HOW MUCH WILL THIS COST ME?

When it comes to costs for VO, it can be quite confusing for clients to budget their projects.

Voiceover fees vary depending on the type of project, usage, length, and experience of the talent.

All genres of voice over work have a different pricing structure, some genres have guides available online and Equity have agreed minimum rates for certain types of work.

We are always open to negotiation on rate but will always represent our artists fairly. Our rates are based on Equity rates where applicable and on widely accepted industry average rates for work that has no Equity agreement. There are many employers who massively underpay and by voiceovers accepting these jobs it undervalues the industry and brings all rates of  pay down. Voiceover work is a skill that requires proper remuneration.

The voice over artist retains ownership of their material and licenses it for use by the client. The cost will vary according to the extent of the use required, which is why we call it Usage fee.

So, if you came to this page looking for an exact cost I’m afraid it’s not that straight forward…

If you are able to provide us with as much detail as possible, it makes it much easier for us to give you an accurate quote and means you can budget efficiently. 

In order to give you a quote, this is what we need to know:

  • Type of Project – What is the VO being used for e.g Radio ad, Corporate video, Audiobook or Video game. Different industries have different rate structures. More on this below.

  • Usage and Licensing – Who is the hiring Client/Brand, what platform is it being used on and for how long will the recording will be used. The bigger the brands audience and the longer it’s being used on the platform equals more exposure, which means higher fee.

  • Length of Script – The length of the script will also affect how long the recording session should be. Some projects are priced per word, per minute, per hour or per script.

  • Recording and Deliverables – Are you expecting raw recording files from the VO or is editing and mixing needed. Does the client need to attend to listen in or direct? Hiring a studio with an audio engineer would be recommended for any sessions needing input from a client. Some but not all of our VO’s are able to edit so it’s important to know this so we can work out if any additional services are needed.

WHAT’S A BSF?

Most projects rates are based on BSF and Usage fees.

The Basic Session Fee (BSF) is the upfront fee paid to the voice actor for their time spent recording the script which is usually £300.

While the BSF pays for the time spent in session, the Usage Fee is charged when the audio is used for commercial or public purposes. This fee depends on:

  • Where the voiceover will be heard - TV or Video Game

  • How long it will be used - Is it a 3 month campaign or 3 years

  • The audience size - Internal corporate video for a small company or a national advertising campaign for a huge brand

DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES AND

PRICING STRUCTURES

TV Commercials

The rate for TV commercials can easily be calculated using the Usefee calculator. This uses TVRs as the key input to measure scale of campaign for TV. TVRs, or television ratings, are a way to measure the popularity and reach of a commercial on traditional television. It’s based on the proportion of the target audience reached by the ad.

This document is the agreed best practice terms and conditions for the engagement and employment of artists in commercials and also contains details on the TVR calculation, as agreed by the IPA, ISBA, APA and Equity.

VOD/Online/Social Media Ads - paid for or organic

When your commercial is viewed on platforms like YouTube, streaming services, social media posts or websites, each view counts as one impression. Impressions do not require being clicked on, but are measurements of how many times it is displayed. There aren’t any specific calculators for this, but you can expect the more exposure the higher the fee.

Online advertising is often bought on a per impression basis. Impressions are worked out similarly to TVRs but there isn’t an online rate calculator for this.

For unpaid use, where impressions may not be known we do still need to know how much exposure the content will have as there’s a difference between 100 views and 1 million. This can be costed up by knowing what the brand/company is, where it’s going to be posted and for how long. 

Radio Ads

As with commercials, radio, podcasts and Spotify fees are usually set as a recording fee plus usage. Usage for radio is based on Band rates according to the RAJAR listening figures for each station. App Pre-roll, Spotify, Instream can be calculated based on expected impressions. Equity have agreed minimum rates here.

Corporate and Explainer Videos

These are common in training, internal communications, and marketing and can use the same BSF plus usage calculation. Usage is usually based on a percentage of the BSF depending on how big the company is and how long it is being used for and where it’s being used. For example Equity states “the recommended internet minimum rates for the UK is based on 400% X BSF for one year for one website”.

Audiobooks

Audiobook narration is typically charged per finished hour (PFH), meaning the total length of the final recording, typically £75-£500 PFH. There are many factors that can vary the cost such as the size of the publisher and whether the VO is recording from a studio or expected to record, edit and mix from home.

Video Games and Animation

Rates for gaming and animation voiceovers depend on session time and character complexity. There are lots of factors that affect costs.

Equity have released a recommended minimum rate card for AAA video Games here.

RATE CARD

Gravy for the Brain have a rate card available online that is a great reference point, but as mentioned, all VO artists and agencies charge for projects differently so this is to give you an idea of potential fees, not an exact quote.