Voices.com Answers - Recent questions and answers in Demos

Answered: Where would I find radio scripts/monologues with women's roles for my demo reel?

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:03:19 +0000

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us.

You're welcome to download the complete "Voice Over Script Collection" click here:
http://www.voices.com/scripts

We also have the collection of Radio and TV Scripts available for download.
http://www.voices.com/ebooks/commercial-scripts-for-radio-tv-ads

Best wishes,

Voices.com Support Staff
1-888-359-3472
support@voices.com

Answered: What should a voice demo consist of?

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:20:50 +0000

It depends on what you want to use it for. If you are just going to be using a site like this one, you can produce several, simple demos to show style and range. If you are trying to get an agent, you'll need to do competetive, finished demos in several formats, but in a compilation style (commercial, animation, narration, etc.). Below is an article I wrote about what constitutes a good professional demo and some steps to take to produce one. Not everything applies to this site, but it gives you an idea:

What to Use on a Demo:

Posted: Fri 5 Dec 2008 7:35 am Post subject: What to use on a demo

The purpose of you demo is to show potential clients what you are capable of. It is advertising for your product - YOU. Like all advertising, there is a psychological component. You could do commercials about "pretend" products or include low-end local spots, but this doesn't show what you should really be doing - NATIONAL commercials - right? Well, anyway, that's what we want our clients to think. With that in mind, do the following:

Use real products, but NOT already produced commercials. If you have copywriting skills, create a great commercial that sounds like a real one. If you don't have the skills, a coach or credible demo producer will do this for you. As always, I HIGHLY recommend using a director and outside producer for demo creation. Even if you can produce commercials yourself, demo production is an art and you will stand a better chance of reaping a great return on your investment.

For narration for audio book companies, they want to hear a representative sampling of fiction, non-fiction and specialty (like children's) several paragraphs will do. Since Faulkner and Hemmingway have very different styles, very difficult to emulate, you should use original text. You may use it for demo purposes, but you may not sell the recording for any reason.

As far as fake movies are concerned . . . Trailers are super, duper, oh-my-God competitive. If you want to do a promo/trailer demo, you should check out such demos on voicebank.net, then decide if you really, really, really have the chops. If the answer is, "yes," just be sure that the movie you invent isn't more interesting than your voice. What I mean is that I've heard many demos which were very, very funny, but I was paying more attention to the copy than the voice itself. Make the movie sound believable and be sure to use all production elements. Again, I recommend a pro. There are also several specialty promo classes in the VORG. It's worth it to take a class in this, as the style of working is very specific.

Character voice demos are useful to have for games, animation and animé.

You'll have noticed that I've talked about these demos as separate - they are. Only your agent, should you get one, is interested in hearing your "range." Clients are only looking for you ability to do one thing, ie: commercials, narration, animation. Even within narration, you can break it down into things like Instructional, Books, Medical, Documentary etc. This is helpful if you have a specialty. Visit some of the online voice casting sites and see how the top voices (usually the ones featured on the front page) break out their demos.

With that said, you'll want to start out making the demo that is most likely to get you work, then build from there. If you've taken a class (see above), you'll have a good idea of where you're most competitive.

Hope this helps. There are some wonderful demo producers to check out in the Voice Over Resource Guide online (available at www.everythingvo.com).

Good luck!

Answered: Can I change my demo if i have already answered a job?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:36:50 +0000

In an effort to simplify the decision-making process for the clients, talents are limited to one audition through the site.

There is a Preview option available to you to review your written proposal, quote and demo before submitting to the client and we suggest that you make using this function part of your daily audition ritual to avoid any submission errors.

Voices.com is able to re-open the job for you, provided the job is still in an "Open" status. If you need to re-submit an audition through Voices.com, please contact Support at 1-888-359-3472 or support@voices.com.

Voices.com Support Staff

Answered: what does thumbs up mean?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:33:34 +0000

The job icons under the Flag column are a simple way to know which of your auditions have been reviewed by the client without having to click through to each job.

The icons help talent identify which jobs are private (flag icon) which auditions have been reviewed (check-mark icon) and which auditions have been liked (thumbs up icon).

