If you’re looking for our most popular blogs from the last 12 months (that’s April 2022 – April 2023) then look no further. Rob writes about Izotope RX, compression and noise floors, while I write about how to get seen online and google business profiles.
I guess it’s unsurprising that our most-read blog posts cover the essentials of using your own home studio and getting found online by clients. After all, it’s something every voiceover needs – to be confident their studio sounds its very best, be confident they know how to use and get the most from their home studio and then get seen by clients to book work.
So here goes, our 5 most popular blogs and why you should read them too:
1. Izotope RX For Voiceovers – Do You Need It?
Written by Rob, it’s possibly no surprise that this is our number one most popular blog. RX is a very popular tool for voiceovers and there are hundreds if not thousands of forum posts and questions about it. As it’s a blog about technology – and that tech inevitably updates and changes – Rob has re-written and added in to this blog a couple of times now.
What’s the RX blog about?
Topics covered include:
- What is RX10?
- What’s the difference between RX9 and RX10?
- RX10 repair assistant
- RX10 text navigation
- Why shouldn’t voiceovers use RX10?
- Why should voiceovers use RX10?
- How should voiceovers use RX10?
- RX10 mouth de-clicker
- RX10 voice de-noise
- RX10 breath control
Read Rob’s Izotope RX For Voiceovers – Do You Need It? blog.
2. What is compression and do voiceovers need it?
Top blog spot number 2 is also written by Rob, and this time he’s talking all things compression. An often confusing topic for voice over artist – compression strikes fear into the hearts of many. But – as Rob say’s – it’s a really important part of voiceover production and something that you really do need to understand if you’re editing your own audio. This is part 1 of a 2-part blog all about compression – you can read part two here (after you’ve read part one obviously!).
What is the compression blog about?
Topics covered are:
- Compression is confusing
- A brief history of compression
- What does a compressor do?
- Why should a voiceover use compression?
- The problem with compression
Read Rob’s What is compression and do voiceovers need it? blog.
3. 3 steps to help your voice over website get seen
Part of me is very pleased that our number 3 most read blog post also starts with the number 3 – just me?! This one is written by me (I’m Helen Bee – and yep, I’m typing my name out in full for the SEO benefits). More and more voice over artists are moving away from P2P sites and using their own websites to get work. I may write about how I feel about P2P sites, but for now – check out Paul Strikwerda’s Nethervoice blog about voices dot com and a very dangerous term in their contracts. In this particular blog, I look at some of the ways you can help your website get seen by search engines and potential clients.
What is the How to get your website seen blog about?
Topics covered are:
- How to make sure your website gets picked up by search engines
- Claim your google business profile (and how)
- Activate Google Search Console (how and why)
- Request your site is indexed (request a site crawl)
- Don’t get put off by the tech!
Read my 3 steps to help your voice over website get seen blog.
4. Noise floors – what are they and how to reduce them
Number 4 on our most popular blogs list is another one by home studio guru Rob Bee and this one is all about noise floors. Home studios are one of the most important things a voiceover owns. They are (or should be) hallowed spaces and are one of the biggest monetary investments you’re likely to make. They need to be a place you’re happy to spend potential hours in, but also your recordings from this space need to be top notch. A noisy recording makes for an unhappy client – so understanding what noise floors are and how you can reduce yours is essential.
What is the Noise Floors blog about?
Topics covered are:
- What is a noise floor?
- Your equipment
- Ambient noise
- Electrical noise
- How loud (quiet) should our noise floor be?
- How much noise is acceptable?
- How to lower your noise floor
- Hissy noise floor
- Rumbly noise floor
- Electrical noise
- How to lower your noise floor in post
Read Rob’s Noise floors – what are they and how to reduce them blog.
5. Why every voice artist should get a Google Business Profile
My second blog in the top 5 and one I’m happy to say hit the spot so well with SEO and gaining our website search hits, someone from Google got in touch to clarify who I was giving advice to. This resulted in a long discussion about the difference between voice over artists and musicians, how they are NOT the same job, and that voiceovers are a service based business. What were they querying? Well, the T&Cs for getting a Google business profile state that you need to be a business, and if you don’t have a physical address, that’s OK as long as you make in-person contact with your customers. And this absolutely means that voiceovers do qualify for a Google business profile.
What’s all the fuss about then? Getting a business profile is a great way to give your site a little SEO boost, and help get your website validated by Google, which in turn gives it more chance of showing in search results.
What’s the Google Business Profile blog about?
Topics covered are:
- What is a Google Business Profile?
- Why does a voiceover need a Google business profile?
- It’s essential for your SEO
- It raises the profile of your brand
- It’s FREE!
- It’s easy and quick to set up
- How to set up Google My Business for voiceovers
Read my Why every voice artist should get a Google Business Profile and how to set one up blog.