Auditioning can be scary, so let us teach you how to audition for voice acting success.
Auditioning is a key part of every voice actors career, you’ll need to do it day-in and day-out. So, we’ve crafted a guide on how to audition for voice acting success.
By following our tips and tricks, you’ll become a seasoned professional at auditioning by the time we’re done.
Say goodbye audition nerves!
Follow the brief
The brief is there for a reason – read it, re-read it, and follow it.
Very often, when casting directors request a significant number of auditions at once they’ll automatically exclude anyone who doesn’t follow the brief.
Don’t go there – read the brief properly and follow the instructions. It’s not hard, but so many forget, and it’s crucial.
Only read the script
Don’t say your name or waffle on with any pre-amble – clients will always have to listen to multiple auditions, so get down to it quickly.
If your audition starts with some variation on the theme of, “Hi guys, I’m going to perform three quick reads…” then a client will almost certainly skip over it and you’ve disqualified yourself from a job.
Part of the reasoning behind Voquent’s Demo Sample system is that clients want to make decisions quickly, usually within the first few seconds. Splitting a long and diverse Reel into individual Samples makes it easier to find the right voice immediately and discard Demos that don’t fit the brief.
The same applies to auditions – get to the point!
We should also mention: unless explicitly told otherwise, don’t watermark your Samples either. We cannot accept watermarked auditions, Demos or Reels.
Keeping the audition itself brief and to the point will make you stand out more, or at the very least ensure you aren’t immediately disregarded.
Send a single MP3
This one is probably the single most specific and universally applicable piece of advice in this article.
Mp3 files are considerably smaller in file size than WAVs, and most people can’t tell that much difference between them in terms of sound quality.
For auditions, the client will not be listening for audio quality and will mainly be focusing on more subjective aspects such as tone and character. Sending an mp3 means your audio file doesn’t take up too much space, which will be maximally convenient for whoever compiles the auditions.
Remember: you want to be the most convenient choice!
Sending the audio as an email attachment is also more convenient for the producer because having to click on a WeTransfer, Google Drive, or Dropbox link is an extra layer of difficulty for someone dealing with hundreds of auditions.
Of course, some agencies or platforms will require you to deliver the sample following their process. So, this rule is specifically for Voquent.
Don’t start the audition with any breaths, lip smacks, or mouth noises
We know some of you may like to get in character by acting like the character with some ad-libbed breaths, lip smacks or mouth noises – but it’s gross!
Blustering, pompous, old British professor types characters often contain these sorts of noises. Monster characters also often have people doing grotesque guttural ‘snorts’.
Unless these sounds are recorded exceptionally well, with flawless microphone technique, this will sound horrible and need a lot of editing to sound pleasant.
If your audition starts with an unpleasant sound, then a client is more likely to skip over to the next one unless that unpleasant sound is actually in the script.
Don’t ask for feedback on the audition.
In almost every situation, a producer or client will be reviewing dozens (sometimes hundreds) of auditions, so they will not have time to respond to your e-mail chasing for feedback.
Someone will be in touch if you’re chosen. If not, then chalk it up to experience and keep an eye out for the next opportunity.
We rarely get individual feedback from our customers, and the Voquent producers sadly don’t have the time to get back to every voice actor individually.
Only reply to an audition request with your audition
When you are auditioning, that is all you have been invited to do.
Don’t use the opportunity to ask about other work, send a Reel, or talk about how keen you are to work with the client in the future. That is irrelevant to an extremely busy client and is liable to irritate them because you are demanding more attention than they can provide.
I often get e-mails from people asking about the quality of the Samples on their profile or sending me a complete calendar of availability. All this is entirely irrelevant to the task at hand— audition for this specific project.
If you are shortlisted by other means for more work, casting directors will contact you separately.
Conclusion
If you follow these seven straightforward tips, this will increase your chances of success here at Voquent and many other agencies.
However, please remember this is far from a guarantee of work – the decision to hire is entirely subjective and infinitely variable.
But these tips and tricks will make you optimally more convenient to the producer or client and be far more likely to get through to the final stages.
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