Voices.com Support Staff
support@voices.com

Answered: Where can I find a guide to doing voice-over demos?

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:23:43 +0000

Want to promote your talent? The first thing that you’ll need is a marketable voice-over demo. Your demo represents your voice and skills to clients. A demo allows clients to listen and evaluate your services firsthand without you having to record a custom sample. Creating a variety of voice-over demos rounds out your portfolio and showcases the styles of voice-over you can perform.

Since nearly everyone has heard a radio program, you should expect that your listeners have grown accustomed to hearing material produced in a certain way. Here is a suggested framework for mapping out your production.

7 Steps Before Making a Voice Over Demo (article)
http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2007/06/steps_before_making_a_voice_acting_demo.html

Research, write, and edit. Three simple steps that will make a world of difference.

Shoot for a demo length of 60 - 90 seconds. Keep voice-overs moving, and limit topic coverage to 5 or 6 segments. Try to use different vocal tones or ranges to break up the content, pace, and tone of your demos. Use musical backgrounds (known as jingles or music beds) or other non- music interludes (referred to as stagers, sweeps and ID’s) to transition between topics. These topic breaks are typically described as bumpers or sweepers, giving your listeners the time they might need to digest the content you just presented.

Making an A-List Voice Over Demo (podcast)
http://podcasts.voices.com/voiceoverexperts/2007/07/voice_over_experts_episode_07.html

The voice-over demo can range between 30 seconds to 2 minutes and 30 seconds. For distribution on the Internet, it is best to keep your demo to 1 MB in size or approximately 1 minute in duration. A 1MB file delivers optimum download speeds while maintaining the highest quality of digital audio.

Here’s an example of a demo outline:

• Demo intro monologue (who you are and the subject of your voice-over demo): 5 seconds
• Segment 1: 15 seconds
• Segment 2: 15 seconds
• Segment 3: 10 seconds
• Segment 4: 10 seconds
• Segment 5: 5 seconds
• Closing remarks (thank audience for listening, contact information / website plug): 5 seconds
• Closing music jingle (optional): 5-8 seconds

Have you considered taking a class about demo production?

You may consider learning more from a voice coach who has produced demos for other voice talent. Check out these classes:

Voice Over Demo Preparation
http://www.voices.com/coaching/voice_over_demo_preparation

Voice Over Demo Recording
http://www.voices.com/coaching/voice_over_demo_recording

Voice Over Demo Evaluation
http://www.voices.com/coaching/voice_over_demo_evaluation

I hope you've found these recommendations to be useful and I look forward to hearing back from you after you've recorded your demo.

Best wishes,

Voices.com Support Staff
support@voices.com

Answered: I do not have a professional demo yet. Should I do a home made demo for the purpose of this website

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:27:09 +0000

The first thing that you’ll need when getting started in voiceovers is a marketable demo. Your demo represents your voice and skills to clients. A demo allows clients to listen and evaluate your services firsthand without you having to record a custom sample. Creating a variety of voice-over demos rounds out your portfolio and showcases the styles of voice-over you can perform.

If you feel you have the audio editing capabilities and know how to produce a well-rounded demo for yourself, then I don't see why you couldn't do it yourself. I would recommend listening to the demos on Voices.com to see how your demo will stand by against them.

Here is a suggested framework for mapping out your production.

7 Steps Before Making a Voice Over Demo (article)
http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2007/06/steps_before_making_a_voice_acting_demo.html

Shoot for a demo length of 60 - 90 seconds. Keep voice-overs moving, and limit topic coverage to 5 or 6 segments. Try to use different vocal tones or ranges to break up the content, pace, and tone of your demos. Use musical backgrounds (known as jingles or music beds) or other non- music interludes (referred to as stagers, sweeps and ID’s) to transition between topics. These topic breaks are typically described as bumpers or sweepers, giving your listeners the time they might need to digest the content you just presented.

Making an A-List Voice Over Demo (podcast)
http://podcasts.voices.com/voiceoverexperts/2007/07/voice_over_experts_episode_07.html

The voice-over demo can range between 30 seconds to 2 minutes and 30 seconds. For distribution on the Internet, it is best to keep your demo to 1 MB in size or approximately 1 minute in duration. A 1MB file delivers optimum download speeds while maintaining the highest quality of digital audio.

