Voices.com uniquely positions itself whereby the talent and the talent seeker are greatly supported.

This is unlike ANY casting service on the web, period.

Their marketing model, in my opinion, is fueled by a passion for what they do. That passion finds its avenues of expression in things like:

-Web Site Upgrade
-Ranking System
-Voicey Awards
-Podcasts
-Blogs
-Excellent Customer Service
-Setting Minimums

Voices.com “serves” the talent and talent seeker, not itself… HUGE distinction. Thus it is inconceivable that it would not continue to flourish.

Without question, when I am asked about online casting services and whether or not a person should join, I first and foremost recommend Voices.com… they are in a league of their own.

The only thing that’s similar with other sites is that Voices.com provides talent with casting leads, that’s where the similarity begins and ends.

This is a great chart! One minor note though – you can upload an image to your profile on v123. Your chart says otherwise.

I think you should also consider that you don’t show how many people responded to the lead (I think that’s a perk) and you show if the job is pending or closed.

And, you allow for response templates to be made. Those are all huge!

Thanks!!! Caryn

Hi Brian,

Completely blown away by your support! Thank you for sharing your thoughts

Caryn, we’ve made the fix, thanks for your help.

One thing I can say that is different is that your images aren’t branded with our logo whereas images uploaded at voice123 are. Just a side note.

Keep the conversation going ya’ll

Stephanie

What sets Voices.com apart is their balanced effort to support both the voice-seekers and talent.

Voice123 has made numerous changes over the years to “protect” the ad agencies. The result usually gives the talent just a “blind” audition request, not allowing a truly custom proposal.

With Voices.com I have had a much higher percentage of “closed deals.”

Another huge difference is support.

With the “other service” I had several issues that I needed addressed. Twice clients awarded me their job, but the notification did not mention the client name, contact info or specifics of the job. I contacted their support for help. 48 hours later I got an automated reply with no specifics.

Just yesterday I had a similar issue with Voices.com (The client forgot to give me his email address). Within minutes Voices.com support contacted me with the needed info and I closed the deal.

With my clients I believe customer support make the difference between a “one-shot” job and a long term client… apparently so do the people at Voices.com.

Oh how timely. How about the perceived value of talent and their time in motion.

I mostly see value lead propositions from Voices.com.

Just this morning I received a V123 lead for an audio book. The job description was for 20 chapters at 500-1500 words each for $150.00, total. All I could do was think, “You MUST be kidding!” After the talent, who has invested in their studio, marketing, demos, v/o classes,ongoing education, etc., and pays their own Fed & State income taxes (in Calif. it’s 38%) and you record up to 200 minutes, edit, convert….. You’re not a working voice talent…. you’re a slave.

This proliferation of so-called “job leads” promulgated by Voice 123 has been great for the listing producers, but hurts talent, and continues to depress the marketplace in general.

Sadly, at the time I looked at this lead, 128 talents had already replied. It’s about time some of us speak out about the “bottom feeders”.

What a sad, sad state of affairs! Nobody can take advantage of you unless you let them.

Thanks for reading my rant. Think I’ll put this one into my own blog today!

Bobbin Beam

Hi Stephanie.

I am a member of both voices.com and voice123.com, and would recommend both. I get a lot of work from both.

That said, I do wish they were a little more like you!

Voices.com is much easier to work with…here’s how.

1) You don’t hide the client’s name. There’s a client who took months to pay me… who I don’t want to waste my time auditioning for… but on voice123… I don’t know who.

2) You allow us to customize our response templates. I can just pull down Commercial, Narration, etc. and the rates are already there.

3) You allow us to upload a demo from our Voices.com studio OR Browse… whereas on custom demos voice123 only allows BROWSE.

When I’m busy, I have an assistant submit for me… and that means no custom demos. It’s nice for her to just use pull downs and submit a demo from my page on Voices.com. It’s also very time saving for ME when I’m busy!

4) I really appreciate the valuable info that you put in your blogs and podcasts. As a VO coach, I hear questions all the time that you answer very well.

