Key Takeaways
- Voice Crafters focuses on a curated, boutique experience with vetted professionals, while Voices, claiming to be the world’s #1 voice marketplace, emphasizes a large, open voice marketplace with maximum choice and a mix of quality.
- All voice actors on Voice Crafters are vetted for experience and broadcast-quality equipment. Voices does not have a vetting process. Instead, it has a “Voices Verified” program, though this confirms talents’ identity, not quality.
- Voices supports AI voice solutions and voice cloning, while Voice Crafters is focused on human-only voice work (with strict consent rules for AI use).
When considering Voice Crafters vs Voices, you’ll notice that both operate as self-service voice marketplaces.
However, while Voices has developed this model into a large-scale, open marketplace with some optional managed services, Voice Crafters has stayed true to its curated, boutique roots, offering the support of a dedicated voiceover agency with pre-screened professionals as its main service, alongside a DIY option.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other, you might say. But is that really the case?
Read on to choose between a voice-over business’s emphasis on an open marketplace or curated boutique services that best suit your needs.
Voice Crafters vs. Voices: A Short History of Each Company
ID: Voice Crafters
Voice Crafters was founded in 2009 as a boutique-style voice marketplace focused on quality over quantity.
Initially, it positioned itself as a boutique, hands-on voice agency.
But it quickly grew into a hybrid service, ensuring its curated talent pool was available through both a self-service marketplace and end-to-end managed voice services.
Over the last decade and a half, the company has grown steadily by catering to clients who need top-quality voice work, particularly when it comes to multilingual and high-level commercial projects.
In addition, Voice Crafters also provides a suite of free and paid tools, such as copywriting, transcription, translation, and post-production, that support clients in developing their voice projects.
ID: Voices
Voices, founded in 2005 by David and Stephanie Ciccarelli, is one of the largest and most established platforms in the voice marketplace industry.
Headquartered in Canada, it is primarily a self-service voice marketplace and currently boasts over 4 million voice actors on its platform, who can opt for a free or paid membership.
Voices’ rapid growth has gone hand in hand with the expansion of its offering, which now includes dozens of applications, over 100 languages and dialects, and, in recent years, ethically sourced AI voices.
Voice Crafters & Voices: Service Model
|
FEATURE
|
VOICE CRAFTERS
|
VOICES.COM |
| Service Model |
Hybrid (Agency + Marketplace) |
Mainly self-service voice marketplace + some optional managed services |
| Vetting |
Strictly vetted professional talent only |
Open marketplace, so no vetting. Talent quality varies and is assessed by clients via demos, reviews, and auditions |
| Roster Style |
Boutique / Curated |
Large-scale global marketplace |
| Speciality |
Multilingual Commercial & Corporate (High-end) |
Ethically-sourced and licensed voices for AI cloning |
| Project Management |
Full-service project management is available, i.e., casting, direction, and production support |
Optional “Managed Services,” but primarily self-service casting |
| AI Policy |
Human voices only. AI/TTS is not supported for promotional use unless talent consents and is compensated |
Offers both human voice talent and AI voices as part of its platform. Highlights consent, fair compensation, and clear usage rights for every AI voice project |
| Payment |
Client payments are safeguarded. Fees held until project is approved & paid via Stripe/PayPal/bank transfer.
Online platform fees are 10% charged from the client & 10% from talent. Voice actors are not charged a subscription fee. |
Clients pay per project; fees are safeguarded until project is approved and completed.
Talent typically pays one of several tiered subscription fees for access to jobs.
Platform fees are incorporated into project budgets |
| Contract Type |
Project-based |
Project-based |
What are Voice Crafters’ & Voices’ Talent Vetting Processes?
Voice Crafters
From the outset, Voice Crafters focused on building a highly curated roster, accepting only vetted professionals.
The platform now features thousands of experienced and skilled voice actors, but the emphasis remains firmly on delivering consistent quality across all types of commercial and corporate projects.
To date, only 39% of talent applications have been accepted to Voice Crafters’ roster.
