When To Watermark Your Voice-over Auditions

Today's blog post is inspired by a great question that was posted on Such A Voice's Facebook page about watermarking auditions that you post on directories such as Voices.com and Voice123.com.

In the audio world, a watermark is another audio file that you place on top of the primary audio file, in this case your voice over, to prevent a dishonest client from using your voice-over work without actually paying you for it. An example of a watermark for a narration or commercial you audition for could be something as simple as a "ding!" sound that pops up every few seconds. As long as this "ding!" doesn't obscure the quality of your voice-over read or completely annoy the listener, the client wouldn't be able to use this recording for commercial purposes. If you are recording a longer voiceover, another common method is to over-lay the voice-over with, "This is just a demo by Jane Smith," every ten seconds or so.

Although watermarking can protect your voice over jobs, it's not advisable to watermark every audition. Especially if you are working with a well-known client or someone you have worked with in the past, watermarking an audition could be interpreted by the client that you are distrustful of them. They might pass up your great audition that was watermarked because, "What, did he think I was really going to use his voice over without paying for it?"

We understand -- after all your voice-over training and hard work, you certainly want to maintain the integrity of your business. However, watermarking often isn't worth the risk that you'll offend a potential client. It should be a very high priority to maintain good working relationships in this industry.

So, when should you watermark your work?

It depends. As a professional voice-over artist, it is up to you to use your own good judgment. Instances that you might consider watermarking your audition could include:

1) An over-seas client you aren't familiar with. 2) A new client you haven't heard of who would like the entire script read for the audition. 3) An "unknown" client or project that was posted through a questionable venue. (I love craigslist.com, but anyone can post jobs there with any goal in mind.)

One good thing about the highly globalized world we live in today is that it's easy to network with voice-over artists all over the world. If a client treats you badly, you have the option to let the world know through social media. If someone is trying to scam you, it's also easy to get that information out there to protect future victims. (Ref., the Sleazy Sneeze Guy.)