I'm not a voice actor but this is a great basic business advice explained clearly.

Always a complex topic and just not covered in most voiceover classes. Just to remind people...you do have overhead. You still need to keep the lights on and put food on the table. You need to save for retirement. You need to upgrade your equipment and software. You need to pay for your high speed Internet connection. You have marketing and bookkeeping and general business costs. Don't discount. Great to use the printed rate cards of places like V-dot-C and now the GVAA rate guide. Think about projects as having shelf-life and eyeballs. Ask about usage. If it is going to be shown one time to a group of 10, maybe you can discount. But if your voice is trying to convince that group of 10 to spend 10 million dollars, then don't discount. You need to ask enough questions to fully understand the scope of the project. Ask to see scripts. If it is marketing, it is always more valuable. Don't give away the store. And be prepared to walk away from a job if it doesn't pay enough.

Here's the thing. You've done more than teach me a little about how to operate the DA2 and deal a little with clients. You've motivated me to WANT to record something great. You've made me want to be better. That's so cool.

One thing I've learned from being an outdoor-skills instructor for many years...EXPOSURE is what you die of in the woods. Don't accept it as payment. You will die of starvation, cold, and dehydration; the symptoms of exposure. No money = no food, rent, utilities...slow, painful death. If someone offers you exposure as payment, KILL them. (haha, not really) But DO take it as the insult that it is. And think about killing them.

Having a background in design and dealing with clients back then, this makes total sense! Ironically, I just cleaned off my desk to get situated with my new Mac mini, microphone, etc. and right after, someone sent a txt asking what I would charge for an intro! 😳😝

This sounds similar to freelance graphic design work: send a contract with payment and feedback deadlines and fair out clauses, expect a down payment before starting, send a watermarked low res finished image, get the email in writing saying they approve the final product, wait for the last payment, then send the high res file.

I'm not a voice actor by any stretch of the imagination, but I can see this being applicable to all sorts of commission based businesses.

What you're doing is called "anchoring" and is a very solid strategy, used by almost everyone who sells something. And I agree, it's completely ethical, particularly because you're anchoring to a *real* price point, not a made-up number.

It's so refreshing to see a straight forward and non-BS answer to this very impotant question. Thank you Mike and may your calender be overflowed with gigs.

Very nice, thank you. And it looks like you're in the booth I just built.

You've been extremely helpful with your advice. Thank you!

Thank you! I have seen several youtube voice actor channels saying your first many VO gigs should always be for free in exchange for a written testimonial. As someone who wants to be in this field someday and works as a musician, free work is never a good idea. This is why, as a musician, people are always trying to hire me and my colleagues for exposure, or worse yet, ask me to pay to play somewhere for exposure. It kills industries when the clients know they can get an almost passible product for free from a poor newbie.

Mike, I am a totally new to the world of VO but you have done a great deal to educating me! It happens too often to new people being taken advantage of but learning from your videos certainly helps and to those of you in the comments below thank you as well I have read them and taken plenty of notes. Now lets "Go record something Amazing!"

Always time well spent watching Booth Junkie videos. Thanks a bunch Mike.

mind blowingly simple straight forward advice - glad i stumbled on this.

As an up-and-coming VO artist, this was incredibly helpful. I will be checking out the rest of your channel. Thank you!

Great info! Would love to hear your take on working non-union vs going union.

you rock ! why can't the rest of the business be as wise and direct as you .... thanks!

Its often so hard to find a mentor for careers in general, even more so nowadays. Its been 3 years since you made this video but its still helping young folks like me. Can't thank you enough

Great video! It's always great for people to get advice on the day-to-day aspects of a business.

Thank you for this! Everyone tip-toes around this issue and I can never get a straight answer. Your channel has helped me tremendously, and this advice, especially, is golden.

By far the best advice I've seen in video or written form. I wouldn't expect any less from you though :)

Thanks for this amazing advice. I hope to implement it soon!

Excellent advice, Mike. Thank you for your great guidance.

I'm in love with your voice.

BOOTH JUNKIE! You're the man! Your short but concise tutorial answered HOURS of research that was my next step in my budding VO career. This particular tutorial is priceless! Thanks again friend!

That was incredibly clear, helpful and perfect. Thank you.

A simple way to explain something that a lot of others get very hung up on! Thanks!

Thank you for this, and for all your content!! Been in the voice acting world for about a year and you've been an invaluable resource in navigating so many factors of this business. And it's all delivered in a very enjoyable way! Much appreciated sir.

You are a GREAT teacher. Thanks for this channel and these training videos.

Great recommendations! Thanx Muchly, Mike!

Thanks for these videos, Mike. They are super appreciated. Keep up the good work!

Can't thank you enough for wisdom. As I am just getting my educational feet wet in this business and need all the help I can get before diving in head first. Thank you!!!!!

Excellent video Mike say it like it is!

This was incredibly straightforward and helpful.

Good sound advice Mike, no pun intended LOL. Very helpful! Thanks so much, your awesome!

Thank you for the guidance on all my startup questions 🌹

Great advice, thanks for sharing.

Just a short message to let you know, I am from Taiwan , and you have a fan here! you are great and love your honesty way to express all the detail in the business, thank you for sharing with us!

