Voice 123 blacklisted for auditioning

Frank Cabanski · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 87

Just today I noticed I hadn't received any projects via Smartcast in Voice 123 since June 12. Speaking via chat to tech support, I was told I had auditioned "too much", and thus it was likely Smartcast was not sending me projects.

How much is too much?

Over the 5 days prior to June 12 I had auditioned for 9 projects from 25 received. Over the same period the average V123 user auditioned only for 1.4 projects. So "to make it fair," I have not received any new projects for four days. Voice123 can't tell me when I will receive projects, or what level is "too much" for auditioning.

Why am I paying 300 bucks a year if I get blacklisted when I audition for projects that I feel fit my talents?

BTW, the chat rep also mentioned new membership tiers "based on professional members' needs," but wouldn't give me specific information.

Sounds like a price increase to me.

Dave DeAndrea · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008, 00:57 (GMT) Post subject:

Frank Cabanski · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 87

I don't know about you, but the idea of paying a service to send projects for which I can't audition is kind of absurd.

I just renewed last week, and now haven't received a project in 4 days.

What's the use of Voice123 if I can't use it to find work?

I'm also getting quite sick of the $10 and $20 projects that pop up more and more.

Doug Parks · **Voice Talent** Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 227

Frank,

I know this might not be the answer you're looking for, but I find it easier to simply opt out of the lowball gigs. If I don't see them, they bother me less.

Frank Cabanski · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 87

Doug,

Understood re: the low ball gigs. I like to see them just in case there's something there that would be good on a demo reel or good for a charity. For example there was a low ball project from a father putting a video together for his graduating son that was nice to do.

It doesn't matter much now, because it's day five without a project in the inbox.

David Oxford · **Voice Talent** Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 505

I never could understand the whole "too many auditions = fewer leads" concept - not at all! I thought the whole purpose of a talent setting up their keywords when they started was so V123 could appropriately match up leads and talent (thus, "Smart"-cast).....but then to come back and basically punish you for having the audacity to actually AUDITION for the leads THEY sent, well, it's incredibly stupid.

David

Greg Houser · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 174

Dumb question: does it count more against you if you win the audition or if you audition and don't book the job?

Personally, I don't understand this concept as the folks who are usually the most successful at VO are the ones who constantly put themselves out there.

The practice also seem to run contrary to the free market concept I constantly hear from the company.

*is confused*

Frank Cabanski · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 87

Greg,

There was no mention of winning jobs counting against the voice talent.

But basically it is a system wherein auditioning counts against a voice talent. We're basically on a meter. If we exceed an arbitrary number of auditions, then Voice123 stops sending projects.

BTW, I'm not playing along with the V123 marketing spin about Smartcast being a "better way" to receive and audition for projects reserved for Premium subscribers. It's the only way. Non premium subscribers cannot audition for projects on a general basis, although I assume they can be directly invited by the voice seeker.

I'm interested to see the new pricing, and expect it to be something like charging a lot more for people who actually want to find jobs via Voice123.

John Bigl · **Voice Talent** Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 905

its issues like this that make me really regret re-newing my subscription

David Oxford · **Voice Talent** Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 505

It's utterly ridiculous to pay for a service that penalizes you for actually USING it. It's even MORE ridiculous for the cost of said service to continually escalate while the benefits of the service continually decline.

Doug Parks · **Voice Talent** Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 227

With this service revision, Voice 123 has the ability to either right the ship or send it straight into the iceberg. For them to be successful with some kind of tiered program they will need to--at the very least-- consider sending talents who upgrade all of the projects available and just like with TOS allow talents to decide whether or not to audition for them without being penalized. No question--this is job one.

Frank Cabanski · **Voice Talent** Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 87

I just asked for a refund via chat, and will wait for the new service levels to re-evaluate the service.

The chat rep was very patient and helpful, within the limits of V123's service.

I gave him a specific example of one voice seeker who created four projects, at least four that came to me via smartcast, with different roles but all with similar specs. I auditioned for all four, and booked two. But those four auditions alone put me 250% or so over the average of 1.4 auditions in an 8 day period.

His answer was that by auditioning less I would receive more work. In theory, that's correct. By limiting to only certain jobs that fit the voice talent's brand, the voice talent will book more work. But if four jobs fit the brand, with the average # of auditions at 1.4 in 8 days, then auditioning for the four jobs means not receiving new projects for some period.

That doesn't serve the voice seekers.

Brice Lewis · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008, 18:31 (GMT) Post subject:

OK, to add even more confusion to the conflagration, try this on for size. According to My Stats, I audition around 300% more than the average member, yet I still am receiving about four or five auditions a day. Meanwhile, you haven't seen anything in four days.

As to opting out of the low-ball auditions, my response is "I would if only the low-ball was a consistent mark". I've seen "low-budget" projects of $150! For me, the price for the work was pretty much on target. It's the true nickel and dime projects that I want to opt out of. There are times I wish WE could rate the seekers. There are some out there that are real bottom feeders, and Voice 123 is wasting our time with them, but there are some low-budget projects out there that are legitimate and should have a chance to find some talent.

In defense of V123, I have seen some other horrid projects elsewhere. For example on guru.com, someone posted a project for someone to read a 300 page book for a max budget of $500.
A buck a page!?

As to a "Voice 123 3.0", with a tiered system, having just paid 50% more to renew my membership than I did to sign on originally, V123 should make the new "high tier", the $295 mark, and the "low tier" the old $195 mark. Even gasoline took more than a year to double in price!

Claire Dodin · **Voice Talent** Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 400

Jacob Ekstroem · **Voice Talent** Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 721

Is there no end to the stupidity of this service??

I know I'm not playing like you guys are (not a premium member and feel no need to be) but it frustrates me even so to see what you have to deal with as paying members.

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