VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Bailey · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 5:58 pm Post subject: My plaguing question...

This is a little scenario with a question that has been plaguing my mind. It is not directed at any particular person on this board.

Emmett Noob decides for many reasons that VO is what he would like to have fun with and make some cash. His main occupation is working in sales/service at a local company. He has the elementary tools to record... mix... and deliver an audio file. Emmett has not ventured into the marketing phase and doesn’t have his own website. He decides to jump into the P2P websites. For $XXX they do all the work for you. Emmett’s only function is to monitor jobs available... enters a sampling of the request... and hopes for the best.
If this scenario isn’t verbatim per protocol... spare me... I think you catch me drift.

Joe Vocals is an established voiceoverist. It is his only occupation and source of income. He has his own home studio, equipped with all the components necessary to record… mix… and produce various styles of voice over work. This also includes the means of delivering recorded scripts via phone patch... ISDN... whatever. He has his own website and has learned and uses marketing techniques to build a client base that meets all of his financial needs.

My question:
When it comes to P2P websites, do established voiceoverists join these sites for the money?... or do they join them with the ultimate intention of adding to their client base through job/client association?

For those who don't know me...
I don’t consider myself a noob, but I’m certainly not an established voiceoverist. Just by reading the threads in this place you can gain knowledge… but knowledge doesn’t become skill until you use it.
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Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
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bobsouer · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 6:41 pm Post subject:

Jim,

I can only speak from my own experience, so here goes. In August 2004 while at the Dan O'Day Summit I learned about Voice123.com from another attendee. I went home, checked out their site, signed up for the "free" version for 3 weeks and then decided to take the plunge for (at the time) $200. One week after that I booked my first job, a limited release documentary narration for $1000 that went on to win an award at a film festival in Canada. A year later I learned there was another, similar site called (at the time) InteractiveVoices.com. I joined up with them promptly. A bit over a year later, they changed their name to Voices.com.

Today, about half of my regular clients were originally contacts through either Voice123.com (most of them) or Voices.com (a few of them).

One other point, hopefully at least somewhat germane to this discussion, is that while my voiceover business has grown about 40% per year for the last 4 years, the amount of money I've made as a result of Voice123.com has remained steady and from Voices.com has actually declined quite a bit; to the point that earlier this year I canceled my Voices.com membership. Or put another way, the vast majority of the growth in my business has come from referrals and recommendations and other relationships, not from either site.
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Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

Ditto...almost to the letter.

asnively · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:32 pm Post subject:

My story is so similar that I won't bore you with the details.
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Scott Pollak · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:44 am Post subject:

And another ditto here. Even to the Dan O'Day session, but I attended in - I THINK - 2000, and to my knowledge V123.com didn't exist then. At least, it wasn't mentioned in O'Day's "Creative Summit".
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Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

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Michael Schoen · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 8:00 am Post subject:

Since a large slice of VO hiring is on the P2P sites, it pays to have memberships.
I have developed steady clients from three of them. Voices.com, Voice123 and Bodalgo.com (Germany).
I also have developed work from agents and self promotion, long time relationships, recommendations, etc.
The bottom line is, we are small business-people always looking for additional avenues for income.
This business has changed a lot over recent years.
One regular NY client stopped calling -- and when I inquired why, my contact said, "Oh, we're using voice123 now."
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Hasser · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:23 am Post subject:

Poppa has some points to ponder here:
http://poppaunplugged.com/2010/07/18/heres-my-experience-with-pay2play-voiceover-sites/
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Ralph Hass
http://HasTheVoice.blogspot.com
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Moe Egan · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:52 am Post subject:

Ditto what Bob said, only it was a recording engineer who told me about V123. That and I ain't never won no award.
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Moe Egan
i want to be the voice in your head.
~~~~~

todd ellis · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:13 pm Post subject:

i herby declare moe egan the recipient of this prestigious award!

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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
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asnively · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:47 pm Post subject:

Congratulations, Moe!
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the Amy Snively family of brands for all your branded thing needs.
Amy Snively
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SteVO · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:25 pm Post subject:

WOW! Now that voice in my head is award winning
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Lizden · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:26 pm Post subject:

YAY Moe! You SO deserve it! Kiss

Pretty much what Bob said.
(But I heard about V123 at my old job)

I have many repeat clients that have come from both of those sites and I continue to get new clients that come back from them.

They work for me as well as referrals & people who find me via Google searches.
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Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com

Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:36 pm Post subject:

todd, is it every tuesday? or just this tuesday? either way, hooray.
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bobsouer · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:37 pm Post subject:

Diane,

It's not Tuesday any more, it's Moe's Day.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:11 pm Post subject:

I'm sorry that will get to be confusing - Monday - then Moeday. I will not be able to keep it straight.
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