Voices.com vs Voice123…the BIG secret!
***IMPORTANT UPDATE: I appreciate you taking the time to read this article about Voices.com vs Voice123. I would ask that after you read it, please read my most recent article on this subject called “Voices.com Reviews…MAJOR UPDATE!!” One of these companies has made a very significant change that you should know about. I will post this link again at the end of this article.***
If you’re trying to break into the voice over field, you’ve probably done some research online. Because of that, you’ve probably stumbled across pay-to-play(P2P) sites. As of now, there are two well known P2P sites: Voices.com and Voice123. Just like me when I got started, a lot of people ask the question, what is the outcome is in a Voices.com vs Voice123 match-up? The obvious reason they ask this, is because they want to know which of the two will give them the most success. I’m going to give you the answer right now…you’re asking the wrong question! OK, I know, that was a big build up to get to that ‘let-down’ of an answer, but stick with me on this.
What question should you ask?
The question is this: Am I ready to work?
Let me give you the good news about P2P sites…everybody can play! Let me give you the bad news…everybody can play. What these P2P sites allow you to do is pay a monthly or yearly fee and audition for voice over jobs. What this means is that people have to take some initiative if they want to succeed. The problem is that there are a lot of lazy people on these sites. This can include people who don’t learn how to produce good quality audio. It could also include people who just don’t audition at all. They’re sitting there, waiting for someone to come across their profile and say, “Hey! Here’s someone who’s brand new to voice overs, with no demos for me to hear and they haven’t submitted an audition for the job I just posted. This is who I’m looking for!”
It’s easy to spot those people when they write reviews. “I was on ______ website for a year and didn’t book anything.”Don’t be discouraged. Here’s what I take from a review like that…nothing. What did they do for a year? How many auditions did they submit per week? Me personally, I usually submit, at the very minimum, 15 auditions per day, and that’s usually when I have other client work to get done. When I don’t have other client work, I submit as much as 30 or more in a day. However, I have talked to angry people on these sites and their sob story to me was, “I do 2-3 auditions per day and still haven’t booked anything!”
The Big Secret
If you want this to be your living, start treating it like it is now. I’m not telling you to quit your day job. In fact, that’s the last thing I’m telling you to do. I’m also not telling you to spend lots of time away from your family. However, on a part time basis, be all in! If you could take an hour at night, learn all you can about how to audition and do as many as you can! Again, be all in!
The Hardest Part
The fear of the unknown. I don’t think people afraid of hard work. They’re just afraid they might fail. You don’t know how long it’ll take to book that first job, so you question everything. “Is this taking longer than normal?” “Are other beginners booking jobs?” “Am I doing this wrong?” I asked them all!
Then, my greatest feeling since the day I got started…I booked my first job! It was from my 244th audition. Are you ready for this? I almost quit two weeks earlier. What would things be like if I hadn’t decided to stick it out a little while longer? Here’s a better question. If someone had told me that I would book a job on my 244th audition, how many auditions would I have done per day? Probably as many as were available.
The Best Advice?
Put in the time and hard work and, most importantly, don’t quit! You never know when that next audition is going to book the job.
If you’re really looking for a true Voices.com vs Voice123 match up…
1. Voices.com Reviews…MAJOR UPDATE!!
2. Voices123 Reviews…MAJOR UPDATE!!
Tell me about your experiences in the comments or connect with me on Instagram!
[…] how does Voice123 fit into this? If you read my blog post, Voices.com vs Voice123…the BIG secret, then you know that it took me many auditions before I booked my first job on Voices.com. Besides […]
Mr. Saint,
I’ve read this article, as well as every one of your updates and contained links. I just wanted to say thank you very much for detailing your encounters with both Voices and Voice123. It can be, as i am sure you remember, a bit overwhelming for a new talent to sift through the myriad P2P sites and marketing venues out there and get the most exposure for their investment.
I greatly appreciate you taking the time to provide this information. Thank you.
Hey Jay! My pleasure! Really glad this has been some help to you. I know it can be tough in the beginning for new talent. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t see any articles like this when I was getting started. I learned mostly through trial and error, which is the main reason I wrote these. As you’ve probably read, I’m not against P2P sites at all. I believe good ones can be a benefit to the industry. However, if there aren’t limitations placed on who joins, as well as strict guidelines on rates, the sites can be a real issue and a drain on the industry. That’s why I’m not a fan of most of the sites out there. Allowing anyone to join and do jobs for literally a hundredth of the industry rate is extremely unethical. Glad you’re looking for a good site.
Wishing you the best!
Hi Bryan! Very Informative article thank you, i’m currently a voice actor located in South Africa looking to expand into the overseas market and as a result have stumbled across Voice.com and Voices123 along with a multitude of opinions – mostly negative about the p2p sites in 2018. My question to you is, do you think it’s worth an overseas artist joining these two heavyweight p2p banks or are there other banks that you could recommend I look into instead?
Hey Miles! I still believe heavily in P2P sites. As of right now, I believe the best option available is bodalgo. It’s the one that seems to be the most transparent in everything they do. Voiceovers.com is another one that just started that seems to be on the right track. However, you have to be accepted to be on that one. I would start with bodalgo. Best of luck with it!
Hey Bryan, bery informative.
The world of VO is fast becoming eroded by pay to plays. It almost feels like a new platform is popping up every day.
On your note about Voice 123 removing smartcast… that would be awesome. Have you heard anymore about this? It is a tragically flawed system, and it should go the way of,the Dodo, but I have not seen any more info about its demise.
