Vocal Reviews

Vocal

vocal.media
2.82
60 reviews
Average Rating
Based on 60 user experiences

Rated 2.82 out of 5 by 60 Happy Customers

28.3%
10%
10%
18.3%
33.3%
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S

It s a marathon not a sprint

I agree that Vocal has a lot to clean up with editing profile management both on computers and definitely phones but that doesn t make it a SCAM They are gradually working things out and have improved dramatically - even over the month I ve been a user Building websites takes time especially for startups Mechanics aside these reviews sound like a lot of bitter people who want everything to be free It s a couple Starbucks visits not a month s worth of salary to join Vocal and a lot of people seem to be making conjecture about the review process without any direct knowledge just their personal opinion I too joined to enter a competition and I did win - with my first entry I am proud of my entry and have expanded it since then I took all my money out after my win but continue to get reads I m in my second month and have another 20 in there I can withdraw I m waiting for results on the competitions I ve entered this month If you re joining to get rich quick as a writer you are in the wrong profession Just enjoy the process I really need money too but that s not my main focus Vocal is a nice outlet for my creative expression and the prompts are helping me develop a style I also take a lot of care in the mechanics of what I present so acting like every winning story is a pile of garbage filled with grammatical errors is not accurate either I go back numerous times to re-read and edit my entries prior to competition judging they have added a quick edit feature My second story also received hundreds of views and numerous likes I ve written 8 or 9 at this point and they all have reads and likes even if only a few For those questioning tips yes they happen I ve received 4 tips also I ve also received additional money from Vocal for Top Stories I may tire of the platform but for now it s more than paid for itself to me It did take some times to get my winnings through Stripe but I got them I d rather have them be careful and it should go more smoothly now that I am verified I was hacked right before judging so I was very happy to wait and make sure my money went to the right account If you find the right approach and have a little patience Vocal can be a great outlet I enjoy it more than Medium Once they grow and develop a little more I think it will be a terrific outlet
N

Vocal is what it says

A lot of the reviews here smack of sour grapes Could Vocal be better Of course no hosting site is perfect and there s always room for improvement Personally I d love the ability to leave gushing comments on other stories On the flip side Vocal is at least willing to listen to its users having recently sent out a survey swiftly followed by introducing the ability to subscribe to writers More improvements to follow Vocal s big draw is undoubtably its Challenges and the Winning Prize Money Mostly limited to Vocal paid members whose subscriptions pay for prize money Challenges run on a monthly or fortnightly basis with three winners and several thousand disappointed writers who didn t make the cut Vocal s other draw is that you are paid per read other members can leave tips and there are a number of bonuses that will earn money on top of that Being selected as a Top Story featuring on Vocal s social media and assorted milestone bonuses are how most Vocal writers make a lot of their money The biggest drawback is that outside of being a Top Story or winning a challenge or writing something good enough to have another member rave about you on Facebook it s honestly up to you to generate your own traffic Vocal doesn t do paid promotions or ads you have to promote yourself and your work Welcome to Indie life A lot of people join Vocal with big dreams then let disappointment get the better of them when they find themselves struggling I entered for the Challenges fantasised about winning then moped when that didn t happen Then I picked myself up and kept writing Maybe I ll win one day maybe I won t If all I ever manage is the ability to take my partner out for dinner once a month that s still better than I expected Vocal never claimed that it would do the work for me and I never expected it to
J

Great website Need to increase demand readers to maintain supply writers

It seems that most of these reviews are about minor website issues that can easily be fixed if the problem is made known to Vocal Not people who actually gave it a shot Vocal is by no means a walmart manager that isn t taking your expired coupons It s an up and coming platform attempting to give those with a passion to write a voice Yes there is a small monthly cost that is no more than a spotify subscription The funds for contest payouts have to come from somewhere As far as areas of work goes The most important thing to note is that this is a platform of writers NOT readers Writers will read others works in trade for them to read theirs back It s not very genuine at times There needs to be more work done in creating authentic reads Perhaps a different side of Vocal made of people who want to read about specific topics as opposed to write publish and seek exposure Maybe a penny paid for each paper read too There are incentives for reading and hearting other peoples writings which is nice but there is far too much supply of content than there is a demand for it to be consumed Many writers wonder why their reads never skyrocket and this is why Unless your writing isn t promoted heavily or picked in a contest the read count might not go very high It s sad to see people externalize their worth and creations into pennies views and hearts That saps the passion away
M

It s a good platform for regular writers who want to challenge themselves

A lot of the negative reviews about vocal come from the fact you have to subscribe monthly Since writers can get tips and Enter contests multiple times during a contest They have a fee Lots of platforms have fees to use them I am not sure how their accuracy is for reads but the contests are not won by how many reads you have they are judged by a panel Vocal increases your creativity It is a really good platform for writers to be challenged and to keep their skill strong and it opens up the chance to read what other people are doing
D

