Getting a Voiceover Agent
Your complete guide to how to land a voiceover agent for commercials, animation, audiobooks, and more.
What Does a Voiceover Agent Do?
A voiceover agent represents voice actors to production companies, advertising agencies, and studios. They submit you for auditions, negotiate rates, and handle contracts for commercials, animation, video games, audiobooks, and corporate work.
Voiceover is a unique performance field — you can work from a home studio and your voice can be cast globally. Agents help you access opportunities you wouldn't find on your own.
Types of Voiceover Work
Commercial
TV, radio, and digital advertising — often the highest paid
Animation/Gaming
Character voices for cartoons, video games, and apps
Narration
Documentaries, e-learning, corporate videos, and audiobooks
Promo/Trailer
Movie trailers, TV promos, and network branding
Voiceover Agent Commission Rates
- Union work (SAG-AFTRA): 10% capped by union rules
- Non-union commercial: 10-20% typical
- Audiobooks: Often 15-20%
- Home studio jobs: Some agents take higher % for remote work
How to Land a Voiceover Agent
Understanding how to land an agent in voiceover requires a professional demo and training. Here's the roadmap:
Get Proper Training
Voiceover is a learned skill. Take classes from working professionals — not one-day seminars promising instant success.
Create a Professional Demo
Your demo reel is everything. Work with a reputable producer to create genre-specific demos (commercial, character, narration).
Build Your Home Studio
Most voiceover work is done remotely. You need a quality microphone, interface, and treated recording space.
Research VO-Specific Agents
Look for agents who specialize in voiceover, not general talent agencies. Check their roster and client work.
Submit Your Best Work
Send your demo following agency guidelines. Include a brief cover note about your voice type and specialties.
What Voiceover Agents Look For
Green Flags
- * Unique, castable voice
- * Professional-quality demo
- * Home studio capability
- * Fast turnaround reliability
- * Acting ability, not just reading
- * Direction-taking skills
Red Flags
- * Agents who produce demos in-house
- * Upfront fees or "registration" costs
- * Promises of guaranteed bookings
- * No roster of working voice actors
- * Very high commission (over 20%)
- * Pressure to join immediately
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