1. Hobbyist/self-made demo

AVERAGE COST: Free or cheap
MEANT FOR: Newer actors, particularly in the online amateur/hobby scene who simply need a functioning sample of their voice in order to submit to (typically unpaid) projects.

What is this type of demo appropriate to submit for?

Entry-level online projects, typically unpaid. Examples include student projects, fan collaborations, and hobby work. An amateur demo should not be submitted for professional opportunities, but it can serve you in the amateur online space until you are ready to progress.

When are you ready for this type of demo?

When you are reasonably comfortable with recording and editing your audio, have some experience auditioning for online unpaid projects and a general idea of your voice range and the types of characters you can play.

As much as conventional wisdom may say “wait for a demo until you are ready”, the fact of the matter is that even in the online space, many times actors need some type of sample of their voice to even be considered for projects. Now, if you are brand new, there are many unpaid projects that will simply post open-call auditions and do not require any type of demo, so it’s best to start there and get a basic feel for what you can do first.

But even for hobbyist projects and collaborations, it can benefit you to have some kind of sample to show. Otherwise, you’ll be limited to open-call auditions, and you won’t be able to directly pitch yourself in any way for work. Generally speaking, however, you shouldn’t have to spend money on a demo yet if you’re just submitting to volunteer projects. A fancy demo could be a waste of money at this particular point in your journey because you’d likely need to update it soon anyway as your skills improve.

There tends to be a lot more leeway here when it comes to things like audio quality, music, and writing. Even certain things which are considered no-no’s on professional demos, like impressions of existing characters, may be more acceptable specifically in a hobby space where one is submitting primarily to things like fan projects.

How do I proceed with this type of demo?

You can find our article about making your own demo reel here!
If you have questions about making a demo that aren’t answered in either this article or the one linked above, ask in the #voice-acting-chat channel in our Discord. You can also solicit critique via the #feedback-wanted channel.

When to update your demo

There’s no rule that dictates you must update your demo every certain number of years. The simple answer is that you should update your demo when it no longer serves the purposes you need.

For example, you may wish to consider updating your demo if:

• Your demo is no longer a good representation of your current acting skills.
  If you feel you’ve significantly improved as an actor since your last demo was recorded (you’ve taken more classes, done private coaching, and/or have a lot more work experience), you may want to update your demo to showcase more of your current abilities.
• Your demo sounds outdated compared to current industry trends.
  Over time, industry norms for demos have slowly shifted. For example, current trends in character work tend to favor fewer “wacky cartoon voices” and more “real people reads”. And while a two-minute-long character demo may have been borderline acceptable a decade ago, these days casting directors are often reviewing hundreds of demos and tend to not want them much longer than a minute.
• You are specifically looking for new agent representation.
  If you’re thinking of switching agencies, or applying to agencies in a new market, this is a convenient time to get new demos done if you feel the need.

If your demo has been around for a while, but it still gets you work and you’re happy with it and feel it properly represents you, don’t feel compelled to update it “just because!”

Is it possible to do a “partial update” if you’re happy with some spots on your demo but want to swap out others?

Yes. There are demo producers who will offer “demo refresh” services where you can keep what you like from your current demo but switch out the spots that aren’t working for you.

demo FAQ

Shouldn’t I just save up money and jump into investing in a professional demo right away?

There are two main reasons why it’s better to wait on getting a professional demo produced:

1. You’ll likely be wasting money. Even if you go to an amazing demo producer who is super invested in making you sound your best, when you’re new to voice acting, you’re still in the “training phase” meaning your skills will improve fairly quickly and you’ll outgrow that demo before you know it. It usually doesn’t make sense to invest thousands of dollars into a demo that will maybe serve you a year at most.

2. You only get one shot to make a first impression. If you submit to agencies, studios, and pro-level talent rosters before you are ready—even if you have a professionally produced demo—it can be difficult to shake that perception later. Now obviously actors improve all the time and it’s unlikely someone would be “blacklisted” for a bad demo (casting directors hear so many submissions that it’s hard to remember individual ones), but wouldn’t you want to put your best foot forward as much as possible?

I’m looking into a coaching program that says they will make you a demo at the end of class. Is this legit?

