Online Casting-Finding Voice Over Jobs, Work and Talent Online

The Internet Effect

The internet has resulted in many changes in the voice over business.  And even more changes are on the horizon.  It didn't take clients and performers long to realize that, once recorded, digital audio files could be sent over the internet to a waiting server and received in a matter of minutes rather than days.  And as the price of quality mics and recording equipment became more affordable home voice over recording studios started to appear in performers spare bedrooms and home offices (and walk-in closets).  So here in Los Angeles, clients and performers began to set up remote recording sessions where the client directs the talent via a phone patch from his office and the talent records  with his or her own small studio.  Why waste time and gas driving to a studio?  Today I perform most of the local voice over jobs I get right at home.

But if I can can audition and perform local jobs from my home, why can't I do the same for jobs in Chicago?  Or San Francisco?  Atlanta, Houston, New York?  How about Beaver Dam, Kentucky?  You get the idea. Well, talent had the desire to seek work all across the country.  And clients wanted to tap a larger and more diverse talent pool than may be available in their neck of the woods.  Hmmm... sounds like a problem looking for a solution!

And Thus Appeared Online Casting!

So, there was the talent with their home studios, the clients requiring a variety of talent and the internet as a highway to deliver digital audio.  It wasn't long before Online Casting appeared.  It first showed up on individual production houses websites.  For example many radio commercial producers realized that they could have a stable of performers from all over the country to offer their ad agency clients.  AND they could service ad agencies that were not in their immediate area. 

But there was a bigger idea waiting to be hatched...

Why not offer a service where any performer in the world can sign up and audition for any client in the world?  Why not offer Online Casting.  So after considerable work and some definite growing pains, these services have emerged.  Right now there are two that seem to stand out and one that's just emerging.  Each service is slightly different than the other with varying strengths and weaknesses so I've given you my opinion of each one to help you evaluate them.  Just click on each to read on...  They are:

• VOICE 123-THE VOICE MARKETPLACE
• VOICES.COM

and the new kid on the block: