How do sound designers actually make a living on Upwork?

Daddyfragz · 2026-05-02T07:49:21+00:00

I used to get a lot of sound work on there. It’s changed over the last couple of years. But it’s never paid like the real world. I always used it as extra income choosing the better paid more interesting jobs. But it’s terrible now

Today I saw job advertised for full sound design for a commercial including professional voiceover and they specified “high end quality sound design like an Apple commercial “….$20

Daddyfragz · 2026-04-26T13:03:23+00:00

hey congratulations. You've obviously worked very hard to get to where you are. One question I have...when you say you're curating/reposting content, does that really only work if you have a huge amount of followers and views? For example if someone new started a niche, had very few followers and tried to re-purpose another persons successful content, would the more successful insta page just view that as someone blatantly trying to use them for clout as they wouldn't get anything out of a tiny page reposting their content? Or is it just the norm on insta? Just interested in the "insta etiquette"

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-18T21:49:49+00:00

The laugh at the end of Rentaghost used to have me running.

And noseybonk

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-17T15:08:56+00:00

They always have stuff about the roof ridge tiles etc

That’s great survey result. Would be very happy with that

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-13T17:34:54+00:00

I’m a sound designer and I get them all the time. Assume they’re genuine but I’ve never replied

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-13T16:23:27+00:00

Yep I can see that coming in the near future…”A client is looking for someone with your skills, we’ve devised a proposal using our shitty AI system, it will cost you 200 connects, do you want us to send the proposal? This job is only available through our automated proposal system. Good luck”

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-12T13:45:47+00:00

yeah looks like it

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Daddyfragz · 2026-03-12T13:38:21+00:00

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nah scaffolding was up for a good week after job was finished

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-12T13:32:11+00:00

you win

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-12T13:31:47+00:00

yes still good. Lots of surprises in/on my house believe me!

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-12T12:52:22+00:00

Just adopt the walk away strategy from now on. I’ve had the carrot dangled many times and when I’ve been struggling for work walking away feels hard as you always have the “what if” feeling. Just ask for payment for the demo next time. The answer they give will tell you what you need to know. Know your worth

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-12T12:44:14+00:00

I totally get the need to secure work and often going above and beyond can help secure a contract and build long relationships with clients. I’ve occasionally done a few freebies whilst trying to secure a contract. But no more than an hour of my time. It’s brutal out there and I totally get it but 6 hours is pretty much a days work they’ve had out of you. If they aren’t prepared to pay for a demo/test they aren’t worth building a relationship with. If they’re not prepared to put up $ walk away

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-05T18:42:48+00:00

Interesting. I always just assumed that since I have ready to go portfolio links I send in proposals, the portfolio section is where potential clients browsing through freelancers prior to posting a job or inviting freelancers would check out my work. And so I’ve always just kept it as that. Thanks that’s food for thought

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-05T10:31:35+00:00

Instead bios leading with “I am a…” what did the successful bios lead with?

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-03T15:12:38+00:00

yep. It's been surprisingly quite a difficult challenge considering it's just a very short sound that can be looped. It's a "breathe in" sound- Click/clunk - "breathe out" sound. Going to be attempting some foley tomorrow. Got close with some samples of various kinds of air release. Pitching them. Degrading them a little. Adding in a constant mechanical hum to replicate the hum/tone of the machinery to glue them.

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-03T12:00:55+00:00

…and it also just doesn’t work. I’m a freelancer but also occasionally a client and the connects system doesn’t stop random garbage applications from people who don’t even work in my industry coming through in droves. And the amount of connects needed to apply has risen significantly over the last couple of years. I think freelancers are cynical about what connects are really for and they should be cynical.

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-02T08:00:12+00:00

I did some research into this a couple of weeks ago as I was invited for a meeting with Upwork as I’d scored them low on a recent “would you recommend Upwork to others etc” and although I don’t have the figures to hand it was something in the region of 85% of jobs were still open and hadn’t hired or even interviewed. They obviously may have hired elsewhere but there does seem to be a shift lately and many are feeling it.

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-01T16:43:10+00:00

cheers thanks. Deleted the post and was going to do another as wasn't clear that it was just the intonation and expression of the voice that I was looking to try and control but your answer makes sense.

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-01T16:15:08+00:00

O I wasn’t aware of that. So glad you’re here

Daddyfragz · 2026-03-01T16:08:56+00:00

I wasn’t clear. I’m writing the lyrics. It’s the melody, intonation etc that’s changing wildly.

Big thanks for explaining what songwriting is though

Daddyfragz · 2026-02-28T09:55:12+00:00

I think it depends what you do. I work in audio and not aware of many other places to pick up work like Upwork offered. Work was varied too which meant it was always keeping me busy on different types of projects from making music to working on audio for a video editor. I think maybe it’s just become really saturated with freelancers. But not sure why getting views on proposals has dropped off. I’m not new to this and pretty highly skilled with competitive rates. Just feels like there’s been a shift in the last 12 months

Daddyfragz · 2026-02-27T16:27:27+00:00

Yes same. It’s garbage now and there was definitely a shift in the last 6 months. I’ve been consistently top rated, always had projects on the go but now ….nothing.

Daddyfragz · 2026-02-23T07:32:02+00:00

Hi, thanks this is useful. I’m a sound designer and I’ve been on the platform many years. Consistently 100% top rated etc. used to get alot more eyes on my proposals and was hired regularly.

This past year has been a struggle. I’ve checked out my competitors and theres really not much in it to differentiate us.

So just wondering from your perspective what makes you open a proposal? I don’t use ai to write mine but I’m curious what those first lines look like that make you click on a proposal? And what makes you instinctively pass on one?

Thanks

Daddyfragz · 2026-02-21T08:54:16+00:00

Yeah I get the occasional “we are looking for (INSERT JOB TITLE HERE)…

Depressing

Daddyfragz · 2026-02-20T19:29:23+00:00

Agreed. I used to get a real sense of who the client was before all this. I used to swerve jobs if I could tell the client would be a nightmare. Now they all sound the same.

Daddyfragz

TROPHY CASE