Is Your Voice Over Demo Player Just One Big MP3? You're Doing It Wrong.
- Tom Dheere
- Nov 26, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 6
You've spent thousands of dollars and countless hours with coaches and producers to create the perfect voice-over demos. So why are you presenting them to casting directors like it's 2005—as a single, giant audio file they have to scrub through?
In today's market, your demo's presentation is just as important as its production. If you're making a potential client do extra work just to hear your talent, you're losing business before you even get in the door. It's time to stop.
Why an Interactive Voice Over Demo Player is a Non-Negotiable Business Tool
Just like it says, VoiceZam is an interactive voiceover demo player.
VoiceZam is an important tool for your voice over business for a number of reasons….
First, It Makes Your Demos Modular (and Casting Directors Happy)
A monolithic, 90-second demo file is a casting director's nightmare. They don't have time to hunt for the 10-second spot that might fit their project. An interactive player like VoiceZam breaks your demos into individual, clearly labeled tracks (e.g., 'Conversational,' 'Announcer,' 'Character').
It's like giving a client a playlist instead of a full album—they can jump directly to the exact sound they need. This respects their time, which immediately makes you look like a pro they want to work with.
Second, It Makes Your Demos Downloadable (and Shareable)
These days, voice seekers love to build their own 'virtual filing cabinet' of talent. An interactive player allows them to download your entire demo or, more importantly, just the specific spots they like.
When a project comes up that you're right for, it's infinitely easier for them to find your file and pass that perfect spot along to the end client. I can't tell you how many times a client has sent me one of my own spots from VoiceZam as a reference for a booked gig, saying, 'We want it to sound just like this.' That's a clear sign your marketing is working.
Third, It Gives You Powerful Analytics (Hello, Zamtistics!)
This is where it gets really strategic. VoiceZam's analytics—or 'Zamtistics'—tell you when your demos were listened to, for how long, and which spots were downloaded. This isn't just a vanity metric; it's critical business intelligence.
Did your recent marketing blast to e-learning companies lead to a spike in listens for your Narration demo? Now you know.
Is everyone listening to your Commercial demo but no one is downloading your Animation demo? That's valuable feedback on what's resonating in the market. It takes the guesswork out of your marketing.
The Bottom Line: Upgrade Your Professional Image
My tip is simple: Use a professional demo player!
It signals to the industry that you are a serious business owner who invests in the right tools. I've used VoiceZam for years, and the team there, led by Bob Merkel, is fantastic at helping you get set up. Just make sure your demos are separated into individual audio files first.
For a ton of helpful tutorials, I strongly recommend checking out their YouTube page.
Want More Tools In Your Voice Over Toolkit?
Stop guessing which microphones, hardware, software, and books are worth your investment! I’ve built a curated resource page with the professional tools I trust to save you time and help you make smart decisions for your business.
Please note: As an affiliate partner, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
NEWS AND NOTES
Thursday, December 5th @8PM EST: my next “Business and Money 201” webinar topic will be ‘Goals’. In this one-hour webinar, we’ll talk about how to set yourself up for success in 2020 by writing an effective business plan.
Saturday December 7th @5PM: The 11th Annual NYC Voiceover Holiday Extravaganza! Click here to join the festivities at Hurley’s Saloon in New York City!
Thursday, December 12th @8PM EST: ‘Brand Yourself’. In this one-hour webinar, we'll talk about the basics of telling the story that is your voiceover business.
The Mid-Atlantic Voice Over (MAVO) conference Mastery Session signup is open! My session, ‘Manage Your Money
Like a VO Pro’ will take place Friday, November 6, 2020. These sessions are optional and have a supplementary fee because they are not part of the main MAVO 2020 Conference. These sessions fill up quickly as there is a max of 12-15 so make sure you get your spot! Click here to sign up now!
Saturday, February 1st 2020 @2PM PST: I will be speaking LIVE at the Voiceover Studio in sunny Las Vegas! The topic is “THE VOICEOVER BUSINESS AND HOW TO ACT LIKE IT”. Here’s the description:
Congratulations! You’ve done your voiceover training and have your freshly produced demo in hand. Now what? In this three-hour workshop, veteran voice talent and “VO Strategist” Tom Dheere will help you rub the stars out of your eyes and learn how to think & execute like an effective voiceover business. We will discuss how to build your voiceover business from the ground up, craft a Mission Statement, set goals, craft an Action Plan, and learn how to stick to it.
Registration is now open! Click here to sign up.
March 26-29 2020: I am proud to announce that I am the VO Atlanta 2020 eLearning/narration Track leader! Very soon I will announce my teammates and the sessions we’re offering. Stay tuned…!
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Sardines Day and Manatees Awareness Month!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
This, I submit, is the freedom of a real education, of learning how to be well-adjusted. You to consciously decode what has meaning and what doesn't. You get to decide what to worship. David Foster Wallace
Tom Dheere is a 20+year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a voiceover business & marketing consultant known as the VOStrategist and produces the comic book “Agent 1.22”.
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