Backstage, a freelancer marketplace and application suite for creators, has acquired FilmFreeway, Coverfly, and Voice123.

Backstage expects the deal to expand its content creation services, including FilmFreeway, a film festival marketplace; Coverfly (owned by Industry Arts), a platform for writers; and Voice123, a global marketplace for professional voiceover artists. The acquisitions were supported by continued strategic investment from TA Associates, a global growth private equity firm.

“Creative content continues to be the critical differentiating factor across the media landscape from streaming services to social user acquisition & brand ads,” said Josh Ellstein, CEO of Backstage. “With FilmFreeway, Coverfly, and Voice 123, we’ll continue building a robust toolkit to enable creators to focus on being creative.”

“The volume and velocity of content production have continued to accelerate, providing Backstage a clear opportunity to build a greater suite of services for today’s creative professionals,” said Michael Felman, president of Backstage. “Consistent with our acquisition strategy, these companies will both expand our platform into additional creative segments and allow our customers to more efficiently produce and distribute quality content at scale.”

“Backstage is the right steward for FilmFreeway,” said Andrew Lapica, founder of FilmFreeway. “This acquisition represents a compelling opportunity to deliver further and long-lasting value and resources to our global community of creatives. During our evaluation, it became clear that Backstage has a deep appreciation for FilmFreeway’s technology as well as for the people, mission, customers and the value impact of the company.”

“By joining forces with Backstage, we’re able to offer even more resources to writers who are looking to take the next step in their careers and become their best creative selves,” said Scot Lawrie, co-founder and president of Coverfly. “We are proud to bolster our efforts to make the entertainment industry more accessible for all through Backstage.”

“The demand for voice-over professionals continues to rise with expanding content across areas like branded content, video games, audiobooks, and e-learning,” said Rolf Veldman, CEO of Voice123. “With Backstage’s robust talent-on-demand resources, we’re able to better serve the growing professional needs of voiceovers globally.”

“We are committed to supporting Backstage in expanding and building the largest global database of talent that streamlines all facets of creative production,” said Jason Mironov, a managing director at TA Associates and Backstage Board Member. “Amidst a paradigm shift in the creator economy, Backstage is expanding access to leave no facet of the industry unsupported. From writers to voice actors to post-production, every participant, at every stage of the creative project lifecycle can meaningfully leverage Backstage.”