Are auditions the same thing as asking for free spec work?

🎙 Is requesting auditions for a voiceover job the same thing as asking for free spec work?

🤔 I started thinking about this question after seeing two posts about “free work” in the hiring process within the video production industry.

🎞 A video producer friend of mine, Brian Alves, shared a post on LinkedIn about millionaire entrepreneur Alex Hormozi, who received 1200 applications for a video editor position. To narrow down the candidates, Alex asked them to create an edited video of the same clip. Only 5% responded with a custom sample and Alex criticized the applicant pool for being lazy. Brian pointed out, “Expecting someone to do unpaid work to ease your hiring process is exploitative,” and the video editors of the world agreed.

☝ I chimed in on that thread to say that in my line of work, it’s only by providing custom voiceover samples that I will even be considered for a job most of the time. But I learned that this is not how it’s done in other areas of the video industry.

⚖ A few days later I saw a post by content creator, Kevin Rapp, who talked about his moral dilemma about asking voice actors for auditions, when as a rule, he will never ask for free spec work from other video collaborators, and preaches this philosophy to his followers.

            ❓ These two posts got me pondering, is auditioning exploitative?  And my answer is, I don’t think so.

           ❓ Why is it that voice actors aren’t hired off of their demos and work samples more?  I don’t have that answer. But I think it may have to do with the specificity of the message - clients aren’t just hiring us for our voice, but for our connection to the piece itself.

           ❓ So what can video producers do to make asking for an audition (aka free work - maybe) feel less icky (if they do feel that way, which I suspect many don't)?

🖼 If hiring voice actors off their portfolios isn’t a possibility, then I think the next best solution is for the creative director to provide a vivid description of the project, so VOs aren't forced to take a shot in the dark.

👇 Here are my suggestions to make auditions fair and effective:

1. Keep the Script Short: Make the sample script brief. If you have a 2-10 minute script, just choose a 30-60 second segment. If you're auditioning for an audiobook, documentary, or character role, those samples may need to be longer to show a larger dramatic range
2. Share Visuals + Music: Include storyboards, music beds, or example videos to help voice actors tailor their auditions.
3. Be Specific about Tone: Use colorful and precise words to describe the desired tone (e.g., wry, upbeat, authoritative).
4. Format for How you Hear it: Format the script to indicate pacing, pauses, and flow, which helps convey your vision.