Is Backstage Legit? A Review of the Backstage Casting Platform

Backstage.com is a long-standing resource for the entertainment industry. It’s both a talent database for employers as well as a jobs marketplace for actors, voiceover artists, and other creative performers.

Originally founded as a New York trade publication in 1960, Backstage has been a long-standing and trusted resource for those in the entertainment industry. In 2011, Backstage became a digital jobs marketplace and talent database. Today, you can find all sorts of jobs and the latest industry news on Backstage.com.

How does Backstage work?

If you’re interested in finding work in entertainment, you can use Backstage to view casting calls and jobs for free. To apply to them and take advantage of its other career tools, you’ll need a monthly or annual membership.

A Backstage membership comes with several perks:

• Create a free talent profile and portfolio
• Add unlimited photos and videos
• Send unlimited job submissions
• Receive instant notifications about matching jobs
• Get free access to acting monologues, courses, and community forums
• Receive relevant and timely news and expert tips

While there’s a heavy emphasis on Backstage acting jobs, casting calls, and auditions, there are other types of entertainment work you can find on the Backstage website.

Who uses Backstage?

Backstage is commonly referred to as a casting platform, and it’s often associated with acting gigs. However, you’ll find a wide variety of job opportunities listed on the website. According to Backstage, companies like Amazon Studios, HBO, Netflix, and Disney use it for hiring.

Here are some of the types of people who find work on Backstage.com:

• Screen actors (TV and film)
• Stage actors
• Voiceover artists (remote and in-studio)
• Costume designers and wardrobe specialists
• Hair and makeup artists
• Production crew (e.g., camera operators, producers, and stage technicians)
• Writers and editors
• Animators and special effects designers
• Sound mixers
• Singers and musicians
• Composers
• Dancers
• Models
• Content creators and influencers (e.g., social media ads or posts, commercials, demo videos, and user-generated content)

Some of these categories have only been added in recent years, such as jobs for influencers and content creators to fill spots in advertisements, brand interviews, and social media content.

How much is Backstage to use?

While you can visit Backstage.com and look at jobs for free, you can only apply to them with a paid membership. Unfortunately, Backstage doesn’t clearly state how much their membership fee is anywhere on their website, and you need to register before you can find out what your pricing options are. Recent user reports suggest that Backstage costs around $200 per year right now.

It may be possible to get a Backstage subscription for cheaper if you happen to sign up when they have a promotion for new users. If you’re in no rush and you’re looking to save money, it could be worth waiting for a special offer before you sign up.

Thankfully, there are no other fees to use Backstage. A membership gives you full access to the platform and all its features. You can even apply to as many jobs as you want without any additional fees.

Backstage is a legitimate company, and it’s a legit way to get auditions. However, even though Backstage isn’t a scam, the same isn’t necessarily true for all the jobs listed on the site. Although Backstage claims that every casting notice is carefully reviewed for legitimacy before being posted, many users have reported encountering scams on Backstage.

There’s no guarantee that a job you find on Backstage is legit, and you’ll have to do your due diligence to protect yourself. In addition to outright scams, you may also come across advertised jobs that aren’t everything they appear to be—for example, maybe they’re in the wrong city or the pay rate is lower than advertised.

Many Backstage users claim that the platform is full of unpaid gigs and low-budget jobs. While you can find legitimate auditions held by big-name brands, they appear to be few and far between. However, if your goal is to build a casting reel or work portfolio, then unpaid or low-paying gigs might suffice for the time being.

Famous actors who used Backstage

You’ll be in good company if you use Backstage to find auditions. For example, these famous actors all got their start from Backstage listings:

• Connie Britton
• Sandra Bullock
• Ed Burns
• Viola Davis
• Chris Evans
• Jonathan Groff
• Kathryn Hahn
• Scarlett Johansson
• James Earl Jones
• Jane Krakowski
• Nathan Lane
• Niecy Nash
• Leslie Odom, Jr.
• Al Pacino
• Denzel Washington

Keep in mind that these Backstage actors got their starts over a decade ago. So that means the print publication was pivotal in helping them snag their first roles, not the Backstage digital platform that exists today.

To get full access to Backstage’s features, you’ll need to create an account. Follow the steps below to get started:

1. Go to the Backstage website.
2. Click “Join Backstage.”
3. Enter your email address.
4. Add basic account details and create a password.
5. Agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and minimum age requirement.
6. Select a monthly or yearly plan.

Once you’ve submitted payment for your membership, you’ll be able to create a profile and start applying to gigs.

Eligibility requirements

Backstage has a minimum age requirement for members: You must be 16 years or older to sign up.

If you are a child performer who is younger than 16 years old, you’ll need a parent or legal guardian to create the account and manage all the account’s activities. If you’re a parent or guardian hoping to enroll your child or teen, you will have to verify your identity by submitting a valid ID, like a driver’s license.

Locations

Backstage primarily operates in the United States and in cities where the entertainment industry is prevalent, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. However, you’ll find gigs in other cities and states. You can also search by general region.

In addition, Backstage has a few listings in other English-speaking countries, like Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Check the open casting calls page to see which locations currently have available gigs.

Where to download the Backstage app

App Store

Backstage reviews from actors and other entertainment industry professionals are mixed, but there’s a general agreement on Backstage’s advantages and disadvantages. Overall, the consensus is that it’s worth it for beginners who are looking to break into the industry, but it’s probably not where you’re going to find your big break.

