Getting started as a voice actor can feel overwhelming, but like in any career, establishing a workflow and knowing what takes priority can go a long way in making your day more manageable—and successful, too. And in the business of voice over, it all starts with the audition.
With over 5,000 voice over jobs posted to Voices each month, there’s no shortage of opportunities out there available to voice actors. So, where should you begin?
In this article
- 1. Optimize Your Voices Profile and Let VoiceMatch™ Do the Heavy Lifting
- Advice From the Voices Insiders
- 2. Ensure the Job Requirements Fit Your Skills and Abilities
- Advice From the Voices Insiders
- 3. Consider Whether the Job Budget Is in Line With Your Value and Expectations
- Advice From the Voices Insiders
- 4. Consider How Recently the Job Was Posted
- Advice From the Voices Insiders
- 5. Ask Yourself If You Connect With the Job
- Advice From the Voices Insiders
- How Many Voice Over Auditions Should You Submit In A Day?
- Make the Most of Your Voice Over Auditions
For advice on how to decide which voice acting auditions you should go after, we asked our trusted experts, the Voices Insiders, for insights into their own audition workflows and how they choose which jobs are the right fit for them. The Voices Insiders are a team of voice over professionals who share their tips and expertise with the Voices community every month to help voice actors at all stages in their careers learn and continue to develop their craft.
Read on to find a workflow to help you navigate the voice over audition evaluation process and manage your time more efficiently.
1. Optimize Your Voices Profile and Let VoiceMatch™ Do the Heavy Lifting
After signing up for an account on Voices, the first step is to fill out your voice talent profile. Your profile is not only important for introducing yourself to prospective clients and showcasing your experience and skills, but it also plays an essential role in your VoiceMatch™ score.
VoiceMatch™ is a recommendation engine that is used by voice actors on Voices to determine how qualified they are for a job and how to prioritize auditions. The algorithm compares the skills and attributes listed on a voice talent profile to a client’s job posting to determine a score out of 100. The higher the score, the better the match, and the more suited you are to the job.
Keep in mind, when clients receive auditions back on Voices, responses are also ranked by VoiceMatch™ score. By fully and accurately completing your bio and including as many tags that fit your skills as a voice actor as possible, you’ll not only receive more opportunities that better align with your abilities, but you’ll also open yourself up to more visibility within job responses, too.
Watch this video for tips for optimizing your Voices profile and improving your VoiceMatch™ score:
“[VoiceMatch™] is really important to me. I know the system is working hard to find jobs that suit my qualities as a voice actor, so I tend to audition for jobs with an 80% match or higher.”
Advice From the Voices Insiders
“Make sure you fill out your profile on Voices completely! That way, the job postings you receive will be tailored to your voice and your strengths as a voice actor.”
2. Ensure the Job Requirements Fit Your Skills and Abilities
While VoiceMatch™ takes care of much of the work of sifting through voice over auditions, no one knows your skills as a voice actor and the projects you’re suited for better than you—especially when the client has something specific in mind. That’s why it’s important to take the time to read through the job requirements and assess how your skills fit the role, style, and other performance details laid out by the client.
Over 55% of the Voices Insiders surveyed say this is the most important consideration when choosing which voice over jobs they will audition for.
By taking this step, you’re bound to save hours in this studio by weeding out the jobs that simply aren’t the right fit, so you can better allocate your time and energy for the ones that do fit.
“One of the major things is that I actually match the brief. It is not a good use of my time to audition for something that I know I am not the right fit for. Also, particularly when they are looking for a specific group of people to which I don’t belong (in my case, African American or non-binary, for example), it is inappropriate to audition. There are so many fantastic talent out there that do meet those descriptions and if I was to respond, it will take longer for the client to hear the people that are actually right for the job—particularly new talent.”
“I’ll read through the audition script and the job description and determine if I think my voice and skills can be an asset to the project.”
