Have You Sent Out Your Demo & Got No Response? Here's What To Do Next!
If you’ve sent your demo to everyone you can think of, studios, radio stations and producers…and you’ve had little or no response, you may be wondering what's gone wrong!
You may even be thinking:
- 'Have I done something to offend someone?’ or
- ‘Is my demo that crappy?’
How to Make Sure Your Demo is Working
When a voice over artist tells me they sent their demo out and didn’t get a response, I always ask them this..."What did you do then?"
More often than not they answer - 'well nothing’.
When this happens often a voice over artist will begin to doubt themselves and their abilities.
They will see ‘no response’ as failing or ‘little response’ as proof that they’re not good enough.
They’ll begin to give up.
But I always say that not getting a response is a reason not to give up.
Whether you’re new to the industry or not, it’s okay to call or email a studio within a couple of weeks of sending your demo and ask for a response.
Tell them you’re looking for an honest appraisal. This is a good way to prompt them to listen again to your demo or to even listen to it for the first time.
Studios can become extremely busy and sometimes emailed demos are not listened to immediately because of this.
When you do get some feedback, use it to refine your demo or even target it differently.
As you're on the phone with them, ask what kind of work they do at that studio.
Some studios do all kinds of work, some only do some types of work. If this is the case, create a demo that's made just for them that contains samples of the kind of work they do.
If you're talking to a studio who has several regular retail clients and you think you could be good at this but only have naturalistic reads on your demo, you should put together a small retail demo.
Following Up
Once you’ve sent your demo out, it's important to keep finding ways to remind them that you’re still there. You could even book an hour at the studio to record the type of tracks they do there.
Doing this is a good way to build your relationship with the engineer and get to work with them one-on-one.
That’s a great opportunity to be considered for work.
Now, you are no longer just a disembodied voice on a demo, they know you, and after recording a couple of tracks with them, they'll have a better appreciation of what you can do.
Once you start having some success with your demos and you’re booking work, it's important to get copies of those jobs for your records and send them to other studios to let them hear you.
They may not have heard the tracks on air, or even if they did they will probably not know it was your work. These tracks will let them know that you’re experienced, working, and looking to get more work.
Whether you’re just starting out or are currently working in voice over, you need to know this! No matter how great your demo or how cleverly you’re doing your marketing, regular work is never guaranteed.
Never give up though because you'll never know how often you’re submitted for a job. Keep your demo regularly updated and let the studios regularly know you’re available for work.
Need help with your demo?
Email me abbe(at)voiceovercoach.com.au