Here’s an example of a demo outline:

• Demo intro monologue (who you are and the subject of your voice-over demo): 5 seconds
• Segment 1: 15 seconds
• Segment 2: 15 seconds
• Segment 3: 10 seconds
• Segment 4: 10 seconds
• Segment 5: 5 seconds
• Closing remarks (thank audience for listening, contact information / website plug): 5 seconds
• Closing music jingle (optional): 5-8 seconds

Have you considered taking a class about demo production? You may consider learning more from a voice coach who has produced demos for other voice talent. Check out these classes:

Voice Over Demo Preparation
http://www.voices.com/coaching/voice_over_demo_preparation

Voice Over Demo Recording
http://www.voices.com/coaching/voice_over_demo_recording

Voice Over Demo Evaluation
http://www.voices.com/coaching/voice_over_demo_evaluation

I hope you've found these recommendations to be useful.

Best wishes,

Voices.com Support Staff
support@voices.com

Answered: Can I use the royalty-free music beds on Voices.com in my demo?

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:49:33 +0000

Once you have purchased the royalty-free music beds or sound effects, you're welcome to use them in your voice-over demos or for your website.

Vocal talent may be an essential element for putting together a high-quality voice-over, but it's not the only auditory element that goes into the process. Also important is background music, which can be used to set a lighthearted tone for an advertisement or to calm irate customers in a phone system recording. Unfortunately, obtaining or recording voice-over music can be incredibly expensive, as many artists require royalty payments every time their music is broadcast. Companies in the midst of financial turmoil may not be able to afford a traditional music setup, but with the help of Voices.com, these organizations can still benefit from the presence of music in their voice-overs.

What does royalty-free mean?
Clip art, images, graphics, photographs, art, music and other created content which may be offered to the public or individuals to be used in specified ways. The creator retains all copyrights and publishing rights. You may use and publish the clip art, images, music per the specified terms of usage but may not sell or distributed to a 3rd party. Royalty free packages, collections, images or photos are not public domain. The creator retains copyright and all terms of usage must be followed when using these royalty free packages, collections, images, photos, music, etc.

Answered: What's the best content to use for a demo?

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:43:04 +0000

That is definitely too long! What you put on a demo depends on what kind of voice-over work you want to do. If you want to do book narration, you need about a paragrah/style of book (ie: nonfiction, romance, mystery, horror, etc.). As for other demos, I'm copying part of an article I wrote on demo creation. Feel free to contact me, if you have questions after reading this. I used to produce demos myself, but no longer do (no space):

The purpose of you demo is to show potential clients what you are capable of. It is advertising for your product - YOU. Like all advertising, there is a psychological component. You could do commercials about "pretend" products or include low-end local spots, but this doesn't show what you should really be doing - NATIONAL commercials - right? Well, anyway, that's what we want our clients to think. With that in mind, do the following:

Use real products, but NOT already produced commercials. If you have copywriting skills, create a great commercial that sounds like a real one. If you don't have the skills, a coach or credible demo producer will do this for you. As always, I HIGHLY recommend using a director for demo creation.

For narration for audio book companies, they want to hear a representative sampling of fiction, non-fiction and specialty (like children's) several paragraphs will do. Since Faulkner and Hemmingway have very different styles, very difficult to emulate, you should use original text. You may use it for demo purposes, but you may not sell the recording for any reason.

As far as fake movies are concerned . . . Trailers are super, duper, oh-my-God competitive. If you want to do a promo/trailer demo, you should check out such demos on voicebank.net, then decide if you really, really, really have the chops. If the answer is, "yes," just be sure that the movie you invent isn't more interesting than your voice. What I mean is that I've heard many demos which were very, very funny, but I was paying more attention to the copy than the voice itself. Make the movie sound believable and be sure to use all production elements. Again, I recommend a pro. There are also several specialty promo classes in the VORG. It's worth it to take a class in this, as the style of working is very specific.