Vocal is legit You just need to put in the work

Clearly those who are leaving negative reviews did not read through all of the FAQs nor are they familiar with how freelance works Vocal is exactly what they claim to be I ve only been a member for two months and have only posted 13 stories poems thus far but I ve already made nearly 40 You need to network and promote your work or you won t get anywhere If you d taken the time to read through their how to guides you d be aware that they do not offer advertising If you google the title and name of any of your stories they ll pop up at the top of Google Which is more than I can say for many other platforms While I fully understand the disappointment of not winning their challenges you need to realize that there are thousands if not tens of thousands of other entries into each challenge For the record the recent winners most definitely are real people They interact with the rest of us vocal creators who take the time to network on social media Swallow your sour grapes and try again or at least recognize that Vocal isn t a scam It was just a matter of you not putting in the effort to make a go of things Something tells me those of you claiming Vocal is a scam would say the same of Medium where self promotion is also a necessity
L

I wrote a review when I first started

I wrote a review when I first started and I am adding to that now Vocal is a basic blog it is how the writer utilizes it You can gain followers and market your work easily on Vocal which is their structure It s not an advertising website or an employee - it is a professional b l o g for freelancers They are marketing and encouraging beginners is why you see the choices they have for winners All that being said they have a serious problem with paying out I got paid the first time without any trouble and when I changed the banking info it is now impossible to get my money - their issue is with Stripe Stripe is awful to deal with I think Vocal grew too big too fast and while they are spending time developing their corporate culture they do not have front-line customer service that knows how to deal with issues like payments that should be easily resolved

About Vocal

Vocal is a platform for supporting, discovering and rewarding creators.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Vocal Media is an online publishing platform designed for creators to share stories, build an audience, and earn money. It operates as a hybrid community, combining aspects of a blog network, digital magazine, and creator-focused ecosystem. Its primary mission is to offer a space for writers, poets, journalists, and other storytellers to publish content directly to readers, providing tools for growth and monetization without traditional editorial barriers.

Content on Vocal is organized into themed groups called 'Vocal+ communities.' Each community focuses on a specific genre or topic, such as Fiction, Poetry, Business & Tech, True Crime, Travel, or Music. This structure helps creators target relevant audiences and allows readers to easily discover content that matches their interests. Users can subscribe to communities and follow creators to personalize their feed.

Creators on Vocal can earn money through multiple avenues: the Creator Earnings Program, which pays based on story reads from members and non-members; a Vocal+ membership, which offers higher per-read rates, exclusive challenges, and advanced analytics for a monthly fee; direct tips from readers on any story; and participation in regularly hosted writing challenges with cash prizes sponsored by the platform or external partners.

Vocal+ is a premium subscription for creators on Vocal Media. It unlocks higher earnings per story read, provides access to exclusive writing challenges with significant prizes, and offers advanced analytics to track performance. This membership is designed to enhance a creator's potential for revenue and engagement on the platform.

Yes, Vocal Media is free to join for both readers and creators who wish to start publishing. Creators can publish stories and earn through the base Creator Earnings Program without a subscription. However, optional paid memberships are available: Vocal+ for creators seeking enhanced benefits, and Vocal Listener for readers wanting an ad-free experience.

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About Vocal

An Overview of Vocal Media

Vocal Media is a dynamic online publishing platform that empowers creators to share their stories, build an audience, and earn money from their work. It functions as a hybrid community, blending elements of a traditional blog network, a digital magazine, and a creator-centric ecosystem. The platform's core mission is to provide a space for writers, poets, journalists, and storytellers of all kinds to publish their content directly to a readership, bypassing traditional editorial gatekeepers while offering tools for growth and monetization.

Platform Structure and Communities

The website is organized into a series of themed communities called "Vocal+ communities." Each community is dedicated to a specific genre or topic, such as Fiction, Poetry, Business & Tech, True Crime, Travel, or Music. This structure helps creators target their ideal audience and allows readers to easily discover content aligned with their interests. When users join Vocal, they can subscribe to their favorite communities and follow specific creators, creating a personalized feed of stories and articles.

Creator Tools and Monetization

Vocal distinguishes itself with a strong focus on supporting its creators financially. It offers several pathways for earnings:

  • Creator Earnings Program:Creators earn money based on the number of reads their stories receive from both members and non-members.
  • Vocal+ Membership:For a monthly subscription fee, creators can upgrade to Vocal+ to unlock higher per-read rates, access to exclusive challenges, and advanced analytics.
  • Tips:Readers can directly tip their favorite creators on any story as a show of appreciation.
  • Challenges:Vocal regularly hosts sponsored and platform-funded writing challenges with substantial cash prizes, which drive engagement and high-quality submissions.

Content and Audience Experience

For readers, Vocal Media offers a vast and constantly updated library of original content. The reading experience is clean and ad-supported for non-members, while a Vocal Listener membership provides an ad-free experience. The platform encourages interaction through features like comments, likes, and the aforementioned tipping system, fostering a sense of community between writers and readers.

Key Features for All Users

  • Accessibility:The platform is free to join for both readers and creators to start publishing.
  • Ownership:Creators retain full copyright to the work they publish on Vocal.
  • Integrated Tools:The platform provides a straightforward story editor with basic formatting options, image embedding, and draft-saving capabilities.
  • Discoverability:Stories can be shared easily across social media, and the platform's internal recommendation system helps surface new content.

Overall Value Proposition

Vocal Media successfully carves out a niche in the crowded digital content landscape by prioritizing the creator economy. It lowers the barrier to entry for aspiring writers seeking an audience and a potential revenue stream, while offering readers a diverse and direct pipeline to unique voices and perspectives. It is not just a publishing tool but a comprehensive ecosystem designed to nurture storytelling and connect creators with supporters.