FAQ: How Much Does A Voiceover Cost?
There are three key factors that are used to determine how much your voiceover recording will cost.
- How long is it
- Where it will be used
- How long will it be used for
When I prepare your Voiceover quote, it’s these 3 things that I have in mind.
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Length of Script.
This will be more pertinent to scripts used for eLearning or corporate presentations for example. I will also be considering whether I will be delivering the project as a single file, or will the voiceover be edited into smaller files. It’s not uncommon for e-learning voiceovers to be split into a number of smaller slides or modules or individual dialogues. Splitting and naming individual files can be an additional fee to the quote. So for example a 30minute e-learning narration to be split and delivered in 30 individual files would be £350 + £15 (split and naming files) = £365.
The length of the script for projects like Commercials isn’t so influential on the final quote. A TV commercial, for example, is usually around the 30-second mark. The rate would be comprised of a basic studio fee ( £200-£250) plus the TVR’s (TV ratings). The number of TVR’s will be entered into the Usefee calculator to reach a figure for the quote. Usefee is found at http://www.usefee.tv – its the industry standard for calculating usage.
If you do not have your TVR’s I will base the rate on an average campaign of 400TVR’s. Once you are able to supply me with an accurate TVR figure I can then modify the quote to take this into account.
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Where It Will be Used.
As we’ve just seen the USAGE , or where/how the VO will be used, can be a weighty factor in the final cost of a voiceover.
So for TV commercials, we’ve got the Usefee calculator to take the guesswork out of the calculation.
If your project is a phone system recording such as voicemail, on hold, IVR, then I do not add any usage fee to the rate. Some voice artists do, but I just give a basic rate dependant on the length of the script or number or prompts.
If your narration is to be used internally, such as corporate presentations or eLearning modules, I don’t tend to charge usage on top of the rate. Again the fee will be based on the length of script and editing involved.
If the voiceover will be used online in any way, then a usage fee will probably be added. The amount will be dependant on exactly how the voiceover will be used. For example, if it is a pre-roll commercial (effectively an advert which would appear on sites like Youtube) then usage would be an additional fee up to 400%of the basic studio fee. If you are unsure, let me know how you envisage the voiceover to be used and I can quote accordingly.
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How long will it be used for?
For projects such as phone system recordings or internal corporate narrations, the length of time the VO will be used isn’t particularly relevant.
This question is more pertinent for commercials which usually run for a 3month or 6 month period. If this length of time is extended then additional usage fees are applicable. The amount will be dependant on the channels shown and the length of time the commercial will run.
In summary, when sending over your script for a quote please include information as to where the voiceover will be heard (e.g your website, social media channels, internal, tradeshows, TV, Radio, Attractions and Museums etc..)and for how long.
The more info you can provide the easier it is to price the voiceover. There is no set price for a voiceover. As each project is unique, each quote will be bespoke to the requirements of each project.