Character voice demos are useful to have for games, animation and animé. Think about what characters you do well and only do accents if you are EXCELLENT at it, or you will do more harm than good. Look at cartoons and commercials that use animated characters and decide how you would best be cast. Also look at the popular online and platform-based games and think of what you can do. Make a list of about 8 characters and create a scenario for each one in which they are actively trying to get something from another character. Do not play the other character, just do a quick few lines to give us a sense of that character in action.

You'll have noticed that I've talked about these demos as separate - they are. Only your agent, should you get one, is interested in hearing your "range." Clients are only looking for you ability to do one thing, ie: commercials, narration, animation. Even within narration, you can break it down into things like Instructional, Books, Medical, Documentary etc. This is helpful if you have a specialty. Visit some of the online voice casting sites and see how the top voices (usually the ones featured on the front page) break out their demos.

With that said, you'll want to start out making the demo that is most likely to get you work, then build from there. If you've taken a class, you'll have a good idea of where you're most competitive.

Hope this helps. If you want the help of a pro prducer, there are some wonderful demo producers to check out in the Voice Over Resource Guide online (available at www.everythingvo.com).

Answered: Anyone not able to hear demo audio on the new VDC app for Android?

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:33:56 +0000

Hello,

Thank you for letting us know, Tom. I have reported this as a bug with our Mobile App Developer. Until we know more information, our Developer asked if you could verify these two items:

1) Increase volume?

2) If the head phones are in, take them out to see if it plays through her speakers?

Please email your responses to ashley@voices.com directly. I will pass along your responses to follow up.

Best,

Ashley Davidson
ashley@voices.com

Answered: Themes how to find and change them?

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:46:08 +0000

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us. The theme option is no longer available for your Voices.com profile. However, we may look into this feature again in the future.

Thank you,

Ashley Davidson
Social Media Manager | Voices.com

Answered: Where do I find scripts for creating my voice demo?

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:36:47 +0000

As a paid member of the Voices.com service, you are able to download the script collections and an eBook for free. Paid memberships include our Premium Lite, Premium and Platinum membership levels. In order to access the download links you must be a paid subscriber and must be logged in.

Once logged in go to My Account > Account Details and review the Bonus EBooks section for the links.

Also, Voices.com offers two packages of scripts; The Commercial Scripts for Radio and Television Ads and the Voice Over Script Collection for purchase.

http://www.voices.com/commercial-scripts-for-radio-and-television-ads.html

http://www.voices.com/voice-over-scripts.htm

These packages of scripts can be purchased online for $47.00

Answered: How is the "top 100 new talent" list selected?

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:35:10 +0000

There are three Top 100 lists on Voices.com's homepage. Here is a breakdown of each one and how our talent members become featured on each list:

Recently Hired List:

The Recently Hired list showcases the top 100 talent who have completed a job through the Voices.com SurePay system. Talent who have completed work outside of the SurePay system do not appear on the list and cannot be manually added to it. The list is updated every five minutes.

http://www.voices.com/top100/recently_hired

New Voices List:

This list features new members of Voices.com and those who have most recently renewed their memberships. The names on this list change frequently in real time as memberships are activated or renewed and updates every five minutes.

http://www.voices.com/top100/new

Favorites List:

Voices.com clients can shortlist talent they would like to work with by clicking on the "Save to Favorites" function when searching through our directory. The talent who are saved the most often to client favorites appear on this list. This list updates every three hours.

http://www.voices.com/top100/favorites

Answered: Where can I get royality free music to add to my demos? Or should I ever add background music to my demos?

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 22:05:26 +0000

You should add music to your demos if it is appropriate. Sometime it is and sometimes it's not. I use portions of faux commercials in my demos which often have a music bed. Some royalty free music can be found on the web. Most audio editing software (i.e. GarageBand) comes with music which a lot of people make use of. When it comes to auditions, though, I never use a music bed. Others do, however.

Answered: Unless the client specifically asks for music, etc on an audition, we are only expected to do a "dry" read?

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:03:20 +0000

My approach is to give the voice seeker exactly what they ask for. If I deviate from the script or audition directions it is with additional takes. I know some voice seekers get annoyed if you add music or production elements that you can't legally provide with a finished project so I choose not to. You will have to decide for yourself what you are comfortable with.