Thanks man, very helpful. You're one of the best mentors I've ever had.

Excellent advice.

Love this video! I really enjoy your personality, too.

Thank you so much for all of your insights and valuable advice! Soooo helpful!!!

Great guidance! you answered my exact question. Thank you.

Clear and Concise information. Thank you!

Great advice. Balanced and fair.

I wish I knew you when I was a Producer! You sound like a pleasure to work with. Rates are not only important to us as V.O. artists but to the Industry itself. These sites that say " charge 5 dollars or 40 dollars a pop" are bad for the profession as is. Thanks for the " sound" advice!

I'm so happy I found your channel, you are AWESOME

Moving forward this is priceless information. Had I known what to properly charge previously, I could have paid off our car already 😂 Lessons learned

Very helpful thought-train. Thank you!

I was just about to pm you on KZfaq about this exact issue. Lol. Thanks for the video.

Amazingly useful advice! Appreciate it :-)

Thank you mate. Very useful

Thanks so much this was a great help.

This was extremely helpful, thank you!!

Thanks a lot for your insight!

This is really helpful, thankyou!

Super helpful! Thanks!

Thank you, this was very helpful. Can I make on suggested chainge to your pitch? I recomend that you tell them what they get before you tell them the rate. That way they are not focused on the expence before they learn what you are offering.

Great advice!

I knew there was a good reason why I subscribed to you!! Another great video ...... Cheers!

You are right my friend

One time i had to correct my script 3 times and the guy did not charged me a dime from it. On the other hand you sir would have milked the day light out of me LOL but I understand your point of view and it makes sense.

Valuable info thank you.

Nice one BJ

Great video!! So helpful :)

Good Stuff Mike!!!

Man this was exactly what I was looking for.

I got offered like $75.00 for a 22,000 words audiobook... So yea.. I'm kind of a big deal now... (All seriousness, I was close to accepting this, as I've never been hired thus far, but was advised against it)

Thanks for the advices. I Will pasis it on m'y daughters who can record in a bunch of various languages.

Hi Mike, Another awesome video! As I was watching I was thinking there might be some folks who would benefit from a quick tutorial on what "broadcast quality" is/means. What do you think?

lmao that first sentence hit me right at the heart haha thank you

Super helpful!

Great info!!

Thank you very much for this video! Regards from Munich, Germany :-)

Good stuff.

Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!

I love that you referred to World-Voices.org (WOVO).

Thank you for very valuable information :) ~ Karen

super...thank you!!! :)

Hey bud, I found your channel last week and just wanted to express my appreciation for your content. I'm in the throes of getting set up to launch a new KZfaq channel (this account is just random personal stuff basically, so not this one) and I'm wanting to get it off on the right foot. One of the things I'm (perhaps overly) concerning myself with is the audio quality and your channel has been giving me good info and examples of what to do and a little bit of what my starter kit should be, even on my super tight budget. I'm not doing explicitly voiceover work, but your content has still been mega helpful in making some decisions as well as the push to just -make something-. Even if it isn't perfect, even if I don't have a multi-thousand dollar audio kit, etc. I'm looking forward to checking out whatever new videos you upload.

Thank you

thanks for the tutorial you have no idea how much you've helped me! was wondering if you'd consider making a video about how to find jobs at the entry level just to get the feet wet with some work? much appreciated!

Great video, but could you elaborate on the differences in licensing for different platforms like tv, radio, web, ect. When do the rates differ, and why. Great stuff you make, just found it a couple of days ago and have binge watched so many videos of your. :)

Awesome 👍

I want a Zoom H5 tutorial for voiceover videos next finding the levels and how to avoid clipping with the 416z

Is this video about me? Haha. Thanks for all the great resources Mike!

informative..Mike

Thank you man ^^

This is great advice. As a beginner I would love to know where to even begin to find voice over work? Anyone here have recommendations?

I don't even do voice-over yet here I am. At this point I should make a demo reel and seek out gigs. Love ya, Mike.

Thank you for your words of wisdom and experience. .Question for you ..When doing voice over for client do you add your own music ect for them? Thank you again.)

Great advice :-)

1:51 You said, "Doo doo" 😂💩 (I'm sorry I couldn't resist!)

GREAT VID..!! Do you do coaching?

Good info Mike and thank you! Question, is it recommended to use a stand alone recorder like a Zoom H1 H5 etc.. or patch your mic directly into a computer and record on software like Soundbooth, Audacity, etc? Is it the software on a computer that gives the quality as sound cards can be lacking. Thx again Jeff

Mr Delgaudio, I absolutely love your page sir! I was wondering if you would approve recording voiceovers with the tascam dr40? I have a focusrite 2i2 interface. But I picked up the tascam for 65 bucks. And it sounds good with the Rode Nt1a. But I appreciate your opinion thanks.

Thank you very much for this information!!! I'm curious. How much would you recommend charging for pickups? Do you calculate them based on the percentage of/proportionally to how much of the script they comprise?

Great advice, and thanks very much, Booth Junkie.

I haven't started yet so I'm nervous to charge someone close to normal rates when I have little experience. I may just need to practice alot with editing my recordings