Come on down!!! You’re the next contestant on The Price Is Right!
Sometimes, setting VO rates can feel like you are playing a game. But that is the last thing I (or most voice talent) want to do. There are so many variables that go into each project, and therefore, into each price quote. I am often asked for my rate card. While I do have predetermined rates for all categories of voice over, I use them as a guideline, and not an amount carved in stone. Why? Well let’s take a look at the variables.
One thing that goes into consideration is the type or purpose of the recording. Is it a radio commercial? TV commercial? Corporate video? In-house training video? Telephone messages? You may wonder why this matters. Well, my voice can be used to simply welcome someone who calls a particular company, or it can be used to actually bring in money for the company through advertising. It can be used to train new employees, or it can be used to increase the company by recruiting new employees. Even the unions such as SAG and AFTRA recognize this is a valid starting point for determining rates.
Next, we need to look at the target market or audience. If that radio commercial is going to be heard on syndication nationwide, it obviously should cost more than a spot only being used at a couple of stations in a rural community. The unions have some base rates for radio and television spots and then add additional fees according to the cities where they will be broadcast. So, for me, the amount quoted for an advertising voiceover can vary greatly.
Even with non-advertising jobs, the target audience can still come into play. A training video being used by a large corporation to train employees at multiple locations will most likely pay more than a small business that is using the video in-house for a handful of employees. And if the video will be distributed, rented or sold to other businesses within an industry, or if it will be sold to the general public, then the rates just went up again. So, you see part of the determining factor has to do with whether the client will monetarily profit from the use of my voice or not.
Then, of course, we come to the length of the script. How much time will it take for me to record? And, if I am expected to record from my own studio and also edit, and/or mix the audio, and convert it to the required format, that not only takes more time, but also more expertise and equipment.
This is not an exhaustive list of variables for determining rates, since there are also items like the use of ISDN to record, or whether this is for a buy-out of usage or if residuals will be expected, or even if and how many sessions of revisions will be allowed without new charges. So, if you ask me for my rate card, and I ask you to provide me with some more information first, hopefully now you can understand why. It’s not because I’m trying to find ways to get more money out of you, it’s because I want to be fair to you, to me and to the voiceover industry.
For a general idea of common voice over rates, here are a few links (in red below) to some websites that offer guidelines for non-union fees for VO. You will notice a wide range of rates between each of these resources, so again, consider the variables. The more information I receive about a project, the more accurate (and fair and reasonable) my quote will be.
Edge Studio Voice Over Industry Ratecard
Voices.com – Voice Over Rates
Voice123 – How Much Are Talents and Voice Producers Charging for Non-Union Voice Over Work Delivered Online?
And one site that provides a list of current union rates for SAG and AFTRA:
Producers Handy Dandy Mid-Atlantic Voice Over Resource for Union Talent
Another valuable resource I use for determining length of audio:
Edge Studio Words to Time Calculator
Please call or email me with the details of your project for a quote. Oh, and I’m always glad to provide you with a custom sample of your script at no charge!
email: diane@dianesvoice.com
phone: 240-580-3355
web: DianesVoice.com
