I first came across Kate when I bought her book, which I'll admit I haven't yet read cover-to-cover... because it's so vast! It covers everything, just like her and Jeff's coaching. When I next came across Kate, it was because I checked out one of the Sound Advice webinars. There was so much information packed in there for the time that we had, I was stunned at the affordability -- they really do want to help the beginner. I did as many as I could. After a series of webinars, it was clear that I was ready for private coaching. Those did not disappoint. To the contrary, they were amazing. Sound Advice actually has a process you go through to ensure that each time you step up to the mic, you're confident and know what to do, how to adjust, self-direct, etc. It's really amazing to have a process that keeps you comfortable in any studio environment. The coaching sessions led to a revelation: it was time to refresh my demos. It had been four years and I'd grown a ton between then and now, so we did a new commercial demo together. Let me tell you what, I'm blown away by the quality direction--which helped pull choices out of me that I didn't realize I had--and it sounds amazing. Every one, a national spot. Here's the icing on the cake. Your demo is not a 1- or 2-hour session. It's a process over several days of 1-hour sessions. They take their time to get the absolute best out of you, plus you get to learn along the way, and I have to say their process works. To me, it was almost like I got a free coaching class with each spot we tracked for the demo. There are others who charge about the same price for a demo or coaching... but where Sound Advice has everyone else beat is that they truly care and it shows. That's their secret sauce, I think. That, and there's so much wisdom between the two of them that I'll bet they've forgotten more than most of us know about the business--and not just the acting side. read more

Kate and Jeff are professionals and have receipts for what they do. They know a LOT about voiceover. They offer needed correction, as well as encouragement. I've taken their coaching package and FINALLY got my demo produced by them. Jeff also helped me get my home recording booth together. If you want to be a professional at this, I highly recommend them! read more

I'm very happy with the demo, its quality is beyond comparison, beyond my greatest expectations. And I will do everything within my power to make sure that "Sound Advice" gets the credit for the production of my commercial demo, and how committed they remained to bring out my creativity, their commitment to pull the very best out of me. Kate and Jeff have a very detailed, structured coaching program, and the greatest teaching techniques. I have never trusted my future to any other coaching services, but I must admit that their goals were totally student-centered, dedicated to the highest level of attention, detail, professionalism, organization, and delivery. I am very proud to announce that I learned so much truth about how to do things correctly and what's expected by the VO industry. I feel confident and proud of my ability to become all that I can be, and having the confidence to know that I can compete with the best top professionals in the business. Ultimately, I felt the value and honesty in their teaching methodology and approach. Because of the coaching, I've learned to believe in myself and the realization of the creative professional value that I bring to the industry. They taught me the important requirements that the Industry expects and the value of the highest industry standards. read more

Kate is amazing! best coach best mentor, and absolutely genius. I can't possibly express enough how much she and Jeff Finney has helped me grow, I have been voice acting for years independently with no agent, and a homemade demo in hand, I have been in the music and entertainment industry for a long long time, and my friends and colleagues always expressed their feelings that I should get into voice acting, I met Kate once before years ago at a seminar she was speaking at, very informative and I learned a lot that day, and so years later I looked her up, decided I wanted to do this for real, and boom! left a message, she calls me up and we started with the coaching package, and the experience was shockingly informative, learning the techniques, blew my mind, the information I learned alone worth more in value than the price of the class, what I learned was priceless, and after working hard with coaching, taking improv classes and finally putting together a voice over demo with Kate and Jeff, the demo was otherworldly, the quality, the craftsmanship, I couldn't believe my ears as to what I was hearing, and all the hard work, and practice, and actually putting her teachings into practice, truly proved a difference and it absolutely showed on my demo, I asked myself is that what I sound like? I was shocked beyond words, and speechless. I played my demo over and over like million times, I showed my family and friends, they couldn't believe it either, the quality of this demo will stand the test of time, and it will last for years to come. I am so looking forward to coming back to do my animation video game demo. The journey is just beginning. Thank you so much Kate and Jeff, I truly had the time of my life. P.S. if you decide to do a demo with Kate, you better be ready and be prepared, you have to want this, Kate wants you to succeed and so does Jeff, you cannot tiptoe into this field. You have to want this, once you know and decide, the rest is a breeze, listen hard, be open, become a sponge, and humble yourself, theres a reason Kate and Jeff are the best in the business. Warmest Wishes, Matthew Warren =D read more

