P2P Site Choices

shenecke · 06-09-2009, 02:26 PM

I'm trying to dig thru all of the P2P services to figure out which would be a good starting place, but the information I get varies greatly. Some users love one service and absolutly hate another. Some have great luck with one and not another. What's a relative newbie to do? Anybody that's a member of more than one that can shed some light on this would be appreciated! Is it a matter of how quickly you respond to a job posting or raw talent of the submitter? Help!

Lee Gordon · 06-09-2009, 03:19 PM

Flip a coin.

JoeActor · 06-09-2009, 03:37 PM

Hee hee! Lee is teh funny!

Well, Steve. Not to confuse you more, but there's a whole section full of opinions:
FEEDBACK & REVIEW FORUMS - REVIEW ONLINE SERVICES at VOICEOVERFORUM.com

People like different ones for different reasons. Some are always near the top, others near the bottom. It's kind of like asking someone "what's the best car?"

Some factors:
* Return on investment
* Ease of use
* Volume of auditions
* Average job pay range
* Number of auditions per job

You're right - it's complicated to choose.
Some also offer month-by-month, so are a bit easier to try out.

Take a look at the above forum area. No need to rehash everything here, yes/no?

Cheers,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com
www.SoundsGoodToYou.com

Scott Pollak · 06-09-2009, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shenecke

What's a relative newbie to do?

Get out while you can and find a job that actually pays.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeActor

No need to rehash everything here, yes/no?

Nope.

shenecke · 06-09-2009, 08:00 PM

Thanks Scott. That brought a chuckle! I needed one after fighting with my website today! But alas, I cannot get out as I am too far gone. I believe I'm addicted!

I know you like 123. Can you give me a reason other than it has made you the most money compared to the others?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Pollak

Get out while you can and find a job that actually pays.

Nope.

shenecke · 06-09-2009, 08:02 PM

Lee thanks also. When in doubt, that's a good piece of wisdom.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee Gordon

Flip a coin.

Mike Sommer · 06-09-2009, 10:08 PM

Like any successful business the more exposure the better. Since P2P sites are your only means of exposer, it might be a good long term investment to list in all -if only as an aggressive means of saturation.

In other words, no one can use your product if they don't know you exists.

Sure it will either be losing or break even proposition for the first few years, but what new business isn't in that situation when first starting out? And if you can't afford or are unwilling to invest in yourself in this means, it may be time to fall back, cut bait and reconsider your desire to get into this business.

If you haven't already, you should lay out a business plan with long and short term goals, and stick to them.

This advice is good for anyone that is going into business for themselves.

Scott Pollak · 06-09-2009, 10:28 PM

Mike gives you some good advice, Steve. I tried almost all of the P2P sites here and there as part of my broadbased, shotgun means of connecting with clients (or possible clients) and getting my name out there. As time has marched on and I've built some solid relationships and repeat biz, and used other marketing venues, AND simultaneously seen which sites didn't provide a worthwhile ROI for me, I've whittled them down. But initially you may need to pour out the moola and get on with most of the better known sites.

As has been said ad nauseum here, everyone has different results with different sites. There are many who have great success with voices.com, but it didn't work for me.

Here's what I personally like about V123:
- I've had outstanding success there over the years. Some months I'll land a handful of jobs, but I may also go months and get zilch (as will happen with any site).
- I've landed higher quality jobs there. For 2 years I narrated episodes of NurseTV. They found me thru that site. I got the national Mother's Car Wax v/o thru V123. I got the National Holocaust museum narration thru them (even if I DID eventually get edged out by Barbra Streisand for that one... still got paid though). And just this week a very sweet regional Chicago spot came from there. I think the overall quality of leads and jobs is better there.
- The number of auditions per lead is - generally - more reasonable than on other sites. Voices.com doesn't limit the number of auditions so it's not unusual to respond and see that 200+ have already submitted ahead of you. Smartcast often limits auditions on V123 to 50, 30, sometimes as few as 15. (Okay, smartcast doesn't decide that, the client does, but it's still nice to know you're getting heard...)
- and while on that; on V123 at least you know if you've been listened to, especially if the client gives you some sort of rating. On most other sites you never know. Even on voplanet, when it says "the client/agent has listened to your audition" it doesn't mean the client necessarily heard it. It may mean the voplanet staff listened and didn't submit it.

There are still things I don't like about V123. I don't like that I can't store a template of my response note or letter. I have it saved in word, but have to open it, and copy and paste it for every audition I send in.

I don't like that you get penalized if you answer too many leads. That's bullshit. In the real world you audition as much as possible. It's a numbers game. And when you're paying the bills to audition, you should NOT be penalized for auditioning.

But all things considered, it's the ONLY P2P site I'm sticking with. Works for me. It may not for you though.

