Voice Over Work Online. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.

Any professional voice actor will tell you that having an online presence is a must these days. And being selective about voice overs you audition for, marketing yourself and being pro-active are all important aspects of being a modern VO artist. We’ve put together a list of do’s, don’t, suggestions and pre-requisites to being a voice actor with a great online presence. THE GOOD Get active on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and Google Plus are all great places to meet other voice over talent, network and hear of opportunities. Being listed with a reputable online voice casting site is a no brainer. Any client looking for voice talent is going to want to hear a selection of voice actors. Having your own website is fine and recommended, but the majority of auditions and jobs are going to come through voice over websites such as The Voice Realm. More job opportunities moving online. Clients are realizing the benefits of casting and hiring voice talent online. The administrative and studio savings are immense. It’s a lot quicker and more often than not voice over rates are better than going through a traditional agent. THE BAD Sites like elance.com and others that have voice talent essentially bid for the work. No matter what others will tell you, a client is going to go in looking for the voice that has the cheapest rate and a sound that is passable. If one voice bids $400, another bid’s $100 and they both sound very similar, I can assure you most of the time the client will go for the cheaper voice. Avoid websites that will accept anyone to join their roster. You will be appearing alongside amateurs who may have never stepped in a studio before. Being lost in a sea of over 20,000 other people is a waste of time. Before joining, you need to ask yourself “can anyone join this site?” If your mom can join by using a credit card, then I wouldn’t recommend it. If a website, clearly on their front page, has links for ‘voice talent’ to join, preaching the benefits of their site, then it’s likely that anyone can be listed there. Cheap equipment is going to do you no favors. You may have the nicest voice on the planet, but a $100 microphone will ensure you get passed over by every client. If you are serious about your voice over business, investing in the right equipment is a must. We highly recommend the Sennheiser MKH416. This microphone is used in professional studios around the world. THE UGLY Bidding for any job below $100. After you take out tax, cover your expenses, and factor in the cost to get the client in the first place, it’s rarely worth your while to record anything below one hundred bucks. Voice Talent who list themself on budget websites, doing voice recordings for less than $100 for radio and TV spots are killing the industry. You must unfriend these people now!