Online Voice-Over Auditions- Where do I Begin?

As a Voice-Over Artist, mastering the art of auditioning should be high on your to-do list because you will undoubtedly audition plenty! Plan to audition a great deal more than you actually record jobs, as that is the nature of the industry. Thanks to today’s technology and the internet, voice-over auditions have never been easier to find. One of the best means to audition online are through various “pay to play” audition sites, such as voices.com and voice123.com. While there is a fee to be able to audition through these sites, you can practice this skill by auditioning 24/7 if you wish!

Here are some things to keep in mind as you begin this chapter in your career:

– Select the auditions that are best suited for your voice and niche. Focus on those for the best use of your time.

– If the client provides a script, record exactly what they ask for. If the product name is xxx out, replace it with another name so the read still flows correctly.

-If a script is not provided, research the client and use a published material related to their product as your script. Paul Strikwerda recently published an article on VoiceOverXtra discussing this very topic!

– Don’t under-price yourself. Quality is worth the money so if you accept a very low price for the work, serious undercutting can hurt your reputation, not to mention the industry in general. If you’re just looking to build your resume, you’re better off offering services for free to family and friends or non-profits rather than accepting a ridiculously low paying job. Donate your time, not your money!

Another method for auditioning virtually is emailing an mp3 of an audition to a client. This may occur if a potential client contacts you directly, perhaps in response to your initial reach out to them, or finding you online or having received a referral of your work. This may also occur if a regular client wants to hear you read something in a slightly different style than what you’ve done for them in the past. In this scenario you will also want to be sure to record the script they provide. If a script is not provided, ask what they’d like to hear and record that. Don’t just assume that your demo is enough! In most cases it is, but in some cases something custom created is what it will take to seal the deal. You should also try to keep auditions and price quotes in separate conversations. Ideally it would be great to have a sense of their budget before spending time auditioning, but don’t overlook the possibility that if they love your voice and realize the value and quality, they may be willing to pay more than the initial amount they had in mind. Always ask for a budget first (if you can) before offering up your rates.

Lastly, remember that this is just a part of your job, and don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed with the amount of other people auditioning for the same job. You never know if they are more or less experienced than you- so just let all of those thoughts go and enjoy the process! Do your best and submit your audition. Once you do- put it behind you. Don’t think about it any more, don’t stress over the results, or keep track of those that you have submitted. Just move forward and take what you can learn from each experience with you. You will never win every audition you submit, but you will definitely improve your auditioning skills with time, and undoubtedly book more jobs as a result.