On the more critical end, reviewers point out that the quality of jobs is low, and there are other platforms that provide more serious opportunities. Those supporting the platform emphasize that Backstage offers opportunities for anyone to get some industry experience and start building an acting reel or professional portfolio, even if a lot of the jobs are low-budget or even unpaid work.

Below are a few representative reviews from Backstage.com users clarifying the best and worst parts of this auditioning platform.

Case A:

“Backstage is reliable, a great place to start, and you’ll find a lot of different options on there. I’ve gotten two gigs over the last few months with them. Sometimes have to be choosy on the gigs that you find. A lot are unpaid, far away, or have a beginner’s crew so you have to decide if it’s worth it for you to spend the time and money. […] Overall Backstage is a great place to start and if you can get great headshots and maybe even an acting sample (monologue, scene from class, etc) you can find work!” (December 2021)

Case B:

“I pay for it, but I probably shouldn’t. It’s expensive, at this point I get mostly reality/gameshow and web ad castings (all notices seem to be a hit-or-miss in terms of quality), and I’m sure they try to keep things legit, but I’ve spotted scams before […] their customer service is a joke. I’m willing to say that because they (IMO) deepy mishandled the aforementioned scam situation after I had to jump through several hoops to actually report it.

“Plus, if you’re looking for local things, at least some of the listings have historically been pulled from other (free) sites. (Again, I know because they did it to a project I was casting on a free-to-all local site.)

“Their articles are a good resource, though.” (December 2021)

Case C:

“I will say I’ve gotten all my indie features (4 in the year and two that were with well regarded indie directors) and a bunch of shorts, as well as a recent 7k commercial. I find it’s often newer creatives, niche people who do lot want to jump the hoops of submitting their scripts to Actors access, or ones across the country.

“That said, some of these are more intense scripts or things not everyone is perfect for. Nudity being one as an example. The advice I’ve given is get those searches SUPER filtered […] There have been some real gems that I’ve gotten that I’m sure the audition pool was smaller because they asked for obscene prescreens.” (February 2024)

Case D:

“I booked my first short film from Backstage. Most of the jobs on Backstage are short films, student films, low budget SAG films, voiceover work, and the occasional gem for a well known TV show or movie. It’s a great place to find gigs to build up your reel and gain experience. Be wary of scams though. There is legitimate work to be found, but there are also some not so honest people as well. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” (July 2023)

Case E:

“In my experience in a major market, Backstage has changed greatly since covid. Before covid, I would get 2-4 auditions on Backstage a week for typical student and indie films, a range in quality but nothing so terrible I’d be embarrassed to be associated with it. Booked pretty much all my shorts from Backstage. No pre-screens. Since covid, the pre-screen issue is a real big problem ,and even more than that, I just haven’t been finding anything. Lots of weird creepy projects or projects asking for real people or influencers. where did all the normal student films go? I have since canceled my membership.” (February 2024)

Case F:

“There are valid points for not liking it or using it. I have found it to be a great resource for ‘bread and butter’ jobs. The contact that I have with producers and casting directors is much more casual and I end up being able to negotiate and learn new things. I’ve booked multiple projects that have paid between $500 and 1K. If you’re savvy, have a diverse set of skills, and enjoy interesting projects, Backstage is a treasure trove. It’s a big part of what keeps me able to say that I’m a working actor for the first time in this chapter.” (December 2023)

Backstage reviews seem to be mixed. There are people who’ve had success in landing auditions and finding gigs. Others, however, struggle to find the value in a Backstage membership.

Reasons to use Backstage

Backstage seems to be a good starting point for beginners. Even if most of what you find is low-paying work or student films, this platform facilitates those first gigs so you can build your acting reel and resume.

It’s also worth noting that Backstage reviews each casting notice before it’s published to the site, even if they don’t catch every illegitimate opportunity.

Another perk to using Backstage is that there aren’t any hidden fees. Your monthly membership includes everything—a place to create your talent profile, sending unlimited applications, and a secure platform to communicate with employers.

When Backstage might not be a good idea

Many Backstage reviewers have the same complaints:

• The service is too expensive for what you get
• It’s difficult to get high-quality gigs
• The job posters who do respond are making low-budget films or unpaid student projects
• Customer service is unhelpful and doesn’t seem to know what they’re doing
• Your email inbox gets spammed by Backstage every day

Backstage as a newspaper and magazine was a legitimate launchpad for some of Hollywood’s top talent. Unfortunately, the digital platform doesn’t appear to have maintained that standard.

Backstage will always be a leading resource for industry news and guidance. However, as a job marketplace, many of today’s up-and-coming performers prefer other casting platforms instead.

How Backstage compares to other audition sites

Backstage.com isn’t the only job platform for entertainment industry professionals. If you want to become an actor, voice actor, singer, dancer, or other entertainment worker, there are a few other sites you should also consider using.

Here are the top websites like Backstage:

• Actors Access: Best for actors and actresses looking for film or television roles.
• Casting Networks: Best for actors and actresses interested in acting in commercials.
• Voices.com: Exclusively for voice actors who want to find voice over work or other voice acting gigs.

Bear in mind that even though there are other casting platforms out there, many simply use listings from other sites, some of which are free to access. This means paying for two or more platforms could be a waste of money since you may end up getting the same exact job postings.

A lot of actors find gigs through local Facebook groups. There’s also the option of going through an agent, although this will cost more than doing a DIY approach with an audition website.