This Voice Bunny review and summary was written a few years ago when Alex Torrenegra, founder of Voice123, decided that he was going to turn voice talent into slaves by way of his latest business model.
This is a good read for those who want the real scoop on the seedy underbelly of the world of voice overs.
When reading, please keep in mind that very shortly after this article was published, Mr. Torrenegra radically changed both the branding and content on the website for obvious reasons.
...(read more)If you’re a prospective customer or voice talent looking for the definitive Voice Bunny review, I’ll give you the short version – run away as fast as you can, like a bunny rabbit.
If you’d like to know why, feel free to read on….
A long time ago, Mr. Alex Torrenegra, founder and oft-described dictator of Voice123 wrote an article about his “vision” of the voice-over industry’s future.
I tell ya, it was pretty bleak. Kinda like reading 1984, only nowhere near as entertaining; most of the stuff Alex writes or speaks about is unintelligible.
The title of the article is all you need to know about Alex: “The Future of The Voiceover Industry by Me.”
Anyway, based on this warped, twisted vision of the voiceover industry’s future, Alex went about launching Voice Bunny.
I guess Voice123 didn’t reap enough destruction to his satisfy his appetite. To say that this site and subsequent concept is disturbing is the understatement of the century.
Anyone who is a professional voice talent, someone who hires voice talent or anyone considering a career in voiceover should take heed of what is written here.
Let’s start with the basics….
OK. When we go to the Voice Bunny talents section of the site and we have a list of “Benefits” – this must be what the talent can expect in return for working for the little bunny’s clients. Let’s have a look at a few of them…..
Voice Bunny says that the agreement is non-exclusive and the bunny loves your freedom.
Odd statement. I don’t know of any membership website that requires exclusivity; no benefit there. As for “loving my freedom”…don’t we live in a free country? I already have that benefit, thanks.
VB states we will be more productive as a benefit of membership.
Right. Makes sense. If I’m working for 4 cents a word….I’d have to be more productive, because I’d have to record all day, every day to make my mortgage payment. Good point. Great benefit.
VB says that the talent can record from home and we can choose our own work hours.
Forgive me, but I can’t see how one could record from their cubicle at the office or from the cash register at the store, what with that whacky “microphone” getting in the way. Nope…that studio would have to be at home, for sure.
Thankfully, we can all rest peacefully having the benefit of knowing that there’s no subscription or hidden fees.…
That’s because Mr. Bunny makes the client pay the hidden fees by placing teeny-tiny little words underneath the big, huge ones that says “Plus 20% service charge.” And, he takes 10% from the talent as well! Wow! That’s 30%!
Finally, we have a “benefit” that is easily the most disturbing and therefore, revealing of the bunch – the talent have “the option to remain anonymous….”
Why….
……would a website offer its members the option to remain anonymous? To what end? What purpose? After all, marketing yourself as a voice talent is all about getting your name “out there” not hiding it.
I’ll tell you why….because Mr. Bunny knows that by agreeing to their ridiculous rate structure, you are running the risk of being ostracized by your peers.
Which means one is forced to conclude that……..Mr. Bunny likely has a roster full of……..it’s an ugly word, sorry…….you know, the name of the scar that forms after something has been bleeding from an open cut…..kinda like the economy?
Interesting to note as well that it appears Mr. Bunny is particular about the talent they put on the roster, only 1 out of every 10 applicants.
I guess Mr. Bunny needs professional talent to make it work. Hmmm. I guess that would be another reason why Mr. Bunny offers anonymity.
Be very scared and very wary of the bunny….
This bunny, while presented as a cute, smart and confident little fella, has both the teeth and appetite of a piranha.
It’s very clear that Mr. Bunny would have us all recording in our hot, stuffy booths 24 hours a day for a mere pittance.
If you look at the price structure, you can quickly determine that Mr. Bunny has done away with this whole concept of “usage” and is now charging by the word, regardless of where that voiceover is going to be used.
This means that no longer will you be paid $1500.00 to voice a :15 second National Television commercial! Nope, according to Mr. Voice Bunny that rate will now be……wait for it…..
$30.00 plus his %20 “service fee.”
See what I mean about disturbing? It’s even more sick when you factor in the brand concept; a cute little bunny rabbit.
Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
In my opinion, this site and its entire concept is designed specifically to undermine the entire voiceover industry, all so Mr. Bunny can build a new hacienda in Columbia……
Yo…..Voice Talent! Listen Up!
I will say right here, right now, that if you are a professional voice talent that has a membership to this website, you should be ashamed of yourself.
You’ve lost the right to call yourself “professional” in my opinion, because the pros I know and align myself with wouldn’t even consider working for such a ludicrous fee, because it’s downright insulting.
I don’t care how broke or down-and-out you are. Go get a day job if times are that tough; VB is paying the same rate as the guy who’s flipping burgers anyway.
You do know that rabbits are myopic, right?
Talk about being short-sighted. By being a member of VB, these talent are taking part in the destruction of their own way of living, by undermining a relatively healthy (but fragile) rate structure that all of us have worked very, very hard to establish thus far.
There’s no excuse for being a member of VB and if you happen to have a lame excuse, I don’t want to hear it.
Crawl into your little rabbit hole and hide your name like the rest of the cowardly rabbits.
If Bugs Bunny were here….he’d kick your a**.
Voice Bunny Review – Summary
I digress. This of course, is all my opinion. Go ahead, have a look for yourself.
It doesn’t take very long to understand how I came to the conclusion presented here by simply going to the site yourself and click on a few links.
His “vision” is to get pro (or reasonable quality) voice talent to join VB, hide their names like cowards, keep it hush-hush that they’re working for basically nothing and let the other P2P business (V123) rot and die a slow painful death.
He knows full well that the V123 roster is roundly garbage, so he’s trying to salvage what marginal talent he can from that roster and turn them all into slaves.
I mean, what else would you do with a roster full of thousands of people who you’ve sold a dream to for $299.00 who aren’t making enough money?
Give ’em a carrot…!
How people would even consider the notion of working for such a person is beyond my comprehension. Make no mistake, the name of the bunny is Alex, and he’s not cute – he’s pretty ugly.
Further, he’s designed the business model so that all the talent remain shackled to the computer, waiting for the next “race” to win the cheapest paying voiceover gig on the planet.
The man is probably the sickest of control freaks I’ve ever come across.
Don’t go there. Literally. Please, show some respect for the industry and more importantly, yourself.
Strap on some ca-hones and work toward keeping our rate structure healthy so that those that follow the path in the future find food on the table……instead of a pile of rabbit turds.
Everybody knows that in this business, there’s a time to say “no” a gig. This would be one of those times. Make the right choice.
Spread the word.
There’s a rodent out there in Voiceover Land and it’s reproducing.
Thanks so much! I didn’t see the rates but got as far as the submission. I own a professional recording studio and I am a professional voice talent…and the feedback on my voice sample was quite ridiculous. I suspected this service was a bad bunny; which is how I found your article.
Hi Samantha, Thanks for leaving a comment :-)! As part of my research to update this article (it’s REALLY old) I too went through the “testing” process on VB. I had the same experience as you. I was told that my editing was poor and that I used compression on my audio. I have over 30 years of audio editing and recording experience and I don’t use any compression in my signal chain. It’s my thinking that the people at VB wouldn’t know a $5,000 microphone pre-amp if it came up and slapped them on the face. Indeed, they’re probably… Read more »
My thoughts on the audio exactly. I really think the people listening to these submissions don’t have a clue about high quality audio. But are there any websites you would recommend for professional talents? The benefit I see in these, are reaching a larger clientele
Hey Samantha,
I’d be interested to know how high you set your rates when applying. See my response to the post from Anon.
With respect to your question, have a look at this article on how to hire professional voice talent.
Hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
Honestly Todd, I can’t remember off hand the figures I submitted, as I usually would not quote in USD. But, after your first explanation of their business model I was quite confident my professional rates would be considered too high and mighty for Voice Bunny.
I’m pretty sure the absurd critique of my audio sample had nothing to with the sample itself, but my rates – as was yours.