Tread very carefully when it comes to “demo mill” classes. While some of these classes may still provide valuable information and feedback, many times they are producing demos for their students who are not yet ready for a demo, and it shows. This demo may be able to be used in the meantime for online projects, but if you are serious about wanting to put your best foot forward as a voice actor, it’s better to train with reputable professionals and wait to get a pro demo made until you are given the feedback that you are ready to do so.

Can’t I just take clips from projects I was in and use that to make a demo?

Yes, this is one possibility. However, there are two caveats:

1. If you tend to get “typecast” a lot, you want to make sure the character types on your reel aren’t too similar to each other. Similar-sounding voices can be okay, but the characters themselves should be well-rounded and distinct from one another. While the character types you are strong at and get cast as absolutely should be included in your demo reel, you also want to include character types you *can* play or *want* to play that you haven’t really had a chance to yet, which is where having at least some copy specially tailored for the demo can help.

2. Do not use material from projects that are still under NDA or not yet released to the public, unless you have the explicit permission of the director/client to use that material. Avoid using auditions for projects you read for but didn’t book, or copy/recordings from a class or workshop (many instructors specifically forbid this).

Do I need separate demos for animation and gaming?

It is perfectly fine to start out with a singular “character reel”. Many newer actors will go for both an animation and gaming demo right off the bat only to have essentially two identical-sounding character reels, which isn’t a great use of money!

Separate animation and gaming demos are quite common in the professional world and can be a great tool to help agencies pitch their talent, but it’s important to have a clear idea of what types of projects you hope to achieve and target with each, and consider whether having separate demos will actually be beneficial to you at the current stage of your career.

Can I make my own commercial demo?

Generally speaking, one should not attempt to make their own commercial demo or go with a “starter demo” unless they truly know what they are doing. Unlike character work which can be as simple as a fun project between friends, there isn’t exactly an “amateur/indie market” for commercials—because commercials are meant to sell a product, they should be paid gigs.

Furthermore, a big reason actors need commercial demos is to submit to agencies, and most agents will not be impressed by a demo that sounds homemade. A commercial demo is truly a situation where you do want to save your money and get it done by a professional. The only real exception to this might be if someone were primarily submitting for local small-business radio spots or low-budget online casting sites.

What is a visual reel, and do I need to have one?

As opposed to an audio demo where material is often created and recorded specifically for the purpose of the demo, visual reels contain footage from actual projects (such as animations or games) that the actor has performed in. Not all casting directors will care about visual reels or have the time to watch them, but it can provide some advantage in the sense that it shows projects you were actually cast for and how everything looked and sounded in the final product.

Visual reels aren’t a necessity for VO, but they can be a supplemental marketing tool for your website or social media. If you do a lot of dubbing work, it’s also a way to showcase your ADR skills by including clips from official dubbing projects you performed in.

I have a buddy who is a music producer/radio DJ and they offered to produce my reel at their studio. Does that work as a professional demo?

This is a possibility, but not always the best option as even if someone is very skilled in audio production for music or radio, they may not be familiar with the standards of the voiceover market and what is specifically expected for a voiceover demo. They may also not be experienced in directing voiceover performances for character work as opposed to ad copy or singing. You could ask to hear samples of similar past work, or consider recording your tracks at their facility but having someone direct you remotely.

How much editing/production is acceptable? Do I need sound effects and music?

The general norm for demos, at least in the United States market, is “fully produced” – meaning, each spot in the demo essentially sounds like a scene that could have been taken from a real production. This usually means sound effects, music, and mastering.

However, some geographical markets may have “dry demos” as the norm, meaning voice only with no sound effects or music (but with the vocals still cleaned up and mastered as opposed to raw.) If you live in a market where a dry demo is the standard, but also submit to rosters based in the US, then it would be a good idea to ask your demo producer to provide one version of your demo with sfx + music and one without.

Even with a fully produced demo, it’s important to keep in mind that “less is more”. Some demo producers pride themselves on extremely flashy demos that sound straight out of a movie, but if production is too heavy, it can actually detract from the voice and acting. Your performances should still be the #1 focus of your demo.

Should I rent studio space to record my demo?

If you have a great home studio, then it’s certainly acceptable to record your demo at home. Even if your space isn’t 100% perfect, “production” on demo reels tends to be heavy enough that it can still be made to sound decent.

