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INCOME
The voice over industry is at a crossroads. All voice actors, from the newbiest newb to the crustiest vet, are looking at the voice over industry wondering what the hell is going on, and what’s going to happen next. This concern manifests most clearly in how much we get paid. With that in mind, let’s talk about the state of the voice over industry from a rates perspective, look at what’s affecting our rates, and figure out what we as voice actors can do to not only stay relevant (and sane), but thrive in this ever-evolving (and weird) landscape. Voice over rates are the way they are in 2025 as a consequence of technology and morality. Technology, morality, and the economics of any given industry always go hand in hand in hand. Is that three hands or six...? Regardless, the most recent example of technology affecting the voice over industry is AI. AI AND YOUR WALLET 2025 may very well be the year of AI in the voice over industry. Companies that provide synthetic voice over services have been training their AI’s, building their rosters and catalogs, and refining their processes for years. This year some of those companies might start marketing their services more heavily. This may make even more projects disappear for human narrators, sort of. Here's what I mean by "sort of"... If an untrained, unethical voice actor who is willing to get paid $5 to do a $500 job loses that $5 job to AI, should we care? How much of those $5 gigs are going where?
What are the rate structures for the voice actors who willingly cloned their voices?
And I'm sure other compensation structures will be coming to a theater near you. In short, it is still the Wild Wild West when it comes to voice over rates and AI. IS AI REDUCING PAY FOR HUMANS? Are clients leveraging AI to pay human voice actors less? One could say of course they are, look at the compensation structures you just cited, Tom. What I mean is, are clients saying to voice actors, "I know I usually pay you $500 to do this Explainer video but I could pay AI $5, so would you be willing to do it for $50?" If you or anyone you know has experienced this, please share in the comments. Not coincidentally, as of this writing the SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media Strike is still ongoing. The union negotiators are fighting fiercely to protect its members from predatory practices regarding the use of AI to use video game narrators’ voices without adequate compensation or any compensation at all. Hopefully, the strike will end soon and a new standard will be set for protecting all voice actors. TECH CHANGES SO MUCH Technology fostered the creation of AI as well as the other bogeyman in the voice over industry, Pay-to-Play sites. Technology also created the ability for most of us to be able to record from home and have a voice over career at all. In effect, technology has democratized the voice over industry. Is that a good thing, a bad thing, or just a thing? MORALITY OF THE VO INDUSTRY If you think the current state of voice over rates can be blamed entirely on immoral AI companies, shady Pay-to-Play sites, and non-union hacks, think about this:
Pay-to-Play sites do not hex upstanding citizens into depraved parasites, and SAG-AFTRA does not instantly canonize new members into saints. You bring your values, morals, and ethics with you everywhere you go. There are a percentage of people in every industry who will always behave morally, and there are a certain percentage of people in every industry who will never behave morally. The voice over industry is no different. PREDICTIONS AND POSSIBILITIES The voice over industry’s rates will continue to be whatever any one individual feels like charging. There hasn’t been any market pressure to keep rates fair for a long time, and I don’t think that will change any time soon. Here is something to consider. If AI causes the voice over industry to further contract, the economic laws of supply and demand may come to bear. If there is less voice over work for humans, more voice actors will leave the industry, and it will be exponentially harder for new voice actors to enter the industry. But what about the talented, well-trained, ethical voice actors who are able to stay in the voice over industry? The voice actors who remain will be better storytellers than AI, and the demand for this smaller casting pool may increase. Perhaps they will be able to charge more for their services. Am I fooling myself with this thought exercise? Time will tell. THE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS You, dear reader, are the voice over community. The onus is on you to learn, grow, evolve, and adapt to the ever-changing landscape that is the voice over industry. If you're in the union, explore the many programs and services that SAG-AFTRA provides to maximize your knowledge and take full advantage of the tools at your disposal. Adhere to Global Rule One. Learn how to convert non-union gigs into union gigs. Educate yourself about non-jurisdictional voice over work. If you’re non-union, join the National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) to educate yourself and learn how to protect your IP. Participate in workshops and fundraisers. Get health insurance through their programs if you need it. For everyone:
I urge you to:
And don't be afraid to talk to your clients. They have their own sets of challenges, and you could and should commiserate with them. Web: www.TomDheere.com |
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By Tom Dheere
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