Voice Over Talent Agents – Do I Need One?
Voice over talent agents are a great way to get your name and voice demos in front of casting directors and industry producers who select which voice talent appear in commercials and professional recordings.
The answer to the question in the post’s title is yes and no.
A voice talent agent in the big cities can help secure you well paying SAG-AFTRA and union voice over jobs. But many voice talent find that the travel involved with audition after audition sometimes make the extra pay not really worth it.
Many voice talent are finding their time better spent finding smaller voice over jobs online that they can record from the comfort of their own home. Investments they spend on equipment is tax deductible, so is their home studio and any marketing or website fees they pay for.
Establishing yourself with an online voice talent agent or casting website is one step that every professional voice actor should take no matter whether they choose to have a traditional agent or not.
The role of an agent still exists in a traditional sense, whether it be online or offline. Websites do connect clients with voices. They also act as the paymaster, which alleviates much of the stress and time wasted of invoicing and then chasing up clients.
Some sites like The Voice Realm are actually re-establishing professional voice actor rates and standards for voice talent online. Over the past 10 years some websites have allowed voice talent to bid against each other which waters rates down and does damage to the industry. These are also the same sites that allow anyone with a credit card to come along and make a profile and start auditioning against professionals.
A great way to establish yourself as an online voice actor is to get involved in forums and social media. You can interact with your peers and find out where the jobs are being booked. Search on Twitter for the hashtag #voiceover and you’ll be surprised by what you find.
The role of an agent still exists in a traditional sense, whether it be online or offline. Websites do connect clients with voices. They also act as the paymaster, which alleviates much of the stress and time wasted of invoicing and then chasing up clients.
As more voice over work moves online, the benefits of being listed on a reputable and professional voice over website are growing. Just be sure that the online voice over agent or website you choose does not allow anyone to join their ranks. You could be wasting your time and money.
Do your research and speak to others in the industry about voice over agents, but remember it’s the time and effort you put into your career that will determine the outcome.
