Behind the Mic: Amanda Madi

Amanda Madi- Headshot Hey, I’m Amanda Madi! I’ve been doing voice overs full time for almost 7 years from my home studio in Toronto, Canada. I can be heard on radio stations and commercials worldwide!

What radio VO work have you done in the past (stations/markets)?

Here’s some station I’m rocking now:
WUBL, Atlanta, GA
KREV San Francisco, CA
KIMN, Denver CO
Radio One, Beirut, Lebanon
KFRH, Las Vegas
MIX FM, Nicosia Cyprus

Plus other amazing stations!

What are you up to presently (freelance/on-staff at a station)?

Along with radio imaging, I do a lot of commercial work all over the world! Some cool stuff I do is with record labels to promote their artists on Spotify.

What do you love about your job?

I love that I get to talk for a living, because I loooove talking haha! Being the voice of a radio station is a very important job and I love that I get to do that. I also love the people I get to work with daily- they are crazy creative, the VO’s/ producers I have met and connected with, such incredible talent! And of course the flexibility!!!

How did you get started as a VO actor?

I was a receptionist at Z103.5 in Toronto, the production team and management heard my voice and started me doing VO work.

What was your first gig? Any memorable ones since then?

My first imaging gig was an active rock station- Live 105 in Halifax Canada.

Who are your VO idols/mentors?

K3, Chad Erickson, Heather Walters, Taylor Kaye, Gary McClenaghan, Dave Foxx, Steve Taylor and the list goes on and on… There are so many amazing people in this business!

If you weren’t doing voiceover, what else do you think you’d be doing for a career?

Entertainment reporter or a fashion stylist

What did it feel like the first time you heard your voice on the radio/television?

Like a giddy middleschool girl whose crush just talked to her- It felt great!

How has new technology changed the way you work?

I can work from anywhere I travel to. I have actually cut stuff from my car while stuck in traffic.

Amanda Madi- Studio Pic What gear do you use on the road? In your studio?

I use the same gear on the road as I do in my home studio: MacBook Pro, Sennheiser 416 Shotgun mic and Steinburg UR22 MKII interface.

Which production system do you use and why? Any favorite plugins?

I use Adobe Audition, that’s what I learned on in college and I don’t use any plugins.

Have you ever had a voice coach? Would you recommend it?

No, I have not but it’s something I want to do. I’m hoping to do that in the next few months.

How do you schedule/prioritize your work? How much time do you spend auditioning for new work?

When something comes in as RUSH that gets done first but mostly first come first serve. Every day I take time to audition for new work.

How do you market your services to potential clients?

Along with my agent Nate Zeitz at CESD Talent, I network on social media and I’m constantly hustling … Sending my demo out daily to stations all over the world.

Can you offer 3 helpful tips for newbies trying to make it in the voice-over industry?