One of the simplest pieces of advice I can offer any voice-over artist is remarkably straightforward: check it again.
Always, and I mean always, check your audio, and then check it again. One last time before hitting submit. It sounds obvious, right? Maybe even a little too basic to bother repeating. But trust me on this, I had to learn this lesson the hard way so you do not have to.
Early in my voice-over career, I submitted an audition without listening back to the final rendered file. I recorded the script, exported the audio, uploaded the file, and clicked submit.
Done and dusted, or so I thought. Except I had submitted the completely wrong audio track.
The file I uploaded was labeled something wildly descriptive like “Jason.Leadingham.mp3.” The real issue was that I had dozens of files sitting on my hard drive with some slight variation of that exact title. Back then, I knew that I would remember exactly where I saved my file and it would be easily able to load up. Spoiler alert: I absolutely did not remember.
The most surprising part of the whole situation was that the casting director actually sent me a quick email about it. If you have been working in the voice-over industry for any length of time, you know just how rare that kind of follow-up really is. Casting professionals are constantly inundated with work. They are often sifting through dozens, if not hundreds, of audition files for a single role. If you send the wrong file, nobody is going to stop their workflow to email you and ask what went wrong. They are simply going to delete it and move on to the next talent in line.
Against all odds, this particular client took the time to reach out. They told me that they really liked my voice quality, but mentioned that I had not attached the actual copy requested for the spot. They graciously gave me a second chance to send over the correct recording, and against even greater odds, I ended up booking the gig!
Just kidding. I did not book it at all.
However, I walked away with something far more valuable than a single gig. I learned a vital lesson that has remained firmly stuck in my head, and has been part of my process ever since: always double-check your audio files. That rule applies to completed client projects, but it applies just as strongly to simple auditions.
When we are rushing through a busy day of auditions, it is incredibly easy to fall into the mental trap of thinking, “I literally just recorded that, so I already know what is in the file.” Maybe you do know what you recorded. But do you know with absolute certainty that you attached the correct file to the upload form?
As voice-over talents, we spend a massive amount of energy focused on the read itself. Did I nail the character direction? Was my pacing natural and conversational? Did I hit all the subtle beats? Is the audio processing clean and transparent? All of those technical and artistic details matter deeply, yet absolutely none of it matters if the client opens a completely wrong file.
I actually had a similar situation happen again years later, but that time I actually followed my own advice. I finished recording an audition, exported the file, and uploaded it. Right before clicking the final button, I paused and thought, “Let me just listen to this one more time.” I clicked play. Yup…wrong file.
Had I rushed through and hit submit, I would have made the exact same embarrassing mistake. Instead, I caught it instantly, uploaded the correct audio track, listened again to verify, and sent it off. That time around, I actually did book the job. Would I have booked it if I had sent the wrong file? I am going to go out on a limb and say definitely not. Taking those extra few seconds to verify your work can make all the difference in your career.
Before you submit an audition, check it. Before you deliver finished work to your agent, check it. Before sending audio directly to a paying client, check it.
When I say check it, I mean open the exact file attached to the email or upload queue. Do not just glance at the file name and assume everything is fine. Play the beginning, jump to the end, and verify that the format, project, and audio read are completely correct.
You have already invested the hard work into your performance and editing. Give yourself another twenty seconds to guarantee the right file actually leaves your computer, because once you hit submit, you rarely get a second chance to fix it. Take it from someone who learned it the hard way. Just check your audio. Then check it again.
P.S. If you haven’t yet taken our introductory voice-over class, where we go over everything one needs to know about getting started in the voice-over industry, sign up here!
P.P.S If you want to learn more from VO experts and grow the knowledge you already have, join our VO Pro group!
