The ACTRA Voiceover Division Is One of the Most Exciting Corners of This Union. Let’s Explore It.”
Let’s talk about voiceover.
Not the version of voiceover that lives in the back of people’s minds as a vague side option. The real version. The one where Canadian performers are landing animation roles, narrating bestselling audiobooks, voicing video game characters played by millions of people worldwide — all under union protection, with residuals, health benefits, and an RRSP contribution attached.
Because that version exists. It’s thriving and ACTRA has built an entire infrastructure around it.
This is Episode 1 of The ACTRA Files — a seven-part series exploring the full depth of what an ACTRA membership actually offers. And there is no better place to start than here.
This episode is for every performer who has ever wondered whether voiceover could be part of their career story.
The answer, by the way, is yes.
What ACTRA’s Voiceover Coverage Actually Includes
ACTRA has jurisdiction over all English-language performance in Canada — and that explicitly includes voiceover in every category and on every platform. The range of work covered is broader than most people expect:
Commercials — radio and television spots, both national and regional
Digital and online advertising — social media ads, pre-roll, streaming platform ads
Animation — from major studio productions to independent animated series
Video games — character voices, motion capture performance, in-game narration
Audiobooks — one of the fastest-growing categories in the industry right now
Documentaries — narration and character voices
Corporate and industrial narration — training videos, explainer content, internal communications
Promos and trailers — the voices you hear selling shows and films
Dubbing — replacing or adding dialogue to existing content in post-production
E-learning — educational content narration, a rapidly expanding market
If your voice is doing the work, ACTRA has a framework to make sure you get paid fairly for it.
The Voice Committee — A Community Built for Voice Performers
The Voice Committee is one of the most active and forward-thinking committees in the entire ACTRA Toronto structure. Its mandate is simple and powerful: to expand professional opportunities for Toronto’s world-class voice performers.
Here’s what the committee is actively working on right now:
Growing the Market The committee actively communicates the value of working with union voice talent to engagers who may not have worked with ACTRA performers before. Every new client they bring into the fold means new work for members.
The Audiobook Initiative After attending a voiceover workshop in California where it became clear that the majority of audiobook work was U.S.-based, the Voice Committee made it a priority to develop Canada’s audiobook market for Canadian performers. That work is ongoing and producing real results — including a direct partnership with Penguin Random House Audio’s Ahab platform, an online database specifically for audiobook narrators, connecting ACTRA Toronto members with publishers looking for talent.
Video Game Vocal Health Research The committee commissioned the first quantified survey on vocal health in the video game voiceover industry — examining how the unique demands of gaming performance can affect performers’ voices over time. This research is being used to advocate for better protections, appropriate rest periods, and health resources for members doing this physically intensive work.
Diversity in Voice One of the committee’s most meaningful initiatives provides free vocal performance training to members who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and/or 2SLGBTQIA+. The goal is to grow the talent pool of skilled diverse voice performers and ensure the industry reflects the full range of Canadian voices. Free coaching. Real access. Open to eligible members right now.
Direct link: https://actratoronto.com/committees/voice-committee/
Contact: voicecommittee@actratoronto.com
The Voice Database — Get Yourself Found
Here’s a tool that every voice performer in ACTRA should have activated:
voice.ACTRAonline.ca
This is ACTRA’s dedicated online searchable database of professional voice performers — and it’s the tool that casting directors and producers use when they’re looking for voice talent for commercials, animation, narration, e-learning, and video game productions.
Creating a profile is free. The database is free for signatory producers and casting directors to search. And the Voice Committee is actively working to make it the preferred casting tool for engagers across the industry.
Your profile can include your resume, demo reels, and contact or agent information. A complete, updated profile here is one of the simplest and most impactful things a voice performer can do for their discoverability right now.
Direct link: https://voice.actraonline.ca
What You Get Paid — The Numbers
Under the National Commercial Agreement (NCA) — the agreement governing commercial voiceover in Canada — ACTRA negotiated a three percent rate increase effective June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026. Here’s what current digital media use fees look like for audio voiceover:
Single Voice — Digital Media Use Fees:
– 1 Year: $1,012.50
– 6 Months: $557.00
– 45 Days: $344.25
Multiple Voice — Digital Media Use Fees:
– 1 Year: $422.00
– 6 Months: $232.25
– 45 Days: $143.50
These are use fees — meaning you get paid again each time the ad runs for a new period, on top of your original session fee. That residual structure is one of the most financially significant benefits of working under ACTRA agreements. A single commercial can generate multiple payments across its entire run.
Full current NCA rate chart: https://www.actra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-2026-NCA-Rates.pdf
NCA agreement overview: https://actratoronto.com/agreements/commercials-nca/
The Audiobook Opportunity
The global audiobook market is growing fast, and Canada is well positioned to capture a meaningful piece of it. Established voice performers can earn between $2,000 and $5,000 per audiobook, and the work is done remotely — making it one of the most flexible categories available.
The Voice Committee’s Audiobook Subcommittee has been developing relationships with publishers and building pathways for ACTRA Toronto members to access this work. Their partnership with Penguin Random House Audio’s Ahab database is a direct result of that outreach — creating a space where publishers can find and hire Canadian union narrators specifically.
