Cattle Call Voiceover Sites

“Cattle Call” websites are so named due to the process whereby a potential voice seeker chooses from a large pool of candidates. For the client, it can be a mind-numbing experience... having to wade through countless, absolutely hideous demos to find a legitimate one. Many of my clientele have shared this experience with me~ they have vowed to never use those sites again, for their time is far too valuable to waste on an endless chorus line of voiceover wannabes.

For the Professional Voice Talent, they can also amount to a vast waste of time. Due to a complete lack of any qualifying standards, sites such as Voices123.com, Voices.com and Guru.com offer a virtual cornucopia of unqualified individuals. Take a stroll through some of these sites and you'll find some remarkable profiles. In an effort to impress a talent seeker, they'll cite such ridiculous “qualifiers” as 'the old ladies at church think I have a nice voice'.... to 'I worked at a restaurant and called out orders on the microphone'. One of my favorites, however, is a guy named Adam who claims '25 years of experience' because he's been making sounds with his mouth since he was a baby... then, for his demos he includes a 911 call he recorded on the job. Yep- a 911 operator for hire! Wow.

There are a LOT of these types... and as long as they pay the membership fees, these websites will be happy to send them job leads for which they are not qualified. Therefore, the field becomes crowded with substandard offerings from individuals desperate to be hired. Which presents another problem: Extremely low bids. A bargain-shopping client may settle for a lower quality voiceover... if they're only having to pay $10 for it.

So...sorry to say, it's not a pretty picture. The "talent pool" lacks credibility due a dilution caused by hordes of the unqualified... potential clients lose patience.... and rate quotes vary divergently, from $10 to $1000 for a given project. Ultimately, everyone loses...everyone, that is, except the voiceover website. Their paid subscribers guarantee continued financial success. For their part, these sites would likely argue that it's a small price to pay... to be lent a facade of credibility, with a potential for lucrative work.

Another concern for the Professional Voice Talent is that of having their work stolen. This occurs more than you might imagine, so it is wise to never provide a high quality, finished product UNTIL payment arrangements have been finalized. If they demand an un-watermarked, perfect recording for a demo, most likey they are thieves. A recent incident on Guru.com led us to cancel our account with them. No loss, as most of the "leads" were not worth pursuing.

While we do maintain a presence on various talent sites across the web, it is important to emphasize that we do not pay subscriptions. Occasionally we are contacted by clients who have combed through these sites and found us. So, by all means, sign up for a free account... but I would caution against membership fees.