To get a voice over agent, train first, build a small set of competitive demos and a quiet home studio, then send your demos to each agency exactly the way its website asks. You don't need an agent to start working in voice over, but agents are the way into the biggest jobs. We put these questions to actor and voice-over teacher David H. Lawrence XVII, who told us he had seven voice agents, and to Kym.
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Not to start. David calls agent work the tip of the iceberg: big advertisers, studio films, major TV shows, narration houses and live events often ask only agents for auditioners. Underneath sits a much bigger mass of work that doesn't need one.
With far more voice actors than agents, most people find their own work first, through casting sites, audiobook marketplaces, referrals, past clients and their own content. Keep doing that after you sign. Our voice acting jobs guide covers where that work comes from.
Once you have one, Kym says, the auditions simply start arriving. A voice agent can put you up for radio and TV commercial voice overs, animation, video games, long-running brand voice contracts and loop group work on film and TV.
Behind the scenes, David told us, agents send each audition out widely to everyone on their roster who could fit, then hold what he called a listening party at the end of the day to choose whose reads go to the client. Big producers sometimes ask each agency for just its top three, or its top one. So your agent is also your gatekeeper.
Three big differences came up:
For on-camera representation, see talent agent vs manager.
A product they can sell. David was clear that an agent is your sales manager, not your teacher, parent or best friend, and isn't looking for a client who calls every day asking what they've been put up for. You want them motivated by money, because when they earn, you earn.
In practice that means:
The right ones for where you are now. Asked to name the top ten in Los Angeles, David wouldn't, because the answer differs for everyone. Smaller boutique agencies are more willing to take a chance on someone new, higher-level agencies sign you as your credits grow, and the very biggest agencies represent stars.
Ask represented friends, and go to seminars where agents speak, so you know them before you pitch.
Follow each agency's own instructions to the letter. David said most agencies explain on their website how they want unsolicited demos: by email, a link or an attachment. Cold approaches are fine unless the site says otherwise, which is rare.
His favourite route in is a friend the agency already represents, who believes in you, walking your demo in to their agent. And if you send your package and hear nothing, take it as a no; he doesn't recommend chasing. Kym's advice is to approach all the good ones, because you never know which agency has a gap on its roster for a voice like yours. Our guide to emailing an acting agent covers the message itself.
Union or not, check whether an agency is franchised. A franchised agent has an agreement with SAG-AFTRA to follow its rules, and in most cities union members must use franchised agents for union work. As of November 2026, SAG-AFTRA's franchised agents list can be searched by local, and agencies list specialties such as Voiceover Only, Commercials and Animation.
David's advice on the union itself: make joining a goal, because union voice work usually pays better and has better conditions. See how to join SAG-AFTRA.
For franchised agents, no more than 10%. As of November 2026, SAG-AFTRA's agent FAQ says no franchised agent may charge commission above 10%, that in some cases the agent must negotiate above scale before taking any, and that agents may not charge upfront fees of any kind. The rules can vary by local, so check with yours.
A legitimate agent earns when you earn. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay to be represented or to audition: the FTC's job scams guidance says honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job. General information only: for a contract, check with the union or a lawyer for your situation.
Expect auditions with deadlines, often by close of business that day or the next, David said. Turn them around quickly and cleanly, follow any naming format exactly, and don't take it personally when your agent doesn't send every read. When he cast a video game in the early 2000s, he told us, a friend recorded 30 or 40 character auditions and his agent forwarded seven.
Your agent is one strand of what David calls your portfolio of opportunity. Keep building the rest: past clients, referrals, casting sites and audiobooks. More in how to become a voice actor.
Not to start. Most voice work comes through casting sites, audiobook marketplaces, referrals and past clients, but the biggest advertisers and studios often cast only through agents.
Train, build competitive demos and a quiet home set-up, then submit your demos exactly as each agency's website asks. A represented friend walking your demo in to their agent is one of the best routes.
As of November 2026, SAG-AFTRA says a franchised agent may not charge more than 10% commission and may not charge upfront fees of any kind.
Yes. Voice agents usually cover a geographic market, so it is normal to have agents in more than one city.
Generally no. David H. Lawrence XVII told us managers don't exist in voice over, unlike on-camera work.
Take it as a no and move on to other agencies. David doesn't recommend chasing an agent who hasn't responded.
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