How a typical voiceover project works
It all starts with your script for the voiceover project. I’ll need to know what and how long it is, what you want to achieve with it, and how the final voiceover will be used (TV, radio, paid-for social media, solely on your website, or internally, for instance). Some of that is about tone and style of voiceover – finding exactly the right voice for you, that’s perfect for the purpose, target audience and end goal. It will also affect the voiceover rates, as certain types of voiceover (e-learning and telephony) are charged differently to others (voiceover for TV commercials or online videos).
I record most voiceovers from my broadcast-quality home studio. Many projects are self-directed following an initial phone conversation and a thorough voiceover brief. You also have the option to book a VO session and connect for live direction via Skype, Zoom etc, and record remotely via CleanFeed or ipDTL. Every live session is recorded at this end for back-up, even if you’re recording remotely. You can, of course, choose the final format(s) of your audio file. I can also arrange for an engineer to be on the voice over session, to record and engineer in real-time.
Equally, I’m very happy to travel to recording studios in London or Cambridge if you’d like to direct the voice over session in person.
Voiceover rates – how much does it cost to hire a voice actor?
My voiceover rates take into account: a standard recording session fee (sometimes known as the BSF – basic session fee); and in most instances a usage licence, depending on whether the completed product is for internal, limited or public broadcast, and on which media it will appear and for how long.
**If you’re used to hiring voice artists, you know all this stuff. If you’re new to casting voice talent, you can find out much more about UK voiceover rates and how much a voiceover costs here.**
All recordings are edited for pace and purity, so the final voiceover is ready for mixing by your sound engineer or studio.
Your quote includes up to two takes if I’m recording remotely and self-directing – plus small-scale revisions for up to 14 days after the initial recording. Rerecording after that time, or substantial script changes post-session which require recording at any time, may be subject to a new recording fee as per an entirely new voiceover booking.
As a voice artist, I retain the rights to my recordings; licensing specific usage is the most economically efficient way to hire a voice artist. The alternative is a buyout – which may still be subject to limitations on usage types.
To get a quote tailored for your voiceover needs, please get in touch today.
Please note, all of my quotes are in line with the only UK professional voiceover price rate guide.
