Gravy for the Brain

Gravy for the Brain was founded in 2013 by Hugh Edwards and Peter Dickson — Dickson being one of the most recognized voices in British broadcasting, best known as the announcer on 'The X Factor UK' for over a decade and the voice behind countless major advertising campaigns. The platform was created to address a gap in the voiceover training market: while acting schools and university programs offered general performance training, there was no dedicated online platform providing comprehensive, professionally produced voiceover education from working industry experts across multiple markets and genres. Since its launch, Gravy for the Brain has grown to serve over 41,000 students worldwide, building a library of more than 220 hours of video content covering every aspect of the voiceover profession from beginner fundamentals to advanced specialization. The platform has earned endorsements from major voiceover industry organizations and has become a standard recommendation from agents, casting directors, and working voice actors advising newcomers to the field. Gravy for the Brain's international scope — with instructors from the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and other English-speaking markets — gives it a breadth of perspective that domestically focused training programs cannot match.

In 2025, Gravy for the Brain operates as the most comprehensive dedicated voiceover training platform available online, distinguishing itself from general creative education platforms like MasterClass or Udemy by focusing exclusively on voice performance and the voiceover business. The platform's content library spans commercial voiceover, audiobook narration, animation and character voice, video game performance, corporate narration, e-learning, medical narration, documentary, promo and trailer, and emerging categories like podcast hosting and AI voice training considerations. Beyond technique courses, the platform includes a proprietary CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool designed specifically for voiceover professionals to track auditions, manage client relationships, and organize their business operations — a feature unique among voiceover training platforms. The combination of craft training, business education, and professional tools creates an ecosystem that supports voice actors from their first lesson through their established career, making Gravy for the Brain more than a course library and closer to a complete professional development platform.

Getting started with Gravy for the Brain requires creating an account and selecting a membership tier. New members are guided through an onboarding process that assesses their current experience level and voiceover interests, then recommends a learning pathway tailored to their goals — whether they are complete beginners exploring voiceover as a career option, actors looking to add voiceover to their existing skill set, or working voice actors seeking to expand into new genres or markets. The platform's course structure uses a combination of pre-recorded video lessons (typically 10 to 30 minutes each), downloadable practice scripts and exercises, supplementary reading materials, and periodic live webinars and Q&A sessions with instructors. Students can progress through structured learning pathways that build skills sequentially, or they can browse the full library and select individual courses based on immediate interests or needs. The interface is clean and well-organized, with courses categorized by genre, skill level, and topic, making it easy to find relevant content.

The educational experience on Gravy for the Brain emphasizes practical application over theoretical knowledge — courses are designed so students can practice techniques immediately using provided scripts and exercises, record their attempts, and compare their work to professional examples. Instructors include Peter Dickson himself, along with a roster of working voiceover professionals from across the industry who bring real-world experience and current market knowledge to their teaching. Many courses include before-and-after examples that demonstrate how specific technique adjustments — breath control, pacing, emphasis, character placement, microphone distance — transform a reading from amateur to professional quality. The platform's home studio setup guides cover equipment selection at multiple budget levels, acoustic treatment solutions for various living situations, recording software tutorials, and audio editing fundamentals, ensuring students can build a functional recording environment alongside their technique development. Advanced content covers topics like directing yourself in the booth, taking and implementing client feedback, managing multiple characters in a single session, and the specific technical demands of emerging voiceover categories like immersive audio and interactive media.

Gravy for the Brain serves a diverse community that includes complete beginners exploring voiceover as a potential career, professional actors seeking to add voiceover to their booking capabilities, radio and broadcasting professionals transitioning to commercial voiceover, corporate professionals interested in voice work as a side career, and established voice actors expanding their genre range or breaking into new markets. The platform's international student base — with significant communities in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and increasingly non-English-speaking countries — creates a global perspective on the voiceover industry that benefits all members. The community features, including forums, peer feedback opportunities, and live events, allow students to connect with fellow learners and working professionals across geographic boundaries. Notable alumni include voice actors who have gone on to book major commercial campaigns, audiobook contracts with publishers like Audible and Penguin Random House, and animation roles — though the platform's relative youth means its alumni network is still developing compared to established brick-and-mortar voiceover schools.

Gravy for the Brain offers three membership tiers as of 2025: the Standard plan at $17.99 per month provides access to the core course library and community features; the Professional plan at $29.99 per month adds the voiceover CRM tool, advanced masterclasses, and priority access to live coaching sessions; and the Premium plan at $44.99 per month includes everything in Professional plus one-on-one coaching sessions, demo production guidance, and personalized career planning support. Annual billing is available at each tier with approximately 20 percent savings compared to monthly pricing. The platform occasionally offers free trial periods of 7 to 14 days for new members, and promotional discounts are available during major sale events. Compared to in-person voiceover training — where a single group class session typically costs $100 to $300 and private coaching runs $150 to $500 per hour — Gravy for the Brain's subscription model provides dramatically more content and ongoing access at a fraction of the per-session cost. The CRM tool alone, if purchased as standalone business software, would cost comparable to or more than the Professional membership fee.

Gravy for the Brain is the strongest dedicated voiceover training platform available online and should be a primary resource for anyone seriously pursuing voice acting as a career or significant income stream. If you are a complete beginner interested in voiceover, the Standard tier provides everything you need to determine whether voice acting is right for you and to build foundational skills before investing in more expensive training or equipment. If you are an established actor adding voiceover to your capabilities, the Professional tier's structured pathways will efficiently guide you through the specific technical skills that differentiate voice work from on-camera or stage performance. If your interest in voiceover is casual or exploratory, you may be better served by free resources like the Voices.com Training Hub or YouTube voiceover channels before committing to a paid subscription. Actors who need foundational performance training before specializing in voiceover should pursue general acting education first through platforms like MasterClass, ActingStudioOnline, or local acting classes, then use Gravy for the Brain to develop voiceover-specific technique.

Start with the foundational courses even if you have some voiceover experience — experienced instructors often cover fundamental concepts in ways that reveal gaps in self-taught technique that you may not realize you have. Invest in a basic home studio setup early in your training so you can practice recording alongside your coursework — a USB condenser microphone like the Audio-Technica AT2020 (approximately $100), free recording software like Audacity, and basic acoustic treatment will get you started without a major financial commitment. Use the CRM tool from day one if you are on the Professional or Premium tier, as building the habit of tracking auditions, client contacts, and booking patterns early creates valuable data that will inform your career decisions as your business grows. Take advantage of the international instructor roster by studying approaches from multiple markets — understanding how commercial voiceover style differs between the US, UK, and Australian markets broadens your versatility and opens additional booking opportunities. Complete the home studio and audio editing courses before investing in expensive equipment, as informed purchasing decisions based on knowledge will save you hundreds or thousands of dollars compared to buying based on online recommendations alone.