5) A couple of months ago I had to cast a male VO for a narration. I posted the info on Voices.com and started getting responses. The talent I hired (and I went to many sources) was a Voices.com talent.

I also posted on voice123, but it never got on.

Apparently, I wasn’t available by phone so they didn’t post it.

A few days later, when I went to listen to demos, I found that I had well over 100 from Voices.com, and that voice123.com talent didn’t even know about it.

As a talent on that site, that concerned me. It made me wonder how many auditions I didn’t know about! (I did put this on their forum and they said they’d look into it.)

6) I cannot ever recall you guys posting a $50 job.

Some of the things that I like that they do, that I’d love to see on Voices.com is, they allow us to put more than just numbers in the bid field (ie. $300/hr instead of $300.) I also get more email notifications of leads from them. (I guess I need to change some settings?) And they post how many people have replied to each job. Not necessary, but I find it interesting.

Frankly, I recommend both sites to all good talent. I just renewed with Voices.com, and will renew voice123 at the end of this month.

Thanks for addressing the competition head on. Although, I don’t really see you guys as competition — when the wise talent joins BOTH!

Thanks for all you do!

Julie Williams

I’m listed with both Voices123 and Voices.com and the thing I really like about the latter (Voices.com) is that it’s easier for a talent to use.

There’s one BIG reason for this. ALL of the information regarding a job–description, budget, script, etc–is on ONE page. There’s no paging back and forth after you record an audition to check on the rates or double-check your audition against the description. It’s all right there on one page.

Paging around at 123 has caused me to lose data on more than one occasion and have to start over. I’ve mentioned it to them on several occasions, but they ignore me completely.

Also… the general knowledge and quality of the voice seekers at Voices.com seems to be much higher. No one’s shopping for rip-off rates or wanna-be’s here.

That stuff vitually litters the calls at Voices 123 and I end up ditching a lot of calls without responding and each time I do, I feel like I’m not getting my money’s worth.

Voices.com clients know what they’re looking for and have a handle on what a pro is going to charge them for it.

And I almost NEVER get an audition request from Voices.com without a sample script attached.

LOTS of calls from Voices123 are obviously from people who haven’t even completed (possibly not even started) their scripts. That’s getting the horse way before the cart.

I ditch ’em without so much as a second read.

All things considered, even though there are fewer calls for auditions from Voices.com than from Voices123, the quality of the calls are on a much higher level professionally.

~~Bob Barnes, voguy@kconline.com

I have been impressed by the Voices.com customer support, as well. My impression has been that you genuinely want the talent listed on your site to succeed. I also marvel at your web site design and features. You certainly know what you’re doing.

The one big difference is that V123 was started and is still run by people with a background in computers and Voices is run by people with a background in the VO Industry.

Who would you rather be with?

I used Voices.com and Voice123 side-by-side for exactly one year.

Result?

I have just dropped Voice 123.

Reason: results, of course, but also ease of use.

Everything from customer service to customizable websites to the fact that I don’t have to bid to anonymous clients – it’s just better thought-out and works much better for my business.

Just wanted you to know.

Thanks!

There are two areas where V123 scores over Voices.com. Firstly – job filtering. You do not get (as a male talent) female leads, leads in a wrong language, or leads (in my case) wanting a N. American accent, rather than British. O.K, it’s easy enough to delete them, but if V123 can get the client to state the accent, language and sex required, and then apply a filter, surely you could do this too!

Secondly, you choose not to show how many talents have responded, and V123 does. Your explanation that it gives everyone a fair chance doesn’t really hold water, since I imagine most people would agree that a client surely cannot listen to all 190 demos. Common sense will tell you they are likely to make a decision after the first, say, 30 demos. Thus it must often be a waste of time to apply after 50 demos have been submitted.

I really would like an honest answer from Voices as to how many demos a client will play. You guys probably know the answer already, but if not, it is easy enough for you to ask a selection of your clients.

Will you do it? And give everyone the answer?

I would be very pleased to find out I was wrong about the above!

And sorry for ranting on a bit.

