8 Tips for Finding an Agent

“How do I look for an agent?” is one of the most frequent questions I receive as an Education Advisor. It’s a process and research is key. Instead of who is the proper fit for you, think about who you are a proper fit for. There are hundreds of agents in the entertainment industry and having a good understanding of who you can help and how can be helpful to securing representation.

1) Start a simple Google search on agents in your area.

2) Make a list of the websites that populate and review every single one from end-to-end and of all of these ask, “Who can I help?” For example, I am a Latnix VO actress, bilingual in English and Spanish, my vocal age range is between 25-35 and my voice is most marketable for telephony, e-learning and corporate narration. Which of those agents is looking for that particular formula?

3) Of the agents that you may be a proper fit for, who is currently soliciting new talent? If someone you wanted to submit to is not looking to sign on new talent, make a new list, write the date and check back in six months. But focus on the agents who are accepting new submissions and make sure to follow the submission instructions on the website.

4) Please note, 99% percent of voice over agents will require you to have your own Home Studio and will often ask you to fill out a form with your home studio specifications, as well as an audio sample. If you do not have a home studio, please do not contact agents right now.

5) Create a short and professional cover letter to represent yourself properly to agents. While the tone and language should mean business, remember voice over is creative and you want your personality and reliability to come through. If you have booked work previously, please make sure to include that. If you have not booked any work, as you are at the beginning of your journey, be honest.

6) Agents do not charge you an upfront fee. Once they secure work for you, they collect a percentage of what you make per booking. Make sure to also check what the agency percentage is and note that in your list. The standard can be anywhere from 10% – 20%.

7) How many people are on their roster?

8) If you do not have a professional demo, please get some training and only seek agent representation once you have a proper demo.

Please remember that having representation should be part of your marketing plan (especially if you are at the beginning of your voice over career), it should not be the sole avenue you are relying on in order to book work. There are many different ways to secure job opportunities as a voiceover artist and while having an agent can certainly help, creating a holistic and robust marketing plan will increase your probability of not only booking working, but also securing a variety of gigs.