Answered: Is it a bad idea to pay a studio while home studio is in the works?

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 19:48:17 +0000

Hi there,

It is better to wait for your home studio to be built rather than renting a studio to audition out of.

Of course, if you have received a job and your home studio is incomplete, your best course of action is to borrow or rent studio space to complete the project as soon as possible.

We hope this helps!

Voices.com Support Team

Answered: WHERE CAN I GET A SCRIPT TO DO A DEMO?

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:21:59 +0000

Hi--
Many agents and casting directors frown on hearing "boilerplate" (generic) practice scripts from VO sites (a lesson I learned "after the fact"). Consider customizing your demo with clips that truly reflect your unique traits and the genres cited in your Profile. Suggested resources: magazine ads, documentary sites, movie websites, current radio or TV spots (change product name), book excerpt. A reputable VO trainer/coach will tell you when/if you're ready to produce a demo and what to include that singles you out from the herd. Caveat: Beware of shortcuts and predators who just want your money! Good luck.

Answered: what is a phone patch

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:09:30 +0000

It's a small device that allows you to send audio sources... including your microphone... over a phone land-line to a client while being able to hear them in your headphones.

This allows a client, producer, etc to "direct you" in a voice-over recording session real time... which is the main reason for having a patch in voice-over work.

It's the same principle as ISDN... and while it does not send your voice out in broadcast quality it does allow the client to hear your takes as you record them and pick the ones they want you to send them via email attachment, FTP, etc.

Plus its much cheaper compared to the hefty price tag of an ISDN rig.

Ideally, the patch is used with a mixer... with the output of the mic being fed from an aux output to the patch box... and the client's voice connected from the output of the patch box to the input of one of your mixer channels.

If you need more info, just do a web search for "how does a phone patch work?" and you'll find more.

Good luck...

Answered: audemos won't playdio player doesn't work?

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:52:08 +0000

Hi Terry!

If you can't play the audio on the website, your flash player may have crashed. Try closing your browser, waiting a moment and then re-open it. Alternately, try a different browser and see if you get the same results.

If you still have a problem listening to the audio after you try this, call support and let us help you narrow down where the problem is!

Answered: Is there a way for me to recover my old demos?

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:15:17 +0000

Hi Stephen!

Please call into the support team and request some assistance in recovering your demos. You can't download them yourself, but we are happy to do this for you.

You can reach us at 1-888-359-3472 Mon - Fri 8 am to 8 pm EST.

Answered: How to tag demos?

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:11:55 +0000

Wonder what a 'tag' is? These 'tags' act as identifiers for clients searching for a specific sound or voice type. You can tag your demos to increase your search rankings at Voices.com!

Here are just a few of the tags that you could include to describe your voice-over demo:

Fresh
Clear
Funny
Silly
Deep
Light
Smart
Hard Sell
Soft Sell
Gritty
Friendly
Narrator
Young
Old
Character
British
French
Spanish

The tags that you select must reflect the content of your voice-over demo. The more accurate the tags are, the more likely a client will find what they are looking for quickly and easily.

How do I enter tags?

1. Go to Profile > Demos, select one of your demos by clicking on the title and then click Edit Demo.

2. Use ctrl+click on the tag you want to remove or add. This should remove the blue highlighting or highlight in blue. If you're using a Mac system then you use command+click to select or deselect a tag.

3. To add more tags repeat by finding the additional tag and control+click to select. To deselect you do the same thing to un-highlight it.

4. Save your changes

You can add up to ten tags per demo, so make sure you select the best tags for your demo!

Answered: Can I change my user name

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:10:16 +0000

Yes you can!

Please send an email to support@voices.com with what you would like your new username to be and the support team can change your username to what you would like it to be.

Please be advised that changing your username will change the URL for your profile on the Voices.com site.

Answered: How much does studio time with a sound tech go for per hour?

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:09:14 +0000

Depends on where you are. In LA, you can get it for about 100/hr. and up. To help voice actors, a couple of studios will do 1/4 hr. increments based on $100.00.