Jon Morss · 06-09-2009, 11:37 PM

Steve - For me, my choice to stay with Voices.com and others and not choose Voice123 was based on my own availability. With V123 you have to consider that you need to be on the trigger at a moments notice to get your aud in otherwise you will be locked out from submitting one the audition limit has been reached. If you have the capability to record your audition at any time, then V123 might be a good choice. But, then again I have had pretty good luck with Voices.com both with auds and with direct hires. I still have my baisc page with V123 just for add exposure.

Bodalgo is another good choice. They are very simple to use and very intuitive with regards to submitting for a gig. At this time they do not have as many gigs that pop up, but the ones I have done with them have been good quality gigs.

You might check around you area and see if there are any talent mangers or agents that work with VO folks. Never overlook the local gigs.

As far as being listed on all of the P2P sites, well I have to disagree with Mike on that one. Having been listed on a number of the sites out there, and not listed on a number of sites out there, some sites are just not worth it. They have low exposure and the aud rate is few to none. There are some sites that will list you for $500 to $1000 and you could end up with maybe 1 $75 gig in a year. To me that is not a good way to spend your money. I think you would be better off taking that money and getting a nice web page up that is optimized, gather some marketing material like business cards, postcards and such and promote yourself both on the web and locally. Lately, I've been getting more and more folks coming to me outside of the P2P site just be findng me on the web. Plus, continue to study both VO and acting as well as business and marketing. Do some research on a P2P site that you are considering and talk with folks that use it before you jump in on it. I think you will get more return on your investment than paying for every P2P site out there. However, if the site offers a free page, by all means take advantage of it.

Good luck.

Mike Sommer · 06-10-2009, 01:04 AM

A web site, business and thank you cards, letter head go without saying, not to mention the cost of the demo.

As for the cost of of the P2P sites that really should be built into your business plan and what can you afford. And as Scott points out you don't know what will work for you until you try it.

Then one needs to remember how much a P2P site cost compared to what mailing out demos tapes used to cost just a few years ago, P2P sites are an absolute bargain. It was nothing to have a $1500 postage bill. And to carry this further, contrast what advertising cost for any other successful business, be it an ad in the paper, flyers or what have you, P2P is an especially good value (news paper ads can cost about $400 for just a little ad that appears 2 time a week for a month). Point is advertising cost money, and you often get out what you put in. It is as they say, the cost of doing business.

You can always go a little at a time, and like I said you need to get you business plan together and figure out what your pocket book can bear.

There are pros and cons to both tacks.

06-09-2009, 02:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
shenecke Steven Hennecke, Voicer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Central California Posts: 239	P2P Site Choices I'm trying to dig thru all of the P2P services to figure out which would be a good starting place, but the information I get varies greatly. Some users love one service and absolutly hate another. Some have great luck with one and not another. What's a relative newbie to do? Anybody that's a member of more than one that can shed some light on this would be appreciated! Is it a matter of how quickly you respond to a job posting or raw talent of the submitter? Help!

06-09-2009, 03:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lee Gordon Voice Over Professional Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: West Hartford, CT, USA Posts: 939	Flip a coin. __________________ For more voice over demos, my life story, client list, and other relevant information, please visit my website at www.leegordonproductions.com

06-09-2009, 10:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
Scott Pollak Warm, Real, Natural Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,883	Mike gives you some good advice, Steve. I tried almost all of the P2P sites here and there as part of my broadbased, shotgun means of connecting with clients (or possible clients) and getting my name out there. As time has marched on and I've built some solid relationships and repeat biz, and used other marketing venues, AND simultaneously seen which sites didn't provide a worthwhile ROI for me, I've whittled them down. But initially you may need to pour out the moola and get on with most of the better known sites. As has been said ad nauseum here, everyone has different results with different sites. There are many who have great success with voices.com, but it didn't work for me. Here's what I personally like about V123: - I've had outstanding success there over the years. Some months I'll land a handful of jobs, but I may also go months and get zilch (as will happen with any site). - I've landed higher quality jobs there. For 2 years I narrated episodes of NurseTV. They found me thru that site. I got the national Mother's Car Wax v/o thru V123. I got the National Holocaust museum narration thru them (even if I DID eventually get edged out by Barbra Streisand for that one... still got paid though). And just this week a very sweet regional Chicago spot came from there. I think the overall quality of leads and jobs is better there. - The number of auditions per lead is - generally - more reasonable than on other sites. Voices.com doesn't limit the number of auditions so it's not unusual to respond and see that 200+ have already submitted ahead of you. Smartcast often limits auditions on V123 to 50, 30, sometimes as few as 15. (Okay, smartcast doesn't decide that, the client does, but it's still nice to know you're getting heard...) - and while on that; on V123 at least you know if you've been listened to, especially if the client gives you some sort of rating. On most other sites you never know. Even on voplanet, when it says "the client/agent has listened to your audition" it doesn't mean the client necessarily heard it. It may mean the voplanet staff listened and didn't submit it. There are still things I don't like about V123. I don't like that I can't store a template of my response note or letter. I have it saved in word, but have to open it, and copy and paste it for every audition I send in. I don't like that you get penalized if you answer too many leads. That's bullshit. In the real world you audition as much as possible. It's a numbers game. And when you're paying the bills to audition, you should NOT be penalized for auditioning. But all things considered, it's the ONLY P2P site I'm sticking with. Works for me. It may not for you though. __________________ Scott R. Pollak Warm, Real, Natural... The Voice of NPR Atlanta www.voicebyscott.com