However, renting a studio can still be an attractive option, even to pros who already have great home studios. It’ll allow you to just focus on your performance without worrying about any of the technical stuff like adjusting your levels, recording your own tracks, and watching to make sure nothing clips. The studio will also likely have fancier equipment than you may have at home, and for something which is meant to represent you as your number one marketing material as a voice actor, some actors find that renting a studio helps ensure they sound their best.

That being said, it’s generally not advisable to spend money on studio space if you are still early in your career and expect to outgrow your demo soon.

What is the difference between a demo and a home studio sample?

A demo is an audio file around a minute to a minute and a half long featuring examples of your voice acting. For a character demo, this would be a collection of short clips showcasing what types of characters you could be cast as and your ability to portray various emotions and situations believably. Demos are usually mixed in such a way that they are meant to show off how your voice might sound in a real production—for example, with sound effects, music, and audio mastering.

A home studio sample, on the other hand, is a completely RAW audio file meant to demonstrate the sound of your home recording space and setup. Rather than showing off performance the way a demo reel would, a home studio sample will be recorded in your natural voice and typically feature you speaking at a conversational level with normal gain, a whispered level with higher gain, and a shouted level with lower gain, as well as 10 seconds or so of room tone. You can find more information on how to make a home studio sample here.

How often are demo reels used in casting?

This may surprise you, but the primary purpose of the demo is just to get your foot in the door—-with an agent, a casting director, a client, etc. In a sense, your demo shows them a short overview of your acting abilities, what your general vocal range is, and what character types you might be cast as.

When it comes to actual industry castings, they typically happen one of two ways:

• Scouting/auto casting. In this situation, the casting director and/or client knows they want a certain actor for the role and that the actor is capable of performing it—-whether it’s because of similar work they did in the past, other auditions they did for that casting director, or their own personal knowledge of that actor’s vocal sound and abilities. A demo may still be used in this case for the casting director to “pitch” the actor they’d like to auto-cast to the end client.
• Audition (the most common). In this situation, actors will receive audition sides through their agent, a studio, a casting pool, or other source. A demo is often needed to get on these audition rosters in the first place, but the actual casting will typically happen by way of auditions. These auditions may be used as a basis to cast for extras or other roles in the same production. If the actor will need to play “incidentals” or a variety of parts, the demo may be used as supplemental material to assign which extra parts the actor should play.

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Benefits to having your demo professionally produced

Actors who are budget-conscious often find themselves asking, “do I REALLY need to pay so much money for a demo?”

At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Some actors are fantastic at what they do and are so experienced and well-connected that they haven’t needed to pay for a fancy demo, or they have friends or mentors who are able to direct them or mix for them, etc. But it’s still important to keep in mind that your demo is your single most important marketing tool as a voice actor, so it makes sense to invest in it to a level that will pay off for you personally.

Think of it this way. If you were an on-camera actor applying to agencies for film and TV representation, would you want to submit high-quality headshots taken by a professional photographer who knows what “looks” are being cast right now, or shots a friend took of you with a decent-quality smartphone?

Advantages to working with a demo producer

• Many demo producers make a point to stay on top of current industry trends and direct their talent accordingly. Your music producer friend might be able to put together a mix for you that sounds nice, but do they know about the VO market and what casting directors will be looking for?
• Having someone write or pick out material for you is often better than attempting to do it yourself. If someone attempts to write their own demo copy without being any sort of writer themselves, there are many traps they can fall into: one-dimensional or stereotypical characters, cliche or cringe-worthy lines, or even just boring copy that doesn’t actually showcase their acting in any meaningful way. And anyway, the grand majority of the time when you’re acting, you’re performing someone else’s words rather than your own!
• A professional-quality audio mix will ideally make your demo spots sound like they could have been taken from real productions. While it’s fairly common knowledge that most demo material these days is created specifically for the purpose of the demo, it still gives the casting director an idea of how your voice would play in a final mix. And while your voice and acting are still more important than the production aspect, if the audio quality is off or the music is mixed poorly or unfitting sound effects are used, it can distract from the performance and make the demo sound amateur.
• An experienced audio mixer will know how to EQ your voice properly to make it ‘pop’. If you just slap on presets without really knowing what they do, the demo may sound overprocessed, or it could even bring out undesirable qualities in your vocals.

Because the first impression is so important during submissions, it is better not to gamble with a poorly made demo if you have the option to get a proper one. The industry is extremely competitive and saturated with actors, so if you stand out, make sure it’s in a good way!