Clients often ask me: “How much does a voice-over cost?”
and I’ll answer:
“How much would you pay for a car or a home?”
It’s a question that cannot be answered specifically, because like cars and homes, the fee for voice-over services depends on many factors.
A few guidelines:
- Voice-over rates are based on a number of variables: the medium (radio, television, internet), the market (local, national, international), the length, the nature and the use of the audio;
- Rates can be determined per project, length of script or per word;
- The more specific you are about what you want, the easier it is to give you an informed quote and the read you need;
- As in any other business, you pay for professionalism. When you hire me, you’re hiring a multilingual talent with over 25 years of international experience. Your projects get delivered on time in high-quality audio, no hand-holding necessary.
- The prices below are “starting at” rates.
NON-BROADCAST: Corporate, Industrial, Training Video
0-5 Minutes – $250
5-10 Minutes – $300
10-20 Minutes – $400
20-30 Minutes – $450
Longer – add $100 for every 10 additional minutes
NON-BROADCAST: Education, eLearning
$300 per completed hour
- There is a 1-hour minimum. After that, billing takes place in 15 minute increments
NON-BROADCAST and BROADCAST: Film, Video, Documentary
MODERATE-PLAY/NON-BROADCAST NARRATIONS (Documentary on local public station only, Internet video, DVD, etc.)
Per Project: $350 and up, based on length of script
LARGE-PLAY/BROADCAST NARRATIONS (National Geographic documentary, etc.)
Per Project: $500 and up, based on length of script
NON-BROADCAST: Medical, Pharmaceutical
0-5 Minutes – $250
5-10 Minutes – $300
10-20 Minutes – $400
20-30 Minutes – $500
Longer – add $100 to $150 for every 10 additional minutes
NON-BROADCAST: Web, Online Tutorial, Flash
0-5 Minutes – $250
5-10 Minutes – $300
10-20 Minutes – $400
20-30 Minutes – $500
Longer – add $100 to $150 for every 10 additional minutes
NON-BROADCAST: Audiobook
Audiobooks are generally paid per completed hour (the length of the final product) rather than per hour (the length of time in the studio).
NARRATION RATE: $400 per completed hour
BROADCAST: Radio
Minimum rates per spot
LOCAL: Small Market starting at $250, Large Market: $400
REGIONAL: $500
NATIONAL: $1,000
TAGS (5 to 10 seconds)
Local – $100 Regional – $200 National – $300
- The payment for one tag is included with the payment for the spot. It is industry practice that one is paid “per tag” for all additional tags.
- Scratch tracks can be discounted and buy-outs will be negotiated.
BROADCAST: TV
Minimum rates per spot
LOCAL: Small Market starting at $300, Large Market $500
REGIONAL: $750
NATIONAL: $2,000
TAGS (5-10 Seconds)
Local – $100 Regional – $250 National – $400
- The payment for one tag is included with the payment for the spot. It is industry practice that one is paid “per tag” for all additional tags.
- Scratch tracks can be discounted and “Buy-outs” will be negotiated
NON-BROADCAST and BROADCAST: Animation, cartoon, video game
A standard animation session fee includes up to 3 voices. Should you require a fourth, fifth, or sixth voice, there will be an additional fee per voice.
This category covers “pre-lay” recording (I will be voicing characters before they are animated).
RATES:
Broadcast (Saturday morning cartoons, Nickelodeon, etc.) – $500 per hour and up
Non-Broadcast (talking toys, interactive CD-ROMs, Internet, etc.) – $300 per hour and up
- animations produced in different territories tend to vary in scale and budget; an appropriate package will be created based on the particulars of the job.
- should a show be sold on to another station, expect to pay an additional buy-out.
GENERAL PER WORD RATES:
$0.28 per word for projects under 2000 words (€ 0.22)
$0.25 per word for projects up to 4000 words (€ 0.19)
$0.19 per word for projects up to 10,000 words (€ 0.15)
Unless otherwise specified, rates include:
- script preparation (pronunciation, annotation etc.)
- studio fee
- professional, noise-free recording
- editing
- quality control (prooflistening)
- free retakes, as long as they are not necessitated by changes in the script after the initial audio was recorded. The recording of a script that was revised after the first text was officially approved and recorded, is regarded and billed as a new project
- uploading of audio
- and remember: My added value is always higher than my rate!