Hope that helps.

Answered: What is a tag?

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:11:30 +0000

When you are adding demos to the site, there is a box of "tag" words. I think you can choose up to 8. Select as many as you can, since each word is searchable by the computer program that matches your profile to new jobs that come in. It also searches the words in your description of the demo, so try to use words you didn't use in the "tags" section, so you get even more hits.

Answered: Do many "upper tier" voice talents boost the mid audio frequencies when they produce their demo reels?

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:57:22 +0000

I understand what you're asking and, yes, you do need to boost the voice and pull the rest down around it. It is about the message, after all! If the beds ride too hot against the vocals, your voice won't stand out enough to deliver the info.

Answered: How do I change my featured/default demo for when I come up on a list/search?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:47:00 +0000

Hi Zoe,

If you're clicking on play and the audio player doesn't play anything, the file you uploaded for that particular demo may be corrupt or in a incorrect format. You should quickly review all of your demos to ensure that they all play properly. If you locate one that doesn't play, you may want to replace it.

Regarding hearing a demo that is not your default demo or featured demo, the search engine tries to bring up the closest demo to what you are searching. So if there is a category or keyword used in the search, your featured demo can be over ridden by the search parameters you used for the search.

Answered: Question about formatting amateur demo/audition?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:46:23 +0000

For animation/game projects, you should try to lay down 2-3 in a row and make them different. For ideas on how to vary the takes, think about how far the person you are talking to is from you. You can back away from the mic and be bold or get up close and "confide" in the other character. You can try different takes on an emotion too. Some people are loud when they are upset, others get very quiet or whiny. Have fun!

Answered: Do some vo talent use national brand names in their demos when then haven't actually worked for those companies?

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:59:06 +0000

Yes. Remember that a demo is just that, a demonstration of what your voice COULD do. In demos that will be going to agents AND posted here, there's no harm in using national brands. If you have a voice that would sound perfect for that Ivory Diswashing Liquid commercial, why not produce a spot that sounds like that? What client wouldn't want to hire a voice that sounds "national" rather than local (and agents make more money on national than local spots, so they want to hear that potential). My advice (having produced demos) is to listen to the name brand spots and then write an original spot which is similar in tone, but not the exact spot you heard. If folks are familiar with the original spot (Like an agent who's talent was actually hired for it), they'll know it wasn't you, so don't try to kid them! And remember, you don't need the whole :30 or:60, just a sample! The caveat is that you shouldn't list the fake spot as a credit on your resume. That can blow up in your face rather quickly. As voice actors, sometimes we get pegged in a certain style and aren't given the opportunity to do what we could. Your demo lets people hear your potential!

Answered: what mic is advised for someone new

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:14:11 +0000

Voices.com doesn't recommend any microphone specifically as every voice is different and you may have different levels of success with different microphones.

We do recommend that you start with a USB microphone as you don't need any other equipment to record with as long as you are working with a reasonably decent computer.

Two microphones that we know are very popular are the Blue Snowball and Blue Yeti. Both microphones are available online via Amazon.com and can be bought for approximately $100.00.

Answered: What is a demo tag?

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:08:12 +0000

Demo tags are descriptive words that you can add to your demo to help describe the sound of your voice on the demo.

You can have up to 10 tags on a demo currently, and the tags help the system match you to jobs that you are a good fit for.

Answered: What is the best practice for giving appropriate copyright attribution for royalty-free music beds used in my demo?

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:46:13 +0000

Obviously, you want to avoid using any material you do not own the copyright on. Voices.com has in the past removed demos that were in copyright violation.

However, if you have a source that requests attribution when using the material, then a simple little notice in the demo description and in the audio recording itself should fulfill any obligation when using that music clip. (We recommend putting the attribution at the end of the recording. Always lead with your strongest read, not the attribution.)

Answered: What format do demos need to be uploaded as?

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:51:00 +0000

The standard audition would generally be a 30-60 second recording of dry voice, meaning no music or sound effects included, formatted as an MP3.

Some voice talents opt to slate their name at the beginning of the audio recording, while others go as far as providing their contact information within the MP3 recording. After being awarded the project, the final mixed and edited product could be recorded according to the terms agreed upon in the contract.

