Notes from Chris

Episode 1872

While he was a student at Delaware State University, Dom Draper ran his own radio show. He’d also learned how to record and edit audio when he was in a Christian rap group as a kid. He already had audio equipment and know-now, so in 2017, Dom’s mom suggested he try voiceover work. 

  Dom landed his first voiceover gig using Fiverr. It was a $10 project for Detroit Radio. Two months later, his wife Nicole got her first voiceover gig, also for Detroit Radio. She’d earned a degree in musical theater, so she had the perfect background.

  Starting out, Dom and Nicole did radio drops, church announcements, and podcast intros. These projects weren’t high profile or high paying, but they helped the couple gain experience and build up their network. They used basic audio equipment and over time, invested about $5,000 in better microphones, software, and a computer. They’ve gotten so good at editing that they can now turn around a 30-second voice in under 30 minutes.

    In 2018, things started to pick up. Dom met a company from Brazil called Hefty Audio. This company was connected to a larger one with offices all over the world. That relationship got the couple award-winning projects with Nike, Netflix, and Deezer.

  Dom stresses that every job is different and some clients have bigger budgets than you might expect. At the same time, some companies try to take advantage of voiceover talent, so he encourages you to closely read any contracts. In particular, you want to make sure you know the term length so you’re not giving your voice away for nothing.

    As African American voice actors, Dom and Nicole have found that many brands want their voices and they’re proud to meet that demand. Their tagline is, “Diverse voices, for a diverse world,” meaning they want all voices, especially BIPOC voices, to be heard. Until recently, it was acceptable for a white actor to voice a Black character and Black actors often had to try to make their voices sound “white.” But now that Black culture is popular culture, authentic Black voice tones and accents are acceptable. They hope to use their platform to help black and brown youth get into acting. They want their community to build generational wealth and legacies like they are doing for their son.

     As they’ve grown the business, they’re also able to work on higher-profile projects. In addition to Nike and Netflix, they’ve now worked with PNC Bank, Mountain Dew, Adobe, and several sports teams.

    Next, they hope to grow their business and find an agent so they can take on even bigger projects. Nicole also hopes to host workshops for youth interested in voice acting. Sounds like the Voiceover Couple has set the stage for long-term success.

 

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  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Looking to get into voiceover, or want to hire Dom and Nicole? Check out their website, The Voiceover Couple!

SEE ALSO:

• How One Man Used a $100 Microphone to Make Over $8,000: After testing the waters with low-priced services on Fiverr.com, a Tennessee IT manager learns to focus on voiceover services for overseas customers.
• Choreographer Moonlights as Voiceover Artist: You won’t voice any objections when you hear how this freelancer uses her theatre training to earn six-figures after hours.
• Music Teacher Quits Job to Earn $100k on Fiverr: This motivated music teaching student hits the perfect note by freelance writing on Fiverr. Later, she ends up leaving her job to go all-in.

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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