Voiceover pay-to-play sites span a range of disciplines, including acting, voiceover, presenting, and many other off-shoots of entertainment promising ample opportunities. This overview provides insight into some of these platforms and their distinct characteristics.
With voice pay-to-play sites you will find four financial commitments.
- Commission: Where the site will take a percentage of your earning
- Subscriptions: Where the site will take a monthly fee from you
- One-off fees: Where you pay one payment and have access in perpetuity
- Listing Fees: Where you are charged for hosting a project (Typically something that applies to casting professionals, not voiceover artists)
Each pay-to-play site is different. Some may include all of these elements whilst others may only use one or two. It varies from platform to platform.
Top Pick: Voices.com
Voices.com is a well-known pay-to-play site, with an intuitive interface, extensive opportunities, and reasonable pricing. However, it's also highly saturated, meaning heavy competition. Their business model comprises a subscription fee and a percentage of your earnings. If you post a project, an initial administrative fee is also included. Voices.com typically attracts the lower tier of voiceover jobs and is often below the industry standard.
Close Contender: Voicerealm
Voicerealm is another long-standing site, though it now slightly lags behind its peers in SEO. Like Voices.com, Voicerealm also charges a listing fee, demands a subscription, and takes a portion of the earnings. It, too, grapples with heavy saturation. Voicerealm also attracts lower-paying jobs which fall below the industry standard.
Innovative Approach: Voice123
Voice123 is a bustling site and limits the number of voiceover artists who can apply to each listing, thus curbing saturation. This creates an environment where promptness, style, and quality can gain you an edge. This site operates on a subscription basis and offers supplementary services to enhance your profile and prospects.
A Distinct Option: Bodalgo
Bodalgo is a stand-out platform that typically attracts high-quality clients due to its subscription fee and brand reputation. It might not have the volume of work that other sites do, but it compensates with lower competition and higher payments.
Alternative Pathway: Voquent
Voquent operates differently, resembling an agent model where you only pay if you secure work, with no upfront subscription fees. This unique operation makes Voquent more akin to a casting site than a traditional pay-to-play platform. The value of the jobs on the platform is also very reasonable and the customer support is exceptional.
An Additional Casting Option: Voicebooking.com
Voicebooking.com invites users to sign up without an initial subscription. The platform may not be as active as others regarding volume, but it attracts impressive clients offering excellent rates.
It is critical to know and understand your worth. One must ask the question of why might a job be paying so little and decide if it is suitable for them. A low budget for a voiceover service is not an acceptable answer. The time, money, and effort invested into a voiceover business give it a recognized price tag that must be adhered to. Additionally, each company will have its own values and behaviors, it is important to ensure you research the companies you are considering spending money with when it comes to finding more voiceover work via pay-to-play sites.
The choice of platform carries its unique advantages and drawbacks. It's worthwhile to research reviews and consult your network to make an informed decision that will benefit you in the long run. For more information, explore our articles on Voiceover and Acting on Pay-to-Play and Generic Pay-to-Play platforms, and learn how to effectively audition on these sites.
Voiceover Pay-to-Play Sites by Alan Shires
Voice Actor