Digital Marketing Masters Podcast · Matt Rouse

The Dissonance Quadrilogy: Aaron Ryan's Voice Acting & Authorship in an AI World (258)

·46 min·4 clips

Aaron Ryan explains why AI is pushing him out of voice acting after 30 years.

This episode features host Matt Rouse interviewing Aaron Ryan, a veteran voice actor and author of the sci-fi series The Dissonance Quadrilogy. They explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping creative industries, focusing on voiceover work and writing. Ryan explains he began voiceover in 1993 and now views AI as a primary reason to transition to full-time authorship. He states AI has moved from "nipping at the corners" to devouring certain voiceover genres, with colleagues leaving the industry. Clients now purchase $29-$79 AI voice packages from services like Speech Hello or Speech Ocean instead of hiring human actors. Ryan mentions losing a client who offered $300 instead of the fair market rate of $3,200 for a national TV commercial. The host confirms his agency uses AI voices from 11 Labs and Play.ht for social media ads, having previously hired voice actors for small projects on Fiverr. Ryan argues AI struggles to replicate human emotion and directability, though new systems can add laughter or sadness to a generated voice. He notes some companies, like REI, are ideologically opposed to using AI for voiceovers. A key advantage for human actors is performing multi-voice conversations or handling interruptions, which is currently difficult for AI. The host compares the situation to the historical job of "knocker-uppers," which disappeared after the alarm clock's invention. For writing, Ryan vehemently opposes using AI, calling creativity a "god-given right." He published four books in seven months, a speed that led some to accuse him of using AI, which he denies. He used AI only to simulate how an AI character in his book would speak. The host shares that his own nonfiction book took 90 days, utilizing a rotating editing process. Ryan advocates for self-publishing via Amazon KDP for its control and speed, allowing post-publication edits. The tone is a conversational and candid dialogue between two creative professionals. The style is reflective and analytical, blending personal anecdote with industry observation. This episode would appeal to voice actors, authors, and anyone in creative fields concerned about AI's economic and artistic impact. Listeners seeking a highly technical breakdown of AI tools or those optimistic about AI's creative potential might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A blunt, useful conversation about voice work, AI disruption, and what still holds up.

Aaron Ryan and Matt Rouse spend this episode on a pressure point that voice work has been trying to ignore: what happens when AI can do a faster, cheaper version of the job.

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Why you'd press play

You want a clear-eyed take on voice acting after AI became impossible to ignore.

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