Interview | The Voice Realm - What’s New!

Cubed3's Adam Riley: It has been two years since we last caught up with you. What has been happening with The Voice Realm over the past 24 months?

Lauren Maree, Customer and Talent Support: Oh wow, where do I begin! We have grown exponentially. Our website has had a makeover, we have raised our rates for voice talent on many jobs, and refined rates for TV commercials. Also with continuing growth of 'Digital Ads' on platforms such as Spotify and YouTube pre-rolls, etc., we've given them their own category, so there are lots of changes with rates and the design and usability of the website.

Cubed3: How do think the voice audition scene has changed since The Voice Realm started back in March 2012?

Lauren: There are now so many people diving into the voice over industry, so there's lots more competition. The standard is very high, and as clients are now more comfortable with casting online, they expect the performance and audio quality to be outstanding.

Large ad agencies and production companies that before would never have used a casting site are now open to the idea of getting things done remotely and online. This streamlines their operations and generally makes their processes faster whilst also offering savings - so it's a win-win.

Cubed3: Have there been any major hurdles you've had to face over the years, and how did you overcome them?

Lauren: There are many more sites now offering ridiculously low rates. However, once a client gets burned and has their time wasted once, they realise that you need to pay for quality.

That's the major obstacle the entire industry is facing. Sadly, the same thing that has helped so many people become involved is what is eroding rates.

Cubed3: Have you been taking on and implementing feedback from both clients and voice talents to improve the service?

Lauren: Yes, we are always listening to feedback and improving the way things are done. If a voice actor gives us a suggestion about a way something could be done to make their job auditioning experience better, then we discuss it with other voice over talent and if enough people want it, we will add it.

Funnily enough, though, as we have staff who worked in agencies, production companies and as voice actors, so we implement key features before they need to be requested. On other websites they are run by tech people or someone who is trying to make a quick buck, and they just don't get how the industry operates from all sides.

Cubed3: How difficult is it to balance the Rate Card to be fair to both clients and talent?

Lauren: This is probably one of the biggest issues, as you want to keep everyone happy. Many times we have to try and explain to some of the talent who have been doing this a while, that the industry has changed from what it was 15 years ago. They will quote how it used to be done, and whilst we still wish it was like 'the good old days,' sadly it's not.

They will reference a period when there were only a handful of TV networks, a handful of agents in big cities, with a limited roster of talent. Talent used to have to drive to studios and pay for parking, tolls, gas, etc.

Now there's so many TV networks, so many outlets that utilise voice actors, and so many places to get voice actors that it's natural that voice actor rates will go down. It's a simple supply and demand scenario.

If you live in a region where they grow apples, of course they are going to be cheaper than the region where they need to ship them in.

Cubed3: How big is your pool of talent now, and do you have to make tough calls and drop certain talent that are perhaps not performing as well as expected?

Lauren: Believe it or not, we still sometimes have a client who can't find what they are looking for, so we don't feel as if we have too many talent.

In regards to dropping talent, we have actually taken a stance on it. We work hard and spend a load of money to bring clients to the website. When talent are non-responsive to auditions and jobs, and the third email reminder that they need to record an audition has to be sent, then we now drop them from the website, especially when there are talent out there waiting with baited breath for these auditions to come their way. Why would we keep talent who we have to waste time chasing?

Cubed3: Previously you said there was no interest in doing coaching for beginners. Has that stance changed? Would you consider YouTube tutorials, for example, to help 'raw talent' develop?

Lauren: While we don't focus as much as other sites do, we are dabbling into that area because we have had so many enquiries by talent who have heard great things about our website. So watch this space!

Cubed3: VoiceBunny has a system in place where voice talent get a small token fee for completing an audition. Is this something you might also consider? Or if not a direct cash payment, perhaps something like a 'rewards' system that can go towards discounts on future membership payments?

Lauren: We think that providing things like that really cheapens the service. Our job is to deliver talent with audition opportunities and to make it easy for a client to hire a voice, and for a voice to complete a job and get paid.

Branching off into 'rewards' systems turns it into a game, and we have more respect for our talent than some other sites that see them as a commodity.

Cubed3: You recently started listing 'translation services.' Can you tell us a bit more about this, please?

Lauren: This is still in beta mode and will become more public over the next few months… but it's going to be BIG! We've got some amazing technology that we've developed that will change the face of translation services.