The Collapse of the voice over market in France and Western Europe

Over the past few years, the voice over industry in Western Europe—especially in France—has experienced a significant and worrying decline. As a professional French voice actor with over 15 years of experience, I have been witnessing this shift firsthand. What used to be a flourishing market for native talents has become increasingly uncertain, unpredictable, and saturated.

A sharp decline in casting opportunities

Since 2025, the number of castings targeting French voice actors on major international platforms such as Voices, Voice123, Bodalgo, and VoiceRealm has dropped dramatically. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the volume of quality jobs available for French-speaking talent has dwindled, and the budgets per project have visibly shrunk—especially on platforms like Voice123, where entry-level jobs often offer unsustainable rates.

At the same time, voice actors in the U.S. market continue to thrive. American talents like Jesse Carroll regularly share how they can audition for 50 to 60 projects per day, something unthinkable in the French market today.

Agencies say “We’ll Call You”… but they don’t

Despite having strong demos, a high-end home studio, and a proven track record, the feedback from new clients is always the same: “Your voice matches perfectly what we’re looking for. I’ll keep you in mind when we have a French voice over need.”

But that call never comes.Even long-term clients have started to admit that times are tough: “We simply don’t have voice over work these days", “Budgets have been frozen",“Clients decided to use AI or internal voices.”

A European pattern of crisis

This is not an isolated French issue. Voice actors I’ve been in contact with from Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands are all sounding the alarm. Many report:

• Drastic decreases in bookings
• Agencies going silent
• Recurring clients vanishing
• Rates being slashed by 30–50%
• 
  

 The numbers behind the crash

According to recent industry insights:

• The global voice over market is projected to grow, but this growth is heavily concentrated in English-speaking regions, particularly the U.S. and UK.
• In contrast, the non-English voice over markets in Europe are fragmented, and under pressure from AI voice synthesis, falling budgets, and client centralization.
• In Voice123’s 2023 data, the average job per talent in non-English markets fell by 22%, while competition increased.

Moreover, competition has exploded: since the pandemic, a large number of newcomers—especially home-based freelancers—have flooded the market. The number of applicants per casting has nearly doubled compared to 2020. On some projects, 60–100 people apply for a single gig.

And yet, visibility is minimal. Despite being on Voxing Pro and Casting Machine with top-level experience and high-quality demos, I’ve received:

• Only 45 profile visits in 3 months on Voxing Pro
• Just 30 visits over a very long period (more than 6 months) on Casting Machine—with no job offers
  
  

Media monotony reflects the Crisis

As a consumer, I also observe this stagnation:
In France on french TV and radio, the same ads loop repeatedly—always from major brands. The diversity and creativity that once characterized regional and mid-budget campaigns has all but disappeared. The market is becoming monopolized, and indie production demand is fading fast.

Gender disparity: a hidden dynamic

Interestingly, gender disparities may also play a role. Based on Voice123's Gender in Voice Over Study (2022):

• Women make up 61% of the global voice talent pool, yet…
• Male voices are still booked more frequently, especially for corporate, documentary, and narration work
• Clients often prefer male voices for perceived “authority” in voice overs—especially in French

This may partially explain even tighter competition among male voice actors in the current climate.

A call for awareness

The European voice over market is not only in decline—it is transforming in ways that threaten its long-term viability:

• Budgets are falling
• Jobs are fewer
• Talent is oversupplied
• Client expectations are shifting toward AI and automation

This article is not a complaint, but rather a realistic snapshot of a changing industry. I continue to adapt, explore, and create—but it’s essential that clients, platforms, and even fellow voice actors acknowledge the systemic changes happening beneath the surface.

If you're a fellow European voice talent facing similar challenges, you're not alone. And if you're a client:
👉 Now more than ever,  your support for real human voices matters.