It was recently announced that Crunchyroll, a popular anime streaming service, would be buying Funimation.

This news was met with mixed reactions from the anime community. Some are excited for the chance to have more dubbed anime available to them, while others worry that this will lead to a decrease in quality.

However, one group that is particularly worried about this news is voice actors.

Let's take a look at why this merger could mean bad news for voice actors and dubbing prices.

Dubbing Prices From The Merger

The anime industry has been in a state of flux for the past few years. The rise of illegal streaming sites and piracy has led to a decrease in DVD sales and an increase in the number of people watching anime online.

This has put a lot of pressure on production studios, who are now forced to find new ways to make money.

One way they've been doing this is by cutting costs, and one of the places they're cutting costs is in the dubbing process.

In the past, anime dubs were produced by companies like Funimation, who would then sell them to distributors like Crunchyroll.

However, with Crunchyroll now owning Funimation, there's a good chance that they will start producing their own dubs internally.

This could lead to a decrease in quality, as Funimation is known for having some of the best voice actors in the business. Additionally, it could also lead to a decrease in pay for voice actors, as Crunchyroll will now be able to produce dubs for less money.

What's Happening Now

Recently a casting director that had worked with Crunchyroll and Funimation posted a tweet saying the voice actors they casted were possibly making $35 per hour minimum per recording session. 

This sparked a massive outrage and prompted SAG-AFTRA to chime in and request meeting with Crunchyroll to discuss these pricing allegations. 

However, Crunchyroll has not yet responded publicly and news has spread that some voice actors have been fired and replaced with willing voice actors at the pay scale currently offered. 

It is important to say that the claims made on social media have not been substantiated so there must be a sense of caution when deciding opinions based on the current hype. 

But it does seem smart for Crunchyroll to sit down and have a conversation, which has lead to the hashtag #justameeting to imply that is all voice actors want, so they can open up dialogue and get to the root of their pricing. 

Crunchyroll does have its headquarters in Texas, which is a right to work state, so they don't have any obligation to sit down and negotiate anything with SAG-AFTRA. 

Only time will tell how this merger will affect voice actors and dubbing prices moving forward.

However, it's safe to say that there is cause for concern. If you're a voice actor, keep an eye on this situation and be prepared for potential changes in the industry.

Thanks for reading. As always, check out A VO's Journey Elite Academy to grow your voice over business!