There are a lot of differences in the voiceover industry between Ireland and the UK.
Yes, the UK is a MASSIVE industry compared to Ireland, and there is a lot more voice over work out there.
But it's very competitive.
You have to work your shiny white/black hiney off sometimes.
For one, you have to do auditions.
Many of them, and many of them free.
However, in Ireland, the auditions tend to be paid for at a fix rate.
To really compete and make a go of it in the UK, having your own home studio is pretty much mandatory.
Obviously, not in all cases.
But many voice overs have their own studios.
This means there's a bigger financial outlay for the voiceover to get into the business - a studio will set you back a few grand.
In Ireland, the talented voiceover basically needs a demo, and a bit of get-up-and-go.
This means, with a relatively small investment, the voiceover can enter the market.
There is also a lot of churn work out there in the UK.
Some UK voice overs have reported to have been offered jobs worth as little as 30 quid.
Some voiceovers have been offered as little as 5 quid to do a gig! 5 quid, for real! The Irish rate cards seem to be healthier - mainly because the industry here is predominantly commercials-based.
This rate card is pretty much industry standard, and all the advertising agencies in town tend to stick to it.
But that all said, there IS a lot more work in the UK, and many voiceovers are able to do it as a bona fide full time job.
In Ireland, it's much harder to do it as a full time job.
As successful Irish VO once said "for me, voiceover work is jam, not bread and butter".