06-09-2009, 11:37 PM	#9 (permalink)
Jon Morss Jon Morss Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Antelope, CA Posts: 643	Steve - For me, my choice to stay with Voices.com and others and not choose Voice123 was based on my own availability. With V123 you have to consider that you need to be on the trigger at a moments notice to get your aud in otherwise you will be locked out from submitting one the audition limit has been reached. If you have the capability to record your audition at any time, then V123 might be a good choice. But, then again I have had pretty good luck with Voices.com both with auds and with direct hires. I still have my baisc page with V123 just for add exposure. Bodalgo is another good choice. They are very simple to use and very intuitive with regards to submitting for a gig. At this time they do not have as many gigs that pop up, but the ones I have done with them have been good quality gigs. You might check around you area and see if there are any talent mangers or agents that work with VO folks. Never overlook the local gigs. As far as being listed on all of the P2P sites, well I have to disagree with Mike on that one. Having been listed on a number of the sites out there, and not listed on a number of sites out there, some sites are just not worth it. They have low exposure and the aud rate is few to none. There are some sites that will list you for $500 to $1000 and you could end up with maybe 1 $75 gig in a year. To me that is not a good way to spend your money. I think you would be better off taking that money and getting a nice web page up that is optimized, gather some marketing material like business cards, postcards and such and promote yourself both on the web and locally. Lately, I've been getting more and more folks coming to me outside of the P2P site just be findng me on the web. Plus, continue to study both VO and acting as well as business and marketing. Do some research on a P2P site that you are considering and talk with folks that use it before you jump in on it. I think you will get more return on your investment than paying for every P2P site out there. However, if the site offers a free page, by all means take advantage of it. Good luck. __________________ Jon Morss "You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." -- Zig Ziglar

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06-09-2009, 03:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
JoeActor Administrator Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,896	Hee hee! Lee is teh funny! Well, Steve. Not to confuse you more, but there's a whole section full of opinions: FEEDBACK & REVIEW FORUMS - REVIEW ONLINE SERVICES at VOICEOVERFORUM.com People like different ones for different reasons. Some are always near the top, others near the bottom. It's kind of like asking someone "what's the best car?" Some factors: * Return on investment * Ease of use * Volume of auditions * Average job pay range * Number of auditions per job You're right - it's complicated to choose. Some also offer month-by-month, so are a bit easier to try out. Take a look at the above forum area. No need to rehash everything here, yes/no? Cheers, Joe J Thomas www.JoeActor.com www.SoundsGoodToYou.com

06-09-2009, 10:08 PM	#7 (permalink)
Mike Sommer User Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,158	Like any successful business the more exposure the better. Since P2P sites are your only means of exposer, it might be a good long term investment to list in all -if only as an aggressive means of saturation. In other words, no one can use your product if they don't know you exists. Sure it will either be losing or break even proposition for the first few years, but what new business isn't in that situation when first starting out? And if you can't afford or are unwilling to invest in yourself in this means, it may be time to fall back, cut bait and reconsider your desire to get into this business. If you haven't already, you should lay out a business plan with long and short term goals, and stick to them. This advice is good for anyone that is going into business for themselves.

06-10-2009, 01:04 AM	#10 (permalink)
Mike Sommer User Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,158	A web site, business and thank you cards, letter head go without saying, not to mention the cost of the demo. As for the cost of of the P2P sites that really should be built into your business plan and what can you afford. And as Scott points out you don't know what will work for you until you try it. Then one needs to remember how much a P2P site cost compared to what mailing out demos tapes used to cost just a few years ago, P2P sites are an absolute bargain. It was nothing to have a $1500 postage bill. And to carry this further, contrast what advertising cost for any other successful business, be it an ad in the paper, flyers or what have you, P2P is an especially good value (news paper ads can cost about $400 for just a little ad that appears 2 time a week for a month). Point is advertising cost money, and you often get out what you put in. It is as they say, the cost of doing business. You can always go a little at a time, and like I said you need to get you business plan together and figure out what your pocket book can bear. There are pros and cons to both tacks.