Backstage Commercial Listings
Commercial casting calls on the most accessible industry platform
Overview
Backstage features a wide range of commercial casting calls alongside its film, television, and theatre listings. The platform's commercial section includes opportunities from national campaigns to local and digital spots.
Actors with a Backstage subscription can filter for commercial-specific listings and submit directly to casting directors. The platform vets all postings for legitimacy, providing a safer submission experience.
How It Works
Backstage's commercial listings tend to be particularly accessible to non-union actors and those without agent representation. Many smaller brands and production companies post here alongside larger campaigns.
A Backstage subscription at $19.99 per month (or less with annual billing) provides access to all listings including commercials. There are no additional per-submission fees.
Who Uses It
A great complement to Actors Access for actors pursuing commercial work. The flat subscription fee means you can submit to as many commercial listings as you qualify for without worrying about per-submission costs.
Pricing & Plans
Backstage's subscription pricing provides access to all casting listings including commercials at $19.99 per month when billed monthly, with significant discounts for longer commitments — the annual plan works out to approximately $13.99 per month, and multi-year plans reduce the cost further. The subscription includes unlimited submissions to any casting listing on the platform with no per-submission fees, making it a flat-cost solution regardless of how actively you submit. All features are included in the subscription — there are no tiered plans, premium add-ons, or hidden charges beyond the base subscription price. Backstage also offers a mobile app that allows you to browse and submit to castings on the go, included in the subscription at no additional cost. Compared to Actors Access's per-submission pricing model, Backstage's flat subscription is more economical for actors who submit frequently across many listings, while occasional submitters may find the pay-per-use model more cost-effective. The subscription can be cancelled at any time, and Backstage frequently offers promotional pricing for new subscribers that can reduce the first-year cost by 30-50%.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
Backstage's flat subscription model with unlimited submissions removes the financial calculation from each individual submission decision, allowing you to submit to every commercial listing that matches your type without worrying about per-submission costs eating into your budget. The platform's editorial team vets all casting listings for legitimacy before they are published, providing a meaningful safety layer that protects actors from scam postings and ensures that the projects you submit to are genuine opportunities from real productions. Backstage's commercial listings are particularly accessible to non-union actors and those without agent representation, as many advertisers and production companies posting on Backstage are specifically looking for talent who can work non-union, creating opportunities that are not available through agent-exclusive channels. The platform's search and filter tools allow you to target commercial listings by project type, pay rate, location, and production date, helping you focus your submissions on the most relevant and desirable opportunities. Backstage's educational content, industry advice articles, and casting director interviews provide ongoing professional development alongside the casting listings, making the subscription a career resource that extends beyond simply finding auditions. The mobile app enables responsive, on-the-go submissions that let you apply to new commercial castings within minutes of posting, giving you a timing advantage over actors who only check the platform at their desktop.
What Could Be Better
Backstage's commercial listings tend to skew toward smaller productions, non-union projects, and lower-budget campaigns compared to the professional-tier commercial castings available through Actors Access and Breakdown Services, which means the average pay and prestige of booked work may be lower. The vetting process, while valuable, is not foolproof, and some listings that pass editorial review may still offer unfavorable terms, low pay, or unprofessional working conditions that require actors to exercise their own judgment. The unlimited submission model can encourage mass-application behavior where actors submit to everything without carefully evaluating fit, which wastes time, clutters casting directors' inboxes, and can create a reputation for inappropriate submissions. Some professional commercial casting directors do not post on Backstage, preferring to work exclusively through Breakdown Services and agent submissions, meaning that relying solely on Backstage for commercial opportunities will not give you access to the full market. The subscription cost, while modest, represents an ongoing expense that continues whether or not you are actively submitting, and inactive subscribers may find they are paying for a service they are not using effectively. The platform's broad focus across film, television, theater, and commercials means the commercial section is one part of a larger ecosystem rather than a dedicated commercial casting platform.
Our Recommendation
Backstage is strongly recommended for non-union commercial actors and those without agent representation who want affordable, unlimited access to vetted commercial casting opportunities without per-submission costs. The platform is particularly valuable for actors in secondary markets, emerging talent building their commercial resumes, and performers who want to submit to a high volume of commercial listings to maximize their booking opportunities. Combine Backstage with Actors Access for the most comprehensive self-submission commercial casting coverage, as the two platforms attract different types of clients and productions with relatively little overlap. If you are a SAG-AFTRA member with strong commercial agency representation, Backstage's commercial listings may be less relevant to you, as your agent is likely already submitting you for higher-tier opportunities through Breakdown Services. For actors just starting their commercial careers, Backstage's combination of accessible listings, educational content, and unlimited submissions provides an excellent launchpad that justifies the subscription cost.
Pro Tips
Set up search alerts for commercial listings that match your type so you receive notifications as soon as new relevant castings are posted, giving you a submission speed advantage that matters in a competitive environment where casting directors review submissions in order of receipt. Submit a tailored cover note with each commercial application that demonstrates you have read the breakdown carefully and explains specifically why you are right for this particular project, as personalized submissions dramatically outperform generic ones-size-fits-all applications. Invest in multiple headshot looks for different commercial types — the friendly neighbor, the young professional, the active lifestyle personality — and use the most appropriate look for each submission to increase your match with what the casting director is envisioning. Track which types of commercial listings generate callbacks and bookings for you, and concentrate your submission efforts on those categories while reducing time spent on types where you consistently do not get responses. Take advantage of Backstage's educational articles and casting director interviews to refine your understanding of what commercial casting directors want, as this platform-specific knowledge helps you craft better submissions and prepare more effectively for auditions that result from your applications.