13/10/2025
I saw a post yesterday about common mistakes in voice-over auditions, and I reckon it’s worth adding a few thoughts from the audio engineer’s side of the glass.
After listening to thousands of auditions over 36 years, here’s a few tips to help you turn that Audition into a paying gig:
1. Loudness matters, but restraint wins.
Normalize to around -3 to -1 dB, sure, but go easy on compression and limiting. Over-processed reads scream “amateur,” not “broadcast ready.”
2. Fix your booth before you fix your mix.
No plugin on earth can cure a boomy, boxy room. Parallel walls, tiny booths, and thin foam are the usual suspects.
3. Cover your bases.
Do one read that hits the brief, then another that’s unmistakably you.
4. Follow the brief.
Down to the filename. Every detail is a reflection of how easy (or not) you’ll be to work with.
5. Flow beats punctuation.
A natural, connected read will always sound more believable than a chopped-up one.
6. Keep your signal chain consistent.
Switching mics, preamps, or plugins between auditions makes it impossible to track what’s helping or hurting you. Consistency builds confidence.
7. Name your files properly.
You wouldn’t believe how many times I see "Untitled 1" pop up in casting sessions with some major agencies. It’s a small thing that leaves a big impression.
Great performances deserve great sound. Don’t lose the gig before they even hit play.
