After sending yesterday’s email on why audio editing is not an afterthought, many people started to see it in a different light.
Even though it sounds obvious that audio editing is the first determining factor for voice-over or audiobook success, most people realize it too late, sometimes very late in their journey.
The sooner you realize and act on it, the better your chances.
You may think I emphasize audio editing so much because I teach it.
But it’s actually the other way around.
I teach it because it’s important.
I can sell my courses or consulting services around it because it’s important.
To give you an example, let’s look at a voice actor’s realization about audio editing.
This is what Lee McLaughlin said in his LinkedIn post about my services:
“The biggest discovery/surprise for me is that the #1 most important element in building this voice over business is a quality recording...”
You can read the full post here: Lee’s LinkedIn Post
Now, let’s take a moment and challenge this idea. Let’s try to argue that audio editing is not that important for success.
Let’s pick the most challenging field among all — professional or commercial voice-over.
Yes, professional voice-over requires great acting skills.
Let’s even assume that acting is the first thing you must master for success.
But there’s a flaw in that assumption.
Think about how voice-over jobs are won.
Broadly, there are two ways:
Through websites like Voices.com
Through an agent who sends your audition to casting directors.
No matter which path you take, it always starts with your audition.
And when casting directors receive auditions, they don’t start by judging acting.
They have several submissions for each job, and in that first round, they usually listen for just 5 to 10 seconds before deciding whether to continue or skip.
In those 5 to 10 seconds, they can’t possibly evaluate your acting skills.
They’re simply checking the technical quality of your audio —
things like loudness, background noise, mouth clicks, reflections, and overall clarity.
If your recording fails this quick technical test, it gets filtered out immediately.
That’s how they separate who’s professional from who’s not.
Only when your audio meets the technical standard will your acting even get a fair listen.
So when you think about it, without solid editing skills, your performance doesn’t even get heard properly — let alone appreciated.
This isn’t a theory.
It’s something I’ve seen again and again from people I’ve worked with.
Many who joined my VIP Access program came after spending thousands of dollars on acting classes, microphones, room treatment, and demo production.
They later realized none of those investments brought results because they lacked a true professional editing workflow.
VIP Access covers everything you need to succeed as a voice actor or audiobook narrator, but depending on where you are now, you might not even need all of that.
For some people, a custom EQ and preset alone can make a huge difference.
For others, a few consulting sessions to review and fix their workflow are what’s needed.
If you want me to personally assess your situation and help you figure out the correct workflow, reply to this email with “I want a proper workflow.”
We’ll go through your setup together and see exactly what you need to learn, execute, and improve to reach your audio goals.
— Akhtar
Master Editor