Answered: how do I properly title my demo?

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:57:54 +0000

I don't think there is a "correct" way. But here's how I do mine.

My_Name_Job description_ID no (or source).mp3

As I regularly audition from several sources, including from my own website. I'll usually put the site name (abbreviated) in the file name as well, I find this helps to keep track of what I've done & where.

I also make a new "auditions" folder each month. I keep the past 3 months worth on my PC and the rest are archived.

Hope this helps

Answered: How do I download demos/auditions posted by voice talents?

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 22:36:07 +0000

Yeah it really sucks, looks like they removed it while they update some features.

Answered: What is watermarking?

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:46:54 +0000

Watermarking is the practice of placing an audio track in the background that doesn't interfere with a client listening to your voice but does prevent them from using your recording without paying you.

Voices.com doesn't recommend watermarking currently as we have had discussions with clients where we have advised that most clients find watermarking auditions so distracting that they are biased against hiring talent that watermark their auditions.

Answered: How do I upload my demo to voices.com?

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 03:13:11 +0000

To get started, here's a quick guide on how to upload a demo.

Record and save your voice-over demo on your personal computer as an MP3 file. If you haven't recorded a demo yet, click here to download the free PDF guide on how to make a voice-over demo. http://www.voices.com/documents/How-To-Make-A-Voice-Over-Demo.pdf

1. Login to your account at Voices.com

2. After you've logged in, Hover over the "Profile" link and you'll see "Demos".

3. On the Demos page, click "Add Demo".

4. Next, click the 'Browse' button to find your MP3 file that you want to add from your computer.

5. Add the following information to help prospective clients find your demo in the search engine.

• TITLE: Add a descriptive title that best reflects the nature of your demo, i.e. Commercials, Real Estate Listings, Telephone Prompts, and so on.

• ORDER ON DEMO PAGE: : You can arrange your demos by assigning a number in the order box. NOTE: If you assign two different demos the same number, the system will default the demo order alphabetically. You can also choose your demo as a Primary, or the first demo displayed in search results.

• LANGUAGE: Select the language of your demo from the drop down list provided

• CATEGORY: Choose an appropriate demo category using the handy drop down list provided for you.

• TAGS: Tags are keywords that improve your search results. To select multiple tags, hold down your CTRL or Option key while clicking.

Click on the "Save" button. You're done!

Answered: What is five star feedback?

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:28:49 +0000

When reviewing voice talent responses you will see the the average feedback rating for the talent. The rating is out of 5 stars.

It's good to know that:

* All ratings and reviews are associated with a business transaction between a voice talent and a client who worked together at Voices.com

* Feedback ratings recognizes voice talent who have successfully completed work at Voices.com

* Quickly identifies voice actors who are hired frequently for their talent and abilities

Answered: How do I create a zip file on my iMac (OSX 10.5.8) and then upload to Voices.Com?

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:32:27 +0000

There are applications available for creating and unzipping compressed files, such as WinZip and MacZip. However, creating a compressed folder is a simple process that could be completed in a matter of minutes without the aid of any external applications.

1. Locate the folder or file you would like to compress. Make sure all the contents in the folder are organized to your preferences.

2. Click the folder or file you'd like to compress. Select more than 1 file at a time by using the Command key and clicking each folder or file you want to compress.

3. Click File > Compress. Your folder will now be compressed and converted in a zip folder.

4. To change where your uncompressed files appear or whether .zip files are deleted automatically, click the Archive Utility > Preferences.

Answered: I am trying to upload mp3 demos and it is telling me the file type is not allowed

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:29:56 +0000

All audition demos must be in MP3 format using a bit rate of 128 kbps and a sample rate of 44.1 kHz in order for the client to successfully playback your demo in the Flash players.

Also, the file name cannot include special characters such as !,@,#,$,%,^,&,*,(,) or spaces.

When a client indicates another file type in the a job posting they are only referring to the file type they need the project delivered in once the job has been awarded to a talent member. They simply need to know that you have the ability to deliver the files in the file type they require for the end product.