The Voiceover Agent Relationship

Once upon a time in a land long since gone, voice actors sat at home. They waited and waited for the phone to ring and on the other end of the call, an agent provided high-quality work for low-level effort. Yes… unbelievably this is a perception that people still cling to today. Something that was once a commonality for the few is now unheard of for most. Let us discuss this as we embark on a journey to evaluate what the relationship between a voiceover agent and a voice actor looks like in the modern-day voiceover industry.

Voiceover Agent History

Going back 30 years ago we did not have connectivity online. Someone could not record in real-time with a director on the other side of the planet dialing into the session via the Internet. Most voice actors did not even have home studios. The market was way less saturated but exceptionally closed off. Tapes and CDs in the mail were the means of getting your demo in front of people. The word email was still pretty new. If you were fortunate enough to be represented by an agent, then the odds suggested that should the phone ring you would be booked for the job from your demo alone. The need to audition was not as popular.

Voiceover Agent of Today

That simply is not the case today. Thanks to the development in technology more voice actors have been able to find their niche in the voiceover industry. The advancement in marketing and commercial functionality has invited a new raft of work to the market and in turn, more people are getting a piece of the pie. Whereas once agents would capitalize on almost all of the work available, now P2p sites, marketplaces, and AI tools take a chunk of what is available. Long gone are the days when a voice actor can sit at home and wait for the phone to ring.

Navigating The Relationship with A Voiceover Agent

The relationship between voice actor and voiceover agent is that of a business relationship. Agents are putting their names on the line to channel auditions to you. Your job is to put your name on the line to honor their efforts. That means auditioning for work promptly with attention to the brief and the highest level of audio delivery. Your performance needs to be at its best each and every time and you are to ensure you keep up to date with regular trends and developments in the industry. Your demo should represent your ability and being professional consistently is key. The relationship between voice actor and voiceover agent is that of a business relationship and you should be working as hard as each other towards the mutual goal.

Current Day Voiceover Opportunities Amongst Challenge

Sure, P2P sites, marketplaces, and AI have dramatically changed the dynamic of how the industry runs. They may have also taken ‘some’ work away from agents. But rest assured, agents are resourceful and impactful in the industry. Clients use them because they know they are getting exceptional quality in their rosters which cannot otherwise be found elsewhere. A lot of low-paying jobs may go to P2P sites and AI might take some of the work too. But emotion is not reproducible, and quality will always sit at its peak with the agents who are proven to offer the best the industry has to offer.

The Voiceover Agent Relationship by Debbie Grattan