I am new to voice over. The coaching I received from Kate was second to none. I have more knowledge in this industry than my peers who have been in voice over class after voice over class and still don't have representation or a valid demo. Working with Kate has been like being on a rocket ship. You quickly get hatted and have the confidence to take this industry by storm. She produced my demo and I literally cried because it sounded SO GOOD! I have had agents all over the country remark on how amazing my demo is. I got representation after merely emailing my mp3 one week after receiving my demo with a prominent agency in the mid west. I am still talking with several other agencies. Don't waste your time with anyone else. She guides you step by step. I have never received so much care. Everything is tailored to showing off the best possible you! If you'd like to hear and see what she has created for me, go to http://kerrykimblevo.com/. Good luck! read more

Being fairly new to VO, it is helpful to have someone on your side in the business. And let me tell you, that is exactly where Sound Advice is. I used their demo production services to produce my commercial demo. Check out their website for demos they have produced. Feel free to listen to their/my work. It should be up on their site within the week (Ross Nathan). They help you thought the entire process. Their prices are competitive. No they are not the cheapest on the market, but that is a GOOD thing. You get what you pay for when it comes to demos. I would highly recommend their services. read more

It's taken me awhile to write this review, because how can one fit so much in one or two paragraphs? The love I have for Kate and Sound Advice breaks barriers, because let me tell you, this woman and this company is phenomenal. I came to Kate with a dream, and this woman has helped make it a reality, and am now signed to an agency and getting amazing auditions. Just a heads up Kate is going to expect your best, and will call you out on BS, whether that's being late, not practicing or warming up. And let's be honest, we all need that. All of us. Because while a good coach can be a friend, a great coach is a friend an ally and will make you a better person. She is a vibrant, dynamic, smart woman and make you a better person and tells you whats what and guides you through the industry. And she is the first to assure you that while you may not have gotten a part, you're still kickass and just have to keep going. Every time I have a lesson, I look forward to seeing her and working with her. I can't say that about nearly enough people in my life. Fun fact, this yelp page is what led me to Kate, and I'm here to tell you don't go any further. You found your answer. Also, her dog is adorable and I have to keep myself from stealing him. read more

I came to Sound Advice several months ago eager to launch my voiceover career. I continue to be blown away by the professionalism, commitment, and devotion Kate has to her business and to her clients. I finished my reel with her and her partner Jeff in July and three months later her support hasn't wavered in the slightest. Whenever I have any questions or need anything, Kate is there and eager to help. She and her company are committed to seeing their clients succeed. It's a rare and beautiful thing in this town and in this business - I feel very lucky to have them in my corner. read more

Hacks! These people just want your money and give you a crap product. They are also completely unprofessional when you ask for changes on a demo which you've spent thousands of dollars. They don't adhere to industry norms. Don't get sucked in by Kate's big personality and strong sales technique. They are a sausage factory for voiceover demos and are completely inept at creating a demo that best represents you and the jobs you will be getting. They also talk negatively about you behind your back. DO NOT USE THEM. LITERALLY USE ANYONE ELSE BUT THEM. DON'T GET SUCKED INTO THEIR TRAP. P.S. all the people I know (including myself) have had to redo their demo after going with them. read more