If audiobook narration is something you’ve been curious about, the Voice Committee is the right first call.
Video Games — A Category Worth Taking Seriously
Gaming voiceover is one of the highest-profile and fastest-growing categories in the entire industry. Major game titles have budgets that rival film and television productions, and the performance demands — emotional range, character consistency across dozens of hours of content, the physical intensity of combat and action sequences — are significant.
The vocal health research commissioned by the Voice Committee found that extended gaming sessions with intense character performance can place real strain on performers’ voices in ways that other voiceover categories don’t. That data is now being used to push for better protections and support for members working in this space.
If gaming voiceover is part of your work or on your radar, the Voice Committee is your community inside ACTRA.
The AI Fight — Why This Moment Matters
Artificial intelligence is not a distant concern for voice performers. It is a present, active challenge — and ACTRA is meeting it head on.
The specific concern is what the union calls the “digital double” — where AI systems use recordings of a performer’s voice to generate synthetic performances without their knowledge or consent. This includes text-to-voice applications, interactive digital avatars, dubbing and translation tools, and deep fake audio content.
Here is what ACTRA has already secured and is actively fighting for:
Contract Protections Already in Place ACTRA’s newly ratified Independent Production Agreement includes language giving performers the right to fair compensation and full informed consent before their voice or likeness can be used to create a synthetic performer. These protections are already written into the contracts that govern your work.
The #fAIrVoices Campaign ACTRA Toronto supports NAVA’s #fAIrVoices campaign, built around three principles: consent, compensation, and control. The campaign has already secured pledges from five of the most prominent online casting platforms in voiceover, committing never to use performers’ audio files for AI training without consent.
Legislative Push ACTRA is actively advocating to the Canadian government for legislation that would make consent, compensation, and control over AI use of voices and likenesses a matter of law — not just contract language.
Your union is at the table. The protections being won now will shape what this industry looks like for the next generation of performers.
ACTRA Toronto AI resources: https://actratoronto.com/artificial-intelligence-resources/
How to Get Involved With the Voice Committee
Whether you’re a working voice performer or just beginning to explore this part of your career, the Voice Committee is open and active.
Step 1: Visit the Voice Committee page at https://actratoronto.com/committees/voice-committee/
Step 2: Set up or update your profile on https://voice.actraonline.ca — this is how casting directors and producers find you
Step 3: Email the committee at voicecommittee@actratoronto.com to introduce yourself and find out what’s currently active
Step 4: If you identify as Black, Indigenous, a Person of Colour, and/or 2SLGBTQIA+, ask specifically about the Diversity in Voice coaching program — it’s free and designed specifically for eligible members
Step 5: Follow ACTRA Toronto on Instagram and LinkedIn for updates on Voice Committee events, workshops, and opportunities as they’re posted
A Word for Agents and Producers
For agents: Voiceover is one of the most sustainable and scalable revenue streams available to your clients — work that can happen from a home studio, on their own schedule, with residuals that pay long after the recording session is done. The Voice Committee’s resources, including the Diversity in Voice coaching program, can help clients build skills in this area at no cost to them.
For producers: The NCA governs commercial voiceover in Canada and the ACTRA Toronto NCA team is available to help with talent cost calculations and contract questions before you even get to the session. Working within the agreement protects everyone at the table.
Reach them at nca@actratoronto.com.
The Bottom Line
Voiceover is a full, thriving, contractually protected career path inside the ACTRA ecosystem. The community is active. The market is growing. The database exists to get you found. The contracts have real protections in them. And the union is fighting on the front lines of the AI conversation to make sure that stays true.
This corner of ACTRA has a lot going on — and it’s wide open for every member who wants to step into it.
Key Links for This Episode:
– Voice Committee: https://actratoronto.com/committees/voice-committee/ – Voice Committee email: voicecommittee@actratoronto.com
– Voice performer database: https://voice.actraonline.ca
– NCA agreement & resources: https://actratoronto.com/agreements/commercials-nca/
– Current NCA rates (2025–2026): https://www.actra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-2026-NCA-Rates.pdf
– ACTRA AI resources: https://actratoronto.com/artificial-intelligence-resources/
– ACTRA Toronto Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actratoronto/
– ACTRA Toronto LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/actratoronto
Coming next: Episode 2 — The Introduction. Who is writing this series, why, and what’s coming for the rest of the season.
📩 Want Every Episode Delivered Directly to You?
The full ACTRA Files series — all seven episodes, plus a complete resource guide with every link in one place — is available on my website.
#TheACTRAFiles #ACTRA #CanadianActors #Voiceover #VoiceActors #Animation #VideoGames #Audiobooks #FilmIndustry #CanadianFilm #AIProtection #fAIrVoices #PerformingArts #CareerDevelopment
Malika is a voiceover artist, actor, performer, and writer — and an ACTRA member of 13+ years. The ACTRA Files is an independent editorial series and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Actra Toronto. All information is shared for educational purposes. Rates and agreement details are subject to change — always verify current information through official ACTRA channels.