Regards,

Tony Reeves (available for any English accented jobs

Stephanie,

The only comparison that makes sense is the cost and what you get for it. (Including return on investment)

For roughly the same price, Voices.com puts talent in the spotlight and not themselves (the Voices.com website).

Voice123 is so large that even good talents are lost in the race to get a demo in front of a potential client.

Timing is not a critical with your superb service. Clients, (I believe) get it all at once.

A huge difference is SOUND QUALITY. I swear that voice123 makes me sound like I have a terrible sinus condition.

When I complained, I got excuses and patronizing apologies. Their move to 64kbs actually made it worse.

Voices.com sends your MP3 in its own compression, allowing the client to hear you in the way you intended.

I have memberships to both but clearly Voices.com has delivered above and beyond with a handsome return on investment, many hits on my site that have brought me business, access to the exploding international market and incredibly personal service from your highly professional staff.

If you aren’t getting business through Voices.com, reconsider your vocation.

Dan Lenard

Voices.com operates on a more professional level than V123. There is one common thread, however, that runs through all these on line voice services:

We are NOT simply competing by nature of our vo abilities, but by the clock!

I check every 15 minutes, or when I can… and it’s rare to find a new listing without 20-30 people already answered, and by the time I run in, do the read & mp3 it (God forbid if my DSL is slow for the moment) another 20 or 30 have beat me to it.

Anyone who says it doesn’t matter is dead wrong. So many clients are looking for “good enough”, and the chances for them to listen to my (#133) audition is miniscule.

I don’t know what the answer to it is, but if anyone will try and be helpful in this regard, Voices.com will be.

Hi Tony,

Thank you for your feedback. We are in the midst of updating the filtering issue as a direct response to your suggestion.

I assure you, it is a high priority and will be completed as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Stephanie

I’d like to respond to Bob Green.

I don’t think we can generalize about any of this, Bob.

Many times I get praise from clients who said they listened to over 200 auditions and I came out on top. Like each of us and our unique voices, every seeker is different. If they are giving us the short shrift, then their attention to detail is suspect.

With the tons of leads we get, if you are making ends meet, it’s best to work with those who are quality conscious, appreciate what we do and treat us the way we want to be respected. With that perspective, I don’t worry about losing a $150 job.

Dan Lenard

Stephanie,

I applaud the Voices.com team for putting this together. I’ve received e-mails in the past asking which site to go with. I always recommend both, but it’s nice to have it spelled out.

I agree with everything that has already been written so far!

The customer support at voices.com is heads and shoulders above the rest! I know each of you by name, and by voice thanks to your terrific podcast. I love the blogs, and e-mails are always answered quickly and personally. There are no ‘standard’ replies as with other sites.

My most recent complaint with voice123 (only because it has gotten SO much worse in the last couple of weeks) is the budget on many of the job listings. It’s downright pathetic what some companies are willing to offer for the use of our gifts and talents!

In fact, I haven’t auditioned for a job there in a over a week because none of them meet my fees! There is something so wrong with this, and it is only made worse by those that answer the leads.

I may be ‘new’ to this business- but I have standards!! I will not sell my soul just to add a client to my resume.

More things I love about Voices.com…

-The ability to see when a lead is ‘closed’
-The professional look of the site
-The ability to make my site different from the rest
-The featured talent categories which are so well presented
-The ‘top 100’ (which took me a while to appreciate! I see the value in it now)
-The clients names and information always being presented…I am sometimes nervous about leads that won’t give their info.

This list could go on and on! When I talk about auditions, my husband asks, ‘Is this the good site or the other one’… it’s a fact.

Exposure is great, and I recommend spending the money for both sites, I have booked jobs from them both.

However, when I have a question, plan to expand my knowledge of the business, or just want to hear a friendly voice – Voices.com is IT!

At the risk of writing myself right off this blog…

I’m starting to think I am the only person that doesn’t want to know how many talent have auditioned for a particular job.

I find it distracting. I even find myself deciding not to audition at times because 100 others already have.

Who’s to say a producer or client wouldn’t listen to every audition – and mine wouldn’t be chosen, just because I’m #137?

