By the time you’re ready for voiceover auditions, it’s already assumed that you’ve completed some training or coaching, have a professional demo to showcase your abilities, and studio equipment that offers superior quality sound. But many voice actors may be unsure of the various ways you can find voiceover auditions. In order to truly be successful in the world of voiceover, it’s often advised that you find many different ways to receive your opportunities and never put all of your eggs in one basket. Read on for 7 ways that you can find voiceover auditions and opportunities.
Agents
Finding a voiceover agent to either freelance or sign exclusively with is a dream of many voice actors, especially those just starting out. And in voiceover, it is very common to have multiple agents, one in every major city/market in the country and even abroad. Agents are a wonderful partner to have in voiceover, as they provide high profile opportunities, negotiate rate and usage terms for you, and serve as a liaison between you and the client. If you’re thinking of submitting for agent representation, be sure to carefully read the submission guidelines on each agency website and follow their directions. If you don’t hear back, consider following up in six months but only if you have something new to share.
Direct Marketing
In voiceover, direct marketing is the process of reaching out directly to potential clients in the hopes of joining their internal rosters, receiving audition opportunities, and/or just being offered projects outright. Direct marketing requires a lot of time and effort to research which companies you’d like to work with, who is the point of contact you should be reaching out to, and finding their email address or phone number. However, many brands, production companies, and ad agencies keep internal rosters which can lead to unique auditions you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
P2P Sites
The term P2P stands for pay-to-play, which means a site that charges a monthly or annual membership in order to gain access to voiceover auditions. Three of the most popular P2P sites are Voices, Voice123, and Bodalgo. The price for each site, depending on your membership level, can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per year. The topic of whether or not P2P sites are a good career move for you personally can be an entire blog topic in itself but voice actors who join sites like these will absolutely find many auditions each day across a variety of genres including commercial, corporate narration/explainer, video games, and more.
Freelance Sites
If you spend some time in voiceover groups, classes, or even social media, you may find that people within the industry have a negative opinion about freelance sites like Fiverr and Upwork due to their low pay and in perpetuity usage on many to most projects. However, given that the two sites are worth billions of dollars, it’s clear that there are many, many buyers and sellers who see the value in them. And without the need to provide custom auditions, it can be very enticing to many freelancers.
Workshops
Voiceover workshops and classes are not only a great way to continue honing and strengthening your skills as a voice actor, but it can also result in some fantastic opportunities within the industry. Choosing workshops that are run by key decision-makers, such as casting directors or agents, can lead to roster invitations and new audition opportunities. Some popular places to find voiceover workshops are Actors Connection in New York and Real Voice LA in Los Angeles.
Social Media
Social media is not only a great way to connect with other voice actors, but it can also be an effective method of finding voiceover work. From Twitter to TikTok to Discord, there are often auditions posted, particularly from independent creators, if you know where to look. And over on LinkedIn, you will find many important creative people who work for big brands, ad agencies, and production companies who could give you the opportunity to audition for them as well. It’s all about taking initiative and being part of the important conversations happening across these social spaces.
Networking
Networking is a lot more finding people who can do something for you. Networking is really about creating authentic relationships and creating a mutually beneficial relationship. That may mean strictly professionally or it could mean a friendship that leads to someone referring or recommending you for a job. Being proactive in conversations, offering help, bonding over common interests, supporting their endeavors or events, and talking about more than just work are a few ways to authentically network in 2022.
Now that you know where to find voiceover auditions, there are a few more things to consider. It’s important to know how to write a strong proposal, how much to quote for a project based on the type and the usage, and how to invoice and collect payments. Being a savvy businessperson, besides being a talented voice actor, will set you up for long-term success.