Advice From the Voices Insiders
“Have a really strong understanding of what people think of when they hear your voice. Are you bright and bubbly? Are you mature and sexy? Are people immediately calmed by the sound of your voice? Asking yourself these questions will help you determine which jobs to target and spend your time on. Of course, we are all diverse and have many talents, but knowing your ‘type’ will only help you better understand the best place to dedicate your time and energy.”
“Audition as much as you can but only for the things that fit your voice. In my opinion, you are better served by auditioning for two jobs that you think you’d be perfect for than 20 that aren’t in your wheelhouse.”
“Pay close attention to what the client is looking for. If they are looking for a Voice of God-type voice and you are ‘the girl next door,’ think about moving on from that job!”
“Trust your intuition. It will go a long way in telling you which jobs are ‘right’ for your voice. You’ll feel good about auditions that flow well and sit right in your wheelhouse. On the flip side, don’t be afraid to try new things to see what sticks.”
“I’d highly recommend not auditioning for roles that are not in your native language or aren’t an accent you can perform naturally. Allow other, more suitable talent space to audition for those jobs.”
3. Consider Whether the Job Budget Is in Line With Your Value and Expectations
When it comes to assessing compensation, auditioning for voice over jobs is not that different from applying to any job. As a voice actor, you want to be sure you’re paid fairly for what your skill, experience, and time is worth.
In addition to what you bring to the table as a voice actor, you’ll also need to take usage details into consideration when submitting an appropriate quote in your audition. These details include whether the job is broadcast or non-broadcast, the campaign duration, and market size, which will influence voice over rates. Regardless of your skill level as a voice actor, it is important to not undervalue your work on any job! To help you assess what is an appropriate budget and whether a job falls within your expectations, we’ve created a voice over rate sheet and have set usage minimums in place on broadcast jobs on Voices.
Note: Always quote according to the value you bring. If a client’s budget doesn’t align with your talent and value, you have the option to submit a quote that’s above their budget. In many instances, clients can be willing to go above their original budget if the fit is right.
“The first thing I look at is the budget-to-work ratio. I’m not going to do your 500-word Facebook video for $100. That’s a waste of my time. I might do a $100 job that’s a tagline though. I’ve often auditioned for $200-500 jobs that I thought had a really fun script, and for me how much I enjoy something is a big part of my decision.”
Advice From the Voices Insiders
“Don’t get hung up on job pricing when you’re first starting out. Focus on hitting the mark with your auditions, so you can eventually get to shortlists and bookings!”
“If you’re new, I would advise not being quite as picky about what you will and won’t do. That said, don’t let yourself be taken advantage of. Don’t offer to read someone’s 59,000 word novel for $150.”
4. Consider How Recently the Job Was Posted
Even though VoiceMatch™ automatically ranks the audition responses clients receive based on score, timing is still an important factor when deciding whether to audition for a job or to move on.
If multiple auditions come in with a VoiceMatch™ score of 100 (or the number your score may be), these auditions are then ranked by age, with the earliest submissions with a score of 100 appearing at the top of the list. So, if a new job posting meets your criteria and has a high VoiceMatch™, audition as soon as possible!
On Voices, you can easily see the number of responses a job has received in the Hiring or Saved tabs and on the job posting. While there is no magic number when it comes to the recommended ‘cut-off’ for auditioning, you might want to consider placing your efforts elsewhere if a job has received responses into the triple digits.
“My priority when I go into the booth is to do any private audition invites first. After I’ve submitted those, I then go through the list of auditions sorted by the newest listings first. I look for jobs that are new, 100% or 90% VoiceMatch™, and are paying fairly.”
Advice From the Voices Insiders
“Always audition for the newest jobs first. Don’t spend your time on jobs that already have 30 or more auditions, unless you think you can deliver a performance that cuts through the clutter or you’ve been privately invited to audition.”
5. Ask Yourself If You Connect With the Job
As a voice actor, your voice is your product, but it is also a personal extension of you. Even though a job posting may check all the other boxes, like budget or skill fit, if the job doesn’t align with your personal values or feel believable in your read, it’s likely not the role for you. And that’s okay!