Voice bunny is awful. They really hurt the voice talent industry by giving the talent only a small percentage of the profit. I’ve been on both sides – the client side and the talent side. I’ve seen myself getting spots that pay $30 for a 250 word script and I’ve seen the client pay $150 for that. Somethings wrong here. They take a huge percentage of the profit. If you raise your rates to industry standard, you most likely won’t get anything for months, lower them to $.10 a word, you may get some. Also, you can’t ever respond or… Read more »
Thanks for your post, Anon. I can understand why you posted as “Anon” – if they knew your name, you’d likely be removed from the site. This is the same tactics Alex Torrenegra uses on Voice123. Your observations here come as no surprise. The thought did occur to me that – when I went through their testing process – I had to fill out the “rates” that I would work for on the site. In hindsight, they were probably WAY too high, ergo the response: “Your audio is not good enough.” Translation: “Your rates are too high, we can’t make… Read more »
The worst site for VO online
I’m a long time radio guy. I’m addition to my on air shifts (which include quite a bit of sketch “comedy”) I of course do a lot of commercial work both on and off duty. For years I have been interested in going full time VO as I’m learning I have a love for it and my range isn’t too terrible. Like many going from broadcasting to VO I have very little idea where to start….which lead me to sites like V123 and VB. I appreciate this review and the updates as you’ve more than likely saved me from a… Read more »
Hey Tommy,
Thanks for taking the time to post your comment :-)!
I’m glad you found the information useful.
Sounds like you’re headed in the right direction :-)!
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
Hello Todd! Thank you for a very thorough description of VB. I, too, fell victim to wanting to form a profile with them. I walked through the whole process and submitted an application with a mock audition. The next day I received a reply saying that my audio file was not up to their standards, and that my accent was not a native English accent…..even though they asked for an English accent. They are correct. I’m not a native to England; shocker I know. So, in closing, I say thank you. Thank you for the warning to stay away and… Read more »
Hey James,
So sorry for the delayed reply – I’ve been so busy that I simply haven’t had the time.
I really think someone should lobbeth the Holy Hand Grenade in that website’s general direction.
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
I am a vo professional with experience in both acting and vo audio engineering. I have many satisfied clients. I can’t tell you how many times the auditions I submitted to voicebunny were rejected because, as they claimed, they were “overcompressed throughout.” They’ll then give you a short, polite little lecture about using pro gear (I guess my Sennheiser 416 isn’t pro enough). Meanwhile, I *never* use compression, eq, or any other effects while recording auditions for them. For editing, I might do a tiny bit of noise reduction, if needed, and then I simply normalize to -4.00, but quite… Read more »
Hey ANM,
Yep, your observations are in keeping with everyone else….but I wonder what your result would be if – within the application – you made your rates ridiculously low.
It’s my thinking that they disregard everyone who doesn’t fall within their preffered “slave rates” guidelines.
TS
Ha ha ha, this is so funny. And I’m so happy to read this. Last week a woman, Ivonne, from this company contacted me on LinkedIn and ask me to audition for their agency. I’ve been a voice over pro for more than 20 years and I work both in my own country – Denmark – and internationally. I recorded and send the audition. Next day I got a mail from them. I was not accepted as the quality of the recording was too bad 🙁 It was so ridiculous. They have only a couple of danish, female talents and… Read more »
Hi Diana,
Interesting that they’re trying to source out talent via LinkedIn.
As mentioned here before, you were likely rejected because the rates you submitted via the application were too high.
It’s my thinking that they disregard everyone who doesn’t fall within their preffered “slave rates” guidelines.
Thanks for sharing :-)!
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
Ah, I actually just read some more of the post in here. I didn’t give them any rates (they pay per word – wtf?) and told them that I couldn’t give a price per word. For me there is a huge difference whether it is a commercial for tv or a vo for a webpage for a small business. Maybe that explains why my audio was suddenly too bad. Tsk.
Yes….you are correct in your observation regarding usage rates for voiceover. VB wants to do away with all of that by way of enslavement.
It’s pretty sick when you really think about it.
TS
The quality control is non-sensical.
I will record two different projects at the same time, using the same set up, with the same mic, in the same location, and one project will be rejected for, let’s say, reverberation while the other is accepted.
Go to their support forums and you will see dozens of posts describing this exact problem. Usually someone from VoiceBunny will then chime in, listen to your sample, and say, “Yeah, I don’t hear any reverb, but it sounds like you may not be using a pop filter.”
What!?!
Hey Chris,
After hearing so many comments just like yours, I’m forced to conclude that VB is likely not a “legitimate” business. It’s probably some sort of tax shelter, a front or something of that nature.
It’s like a bakery on your street that opens maybe once a week, doesn’t really have much to sell….but somehow manages to stay in business.
