Have a live-directed session coming up and not sure what to expect? Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Live sessions can seem a little intimidating at first, especially if you’re used to working solo in your booth. Now, other people are listening in and giving direction in real time. But here’s the good news: live-directed sessions are actually one of the most fun parts of voiceover.
In the sometimes lonely world of VO, these sessions give us a rare chance to collaborate and interact with other creatives—producers, directors, writers, or brand reps—who are all there to make something great with you. And here’s a key thing to remember: you already booked the job. You were chosen for a reason. Everyone on that call wants you to succeed. They're not trying to catch you slipping, they're on your team.
Once a live session is scheduled, you’ll usually be told what platform it will take place on. One of the most common for remote recording is Source Connect. This is a professional tool that allows the client to record your audio directly on their end, as if you were in their studio.
While Source Connect does require a paid subscription, a lot of voice actors (myself included) use the 2-day pass option, which is just $25 and perfect for the occasional session. It’s crucial to test your connection and equipment ahead of time—especially with platforms like Source Connect. I’ve definitely made mistakes early on. One of my first sessions had frustrating audio dropouts, and it turned out I had another app open that was hogging my mic. Not ideal.
So now, I always make sure everything is closed except Source Connect and the script. I test my mic. I restart my computer if I need to. The less stress during the session, the better.
The best part? With Source Connect, you don’t have to do any audio engineering. You just show up, act, and they handle the rest.
Not every session uses Source Connect. Sometimes, the session will happen on more common platforms like Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. These platforms are free (yay), but they do come with one big difference: you have to record the audio on your end.
That means, while you’re live in the video call, you’ll also need to be recording yourself in your DAW ( Reaper, Audacity, Adobe Audition, etc). You’re responsible for capturing clean, broadcast-quality audio and then sending it over after the session.
Here’s my personal tip: double and triple check that you’re recording. Hit record, say a test line, and check your waveforms. I also like to save after every few takes, just in case. There’s nothing worse than finishing a great session and realizing... you forgot to hit record.
Once the session is over, you’ll typically send the raw WAV file to the client—no editing, no processing. Just clean, high-quality audio. They’ll take care of the rest on their end.
Once you’re in the session, it usually starts with a little intro. The team may walk you through the script, give you context for the scene, or explain the tone they’re looking for. Sometimes they’ll reference a scratch track or example, or even a line from your demo that helped them choose you.
Then you record. The director might stop you after each take or have you go through a chunk of lines before giving feedback. Some clients are super hands-on; others are more laid-back. You might get very specific notes (“slow that down 10% and smile more”) or broader feedback (“try it with a bit more confidence”).
And that’s where your directability really comes into play. The goal isn’t to be perfect on the first read—it’s to listen, adjust, and bring your authentic performance to the table based on their guidance. If you haven’t yet, check out my blog post on being directable as a voice actor to dive deeper into that.
Live-directed sessions are not something to fear—they’re an opportunity to collaborate, grow, and bring a script to life with a team of creatives who believe in your work. Even if you’re new to it, preparation and a positive attitude go a long way. Test your tech, stay calm, listen carefully, and most importantly—have fun with it.
Every session is a new chance to learn something, build relationships, and remind yourself why you love voiceover in the first place.