When I was a kid, I’d eagerly await the arrival of the Sears and J.C. Penney Christmas catalogs every year. We'd pour over them for months, dreaming of piles of presents under the tree. The running joke in my family was to tell me, "Why don't you just circle the things you DON'T want??"
Don't most kids want it all?
Anyone below mid-millennial age probably didn't get to experience the magic of Christmas catalogs, which is a shame. Before the internet gave us instant gratification for everything, the anticipation was incredible. I feel like we appreciated what we had a lot more because we had to wait.
The same sort of thing happened when I first started in voiceover. I wanted it all, and I wanted it all NOW!
While there was no glossy-paged catalog to riffle through, every year at the beginning of January, I would make a list of all the voiceover items I wanted that year—things that would help me level up and continue to grow my career.
After 8½ years in the industry, I've checked a few of the most coveted voiceover items off my wishlist, but there are still some left. (Voiceover toys tend to be more expensive than Barbie's Malibu dreamhouse or a good Lego set!)
If I were putting together a dream catalog of the top 12 VO gifts I have wanted and the ones I’m still waiting for under my tree, here's what those would be.
Go ahead and ask Santa for something that will improve your career in the coming year!
*Note: Are there more inexpensive options for all of these things? YES. This is a dream list, buckaroos! (Let me know if you want me to write another post with budget recommendations in case Santa doesn't get your requests in time)
The Ultimate Voiceover Wishlist (according to me)
Sennheiser MKH 416 Shotgun Mic
The Sennheiser MKH 416 is listed at an MSRP of $1,200 and typically sells around $1,000, but I was fortunate enough to snag mine for around $800 five years ago. At the time, I figured why upgrade now and then have to upgrade again in a few years? I absolutely love it. It's used on studio film sets for a reason—because it's durable and provides high-quality sound.
Pro tip: Make sure you purchase your electronics from a reputable company like Sweetwater. Counterfeit microphones that look identical to the real thing will cost you more in the long run!
2. StudioBricks One Sound Booth
By the time I got my StudioBricks, I had suffered with outside sound pollution for about three years. Living under a flight path in Minneapolis, I knew that the only way I would ever feel absolutely confident in my sound and be able to be efficient with my recording was if I weren't constantly interrupted by commercial aircraft flying overhead every 30 seconds all day. Probably the best purchase I’ve made to support my voiceover career. My only regret is not getting it in Tardis Blue. Check out the StudioBricks.
3. Coaching with an Industry Legend
My first real one-on-one coaching was with Thom Pinto. I'd taken workshops before that, but with Thom, I got to work with a legend in the industry on a genre I really loved (TV and documentary narration). Because coaching isn't a one-time thing, we don't often think of it like other gifts, but why NOT ask Santa for a package of coaching with one of the industry greats, or a recorded course? This year I took Joe Cipriano’s go-at-your-own-pace Promo Masterclass. Get more info here.
Training never ends, though, so my wishlist or next year includes Tina Morasco’s Library. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it. Check out the library.
4. Custom Commercial Demo
My first demo was professionally produced, but it didn't have custom-written copy. Getting my commercial demo produced by Jordan Reynolds was an awesome experience. He doesn't produce demos anymore, but there are lots of great people out there. Just do a lot of research before you spend all that money! Don’t know what questions to be asking? Check out NAVA’s Best Practices for Demo Producers first.
5. iZotope Rx
"But it's $400!!!" Yup. Don't buy it at that price. This is why we ask Santa!
OR…Wait for a sale. Buy Rx Elements. It will be mostly useless, but get it anyway. THEN when iZotope has another sale, UPGRADE to Rx Standard. I bought Rx Elements for $30. I upgraded to Standard for another $150 or so. So I saved $220 by waiting and was able to only spend $180 for the mouth declicker that has saved me SO MUCH TIME over the past 7 years since I got it. Highly recommend. Get Rx here.
6. VO Atlanta Voiceover Conference
Does one need to go to a voiceover conference to have a successful VO career? No. Can one learn a ton at these events, make connections with colleagues that will help one get ahead in the industry, and also have a really great time? Yes.
Am I speaking at VO Atlanta next year? Also yes. Get your ticket now and come check it out!
7. Waves Clarity
Consider this one more of a stocking stuffer. You can get this one with your lunch money. $39 for a software that is like a miracle background eraser? SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.
8. A New Website/Branding
To be fair, I actually created my own website in Squarespace. It took a lot of time, but not that much money. It was the branding that gave me more trouble than the site itself.
Quality branding can cost a lot of money. I haven't gone that route yet. But when coming up with my own branding, I did consult Celia Seigel's book. Get your own copy here.
9. Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 ohm Closed-back Studio Mixing Headphones
I started editing VO using my ex-boyfriend’s gaming headphones. NOT ideal! These headphones allowed me to finally hear all the subtle stuff I was missing and make my sound super great. Get your own pair here.
The tree in my grandma’s living room on Christmas eve…before Santa’s arrival
And on to the stuff that I’m still staring at longingly, sighing, and saying “Someday…”
10. Apogee HypeMic USB Travel Mic
I've taken a few workshops on how to set up a travel rig and make my sound great while on the road, but I still don't have a travel mic. I just take my 416. I’d love to have something SUPER portable like this for the car or other times I can’t carry it all. Check it out on Sweetwater.
11. PASport VO
This interface, designed specifically for voiceover by George Whittam, is VERY small and has everything you need for recording on the road. DROOOOOOOOLLLLL. Check it out at Centrance.
12. The JMC Euroretreat
This is the dream. Could one have a successful VO career without going on an all-inclusive voiceover vacation where you learn from coaches and agents and managers for a week in a foreign country, in a gorgeous hotel/villa/estate and get two fully produced demos afterward? Yes. One COULD.
But what's more fun?
**Happy Wishlist-Making, Voice Artists!**
P.S. Want to make 2025 the year your dreams (VO or otherwise) come true?
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