Voice over £££

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	Topic: Voice over £££
Posted : 31/01/10 / Views : 2549 / Replies : 7 /
NaomiR.Carlisle 6 posts last on: 7 hours send private reply	Hello there, I am hopeful that one of you fabulous people will have the answer to my question...:-).A friend(& It really Is)of mine has been accepted by a company to do voiceovers.They are asking what rate he charges??!!This is where I am hoping someone can fill in the blank!!Is It per recording or hour & whats the going rate?? Many thanks Naomi...

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	Reply #1
Posted : 30/01/10
Law.Ballard 64 posts last on: 1 hour send private reply	I saw an ad for the RNIB and they pay 25 pence per minute .

	Reply #2
Posted : 30/01/10
BaldJohn 64 posts last on: 23 min send private reply	Hi Naomi, Voice work rates are a bit diverse, to be honest - they vary a lot depending on the kind of project, type of client, client's budget, etc. Is your friend going to be doing the work in a studio, rather than at home on their own equipment? If so, Equity do publish a sheet with some guide rates - on their website click through "Areas of work", "Recorded media", "Industry rates", "Non broadcast spoken word" - which gives rates based on how long you spend in the studio - a Basic Studio Fee, in effect, just like other areas of the business. Increasingly though, some jobs seem to be getting charged by the word, or by the minute of recorded material - especially with the increase of home studios, where the client doesn't necessarily know how long the voice artist has actually spent doing the work. This is where the rates start to get hugely variable.

Reply #2

Posted : 30/01/10

BaldJohn
64 posts
last on: 23 min
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Hi Naomi,

Voice work rates are a bit diverse, to be honest - they vary a lot depending on the kind of project, type of client, client's budget, etc.

Is your friend going to be doing the work in a studio, rather than at home on their own equipment?
If so, Equity do publish a sheet with some guide rates - on their website click through "Areas of work", "Recorded media", "Industry rates", "Non broadcast spoken word" - which gives rates based on how long you spend in the studio - a Basic Studio Fee, in effect, just like other areas of the business.

Increasingly though, some jobs seem to be getting charged by the word, or by the minute of recorded material - especially with the increase of home studios, where the client doesn't necessarily know how long the voice artist has actually spent doing the work. This is where the rates start to get hugely variable.

	Reply #3
Posted : 30/01/10
BaldJohn 64 posts last on: 23 min send private reply	Hi Law, that RNIB job I'd consider to be rather on the low side in the "price-per-minute" ranges. But this is the trouble - people are offering and charging such widely diverse amounts. I've seen small company adverts paying 30p or 40p per word - and yet there was an NHS job the other day I saw, where they were hinting they'd ideally like it done for nothing! (but that's a whole other argument :)

Reply #3

Posted : 30/01/10

BaldJohn
64 posts
last on: 23 min
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Hi Law, that RNIB job I'd consider to be rather on the low side in the "price-per-minute" ranges.

But this is the trouble - people are offering and charging such widely diverse amounts.

I've seen small company adverts paying 30p or 40p *per word* - and yet there was an NHS job the other day I saw, where they were hinting they'd ideally like it done for nothing! (but that's a whole other argument :)

	Reply #4
Posted : 30/01/10
GUY5 395 posts last on: 1 hour send private reply	Hi All The Site below gives bankable rates for V/O. Charities can be a different case. http://www.voicefinder.biz/?page=recommended_rates BSFs have not changed greatly since the 1990s due to the growing number of voices in the marketplace and the globalisation of the industry, a process which is speeding up. The current figure is in the range of £160 for the first hour upwards when negotiated between a voiceover artist and a client direct. When booking artists via an agency producers can expect to pay between £180-200+ per hour with the voice receiving that amount less the agency's commission which is typically 15% with some of the larger agents on 16.5%. It is standard for artists to work at discounted hourly rates for half or full-day bookings or repeat work. Experienced voiceover artists reasonably expect to work for the rates detailed below (before any deductions for commission if you are working via an agent). Voicefinder encourages "new talent" to charge less than experienced voices due to them not being as quick in studio. Producers may want to offer "new talent" voices a fixed fee for the whole job rather than a BSF. Fee guidelines by type of session Voicefinder.biz recommends the following rates (revised 2008 - ALL RATES QUOTED ARE BEFORE ANY COMMISSION WHERE APPLICABLE): * Radio commercials: £180 per hour plus a per script usage fee if aired (usage for broadcast on British radio is usually a buy-out for 3 months per network - amounts vary from £55 for local radio to £400 for national radio (ie. Classic FM) * TV commercials: £185-£250 per hour plus a per script usage fee if aired - usage fee for broadcast on British TV is calculated according to how many times the commercial is broadcast on each terrestrial channel (this type of usage fee is known as TVR - TV Repeats). - On cable and satellite TV, a buy-out for one year is more common. * Documentaries for UK broadcast: £180 BSF per hour plus a rights buy out. Usage is negotiable but should reflect the rights required. For example UK transmission rights only would command a cheaper buy out than deals where the production company is looking for international rights and possible sell through to DVD. Producers and voices should be clear about what rights are required and be prepared to negotiate a session and usage deal of £250-£300 and upwards. The larger documentary makers have been driving hard bargains in recent years. * Advertising narrative: (usually script reading for pre-tests): £175 per hour (no usage) * Corporate video: £180-£200 per hour (no usage) * Corporate promotion: (includes Internet broadcast, promotional CDs, display show exhibits and other business-to-consumer products): £180-£200 plus a buy-out in perpetuity (100% - 200%) * Computer games: £200 plus usage fee (negotiable - usually a buy-out in the form of a higher hourly rate). One agency has a standard policy of charging £230 for computer games work including the usage. * Equity rates for ADR: strictly confined to film and television dubbing and educational material. The Equity minimum rate is £220 for film dubbing per 4 hour session. Please check http://www.equity.org.uk/ for specific information regarding any entitlements the voiceover artists may have regarding repeat fees or slightly different rates for television dubbing. The above fees are a good guide to current rates but should not be seen as rigid.