Many voice actors adhere to their own set of content guidelines when choosing which voice over jobs to audition for, including religion, politics, and other personal considerations.
Note: All jobs that are posted using the Voices platform follow our Content Guidelines, guided by the ‘E is for Everyone’ approach.
“It primarily comes down to script for me. Do I connect with it as a voice actor? Does my read come easily and naturally?”
“Most importantly, audition for topics you can relate to yourself.”
“I avoid gigs that I don’t think fit me as a person. Sometimes I’ll read something and think ‘I don’t want my voice on that,’ or that I don’t think my heart will be in the audition.”
Advice From the Voices Insiders
“Pick auditions that you think are fun or challenging and can teach you something. Stick to your strengths, but know that your abilities will grow as you venture out from your center.”
How Many Voice Over Auditions Should You Submit In A Day?
Voices internal data has found voice actors who audition seven or more times in a day can earn approximately $20,000 more annually than talent who audition under seven times a day.
With that said, the number of auditions you should submit in a day can vary depending on your individual goals.
As you can see, 44% of the Voices Insiders polled aim to submit between ten and 14 auditions each day, but there is representation across all audition ranges.
Lenore’s average daily audition target is between 5-9.
“I try to do as many auditions as I can daily while juggling my full-time job. This seems to be what’s manageable but also keeps me in the numbers game!”
Kristen’s average daily audition target is between 10-14.
“Based on data from Voices, the most successful talent on the site submit at least seven auditions per day. So, I figure if I submit at least ten auditions per day I will increase my chances of landing one of those jobs! Often, I only have time to submit a few auditions per day if I have several paid jobs to work on, so striving to reach that 10-14 audition per day goal will cover the days that I don’t get as many auditions in.”
Robert’s average daily audition target is between 5-9.
“I try to audition for every call that is in my target area that I have time for. I find that 5-9 is what I get across my feed. The key is to do it consistently.”
Tiffany’s average daily audition target is between 1-4.
“I used to try to audition for everything, but I’ve become really selective so I can put my time toward auditioning for a handful of jobs that I know I can really nail.”
Katie’s average daily audition target is between 5-9.
“I get VoiceMatched to 10-20 auditions every day, and usually I feel like I would be a good fit for around half of them.”
Melanie’s average daily audition target is between 10-14.
“When you’re first starting out, getting in the practice of as many auditions as possible per day is key, both for nerves and for getting in the habit of auditioning. Now, almost two years in, 10-15 auditions is my daily audition goal because I can get through that many in a reasonable amount of time and keep my client pipeline full.”
Make the Most of Your Voice Over Auditions
Whether your career goal for 2022 is to book your first job or to book your first $1,000 voice over job, signing up for a Voices account is the best place to get started.
Find resources to fix common voice over mistakes that might be holding you back and discover what voice over roles are in demand in 2022 on our blog.
How do you decide which voice over jobs to audition for? Let us know in the comments!
Comments
My twin daughters are interested in voice acting. They are active with the theater. Please provide information for the girls to audition.
Hi Katherine,
When you sign up for a Voices account, your daughters will have the opportunity to submit voice over auditions for a wide range of voice acting jobs. However, if they are underage, you must supervise them while they use Voices.
I am also a voice-over actor, your article provides me helpful information. Thank you for sharing a valuable blog.
That’s great to hear. Thanks for the feedback!
I audition for about 10 jobs a day. I used to think I could only do cartoon voices justice, but now I am opening myself up to a lot of different opportunities that I believe I will enjoy and I take a chance on it.
Hello my name is Katrina. I was wondering if I could do a voice over because I’m very interested and I think I have a good voice to voice over anything you would like me to thank you for. I would really appreciate it if I could sign up for something.
Hi Katrina,
Voices is a marketplace where content creators come to post jobs for voice actors to audition for. You can certainly sign up, and get started as a voice actor by reviewing our Beginners Guide to Voice Acting.
Best of luck,
Niki
I’m just starting out (in April ’24) and try to audition as much as possible trying to land that first job.
This is some really good information. Very thankful for the VO talents sharing their incites.