Female British Voice Over artist rates – Understanding what, why and how in 2022
I know the costs of hiring a voiceover can be a minefield, so I thought this post might help understand the whole process and how professional voices work.
With budgets squeezed and business costs going up for all, we all want to get value for money. BUT does that mean cutting corners or having bad quality consequently…and then having to spend more money and time sorting out the problem because you’ve gone for the cheaper option? Surely not?!
Things change fast in this modern world and things like costing up for jobs can get trickier for freelancers.
Like many professionals providing a specialist service to their industry, pricing is not always straightforward. No two jobs are the same and there are many factors involved which contribute to the price.
If you are after a price for voice over work, without a lot of information, it can be a case of ‘how long is a piece of string’.
For quoting it helps to know as much information as possible to ensure we can give you the best and fairest price possible, making it a win/win situation for all parties.
Three questions to make it easy to understand.
So first, WHAT comprises the rate for a voice-over?
• The talent, quality and experience you are seeking: Like any professional, the more experienced or well known the voice, the more you should expect to pay. For example, if a Voice Over Artist has worked with leading brands, across every type of media, performing a wide variety of roles, you would expect to benefit and therefore pay, for this experience. Not least the added value of a VO’s experience with scripts and what does and doesn’t work. An experienced Voiceover actor and artist can get the job done quickly and effectively, saving you time and money. Experienced voices will always try to be fair and reasonable in their costing and there are industry rates to help with this.
• Generally, like a Lawyer or tradesperson, Voice Artists have an hourly rate. For equity industry standards this can be anything between £250-£350 per hour on average. You then add the usage on top of that.
• The nature of exposure – Content can be defined as non-broadcast, broadcast and also streaming such as on YouTube and Netflix. The variation and complexity of media channels, and the number of people reached by the content, will impact the price.
• Saying that though, certain jobs like telephone systems and short pieces of work demand a lower price. So you can expect to pay as little as £25 for a simple telephone prompt depending on usage and even lower if there are a bulk number of prompts. Also, this is true for large Elearning projects and audiobooks that are content-heavy, so tend to be priced per word to be easier for all.
• Editing and production – facilities and quality of work: Many voiceover artists, like me, have recording studios and this is an additional aspect of the service. In my case, I have invested in a state-of-the-art soundproofed recording studio, leading-edge recording equipment and editing software, fast broadband to deliver your project quickly, and facilities including Source Connect Pro, SessionLink Pro, Cleanfeed to connect with studios around the world.
This will benefit the quality of the final product, and therefore has a significant value.
WHY pay good money for a professional and skilled Voice Over?
• You’ll get great quality (don’t take their word for it though, check out their samples and showreels).
• I say always ask for a custom demo.
• You’ll get the most talented people in the business with the depth of experience gained from a broad portfolio.
• You’ll get added value advice and guidance.
• Your campaign will be more effective; whether a corporate, explainer or promotional video, commercial or online game, the voice will be crucial. The voice can build the brand, bring the story to life, engage your customer and help you sell. The better quality and more experienced the artist – the more successful the project can be.
• You’ll get the versatility that comes with experience. For example, I have many tones and styles of voices along with lots of characters as I am an actor too. I can range from a little girl or boy to a husky female adult. I have certain styles for corporate compared to commercials, documentaries games, animation and character work. The ability to add softness to the voice or make it a hard sell. These are all high-value qualities.
HOW will your voice over fee be put together?
Before quoting for voiceover services it is helpful to know the following:
• The approximate length of the script (or you can simply send a copy).
• Whether it is intended for broadcast, streaming or non-broadcast purposes.
• The deadline.
• Any accent /dialect or style specifications.
• The format in which you would like the finished product (mp3 / wav / etc).
• Your approximate budget.
• As a registered British Equity member, following standard Equity price guidelines – always striving to be fair, reasonable and competitive when quoting.
TV Commercials
If you are trying to work out a price for TV commercials, the website that is used across the industry to work out the fees is http://www.usefee.tv/. The website explains in detail what TVRs are exactly (“Television Ratings”) which you’ll need to know.
For a TV commercial, ensure you are equipped with the number of TVRs (television ratings) from the TV channel or production company, as this will affect the price of the advert and the costs of elements such as the Voice Over. Being armed with your TVRs will help the professionals involved, including Voice Over Artists, work to your budget. Or if you don’t know the TVR’s then knowing the number of impressions helps and this can easily be worked out too.
Where longer recording time is required, hourly rates become more cost-effective; I certainly would always work on a discounted fee for larger volumes of work.
So don’t…
Compare apples with pears when getting quotes from a voice-over artist. Make sure you know exactly what goes into the fee, and the experience and quality you are getting.
Do…
Give a full brief. Be honest about the budget. Factor in the added value and benefit to your project of having an experienced professional voice over artist with editing and production skills and high-quality equipment – versus a low fee.
For further information, help with costings requiring a voiceover, or for an honest and fair quote from an experienced British female voice-over actor and artist, then please do contact me to discuss your requirements or ask further questions.
