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Here are the answers to some of the most frequent questions asked. If you need further information, please feel free to reach out and I’ll be happy to help.
It’s only fair that I give you an indication of what to expect when talking costs, but it’s just impractical to publish a rate card in Voiceover work as there are too many variables. As a hand-rail I use a combination of the two industry standard approved rate guides, (see links below). One is specific to the UK and Europe, the other applies mostly to projects in the US and Canada.
As a rule of thumb, I’m probably not going to schedule any studio time for less than £250, if that helps, but it’s not a figure to hang a hat on.
There are essentially two billing components, the Basic Studio Fee (BSF) and then the Usage Fee. The BSF applies for certain types of work (see details below) and mine is £250. It equates to an hour of studio time and is essentially what gets me into the studio.
There are exceptions such as Phone Messages which are cheaper, eLearning which is priced per word and Audiobook Narration which is charged per finished hour of audio (see below).
The Usage Fee applies to projects that are essentially externally broadcast, such as radio and tv. It’s an additional fee on top of the BSF and is based on a percentage of the BSF. What percentage depends on a whole host of variables, which is why I ask lots of questions when building a tailored quote. I need to ask these questions so that I can build a fair and equitable quote that suits us both.
There’s a lot that goes into Voiceover recording and there’s always room for negotiation. There are elements that can be removed such as editing and mixing which take time, but as long as I know your budget and the outcome you want, I’ll always be able to add value.
This is usually charged for commercials, corporate work and explainer videos. It’s normal for e-learning narration to be charged by the word, due to that style often having many lengthy pauses, which seems fairer to customers.
The BSF is a standard charge for most voiceover work, per hour of studio time. It covers the Voiceover’s time, script preparation and recording, along with the use of their studio. An average BSF is £250, which is charged even if a project takes less than an hour.
The BSF is usually not inclusive of editing and mixing, both of which would normally incur additional service charges. There are exceptions, however, such as with Audiobooks, where I charge a flat rate per hour of finished audio. My per finished hour rate is £240
When quoting a price, the word count is indeed a factor.
Professional voiceovers normally narrate around 1500-1700 words per hour, so one solid hour of recording usually delivers approx 15 minutes of un-edited and un-treated audio.
To make smaller projects worthwhile, a minimum fee will usually apply. My minimum fee for e-learning is £150 and £100 for IVR work.
A Usage fee will then apply for any audio that isn’t being used internally.
These apply to audio to be used in the public domain, (websites, YouTube, paid advertising etc). Anything that is exclusively internal though, wouldn’t incur a Usage Fee.
A voiceover artist will license you to use the audio they have recorded for a certain period of time. They will then charge you a usage fee (on top of the basic studio fee) to cover this.
The Usage fee will vary depending on the project and is calculated as a percentage of the basic studio fee. The percentage is based on: how long you want to run the project for, where it is being played (websites / social media etc, as well as geographically).
To be sure of getting the best voiceover possible, the more information you can provide the better.
Please provide a copy of the script, also any specific requirements you may have about time duration, sync points, and if you’d prefer a directed session.
Is the project an audiobook, explainer video, e-learning project, commercial etc? What about the delivery style, do you need something to sound formal for instance? Perhaps you’re looking for something cheerful, or serious, reassuring, calming, exciting etc?
Who is your voiceover talking to? What’s the audience demographic? Is English their first language? Are they already familiar with the topic of the video, or will it be teaching them something new? What do you want them to feel or do when they’ve watched your video?
A video, played on a big screen at a conference might need a bold delivery. However, someone watching on their phone might respond better to a more intimate approach.
How long will the audio be used for? Is your audio intended to be used online, or will it be internal to your organisation? Will it broadcast on tv / radio, regionally, nationally / internationally? Will the audio be used in any paid advertising?
You can either complete the contact form, or drop me an email and I promise to respond quickly. The process goes like this:
Fill in the contact form, or send me an email. Try to include as much information as possible (see question on what info is required above).
I’ll get in touch promptly and provide you with a quote for the project. I may ask a few more questions, just to make sure that your quote is as refined, fair and specific as possible. I’ll also be able to complete a sample read for you if you like.
If you’re happy to proceed, based on the terms discussed, I’ll ask for a written acknowledgement and confirmation of the final script. After this point, any further changes would likely incur an additional charge. I’ll ask for technical detail requirements, such as whether you would prefer a directed session, or are happy to receive the files based on self direction. I’ll ask about file formats and any audio specifications you may have.
I will carry out the recording and forward your file(s) via Google Drive, (or any other sharing platform that you prefer). The file will be in MP3, unless you request otherwise. I’ll also attach an invoice – either directly, or via Paypal or Transfer wise.
If you are completely satisfied then thats great, the work is complete and there’s just the invoice to pay. If you feel that something is not quite right, you can either email some details and suggestions, or we can arrange a call by Skype. My aim is for you to be totally happy with the work and so I’m happy to go back and forth until we get there. Any errors on my part are of course corrected free of charge and I’ll happily do 3 turns of revisions as required.
I’m careful to not over commit, so that I can serve clients with quick turn-arounds. I will always try to turn the work around within 48 hours, sooner if possible. I understand that people have pressures from all directions, so if you need something immediately then do ask. It would incur an additional fee, but I aim to support you how best I can.
I can deliver in whatever format you require.
The default format is MP3, but it is just as easy to render in AIFF, WAV, FLAC etc
My usual payment terms are 30 days from the date of the invoice
You can take a look at my services page for examples of different genres, but to summarise:
If you have any other questions I’ve not covered here, do get in touch. I’m always happy to help.