In this episode, we’re answering a listener question from Sarah. She asks:

Do you have any tips for successfully landing gigs on Voices.com? 

Voices.com is one of the most popular pay to play sites/casting sites/marketplaces, whatever you want to call it, out there for voice actors, I believe this is the case because of its active customer base, i.e. voice actors as well as the companies and individuals looking to hire voice actors. 

The site is simple and easy to use and now provides a place for freelancers on the site to add additional professional services to their profile like audio production, translation, and music. A premium membership is $500 USD/year but they do offer a free option as well (plus you can use my promo code to get $50 off your annual subscription – I’ll put it in the show notes).

Alright, with that in mind, here are my top tips for landing more gigs on Voices.com:

1. Be sure your profile is filled out 100%.

If you click the voices logo after you login, you can see the progress you’ve made on your profile under “My Profile Checklist”. Click the suggestions and complete them. Profiles that are complete do better on average than those that aren’t.

This is particularly true for the amount of auditions you’ll see available to you. Be sure you have selected all the skills, voice ages, languages, and accents you can authentically do well. Fill out each of these sections up to the maximum options allowed, if you can. The more you have filled out here, the more auditions you’ll see listed every day.

2. Offer single demos per voice type/character.

If you have a single demo with multiple spots, that’s great, but it’s also helpful to have single spots in multiple audio files uploaded in the demos section of your profile as well. While this isn’t necessary, it puts you at a better chance of being found through the talent database. 

Because, for each sample you upload, you can tag up to 10 different styles portrayed in your demo, and up to five roles. If you have multiple samples, you can get even more specific about the type of style, role, and age your sample is showcasing, giving you more of a chance to be found.

3. Be sure you have good quality demos uploaded. 

A lot of clients looking to hire voice actors will search the talent database based on specs pertaining to each project. So, if a client is looking for a relatable voice between the ages of 18-35 years old, and your demo comes up first but has an echo or isn’t edited for mistakes, breaths, the client will most likely keep searching for talent who has a good quality demo that matches what they’re looking for. 

Here’s the deal – if you are unsure if your demo is up to snuff, ask a seasoned voice actor friend or colleague, someone you trust who will be honest with you, to review your demo and offer feedback. This is mostly relevant if you have a self-produced demo and are looking to get your foot in the door with voiceover. But this is an absolute must to be successful on this platform.

4. Be sure your audition is a direct reflection of the quality of audio you’ll submit to the client, if hired.

The quality of your audio is so important. So, first thing’s first, get real about your set up. 

Do you have a decent mic? Are your settings properly set up? Be sure to test your sound to be sure any lack of momentum when it comes to getting hired isn’t because of your recording set up. It’s way better to take the time to assess your studio now than later when you’ve spent a ton of time auditioning.

My rule of thumb is to provide an audition not only based on what the client is asking for in the project description, but also to be sure the audio submitted is exactly like what I would submit for the final project. I.e. edited out breaths, mistakes, etc. and with a little EQ to polish it off. 

If you aren’t super familiar with your DAW or how EQ works, do some research and I’d even recommend taking a class if you’re still unsure. Tim Tippets is a great resource for quality voiceover audio as it pertains to Adobe Audition and he’s referred to as the VO Tech Guru. Link to his stuff will be in the show notes.

5. Understand what the client is asking for in each audition you submit. 

When we’re given the opportunity to audition for a project, the first step for any audition is to understand what is being asked of us as the talent. It’s nearly impossible to give a decent audition if we’re not sure what someone wants, which is why we’re usually given a project description and some notes. 

No matter if you’re auditioning on a casting site where project descriptions are usually pretty thorough or if a potential client reaches out to you directly via email, you will usually be given information about the project and some notes for what the client is looking for from you for the piece.

Take some time with the project description and read over the copy a few times with that direction in mind before you hit record and be sure to listen to what you’ve recorded over and over again to be sure it matches what the client is asking for. If you’re still unsure what’s expected of you, take your best guess.

6. Provide more than one take for your auditions.

One thing I’ve learned in my voiceover career is that it’s never good to assume a client means or wants something they don’t outright ask for. 

That’s not your job. 

For an initial audition, it’s best to go off of what you’re told in a project description, and if a client likes the way you sound during your audition, they’ll reach out with any further wants or needs and you can ask specific questions at that time. 

But when our initial audition may be the only chance we have to get hired for a particular project, when auditioning on any pay to play site I recommend offering one take that follows the exact directions of the client and offer a second take of how you would read the script with the copy and direction given. 

Be sure you don’t assume they want a reassuring and professional tone if they straight up ask for a real and believable voice, even if the copy looks like it leans a different way than the client conveys. And since it’s hard to stand out in any one audition, be sure to give them:

-Exactly what they are asking for

and

– Your interpretation based on the copy and direction. Make sure this 2nd take is distinct i.e. a little outside the box but within the confines of the project at hand. If you cannot provide two distinct enough takes (and be hard on yourself about this one), only submit one take. 

