After more than a year away, I signed up once again to Voices.com. (I wrote about it HERE.) I was annoyed with them. My booking rates had fallen and they had doubled their escrow rates without notice. It went from 10% to 20% overnight. That’s the amount they charge a client based on the rate paid to the talent. The amount comes out of the total budget, ostensibly reducing how much the talent, like me, can charge for the job. I’m also with The Voice Realm and an agency, VOX Talent. While auditions and bookings with VOX are fairly dependable, the Voice Realm has been really spotty in the past year or so. For several days, maybe even a week, there will be nothing to audition for and suddenly a flurry that I can’t keep up with.
I also needed to assess my responsibility with my Voices experience. I had been auditioning less and it’s a bit of a numbers game. The more you put out, the more you can work. My frustration with them translated into reduced engagement on my part. I needed to own that. I had made auditioning my second job for a long time, to my own detriment, and it paid off in dollars but not in quality of life. When I pulled back, I pulled way back.
I’m still a little skeptical about how their business model will mean growth in the long run but that’s up to them. The phantom elite still exist – I know, because Derek is one of them! (For an extra payment, a talent moves to the front of the line for auditions.) But I want to play in a busier sandbox, so I’m in it once again, plastic shovel and pail in hand. If you know anyone who needs a voice, I’d be much obliged if you showed them my profile. Thanks!