Kate's more than a coach, she's an advocate and a friend. We bonded immediately. Her best quality is how frank and open she is with advice. She'll tell it to you straight, but never once did she come off as rude or too forward. I really appreciated having such a wealth of knowledge on the industry as a support. One of the best parts about working with Sound Advice was the partnership between Kate and Jeff. They have complimentary personalities and the balance between working with both of them is perfection. Kate's go-getter attitude kept me on my toes and reaching for more, while Jeff's laid back acceptance kept me calm and centered. Together they made the whole experience so much fun! Lastly I just have to say that the support Sound Advice provides is next to none. Its one thing to have an instructor or a class that can tell you the facts and refine your skills, but Sound Advice is more than that. I feel like I've been inducted into a family. One on one coaching services can often feel like the connection shared is nothing more than monetary. That's never been the case with Kate or Jeff. They've always made me feel like they care about me as an individual, whether on or off the clock, and that is priceless. read more

I went to Kate's studio, in Chicago, several yrs back & was won over by her sense of humor, knowledge & experience of voiceovers. She also made me feel like I had what it took to be a star. While I was doing the workshops, things went pretty smoothly but, before I knew it, she was pushing me to do a demo & buy all the expensive materials in order to promote myself. I kept telling her that I didn't feel ready but she insisted that I was. So I finally gave in & whipped out the old credit card. To her credit, she never guaranteed i'd make it in the business but she did make it sound like it was almost a sure thing. Anyway, as soon as the demo sessions started, I saw a whole new side of Kate & it wasn't pretty. She would yell, berate & lose her temper very quickly if you had to do multiple takes or dared to nervously laugh after screwing up a take. I kept thinking to myself "What happened to that nice lady, with the good sense of humor, who told me I was so great earlier?". Needless to say, I not only felt like walking out of her studio but quitting altogether. But she already had my money (thousands of dollars) & I had also come this far so I better stick it out. And so I did. But I never looked at her the same way & I also never got work through the expensive promo materials that I paid for. That and her mistreatment of me, in her studio, left such a bad taste in my mouth that I lost almost all my passion for VO. But thankfully I didn't give up & I now use online VO services to find jobs. So unless she has softened up, over the yrs, I would think twice about going to her studio unless you like being harshly criticized & burning through a ton of cash with little to show for it. Anyway, I'm not saying Kate is a bad person & I don't like to leave negative reviews but I saw all 5 stars here & just wanted to say that I, unfortunately, did not have a 5 star experience with Sound Advice. read more

I can't say enough good things about Kate and her entire team. I spent a considerable amount of time researching the internet for an organization to help me launch my Voice Over business. After reviewing several companies that had various options, I discovered Kate McClanaghan's book, The SOUND ADVICE Encyclopedia of Voice-Over. I ordered it on Kindle and read it cover to cover. It was the comprehensive guide I was looking for, covering all topics from how to get started, coaching, demos, getting an agent and marketing yourself. After reading it, I determined that Sound Advice was going to be the best fit for me. I signed on with Kate and I was not disappointed. The coaching sessions were top notch and important to do to understand what the industry is looking for in a voice talent today. It helped to develop my delivery and made me comfortable to be in a live recording session. Her step by step instructions and recommendations were invaluable in guiding me through the process of web site graphics, getting my site up and running, marketing to the agencies for representation and developing a marketing campaign to ad agencies. If you are considering a career in Voice Over, I would highly recommend Sound Advice. read more

Kate is a straight forward, down to earth individual who really cares about the people she coaches/mentors. She has provided me with invaluable tools of the trade, so to speak, and has put together a very detailed process on how to market one's self, and get representation. I had a demo that was created by another company last year and it does not compare to the demo she and her team created for me. What a DIFFERENCE! I can not thank her enough for her guidance... read more

I've been working in voiceover for about 8 years, and I have had multiple demos produced during that time. I needed a new commercial demo that accurately showcased my abilities and my brand. Sound Advice offered a package that truly exceeded my expectations. Kate McClanaghan is a consummate professional with many years of experience as a producer, voice coach, and voice actor. With her guidance and the technical wizardry of her sound engineers, I came out with an exceptional demo that has that has truly helped me move my career to the next level! read more