Trying to choose the right voice over marketplace? Discover how Voice Crafters’ curated, vetted voice talent and boutique service compares to Voices’ vast, open platform with AI voice options, so you can secure quality, speed, and the best fit for your business needs.
Voice Crafters vs. Voices: Which Voice Marketplace is Right For You?
Key Takeaways
Voice Crafters is a hybrid voiceover agency and marketplace founded by Mony Raanan in 2009, focused on a curated roster of pre-screened professional voice actors. Voices is one of the largest open voice marketplaces, founded by David and Stephanie Ciccarelli in 2005 and headquartered in Canada.
Voice Crafters accepts only 39% of voice talent applications, and lists vetted voice actors with proven commercial experience and broadcast-quality recording capability. Voices is open to anyone, with a “Voices Verified” check that confirms identity but not quality. Buyers on Voices filter through demos, reviews, and auditions.
Voice Crafters works with human voice actors only and supports synthetic voice work only when the use is non-promotional, and the original voice actor receives recurring usage payments. Voices offers both human voice talent and AI voice cloning, with talent paid a flat annual fee for the model.
Voice Crafters charges a flat 10% platform fee from clients and 10% from talent, with no subscription for voice actors. Voices charges clients a 2-4% service fee and tiered subscription plans for voice actors, with free “guest” talent accounts paying 20% on each booking.
Voice Crafters offers full agency support on the same platform, including casting, direction, post-production, video translation, and royalty-free music in 80+ languages. Voices is primarily self-service, with optional managed services that include human and AI voice workflows across 100+ languages and dialects.
Voice Crafters and Voices both operate as a self-service voice marketplace.
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 decide whether a voice-over business’s emphasis on an open marketplace or curated boutique services best suits 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 to find through a self-service marketplace as well as with 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 500,000 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.
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 voice talent
Large-scale global marketplace
Speciality
Multilingual Commercial & Corporate (High-end)
Global Freelance Voiceover Marketplace (High-volume)
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 the 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: held until the project is approved & paid via Stripe/PayPal/bank transfer.
Online platform fees are 10% charged from the client and 10% from the talent. Voice actors are not charged a subscription fee
Clients pay per project; fees are safeguarded until the 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.
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.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Voice Crafters and Voices both vet talent before accepting them onto their platforms?
Only Voice Crafters vets all talent before listing. Voice actors on Voice Crafters must demonstrate proven commercial voiceover experience, broadcast-quality recording capability from a professional home studio environment, and at least five years of active professional work. Only 39% of applicants are accepted. Voices is an open marketplace where anyone can create a profile. Voices offers a “Voices Verified” badge that confirms the identity of the voice actor but does not assess quality, so buyers must filter through demos, reviews, and auditions to find the right fit.
Do both platforms offer project management support?
Yes, but with different emphases. Voice Crafters offers full project management as a core service, including casting, live direction, production, and revisions, alongside a self-service option for clients who prefer to manage projects directly. Voices is primarily a self-service marketplace where clients post jobs, receive auditions, and hire directly, with optional managed services available for clients who want hands-on support, including human and AI voice workflows. The Voice Crafters agency model is more deeply integrated; the Voices managed service is offered as an add-on.
How do pricing and fees compare between Voice Crafters and Voices?
Voice Crafters charges a flat 10% platform fee from the client and 10% commission from the voice actor on each project, with no subscription, listing, or per-application fees for talent. Voices charges clients a 2-4% service fee on top of the project budget and offers voice actors several tiered subscription plans for paid memberships, with free “guest” talent accounts paying a 20% platform fee on each booked project. The headline fees on Voice Crafters are simpler. The Voices model gives talent a choice between paying upfront for membership or paying a higher per-project percentage.
What is the AI policy for Voice Crafters and Voices?
Voice Crafters works with human voice actors only by default. The platform supports synthetic voice work only when the use is non-promotional, and the original voice actor receives recurring usage payments. Voice actors can only upload demos that are authentically their own voice. Voices supports both human voice talent and AI voice creation, including ethically sourced AI voice cloning and custom-built voice datasets based on real human performances. Voices says it requires consent and fair compensation for every AI voice project.