If you read some of the content on the site, most of it doesn’t make any sense…..right along with everything else.
Regards,
Todd Schick
ANY trained voice actor that has recorded for this company KNOWS what a SCAM it is. They try to expedite VO recordings to clients and in the process shut out the REAL talent so that it leaves JUST the bottom feeders. They WANT to filter out the knowledgably talented so that only the uneducated hang on for the scraps. That way they never have to contend with VO artists that know the actual pay rates. I skeptically recorded for them for quite awhile until I became aware (from one of their clients that sought me out and contacted me online)… Read more »
Hi Terry…
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your comments here; I’m sure many will appreciate learning about your experience.
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
I thought it was just me, but the initial Voice Bunny experience was bizarre. Like most, I’ve been in the business a very long time and know what I am doing. I’ve made good money in the vo business. But, I’ve decided to get real busy and looked at Voice Bunny. My first weird experience was the “on hold” demo to get accepted. A monkey could do this. Second, they kicked out one of my demos for “clicking.” Went back, looked at the waveform…nope. Producing a spot for $39 in a contest is just an absolute insult.
Run away……run and don’t look back.
TS
Wow… finding this page was good timing on my part…
Having a few years under my belt of audio production, songwriting and music performance, I’ve been getting some side work in the VO webverse. Only recently have I been checking out VO hiring services. And, no shite, I have the VB signup page open and half completed right now. May I thank EVERYONE for commenting here, and bow, applauding, to you, Todd.
TY! TY! TY!
*CLOSING SIGNUP TAB*
Hey Jeff,
Thanks for sharing and….your welcome :-)!
They probably would have told you – after discovering your rates were too high – that your audio had too much compression…. :-\
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
Someone at VB may have compression of the brain, it seems. 😉
Indeed…..lol.
TS
Todd, THANK YOU. After 450+ auditions submitted to VDC and next to NOTHING, I’ve been looking for better online platforms for my 35 years in the biz. Just submitted my “test” audition to VB last night. But when I saw the “per word” rate thing I paused. What the heck? I came downstairs and told my wife, but thought there MUST be some way around this to differentiate between a National Network TV spot and a corporate industrial…once I’m “in”. This whole dang thing has been SO frustrating (but at the same time a valuable learning experience for me). Can’t… Read more »
Hey Jim,
Sorry for the delayed response – been busy for the last while.
450+ auditions and nothing? Wow. That’s a lot of work for nothing. I listened to your demo – it’s not bad and your performance skills are good.
All I can say is that maybe you’re not responding fast enough? I know that with most P2P sites, being in the top 10 auditions does make a difference.
Good for you to move on, though. VB is strictly for those who wish to be enslaved.
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
Todd, your website is absolutely fantastic. Thank you, truly, for all the time and effort you have clearly put into it.
I see that you recommend Bodalgo – may I ask if you know anything about VOPlanet?
God bless you, and your work.
Hi Jess,
You’re welcome :-)!
VO Planet. Yes….I have heard good things about VO Planet of late. It’s my understanding that their new website is pretty good.
As for work from the site, I can’t comment at this time.
Hope this helps….
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
Thank you for doing this. I’ve been looking to start in voice-over work for a while now and being that I am an on-air DJ in my hometown, it’s been hard to find a site that is trustworthy as well as one that is willing to pay me what my voice and I are worth.
Also if anyone has any recommendations on websites to use for voice-over talent I’d appreciate your input.
Thanks!
Hi Zach,
Success in VO depends on a number of factors not the least of which is your overall level of talent and subsequent ability to be competitive in the market.
Right now, I’m finding that V123, VO Planet and Bodalgo (to a lesser degree) are sites that you should look into.
However, I caution you getting multiple subscriptions until such a time when you have got enough experience doing to the work to make it worthwhile 😉
Hope this helps,
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
Hi Todd
Thank you for this. As a newbie on the long road to finding an agent I came across VB. It all sounded a bit too good to be true but the desire to be booked for jobs would have sucked me in IF I hadn’t read your and other posters professional wise words and experiences. Thanks all.
Hi Maryanne,
Thanks for posting :-)! I’m glad you found the information usefull…!
TS
I’m currently being aggressively courted by VB. I figured there was something a little “off”.