7. Do not slate your audition unless you’re asked to.

Slating is when we say our name and or how many takes our audition has. Slating is not as common as it used to be so it’s best to forego it unless the project description specially asks for it. However, I submit my auditions as “MelanieScroggins_ name of the audition.” unless asked to name it in a different way. This helps the client stay organized on the back end when they’re having to go between their team and their client. 

8. Take the time to fill out each job proposal thoughtfully.

For each audition on voices, you have the chance to write a note to the client. Address them by name if possible. Personalize it based on the info given right above the message box. Even if a name isn’t listed, I like to say Hello company name/person name and then begin my message. 

But don’t spend too much time here. Voices now offers templates for these and they are super helpful so utilize them. In your account, you can find these under your profile pic > and Templates. I have one that directly addresses voices team member jobs and another general form that addresses all other clients. In both, I set my terms in the main body of the message box and that includes:

My turn around time for most projects

1. 1. What’s in my home studio i.e. the equipment I will be using for their project
   2. What type of file types i deliver
   3. My policy for live sessions and which platforms I have i.e. Google, Zoom, Skype, Source Connect, phone patch, etc. 

There is no need to fill out all of this information, but I always try to think of what I’d like to know if I were the client. It also puts everything on the table for what you can offer, how, and when, which saves the client time when going through prospective talent for any projects. 

9. Address everything listed in the project description. 

Auditioning should never be done in a hurry, especially if that means we overlook important questions we need to answer for clients. In a majority of projects you’ll audition for, you will see additional questions or things to address in your proposal.

For example, a lot of clients want their files delivered a certain way. Be sure to say you can deliver files in that format if it’s mentioned. Clients will also let you know if they need live directed sessions. Be sure to mention if you’re available and if the live session is included in the project bid. 

Note here about audition bids on Voices.com specifically. Voices now shows you exactly what the client will pay based on your bid + the platform fee charged by Voices. If your bid goes way above the set amount or amount range the client has listed as their budget, you may not be considered because it looks like you didn’t consider their cost.

10. Audition as much as you can. 

I know we say this a lot around here, and this may seem like a no brainer, but it’s proven to be pivotal in my career and so many others because so much of voiceover and a lot of freelance work is a numbers game.

Something that’s really helped me get into the right mindset when it comes to this reality, is something I once heard an actor say, “Audition until it’s no longer special.” It doesn’t mean that we find our profession boring or that any single audition doesn’t mean something to us, it’s just the opposite: it means that if we want work and we enjoy what we do, we should be auditioning every day to the point where it is a normal part of our daily routine and not an exception to it.

When we feel too close to any one thing in our careers, it can be devastating when that one thing (that one gig) doesn’t pan out. So approach each audition as a new opportunity, be excited about it and glad for it, and then move on. If you get hired, great! If you don’t get hired, great! There is something to be learned in every yes and every no.

However, even with the last tip in mind: 

11. Don’t audition for jobs that don’t offer industry-standard rates. 

When starting out, you may want to audition for anything and everything, and I would highly encourage you to do this to get in lots of practice and maybe some clients and reviews on the platform. HOWEVER sometime after the 6 month mark and definitely after working on the platform for a year or so, stop auditioning for underpaying jobs because it doesn’t make sense for any professional to do this and it ends up costing you valuable time you could spend on other parts of your business.

Here at the WFH Voice Actor, the standard at which we’re paid for our work is one of our core values. No one wants to get paid cents on the dollar just to get work, but all of us will do this when we’re desperate. I have been there, and you might have experience with this as well. But in the long run, we’re only training ourselves to take any job and any client, when at the core of any successful business, this is simply not sustainable long-term. 

No matter if you have a voiceover business yet or are working to build one up and pursue voiceover as your full-time career now or someday, it is in your best interest and that of the voiceover industry, to only audition for jobs that offer you industry standard rates. For more information on industry standard rates, check out the GVAA rate guide in the show notes. 

12. Be yourself and have fun with it.

Each time you record, be sure you’re offering up a sample of what you can actually deliver the client. If you try too hard to make yourself sound like what the client is asking for versus being able to naturally provide a certain type of voice, chances are you aren’t a good fit for the project they’re casting. And that is totally fine and normal and honestly, good. There is competition in this industry for a reason – diversity is good and needed. It’s our job to figure out which styles and tones we can best represent and show up with what’s in our wheelhouse when the time comes.

We each bring a unique take on a piece of copy, so be yourself and give them what you’ve got. And don’t forget to have fun – clients are perceptive. If you’re bored in your audition, they’ll be bored, too.

While there is no guarantee doing all of these things will get you more work on Voices.com or other pay to play sites, implementing even just a few of these tips will put you in a far better position when you show up and submit your next auditions.