Voices
Voices is a large-scale, open voice marketplace where anyone, from those just starting out to seasoned pros, can create a profile.
Talent can receive a “Voices Verified” check on their profile page, but this confirms identity and not quality.
As a result, clients must rely on demos, reviews, and auditions when sourcing talent.
This approach offers a significantly greater choice, but it also requires more filtering to book the right voice actor for a given project.
Services Included & Pricing Structure
Voice Crafters
Voice Crafters offers a hybrid service model.
Clients can either browse talent themselves, post projects and receive auditions, or opt for full project management, including casting, direction, and production.
The platform also offers complementary services and tools, from a free transcription tool to full post-production editing.
Talent on the platform is encouraged to use industry voiceover standards when pricing their work, though all fees are customized as they’ll reflect the scope and complexity of the project itself.
Voices
Voices also offers a hybrid service, though with a stronger emphasis on its self-service model. Clients can post jobs, receive auditions, and hire directly.
The platform supports a wide range of applications and languages, as well as ethically sourced AI voices for cloning and custom-built voice datasets based on real human performances.
Voices does offer some managed services, including those that involve combining human and AI voice workflows.
Within the self-service model, clients can post jobs for free, though they will need to pay a 2–4% service fee.
For talent, membership can be either free or paid. However, free “guest” accounts are subject to a 20% platform fee on all booked projects.
Search Functionality and User Experience?
Voice Crafters
Voice Crafters offers a streamlined, curated browsing experience, whereby clients have several filter options, from category to style, to help them find suitable voices and voice actors.
Because the talent pool is smaller and highly selected, users can get what they need quickly and without being overwhelmed.
There is also a search function that enables clients to quickly locate voice actors they’ve worked with before, making repeat collaborations much simpler to organize.
Voices
As a large voice marketplace, Voices boasts extensive search functionality.
Like Voice Crafters, this allows clients to filter by category, language, accent, age, style, etc.
However, clients can also filter Voices’ talent tier, online status, and even the video apps the actors use for live direction.
The platform also includes dedicated search tools for its various AI solutions.
This wide range of options makes sense for a platform of its size, and to Voices’ credit, navigation on the site is relatively easy and intuitive.
Voiceover Marketplace Ratings by Both Clients and Talent?
Voice Crafters
Voice Crafters is frequently praised by clients for its personalized service and high-quality talent.
One client put it succinctly when they described their Voice Crafters experience on Trustpilot this way:
Extremely professional with very fast response times, excellent service, and fantastic results.
Voice actors also report positive experiences, particularly in terms of great communication, fair treatment, and ethical practices.
Though the company has fewer than 30 reviews on Trustpilot, there is a good mix of reviews from clients and talent, with every reviewer leaving an impressive 5-stars.
Voices
There are hundreds of reviews online for Voices, and, as would be expected with this volume, these are a mixed bag.
Clients tend to praise the voice marketplace for its wide selection of talent.
Speed and convenience of the service are also underscored, with one client recommending Voices, stating:
Voices saves me time and money.
However, voice actors seem to be a little more critical of the site.
Several commend the opportunities the platform provides, claiming they can earn a good living thanks to Voices.
Yet just as many highlight concerns they have around high fees and competition levels within such a large voice marketplace.
Final Thoughts
Both Voice Crafters and Voices are well-known and respected global voice marketplaces.
But on closer look, they serve slightly different needs.
Voice Crafters is ideal for clients who value a curated experience, hands-on support, and consistently high-quality results.
The latter is due to the careful vetting they undertake of all voice actors applying to be on their platform.
This means that whether clients are availing themselves of Voice Crafters’ full service or managing the project themselves, they’re always guaranteed to receive quality results.
Additionally, talent tends to feel well-compensated and looked after on the platform.
For clients who are happy to go it alone but want a large pool of actors to choose from and who may also want AI as well as live human options, Voices’ expansive network and AI solutions will fit the bill best.
So, a guided, boutique approach with quality assured or a fast self-service voice marketplace with maximum options? For a finish, that’s really where your choice lies when it comes to Voice Crafters vs. Voices.
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