I’m curious to know what you think of voice123 now
Hey Annie, Well…their interface sucks and the website in general is just butt-ugly. However, they have made improvements by eliminating Stupidcast. Instead, V123 ranks talent by how many clients “like” a particular VO talent (and I think how fast a talent responds). In this way, leads are distributed to talent who get the thumbs up and work hard, which is the way it should be. Using this method, clients don’t have to listen to as many hacks and wannabes. And….talent can work directly with the client – as it should be. So, V123 is the better site compared to Voices,… Read more »
Todd, thanks for the heads up! Last year I joined voice123 and voices.com, read 800 auditions in a year and was hired for only one gig at $200. Talking about a blow?! I’ve been in VO for years, I’m not a beginner. It’s a doggy-eat-doggy world out there.
Hey Todd, First off, I have to say is thank you for your post, and the informative insight. Secondly, damn. When I buy something on Amazon, I usually find a few negative reviews nestled in amongst the good/positive ones. Which is standard. But I have never seen this many negative words for an online service. Like yourself and most of the talent here, I use pro equipment in my home studio; audio files have been reviewed and verified by vo engineers. So, I have 100% faith in my files. I am very happy I did my due diligence and… Read more »
Hey Andrew…
Yeah…..the last one was apparently voiceovers.com, where Matt Dubois has seemingly taken a 1/2 million from people who thought he was doing something “good” for the industry.
Keep you head up and your eyes open is the best one can do.
Thanks for contributing, Andrew!
Kind regards,
Todd Schick
Hey Todd, very welcome.
I was a VO artist in LA many years ago, and have been-slowly-getting my act together in NYC; new booth, demo, website. My searches, as you can expect, reveal the seedy underbelly of the VO world, no matter where you live. I’ve been able to circumvent most of it well enough. The people at bunny told me my audio was not good enough, first and last red flag.
Anyway, your site is a wonderful resource, especially your rates page. Very helpful.
Enjoy your weekend,
A
Thanks for the insight! As someone just getting started in the field where do you recommend finding work if the websites are no good? I’m in the audition process with bunny and decided to check some reviews and stumbled upon your blog. I’ve done two revisions so far.
Hey Charlie, First and foremost, you need to have the talent for VO to be competitive on-line, regardless of the platform. I’ve read many an e-mail or post in the past where people lament they’re not getting work. After listening to their demos, I come to understand the reason why. VB is not for those starting out, it’s for those who don’t mind the notion of being enslaved to their desk and racing to win the lowest paying VO gig on the planet. Their refusal of applications is based on the rate(s) one provides on applying. Rate too high in… Read more »
I glad I came across this site. I was once approved by the Bunny, the file I send in was blank. I told them about it and moved on. A few years pasted and I wanted to really get serious about doing voice overs. I’m sort of retired. I say sort of because I hold a real estate broker’s license and referrals always comes in. In digress, now every audition I send in, they reject. That was a good thing because it had me really go back and clean up that bad noise on my recordings. Strange thing though, I’ve… Read more »
Thanks for this! I’m a little late to the game but just got accepted on Voice Bunny and within a couple of weeks started wondering WTF. I’m a relative newbie to professional voice over and doing what I van to improve, invest, improve again, invest again and get myself to a really professional status. I have been using platforms and it’s given me a steady income so far even if I’m being killed with commission and lower rates. It’s great practice and building plenty of examples. Anyway, I digress. I have to agree that VB is a joke, since being… Read more »
Hey Leanne, Just when I thought Voice Bunny had reached the end of the depths of their depravity – I hear yet another nightmare. Forgive me for saying so, but just reading about this circumstance sickens me. These people can’t even muster up basic human respect. They treat what talent they have as slaves and the whipping just gets longer and stronger as time goes by. I can’t get my head around what’s worse – the people holding the whip, or those who choose to be tied to the post. Bottom line? If VB doesn’t have any talent, they’ve got… Read more »
Thanks Todd, I’m so glad I found your site. I sent my request to delete my VB profile today and it feels good. I don’t want to be taken advantage of and I certainly don’t want to be a part of anything that harms the industry I’m so passionate about being a part of. You live and learn! Thanks again.
Hey Leanne,
Good for you! You can hold your head up high….and what have you got to lose? $20.00……? LOL.
If you need any help moving forward, please let me know. You can drop me an e-mail through my contact page.
All the best,
Todd Schick
Thanks so much Todd! I’ll keep that in mind.
All the best