Backstage Reviews 140

TrustScore 4 out of 5

3.8

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 68 reviews, reviewers had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently highlight the platform's user-friendliness, noting its ease of use and the simplicity of applying for opportunities. Many appreciate the efficient and seamless payment process, with funds often transferred quickly to their bank accounts. Reviewers also praise the staff for being kind, professional, and helpful, contributing to a positive working atmosphere. However, some people were dissatisfied with the payment process, reporting issues such as delayed payments, fees for transfers, or not receiving payment at all. Additionally, some customers experienced problems with subscriptions, including charges for annual memberships after free trials that they did not expect.

What people talk about most

Payment

Customers had ambiguous experiences with payment, with many reporting fast and seamless payment processes,... See more

User experience

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of user experience, consistently describing it as user-friendly,... See more

Staff

Consumers find staff to be positive, with many reviewers describing them as kind, professional, and enjoyable... See more

Service

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with service, with some reviewers finding it to be an... See more

Subscription

Reviewers mention negative feedback about subscriptions, with many expressing frustration over unauthorized... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Honestly there are positives and negatives. They're easy to use, don't cost the inordinate amount like VDC of V123 but the last year that has gone by they post a lot less work for voice actors and act... See more

Company replied

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I would love to have more jobs but that isn't your fault and I will just have to have patience. You guys do a good job.

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I’ve found lots of UGC work through Backstage.com! Applying is very easy, and I appreciate their background checks on the castings. Payment goes smoothly right to my bank account! I highly recommen... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everything is quick and simple. More Producers should pay through Backstage as opposed to snail mailing a check. I mean if you're casting the Talent through Backstage then how much easier will it be f... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Employment Search Service
  2. Entertainment Agency
  3. Media Company
  4. Publisher
  5. Recruitment Service

About Backstage

Written by the company

Backstage is a job platform for actors, models, voice artists, and content creators. It's more than gigs—it's your path to a thriving career. Find jobs, get expert guidance, and access the tools you need to succeed!

Backstage was founded 1960 as a weekly trade newspaper for actors; since 2011, Backstage has been a digital career platform and two-sided marketplace that retains its focus on award-winning editorial news, educational content, and interviews from industry experts.

Backstage Empowers Talent

Backstage hosts tens of thousands of verified opportunities annually, spanning film, television, theater, commercials, modeling, voiceover, and UGC. As a hub for the growing creator economy, Backstage is committed to connecting content creators with brands and production opportunities. Users can use the platform to help manage their professional identity, showcase their reels, and apply to projects with confidence.

Backstage is a Gateway for Casting and Recruitment

For directors, producers, and brands, Backstage offers a best-in-class casting suite. Our employer tools allow creators to source high-quality talent quickly and efficiently. By maintaining a vibrant community of diverse professionals, Backstage can help every project find the right talent.

Backstage Offers Expert Insights and Educational Content

Backstage’s commitment to industry education is showcased through its editorial content, which includes deep-dive interviews with A-list actors, instructional guides from industry experts, and the latest news on casting trends.

Backstage does more than help you find work—Backstage can help you build a career. Whether you want to land one of the tens of thousands of creative jobs posted on our platform each year, or you want access to an exceptional talent pool to cast your project, Backstage is here to bring your vision to life.


Contact info

Promotion box for Backstage

Join Backstage today, get a job tomorrow

Backstage has the jobs, the tools, and advice to help you get cast.

3.8

Great

TrustScore 4 out of 5

140 reviews

5-star
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1-star

Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 94% of negative reviews

Typically takes over 1 month to reply

How this company uses Trustpilot

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I must pay you a lot of money to some…

I must pay you a lot of money to some ghost who won’t hire me? Are you sick? By ghost I mean a person who sits down and is looking for someone who he doesn’t have to do much work on and doesn’t give the goodness of God.

June 11, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

bad advertisement no real job prospects…

bad advertisement no real job prospects and still charge £101 even after cancelling, do not fall for these scammers.

May 21, 2024
Unprompted review
Backstage logo

Reply from Backstage

Hi Gordon, I'm not sure which listing you were referring to, but we're sorry to hear you were unhappy with your experience on Backstage. In the future, please report any suspicious or "bad" listings to us so we can investigate further.

Please note that you were billed because you did not turn off the auto-renewal before your subscription renewed for the year. Since you were within our grace period for a refund, we processed a full cancellation and refund for you.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Don't waste your money!

new terms and conditions are extremely sketchy. basically trying to sell your info (possibly for AI) without paying you a DIME!
lots of unpaid casting calls and scammers on here as well.

May 20, 2024
Unprompted review
Backstage logo

Reply from Backstage

Hi Sabrina, please note we do not and have never sold any of our customers' data. There was some confusion around the phrasing of our Terms of Service, but we've updated the language to make it clearer. You can rest assured that you never need to be concerned about your personal data on Backstage.

As for your concerns regarding unpaid jobs, please keep in mind that there are many new filmmakers who start their careers on Backstage with extremely limited budgets, which is why some jobs are unpaid. We always encourage these filmmakers to provide a copy of the footage and to cover food and transportation whenever possible. If these types of opportunities are unappealing to you, you have the option to filter them out and only see paid jobs.

