You’ve got the acting skills.
You’ve got the microphone.
You’ve even got the motivation.

So why aren’t you booking voice-over jobs?

This is one of the most frustrating parts of starting (or restarting) a VO career: you audition again and again, but the results don’t match your effort.

The good news? You’re not failing because of your talent. Most auditions get rejected for technical reasons — and the moment you fix them, your chances of landing jobs skyrocket.

After working with hundreds of voice actors — from complete beginners to Hollywood-level performers — I’ve seen the same three problems cause rejection over and over.

Let’s go through them one by one.

This is the #1 reason great auditions fail.

If your recording space isn’t right, nothing else matters. Not your expensive mic. Not your plugins. Not your editing skills.

A poorly treated room bakes in reflections and subtle echoes that no amount of post-processing can fix. To your ear, it might sound fine. But to a casting director with trained ears, it instantly screams “home recording without proper acoustics.”

And here’s the tough part: it doesn’t have to sound like a giant church echo to be a deal-breaker. Even the small, sneaky reflections you barely notice can make your voice sound hollow, boxy, or “cheap” compared to other auditions.

👉 Learn more about how room acoustics quietly kill auditions →

Fix it:

When your room is under control, every other improvement you make becomes more effective.

Let’s say your room is solid. You’ve got a decent mic. You know how to deliver a script.

Why still not winning auditions or jobs?

The next most common reason: your audio editing isn’t up to standard.

Here’s what happens — your audition file comes across quieter, harsher, or less smooth than everyone else’s. Even if your acting is great, the client can’t “hear” it through the poor processing.

And when they’ve got dozens of other polished submissions, yours doesn’t make the cut.

This is something I’ve seen even with experienced radio and TV performers. They can act brilliantly, but when they start submitting voice-over auditions from home, their editing skills aren’t strong enough.

👉 See why weak editing keeps great actors from booking work →

Fix it:

💡 That’s why I built the Adobe Audition Bundle. It gives you the exact processing workflow that makes your auditions sound smooth, consistent, and broadcast-ready.

This one catches a lot of people off guard.

Sometimes, your demo reel is actually the reason you’re not booking jobs.

Here’s how:

But then you submit your own recordings — from your home setup — and they don’t match the quality of that reel.

The result? Silence.

The demo reel raised expectations, but your home workflow couldn’t deliver the same polish. The producer realizes the reel isn’t a fair reflection of what they’d actually get if they hired you.

👉 Read the full breakdown on why demo reels can backfire →

Fix it:

💡 That’s why I run the Advanced EQ & Compression Training. It’s a 4-day workshop that shows you how to make your home audio sound every bit as professional as your studio reel.

Booking voice-over jobs isn’t about luck. It’s about preparation.

If your auditions are getting skipped, it’s almost always because of one of these three reasons:

The good news? Each of these problems can be fixed. And once they are, your auditions stop sounding like “home recordings” and start competing with professionals.

👉 Start by making sure your workflow is solid:

Your voice acting deserves to be heard at its best. Don’t let technical issues hold you back from booking the jobs you’re ready for.