I don’t know… I’m not a producer… but I don’t like feeling like I’m in a ‘race’ to get a job – I like taking the time to make my audition the best it can be.

Just my 2 cents…

I will say this about Voices, something that bugs me… I get leads for foreign languages and females (when I am a male) all the time.

Hi Colin,

Thank you for your comment – by the way, people are loving your segments on VOX Talk!

The filtering system (Tony was kind to comment on this too), is being updated in the near term.

I’m pleased that these changes are merely slight programming alterations and are easily overcome.

Thanks for your comment, Colin.

Cheers,

Stephanie

I am also a member of both V123 and Voices.com but I much prefer Voices.com.

Voices provides more quality leads and is much easier to use.

I (unlike others) really prefer not to see how many talents have auditioned as I find myself not even bothering to audition at voice123 after the tally of talent who have auditioned reaches over 100!

Thanks for always balancing the needs of the talent and the talent seeker in everything you do.

Just a little background into some of the job postings.

With few exceptions, we request sample scripts and we are very happy to learn that it is appreciated. In our communication with clients, we explain that it is necessary for our members to accurately quote for the project. We also try to educate them on what is a reasonable rate for voice over recordings.

Recently a client attempted to post a job for an ebook that they wanted recorded.

Budget $250-$500

After using the word count tool, it was found to be 21,000+ words in length. The client was advised that, although the voice talent are freelance, an average quote for something like this would be $2500-$3500. This budget range was not something the client could agree to.

As much as we like to have a full job posting board, we did not approve this one.

Have just joined Voices and am impressed with promptness and quality of support in general.

I think the most positive feature at Voices.com is that they provide client information.

If voice talent must provide their information then so should clients posting jobs. I don’t feel good about contacting a Mr. Confidential.

Anyone who works in this industry should have to provide their contact information.

Hi Arcindo,

Thank you for your feedback.

We do on occasion have clients who do not want their name available on the job posting. When a client wants their information kept confidential, we make sure that we know who they are, have their contact information on file and the type of business they operate.

With those rare job postings, we request that the client provide a company profile and as much detail as possible for the job posting so that you can still provide an accurate quote and feel comfortable in doing so.

I agree with you completely. Legitimate information about the clients and the companies they represent in job postings is mandatory at Voices.com for the good of all.

Tony Reeves again, thank you Stephanie for that quick and positve response to filtering.

To Dan Lenard, do you think it’s an exception that one client has told you he listened to 200 auditions, or do you think many of them do this? I’d be reassured if that’s a yes.

And to Stephanie again, will you comment on asking the clients if they listen to most or all demos before deciding (assuming they don’t hear the perfect talent at demo #3), and let us know the result?

And on the sound quality, that’s where Voices totally scores over 123. For heavens sake, for what is the sole reason a client listens to a demo – to hear what you sound like. On 123 you sound as if you are 18 feet below the surface of the River Thames and speaking through a nutmeg grater. Full marks to Voices on that one – add it to the comparison chart, Stephanie, it’s a vital point and you would be completely justified.

On Julie Williams’ point 3), how could you have a custom demo already uploaded to your studio? By definition this is impossible, and that’s why 123 only lets you browse your computer, surely?

One last point; I had always assumed that 123 did not show client contact details to prevent talents approaching the company direct and bypassing the audition stage. As you do show the contact, I suppose I must be wrong about that?

Best

Tony Reeves

Most of the points raised in the chart are irrelevant. What is ultimately important is the number and quality of the leads we get. In that respect, for me, voice123 comes out ahead.

Voices.com seems to try just a little too hard and misses the target with irrelevant distractions such as the Voicey awards which came across as a self indulgence that had no relevance to the everyday lives of working VOs . Also the ranking system is flawed as it appears to be biased against non North American talents by virtue of the fact that other accent/language talents have less traffic to their sites and therefore less chance of being rated. Another issue; Leads mostly specify a need for an “English” voice, which is meaningless in this international market and makes me hesitate to audition because I don’t want to waste my time responding to leads that are actually primarily for North Americans (I’m a Brit). The $100 minimum is no advantage since the average rate of the leads I receive from Voice123 is actually higher than Voices.com.