Does Voices.com source its AI voices ethically?
The ethics of Voices.com’s AI voice cloning are debated within the professional voice over industry. Voices pays voice actors a substantial flat annual fee to model their voices, after which the AI clones can be licensed to clients for unlimited usage, including paid advertising and other commercial projects that would normally command ongoing royalties. Critics argue that traditional usage royalties for unlimited commercial use would far exceed the flat annual rate, so the compensation model falls short of standard industry practice for human voice work. Voices says the model is consent-based and the rate is substantial. Whether that constitutes ethical sourcing depends on whose definition of fair compensation you accept.
Who founded Voices.com, and when?
Voices was founded in 2005 by David and Stephanie Ciccarelli and is headquartered in Canada. The company has grown into one of the largest voice marketplaces in the world, expanding its offering across more than 100 languages and dialects, dozens of voiceover applications, and, in recent years, a suite of AI voice products, including ethically sourced cloning and custom voice datasets. Voice Crafters was founded four years later, in 2009, by sound designer Mony Raanan, with a deliberately smaller and curated approach focused on pre-screened professional voice actors.
How big is the Voices.com talent roster compared to Voice Crafters?
Voices.com is one of the largest voice marketplaces in the world, with a much larger talent pool than Voice Crafters. Voices supports more than 100 languages and dialects across its global roster of voice actors, plus AI voices for cloning and custom-built voice datasets. Voice Crafters takes the opposite approach, with a curated roster of pre-screened voice actors covering 80+ languages, where every voice actor has been vetted for professional experience and broadcast-quality recording before being listed. The structural choice between the two platforms is the larger pool versus the pre-screened pool.
How much does Voices.com cost for voice actors?
Voices offers voice actors several membership tiers, ranging from a free “guest” account to paid annual subscription plans. Guest accounts can apply for jobs but pay a 20% platform fee on every project they book. Paid memberships offer reduced platform fees, higher application volumes, and additional features in exchange for the upfront subscription cost. Voice Crafters does not charge voice actors a subscription, membership, or per-application fee at any tier. Voice actors on Voice Crafters pay a flat 10% commission per completed project.
Which platform is better for multilingual voiceover projects?
Both platforms cover a wide range of languages, but differently. Voices lists voice actors across 100+ languages and dialects in an open marketplace where each language hire is a separate transaction. Voice Crafters covers 80+ languages with a pre-screened native-speaker roster in each language, plus localization-aware project management for campaigns that need the same script delivered consistently across many markets. For a single-language project on a tight budget, Voices is workable. For a multi-language campaign that needs centralized quality control, the Voice Crafters agency model is faster and lower risk than coordinating individual hires.
How does payment protection work on Voices.com and Voice Crafters?
Both platforms hold client payments until the project is approved. On Voices, clients pay per project, and the funds are safeguarded until the work is approved and completed. Voice Crafters holds client payment until delivery is signed off, then releases funds to the voice actor via PayPal or bank transfer. Neither platform asks the buyer to pay the voice actor directly, which protects buyers from paying for unapproved work and protects voice actors from non-payment after delivery.
Can I rebook the same voice actor for repeat projects on either platform?
Yes on both. Voice Crafters has a search function specifically for locating voice actors clients have previously worked with, making repeat collaborations easy to organize for ongoing campaigns or content series where consistency matters. Voices supports rebooking through the standard search and direct contact, with messaging history preserved on the voice actor profile. The mechanics differ, but on both platforms, returning to the same voice actor is straightforward once the relationship is established.
What types of voice over projects suit Voice Crafters versus Voices?
Voice Crafters is built for commercials, corporate videos, e-learning, explainer videos, IVR, audiobooks, animation, video games, medical narration, and movie trailers, with audio post-production and royalty-free music available in the same workflow. Voices serves the same project categories, plus AI voice work and custom voice datasets. The structural difference is curation versus scale: Voice Crafters is the right call when consistent broadcast-quality output matters and you do not want to vet talent yourself, Voices is the right call when you want maximum choice, are happy to filter, and may want AI voice options alongside human voice work.
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