VO Marketing Pro

05/09/2026

04/25/2026

According to the 2026 National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) “State of the Voiceover Industry” survey, 46% of the voiceover actors surveyed reported making $10,000.00 or less in all of 2025.

My point in consistently bringing this up isn’t to be negative or to blame any person or group. If you follow my past posts, you will know that I certainly put responsibility on the leaders of VO-land. Afterall, with leadership comes responsibility. However, I have not been shy about giving us blue collar VO folks our share of responsibility. We consistently have proven to be fussy and flakey folks who love the flashy and who often flail.

My only point in bringing the survey results up is this: I don’t think the VO industry has to be this way.

Why do I think that? Here are three reasons that quickly come to mind:

First, my own, year after year consistent VO-only income success when I am neither that well-educated nor intelligent and not that special or talented. I honestly think that if I can average over $200K for all 14 full calendar years of my VO career, almost every voice actor can make well over $10K per year…even part timers and even beginners. I honestly don’t think it is that hard if you listen to the right people and have the right mindsets.

Second, while 46% of VO actors made less than $10K in all of 2025, in a tiny little voiceover group I belong to, 10 out of 13 members made $10K or more in 2025. That’s over 76% who made $10K or more as opposed to 46% who made $10K or less! (Note: The other three members don’t report their numbers publicly so the percentage may be higher.)

This little group I speak of has 8 full-time actors, who range in VO experience from 5 – 25 years, and who made $59K - $236K in VO-only income in 2025. But there are also 2 part time members (both working full-time as teachers), and they made $10K or more in VO-only income in 2025. This is hard to explain away. Over 76% of this little yet diverse group (lots of ages represented, varying personal and business experience, and actors living in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and the US), defy the NAVA survey results and the thought that this is just how things have to be in VO-land. Again, over 76% of VO actors in this little group make $10K or above, while as a whole, NAVA says 46% of actors surveyed make $10K or less.

Lastly, my own son. Hudson. This month, Hudson started his sixth year as a full-time VO actor. His first five years were difficult, especially mentally. By the way, we started chronicling his VO journey 4 years ago when he was trying to make $500 a week in VO-only income (watch our YouTube videos). We did this as a public accountability to show that how I do business works (and the little group I belong to in point #2 is proof as well). This past year was probably his most difficult because of his expectations. Yet, his business grew and he banked over $90K in voiceover. But Hudson kept relentlessly plodding along doing the same things I did to build my multi-million-dollar VO business. This year, he is starting to reap the benefits. This week alone, Hudson has recorded $8,130.42 in VO-only income. Yes, you read that right, over $8K in one week! Compare that to 46% of VO actors who made $10K or less all of last year! (Hudson has also made $53K so far this year. According to NAVA over 70% of actors surveyed made $50K or less in all of 2025.)

Hmm...

04/19/2026

Todd Barsness posting…

I began doing direct email marketing (DEM) way back at the start of 2012. To say the least, I was and am a DEM marketing maniac! To date, my DEM only income stands at $2,046,255.00 and counting every day.

The reason I post that number is twofold:

First, it provides solid data that how I do DEM works.

Second, it hopefully piques people’s interest, so they give me their ear on how to build a successful career themselves.

How I built a successful year after year after year VO-only income business is by practicing certain mindsets. Sadly, these mindsets are ignored or disparaged by many in VO land.

One mindset is to “Stay in the game.” This is critical in all aspects of business but maybe especially marketing.

I could write a book on how to “Stay in the game,” however, let me boil it down to this: To “Stay in the game” simply means to do whatever it takes to stay in business. By hook or by crook, hang in there and especially don’t listen to those out in VO-Land who have all sorts of VO-rules you have to follow. This is your business – “Stay in the game” however you can!

Most people will drop out. And no wonder, look at the paltry amount of money 46% of VO actors made in 2025 - $10K or less! But this doesn’t have to be you.

One reason for my resounding DEM success is because I “Stay in the game” no matter what others say or do. I am a relentless plodder. I never give up, and it pays off. Here is an email reply I received on Friday (and this is not a huge anomaly…it happens regularly):

“Hi Todd

You probably won’t remember, but we had a brief email conversation back in August 2017! And here I am, coming back with a VO request only nine years later!

I hope you’re doing well and are able to help us out. We have an animation we’re working on that we think you’d be a great fit for. It’s about 90 seconds long (script attached) and below is a link to a sample of the style. Ignore the music, as that will be changing, but we’re looking for something quite dark and a bit edgy.

Firstly, are you able to help us out? And, secondly, can you give us a price for doing so?

Look forward to hearing from you soon!

Thanks”

04/15/2026

Todd Barsness posting...

So many VO actors could be making money, and even more money, if they lived by one simply business principle innate to the definition of business itself: Businesses exist to turn a profit.

When your business becomes that simple, being open for business, “studio nearness,” and flexible pricing is just something you do.

Once again today that definition and those mindsets produced this response when a Fiverr client asked for a sample:

“Holy moly, you are fast! Thank you so much - will review with the team.”

And, then when one of my clients needed an emergency VO fast:

“Hi Todd,

I hope you’ve been doing well!

We have a rush read for a local client (YouTube videos).

He typically does these himself, unfortunately he came down with the flu.

Regardless, we need to have these promotional spots up and running ASAP.

See attached scripts.”

Mark my words, this will get you out of the doldrums of VO income and keep clients coming back time and time again!

04/11/2026

This is Todd Barsness posting…

I keep scouring the internet to find just one person who would do a breakdown of the latest National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) “State of the Industry” survey results. I was hoping it would be a VO-Land leader, but I would settle for anyone at this point. And I wouldn’t even need to hear commentary on the whole survey. In fact, the only data I would want to hear them interact with would be the 2025 income portion of the survey.

According to NAVA in 2025:

- 9% of VO actors earned $0.00
- 14% of VO actors earned $1,000 or less
- 13% of VO actors earned $5,000 or less
- 10% of VO actors earned $10,000 or less
- 11% of VO actors earned $25,000 or less

Yes, you read the numbers correctly: 57% of VO actors earned less than $25K in 2025!

Let that sink in: Almost 60% made less than $25,000 last year.

This survey, and the three that preceded it, shout loud and clear to the VO industry:

“How we are doing VO is not working!”

So, what have we done and continue to do?

We double down on our efforts, doing what we have done to get us into this mess the same way we have done it before. The NAVA survey tells us to take a good look in the mirror and make some changes, yet we walk away from the mirror unchanged.

Folks, the way we have, and still are, doing VO is clearly not working for the vast majority of VO actors (remember between 70-75% of VO actors make $50K or less).

The first way to start working toward a solution is to first admit we have a problem.

03/30/2026

Todd Barsness posting…

So, now what?

Two huge industry events have happened in the last few days. So, now what?

Event #1: VO Atlanta is in the books. So, now what?

VO ATL is an industry showcase of basically one path to VO success. Oh, many adherents of VO ATL mouth the words, “There are many paths to VO success.” But at the foundational level, the way I do business is way underrepresented OR, more probably, mostly unrepresented.

Event #2: The National Association of Voice Actors annual survey. So, now what?

NAVA’s survey of the state of VO came out again this year, and the most telling data of all is the truth that there is still a tiny group of VO actors who are making a very good living, while the vast majority (over 70%) are making $50K or less per year – not even a living wage. The NAVA survey shouts to all in VO-Land in black and white terms that for the most part, VO-Land is very poor. This is undeniable.

These two events are not mutually exclusive. In fact, some out in VO-Land are starting to see that, indeed, they are quite possibly very closely related.

So, now what?