Here are the things I do appreciate. The ability to store any number and length of audio samples up to a size limit is a real advantage. The breakdown of the talent listings into categories is also a plus.

I hope I’m not coming across as being too negative, Voice.com has worked for me. I feel it could work better.

I look forward to being able to discuss these issues with you in Las Vegas later this month.

Hi Tony,

I’ll make a note to have that added (the audio quality), my friend It is a factor key to your success, after all.

Yes, we will conduct a survey with the clients. Sorry I didn’t comment on that earlier – it’s been all a buzz of late.

We have a Thames River here in London too, conveniently right beside the Voices.com office at the University of Western Ontario Research Park – nice to find similarities amidst the differences.

Have a smashing weekend,

Stephanie

$ I must go with Kara on this one. I also do not care to know how many others have auditioned for a particular job. If I feel that I fit the job then I will audition for it even if I’m #250. Although it’s great to be in the top 20 or so, it’s not a race. If I’m hurried to try and beat everyone else, my audition will suffer and I will not be at my best.

$ On the filtering problem, like Colin and others, I get leads for females and foreign languages as well. Not a biggie for me as I just delete it.

$ I also love the fact that you don’t hide the client info. I like to know who I’m auditioning for.

$ Kudos for keeping the quality of the leads HIGH and not allowing low-ball leads.

$ Sound quality is head and shoulders above V123.

$ I spend my time auditioning on Voices.com and almost ALL my time deleting leads on V123.

$ Voices.com cares about the talent here and they show it in their professionalism and excellent customer service.

To the Voices.com staff, thanks for the great site and service!

Answer to Tony Reeves,

Well mate, I must say that it has happend to me fairly often. In fact it is how I found my niche. I was getting a disproportionate amount of work in that area. Now, I only do commercials when approached to do so. I audition for them only when things are slow. (Or I like the copy)

I don’t totally buy the 100 audition envelope. Early in my born again VO career (oh so long ago, like 2 years) I would see the numbers but audition anyway. Like I said, I got work.

I sold insurance, it’s all a numbers game. Plus, the big mystery here is what does our competition sound like? I would kill to hear what seekers are getting as chaff as opposed to wheat.

Bottom line, Mix your marketing! Voices.com, V123, an agent, cold calling and REFERRALS! My biggest client came off a referral! We could all benefit from the big VOICE seminar in Vegas in just 24 days! Marketing is the key! Id you’re good enough or unique enough and you believe, and you work your plan, you will find success.

The minor points about Voices.com and V123, while somewhat important, take us away from the big picture. Stephanie is wisely promoting her business with this post. Perhaps we could all learn a lesson from it. If you are relying on these two systems for success, think twice.

I just like Voices.com better.

Dan Lenard
Master VO

I think Voices.com is nicer looking than voice123, although I have to say I’ve got a lot more leads from the latter. I haven’t rejoined either, since I was assessing which to go for, but voices123 has kept up sending me emails, whereas Voices.com hasn’t.

I’m inclined to think that the $100 a year deal isn’t worth doing, and in a way I wish the option wasn’t there. It seems a shame to think that others get priority because they pay a bit more. It would be simpler if everyone was in the same boat, as it were. That’s the way it is at voice123.

But I also think v123 might be better for British voices. Again, a reason I might go over to them.

Undecided, though…

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your comments – a lot of good communication and ideas coming up here.

I’d like to address Jack’s comment:

Hi Jack,

The reason why you haven’t received any emails with job posting details from Voices.com is because we respect your time and don’t want to overwhelm you with opportunities that you cannot audition for as a Guest member.

If this is a feature that you and other Guest members would like see (job postings emailed to you that meet your preferences), please let me know.

Thanks,

Stephanie

I love Voices.com for the podcast especially. I’m new to the ‘biz’ and I need all the info I can take in. I would like to see Voices.com host a forum like what v123 does, though. I see lots of Voices regulars over on their forum at v123. Thanks for the great podcast, Stephanie!