Scams, on the other hand, are strictly prohibited on Backstage. If you encountered a scam on Backstage, please report it to our support team at customers@backstage.com.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Garbage Platform (SCAM)

Spent money an annual subscription and it is total garbage, you get nothing in return for your money, BEWARE

April 13, 2024
Unprompted review
Backstage logo

Reply from Backstage

Hi Cynthia, we're sorry to hear you were dissatisfied with your Backstage subscription. While you may not have found value in your subscription, please note that we are not a scam. Many people have started their acting journey with us and have gone on to have very successful careers: https://backstage.com/celebrity-testimonials. In any case, we're sorry to see you go and wish you great success acting elsewhere.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Stealing

I cancelled my subscription months ago and they have been billing me since. Do not give them your information!!

February 8, 2024
Unprompted review
Backstage logo

Reply from Backstage

Hi Jed, we're sorry to hear you were having trouble cancelling your subscription. According to our records, you did not self-cancel your subscription, which is why it auto-renewed until you contacted us requesting a refund.

If you still have further questions or concerns, please send us an email to customers@backstage.com, and we'd be happy to investigate further.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I love this place

I love this place! I feel so pretty when I leave Marilyn does a great beach wave on my long blonde hair last for days. You can't make everyone happy but they do try, believe me you won't regret your visit.

January 31, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Anti-Trans business

If you’re transgender don’t bother. I checked trans female in the box ONLY. What do they show me? Roles for MEN. Are they kidding?? Nope. This is why we don’t get work. We’re not shown roles for women. We’re shown roles for men. Ipso facto roles we can play are not being shown to casting managers either. We’re not just typecast, we’re not cast for roles we can actually play. We’re not given a chance out the gate. And with casting calls limited to publishers who discriminate against us makes it a quasi monopoly where people like me have next to zero opportunity for work. If there was opportunity for us irl then homelessness would not be a reoccurring part of my life experience. Fact.

January 25, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The website and service is pathetic

The website and service is pathetic. They will send you a monthly email with a significant number of postings, but in my opinion the majority of them are from inexperienced, wannabe directors and producers with little pay and little value. They require you to auto renew your membership and they will bill you with no reminders and make it very difficult to cancel the auto renewal. These are not good people. There are far too many other resources these days to find work then to deal with these folks.

January 24, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Robbers!!!

These people are taking money from your bank account each year! Be very careful when you subscribe and put your bank details! They are robbers!!!!!

January 17, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The website is awful

The website is awful. They don't send you emails about anything and if you get a membership they don't send you reminders of auto-renewals.

I got charged for a monthly membership and whenever I tried to turn it off, they won't do it and will make you waste time talking to an agent. They make it as difficult as they can for you to cancel your membership. The live chat is awful and the website provides fake advertisement about jobs.

You need to be an experienced actor with a reel if you want to apply for jobs and they advertise it differently.

I wish I could get a refund, this is the worst money I have ever invested.

December 21, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

It used to be good....but now...

Very poor service for the amount they are asking p/an. The recent `merger` with Mandy/ Star Now has done no-one any favours. The `jobs` advertised tend to be very low paid: student films; music videos or worse still expenses (if you are lucky). Interestingly they appear to be offering various Cyber Monday/ Black Friday `deals` to entice you in. My advice would be to steer well clear.

November 2, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

sneaky auto-renew

I signed up a year ago when looking for a one-off model
They have an auto-renew policy, and not a single invoice sent
a year later I’ve wasted £300,
massively shady practice!!!

November 22, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Backstage is so bad

Backstage is so bad, registration is a nightmare, membership too expensive and when you get into it to find jobs it’s even harder and they keep sending you thousands of emails

November 18, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

unethical to pay upfront to get cast

My email was absolutely spamed but i couldn't apply for any gig because I don't think is ethical to have to pay to get a job, that should be on the employer or in the form of commision once the job is agreed and paid by the recruiter. No one has the time for that many emails. a talent agency i worked for long ago would call me directly when i fit the profile and i didn't have to pay upfront for anything, this is wrong.
I avoid any websites requiring subscription payment, all of these types of platforms used to be free in the 2000s, what the heck happened? Find better solutions bc your missing talent fox!

April 1, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

STAY FAR AWAY

STAY FAR AWAY, when it was Star Now I had slot of work with them happily for many years, real work and pay. Now it’s a bunch of nonsense, spam. Even though you fill out information, unrelated jobs were relentless. This is highly organised scam spam in the highest order, STEER CLEAR, as for me NEVER AGAIN.

September 16, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Total Trash

Total Trash. Between their wonky website access that NEVER works right. We're PAYING for a costly membership that's inaccessible due their trash website log in. I'm OVER them. Scamming BEWARE.

August 28, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scam

Signed up for a free account and they charged me anyway and said there was nothing they can do. I had a look at the website to see what it is they actually do and the answer is NOT A LOT.

Just a website full of training and "jobs" but I think it's just someone writing fake random jobs into their already pointless website.

DON'T waste your time or money

August 1, 2023
Unprompted review

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