Have a good one.
Tim
Hey Tim. The biggest problem is when P2P sites (mainly Voices dot com) seem to think it’s their job to make sure that everyone who’s on the site gets hired, despite how little effort is being put in. Voices has even stated that they want as many small success stories as possible. Well, when you get someone with no talent who is willing to bend over backwards to get paid a tenth of what the job’s budget should be, that’s when you have “talent” coming out of the woodwork to get a piece of this industry. And then, if the company that got them booked in the first place is taking as much as 90% on some jobs, that’s how you drive an industry into the ground. Thankfully, most clients can still tell the difference between talent and beginner. I think P2P sites are the future of this industry, but I believe that there will be a few sites that dominate the bookings and Voices won’t be one of them.
And as far as the removal of SmartCast goes, it’s still in the works. They initially said by the end of summer. I’m hoping it won’t be much longer.
If you like paying a fee to audition, PLUS a fee to ensure the client pays after the job is done, PLUS a fee to “manage” the job so the client doesnt have to listen to several hundred auditions of varying quality – and finding out that this “managed” fee could be up to 80% of the total cost of the job, then yeah, Voices-dot-con is the way to go.
Hey Rob, thanks so much for your comment! If you haven’t done so, check out my review about Voices.com. Here’s the link (http://www.bryansaint.com/voices-com-reviews-major-update/). I have no problem with the P2P concept, as long as the people are acting professional and ethical. Voices.com has yet to prove that. I, along with hundreds of other talents, would love to see a change. Unfortunately, not only have they not made the changes they need to, they have yet to even admit to their mistakes. I definitely with almost everything you said! They’re a terrible direction to go for newbies trying to learn this industry!
[…] ago, I wrote an article called “Voices.com vs. Voice123…the BIG secret!” which you can look at here. It’s an article that might be helpful to you if you’re breaking into voice over […]
[…] ago, I wrote an article called “Voices.com vs. Voice123…the BIG secret!” which you can look at here. It’s an article that might be helpful to you if you’re breaking into voice over […]
I would love to put my versatile voice to work as a means to earning an income. Do you have any suggestions for breaking in to the education phase of voice work including the technical aspect of recording?
Hello and thanks for the informative article. How does one go about finding a coach in this particular field?
Hey Tony! Thanks for your comments. As far as getting yourself some knowledge on home studios and some of the technical aspects of this industry, a great start is a YouTube channel by Bill Dewees (just search his name on YouTube). Absolutely some outstanding information! As far as a coach is concerned, J Michael Collins is fantastic on not only voice coaching side, but also the online casting side as well. He can give you some great in depth advice for breaking into online casting sites like the two I mentioned here, as well as some other good ones that I haven’t mentioned. I wish you all the best!
Hi, I’ve always been very interested in this career but I have never taken any classes. I have a completely different career (high school biology teacher). Is this something someone like me (with no experience in this area) can be successful with on voices.com?
Hi Aby! Thanks for your comment! Yes, you absolutely can be successful. However, don’t go into this completely blind. Definitely get some evaluation from a coach before diving in. If you need information on a good coach, let me know!
Hi Bryan,
Thanks for that. I would also like to say that I resonate with your experience. I would also like to add that if you don’t enjoy auditioning, then you are in the wrong business. It’s a part of the job. It is also an opportunity to develop your range and talent, even when you are not getting work. Best, David.
Completely agree, David! This business is not about sitting back and watching the jobs flood in. People need to realize that 90% of their recordings will be auditions. Only 10% are going to be jobs. I think if people grasp that (and accept it) early on, they’re in this for the long haul. Thanks for your input, David!
In regards to a demo reel, can I use my auditions to make one up?
Hi Jordan! Definitely do NOT use auditions as your demo. That’s copy written specifically for a company and in some cases, it’s nondisclosure information. Edge Studio has a script library with thousands of scripts that are available if you sign up for a free account. However, if you have the money, I can’t even begin to tell you what a professionally produced demo would do for you. The prices on those are extremely varied, so definitely check it out!
Great info! I’m going to have to pull some of my demos ASAP. Thanks for the heads up.
When you talk about a professionally produced demo I have a couple questions if you don’t mind. Should I be worried if I cannot reproduce that level of quality from my home studio equipment? Or could I send them several files (with my various characters and voices) and have them put it together as a coherent demo?
Thanks for the comment, Mark! Truthfully, your best bet is to get a professionally produced demo. Demos are extremely important because they’re selling not just you, but your quality. I recommend talking with J Michael Collins regarding demo production because he knows what works best on these pay to play sites. Best of luck with it!
Bryan,
This has encouraged me to try out voice casting websites, as I previously have been very put off from bad reviews. Happy to see that Voices.com has a payment guarantee!
Glad to hear it, Fran! Work hard and be patient with it. If this is a new area for you, some coaching would definitely be a plus!
Hello Bryan, I enjoyed reading this article. I have made a small fortune on Craigslist. If you had to choose betwee Voices.com and Voice 123, which would you choose? I really believe everything you’ve mentioned here.
Hi Gabe, thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed everything! I just added the information for you at the end. I just wanted to make sure that people understood that between the two websites, the most important part is the work you put into it. Again, thanks for the comment and best of luck!
Brian,
This is all great information but there is no mention of any definitive advantage between the two services as “vs.” in the title usually implies. Thanks! Nic
Hi Nic, thanks for the comment! I really wanted to highlight the most important part of online casting sites. However, I did add my preference at the end of the blog for you. Thanks again for the comment!