It still blows my mind to see so many financially profitable companies/YT channels hire voice actors and NOT pay them.
Passion projects are one thing of course, but if you’re pocketing profits you could at LEAST throw a couple bucks at your VA’s - it makes a WORLD of difference.
Indie Devs: please don't post auditions if you haven't budgeted for VO. I get that unpaid hours are normal for you bc it's YOUR passion project. We're HAPPY to help but it's not our project - we get no say in it - so we naturally should not be expected to be as invested as you are in working for free. You can't get a real creative investment without paying for it.
Paid work is how VAs survive, especially notable ones whose clout you're hoping will market your game for free. This week alone, 3 projects had me spend the time to audition, then told me they couldn't afford VO or had gone a different direction than what they asked for. But they USED MY NAME to advertise the project & got TONS of new VA followers from it. We're not fodder for your numbers.
Myself & other pro VAs turn around dozens of auditions in under 24 hours, then often wait 14+ days for a callback & 60+ more for payment. You wouldn't accept that timeline at your day job - why ask collaborators to accept it on your passion project? If you want investment, it starts with respect.
I'm not saying you need to pay for auditions - I'm saying a little bit of consideration goes a long way. Plan your budget and your vision before you post the role. It's the humane thing to do.