Unfortunately because Nova allows job listings to be posted without set rates, most of the listing are “$TBD,” taking advantage of people’s desperation for work and making them barter their wages rather than decide if they want to take a job based on the proposed rate. It’s wasted much of my time trying to negotiate with people just looking for cheap labor, which I don’t think is Nova’s intended purpose. Additionally, many of the postings require you to reach out via email and “audition” your work— I was asked by one company that posted to “submit 2-3 ideas for a campaign and then we’ll decide if we want to work with you/what your rate will be.” Overall a huge waste of time unless you have established Nova connects or a lot of celebrities visible on your profile. I think the app developers are doing users a disservice with the $TBD option— it’s worth it to note that in the state of California it is illegal to post a job listing without wages visible. Not sure why this does not apply to freelance jobs for creatives, but disappointing that Nova cares more about satisfying clients/businesses than helping freelancers/creatives.

so after being here from the start of Nova's development I thought this was an incredible app. this was really needed amongst freelance artists to connect and work together. Its already so hard to have your skillset respected and paid for.IMAGINE my surprise. Waking up today and opening the app and almost every single option is blocked by a hefty paywall.WOW! nobody told me i had to PAY to be a freelancer. i thought it was the other way around! app feels virtually unusable unless youre paying a hefty reoccurring fee. kind of unfortunate. the paywall cuts off and excludes a huge portion of artists looking for work. "ohh but we add the paywall to make sure everyone whos on the app is serious about work" ... then why did i have to submit an application with references and links to my work? cant you see im a real worker? i waited 4 weeks to get accepted... now i have to go thru a paywall? you can imagine my frustration with this. im a freelancer. not a rich guy. i cant possibly afford this in the state of the world we're in rn.

this app was something I loved coming to as a way to view potential opportunities and showcase my work and I loved that it was free on top of it all. now that it has a paywall I feel it changes the whole mission of being a tool for creatives. here’s the thing… i understand people and services need to make money in order to operate and adding an optional “Pro” version of the app is sometimes necessary to keep the platform afloat. however, i believe they lock too many things behind the Pro version. i would still enjoy the app if i had a limited number of jobs i could apply to within a select time frame; or could view other’s social media or website links for free. i can’t even filter the jobs by role anymore as that is locked behind the pro version as well. this app is virtually useless until i spend money on it which is frankly sad to see for an app that had so much potential.

You probably pay more for your weekly coffee, and coffee doesn’t put $ in your pocket. This platform does the work part you hate, scrambling to find opportunities and connecting you to the people who will pay you. I agree it is difficult to get accepted but once you do, this is a game-changer. No way I’d have gotten to the attention of the brands that have now seen my work or hired me or may hire me in the future. And maybe the most valuable benefit is the chance to collaborate with other creatives whose work I admire. Not just a job-hiring platform but the first real community for young freelance artists.

In our wasteland of a freelance creative world, there is no greater asset than hope. This app locks hope behind a paywall. I was there pre-paywall and I got no work despite being overqualified for most jobs I applied to and only applying to projects that absolutely suited my style. Some of the interactions I had with potential new clients felt a little weird. Like AI bot weird (this isn’t an accusation but that’s how it felt) If any job paid more than $800 there would be 120+ applicants lol. Of course the app and its owners use kind, thoughtful words to describe their aspirations but really the only people benefitting here are the two dudes who started it. With their millions in private equity funding and first dibs on any good creative work that comes through.

Nova was free for awhile and it was a great app. Lots of job postings. I even got a gig off of it once. Today I logged on and noticed you can no longer apply to the jobs unless you have a pro account which is $99/year. App is pointless if you don’t pay for the pro account. The industry is slow as it is and everyone is already financially struggling. That’s why we are looking for jobs. Most of us can’t afford an extra fee. If they were adding a feature so they could start charging for a pro version that would be one thing but they are taking every feature away from the free version. They are about to lose a lot of users. Sorry Nova. Thanks for providing a great, free app for so long. I can’t afford the pro version so I will be logging off.

I mean title says it all. I’m a professional creative with 8 years of experience. I’ve worked on big budget productions in the commercial space and aside from word of mouth, applying to jobs is how I get my freelance or staff positions. I heard about the app from a fellow creative and thought this would be a perfect opportunity to be more direct and build a client base. Now I have to pay for the privilege of applying for a job. How can someone with my set of skills who NEEDS cash in this ever evolving business be expected to pay for this when I already pay for my tools, website, etc. this is another way the consumer is being juiced for everything they’re worth. This is disgusting. A waste of space on my phone.

Got an email today saying you have to have the “pro” version to apply for jobs. Nobody needs a networking app for filmmakers, or a place to host your portfolio- reinventing the wheel there as anyone professional has a website or other solution already. The only reason i downloaded the apps was to apply for jobs. This might be worth it if they had an in with huge Studios or something like backstage- but they dont. Im not paying for a pro version to have someone post jobs for DPs at joke rates like $450 a day. RARELY are there any good paying jobs on this app. This app was my go to for last minute fills (because of low rates) but now ill uninstall. Way to ruin a mildly good thing for the love of money.

Seeing so many negative reviews about the paywall. Before the NOVA pro paywall, I rarely booked a single project because hundreds and hundreds of people applied to every posting. I honestly appreciate that it’s been pared down to committed users, and I understand why they did it because now I’m getting WAY more gigs. $10/month is so worth it for an increased chance at actually getting a job rather than being 1 applicant in a sea of thousands.

I had high hopes for Nova since it was created by a fellow creative and believed it would be different from what already exists. I waited a minute to get accepted, only to never book a single job while it was still free. Most of the jobs listed had shockingly low rates, which was already disheartening. Now there’s a paywall, which only reinforces the gatekeeping that plagues this industry. I understand needing to monetize, but it feels backwards…… why are creatives being asked to pay when the people posting the jobs are the ones undercutting our value? Are they also paying to use the platform? Nova had potential, but it’s disappointing to see it follow the same exploitative model