03/10/2024
Dear VO People (my favourite people),
I’d like to address something…
Lately I’ve been hearing reports of production rates for demos creeping up into ranges that are... surprising, to say the least. I must confess, due to high demand and my inability to keep up, I too experimented briefly with raising my rates in the past… not anywhere close to the prices I’m hearing about, but still, it was noticeable.
Did it work? Sure. Were there always people willing to pay for good work? Definitely. Did I make more money? Yup.
But if I’m being honest, it didn’t make me happy. One of the joys of producing demos (for me) is that I get to “play” with so many amazing VO people, many of whom are my friends, and I get to be of great value and service to them, while getting paid at the same time! But once the prices crept up to a certain point, that sense of value and service disappeared, and It took the joy completely out of the process for me. So, I dropped my rates back down to where they currently sit, and I've stubbornly left them there since. My rate is far lower than what I’m hearing reports of (less than half actually), but I’m honestly fine with that. I'm happier and more fulfilled working in this price range.
I’m writing all this because I’ve been hearing some disdain being thrown at producers lately over some pretty bold pricing structures, which makes me sad, but I can’t help but admit that the criticism seems valid. VO people already pay so much money for various services like coaching, seminars (networking), gear, agent fees, and now, production demos too. It’s getting to the point where there’s more money being made servicing VO people than what they’re actually making from gigs. I don’t think that’s sustainable, nor is it fair.
I’m not knocking on the producers who are charging more - many of them are my friends and I know for a fact they do good work. They all bring something unique to their process and who knows, maybe their higher prices allow for faster turnaround times, or maybe they’re deliberately pricing themselves out of some work as a way to manage high demand. I don’t know the reasons, and I’m not judging. I’m just saying that that particular price structure doesn’t work for me personally. It negates many of the reasons why I enjoy making demos in the first place.
I just wanted to clarify for anyone who hasn’t worked with me before, that these price-creep races I’m hearing about is not something I’m participating in. Some people have pressured me to raise my rates, but I refuse. If it means I make less money, so be it. I find more fulfillment working in my current pricing structure and that’s what matters most to me. I like the feeling of actually helping and supporting the VO industry rather than just being another vendor trying to extract as much money as possible from VO talent. There's enough of those already.
Anyway, that’s all - I just wanted to put that out there. VO people are my favourite people. You’re all so incredibly talented and I love what you do. I will continue to strive to be an ally however I can!