V321.RU – The Story

Disclaimer: The following is a compilation of my historical recollections and opinions on two voice over Pay-to-Play sites. In addition, I give my view of likely outcomes based on current trends. All comments and opinions from readers are welcome below. In the end, it is up to the individual readers to come to their own conclusions of the value of these pay-to-play sites. Every business model has benefits and detriments. Your mileage may vary.

— *** The Fake Story ***

From July 19th, 2007 to March 12th, 2008, a little known Pay-To-Play Voice Casting site dominated the internet. Based in the Soviet Union, “V321.RU” was an instant sensation.

They were ready to take your rubles and give you much frustration in return.

True innovators who created famous features such as “SmartCossack”, “SpecialKeywords4U” and the “RatingsSystems” programs that guaranteed bad results, this company was destined to disrupt the industry like TNT in an outhouse!

Now, for the first time, hear the actual recordings from the actual savvy company whose owner was a legend in his own mind.

Hear Petr’, Anastasia, Igor, Olga and the rest – Scroll down for an audio journey you’ll never forget – guaranteed!

— *** The Real Story ***

(names have been changed to protect the innocent)

In 2007, an internet leads service Voice123.com introduced new features such as “SmartCast” and the “Rating System” designed to limit the auditions sent to their paying clients (the voice talent)

In a survey, over 86% of subscribers did not want SmartCast, or the accompanying $100 rate hike. In spite of this, the proprietors of Voice123.com continued with their plans. To counter all of the negative feedback on their VoiceOverSavvy forum, they systematically deleted posts, voted on user polls, kicked off users, and ultimately shut down the entire forum. It was replaced with a more tightly-controlled forum where posts are routinely edited and removed.

During all of this turmoil, voice actors were doing what they do best: being creative! An imaginary communist regime site for VO named V321.RU was thought up, and the recordings from it are posted below. They were pulled from archives of the original VoiceOverSavvy forum. Please scroll down to listen.

— *** The Current State of Pay-To-Play ***

What used to be a good potential source of work in the VO industry has degraded significantly. The current business model relies on enticing those interested in voice over to part with hundreds of dollars in the often futile hopes of establishing their careers. Like a pack of junkyard dogs fighting over a rotten shoe, subscribers to the services compete over meager scraps of jobs doled out to them as if they were a filet mignon. This mentality, where the talent are not vetted but simply allowed to join if they have the cash, waters down the sites and, ultimately, cheapens the entire industry. The companies involved rely not on the quality of their talent, but on the quantity of starry-eyed users they can get to buy into their way of thinking.

Voice123.com continues to “innovate” by creating Voice Bunny, a veritable “dollar-a-holler” site with job rates far below any industry standard. The focus seems designed for quick turnaround, forcing talent to obsessively watch the site in case a job offer is posted. Reviews of this site have been posted by many other VO people, and I encourage you to search for them yourself.

The other major Pay-to-Play company, Voices.com, has not been idle either. With the recent changes to their system including “VoiceMatch” and “VoiceMatch Invitations”, they have effectively cloned Voice123’s business model of the rating system and Smartcast.

My view of the future: with a larger number of inexperienced users utilizing these two Pay-To-Play sites, and more seasoned professionals leaving the sites behind, the overall talent level continues to drop. With the drop in talent level, fair paying gigs by reputable companies are also declining. Who wants to sift through all the garbage in hope of finding one diamond in the rough? The heart of the issue lies in the business model that relies on finding more hopeful talent to pay for the service without regard for talent level or quality.

They say you can’t have a dealer without addicts. It’s ultimately our responsibility to ensure we aren’t investing our time or money foolishly. In my opinion, the best thing we can do as voice actors is to vote with our wallets. Instead of thinking we are forced to play their game, just stop playing. Our time can be better spent elsewhere. The less scrupulous Pay-To-Play services will continue to decline in quality, and either go out of business, or find a niche in the “cheap jobs for desperate amateurs” market.

— *** The Audio ***

V321.RU introduction



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