a voice over talent in order to get the right kind of attention and grow your business.
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy All or Nothing Day and International Chicken Wing Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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