Reply #4

Posted : 30/01/10

GUY5
395 posts
last on: 1 hour
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Hi All The Site below gives bankable rates for V/O. Charities can be a different case.

http://www.voicefinder.biz/?page=recommended_rates

BSFs have not changed greatly since the 1990s due to the growing number of voices in the marketplace and the globalisation of the industry, a process which is speeding up. The current figure is in the range of £160 for the first hour upwards when negotiated between a voiceover artist and a client direct. When booking artists via an agency producers can expect to pay between £180-200+ per hour with the voice receiving that amount less the agency's commission which is typically 15% with some of the larger agents on 16.5%.

It is standard for artists to work at discounted hourly rates for half or full-day bookings or repeat work. Experienced voiceover artists reasonably expect to work for the rates detailed below (before any deductions for commission if you are working via an agent). Voicefinder encourages "new talent" to charge less than experienced voices due to them not being as quick in studio. Producers may want to offer "new talent" voices a fixed fee for the whole job rather than a BSF.
Fee guidelines by type of session

Voicefinder.biz recommends the following rates (revised 2008 - ALL RATES QUOTED ARE BEFORE ANY COMMISSION WHERE APPLICABLE):

* Radio commercials: £180 per hour plus a per script usage fee if aired (usage for broadcast on British radio is usually a buy-out for 3 months per network - amounts vary from £55 for local radio to £400 for national radio (ie. Classic FM)
* TV commercials: £185-£250 per hour plus a per script usage fee if aired
- usage fee for broadcast on British TV is calculated according to how many times the commercial is broadcast on each terrestrial channel (this type of usage fee is known as TVR - TV Repeats).
- On cable and satellite TV, a buy-out for one year is more common.
* Documentaries for UK broadcast: £180 BSF per hour plus a rights buy out. Usage is negotiable but should reflect the rights required. For example UK transmission rights only would command a cheaper buy out than deals where the production company is looking for international rights and possible sell through to DVD. Producers and voices should be clear about what rights are required and be prepared to negotiate a session and usage deal of £250-£300 and upwards. The larger documentary makers have been driving hard bargains in recent years.
* Advertising narrative: (usually script reading for pre-tests): £175 per hour (no usage)
* Corporate video: £180-£200 per hour (no usage)
* Corporate promotion: (includes Internet broadcast, promotional CDs, display show exhibits and other business-to-consumer products): £180-£200 plus a buy-out in perpetuity (100% - 200%)
* Computer games: £200 plus usage fee (negotiable - usually a buy-out in the form of a higher hourly rate). One agency has a standard policy of charging £230 for computer games work including the usage.
* Equity rates for ADR: strictly confined to film and television dubbing and educational material. The Equity minimum rate is £220 for film dubbing per 4 hour session. Please check http://www.equity.org.uk/ for specific information regarding any entitlements the voiceover artists may have regarding repeat fees or slightly different rates for television dubbing.

The above fees are a good guide to current rates but should not be seen as rigid.

	Reply #5
Posted : 30/01/10
Jenna.Sharpe 209 posts last on: 40 min send private reply	VO rates are so complicated. I am still perfecting my rate card and rates vary so much depending on all sorts of factors. Your friend will need to ask the following before he can really give them a quote: * Length of project (word/page count or ideally a script). * Who the company is/what you are voicing. (I'd charge a small charity less than I would microsoft!) * What it will be used for. E.g. internal company use only or for sales presentations, on the website, on TV etc. And also UK only or worldwide. * For what duration. * Will they be providing the recording facilities or do you need to. If so who will be booking and paying for this. * Do they require any editing or post production? Or any other "extras" such as lip syncing to a video or something. Yes it is a lot of questions but you can't really quote until you know the answers to at least the first three. And you don't want to make the mistake of quoting a special rate then find out later the project is much bigger than anticipated. Otherwise FamousGuy is right especially about level of experience. And if it is a new client with the potential for regular work then it is better to go in with a sensible offer rather than start high and expect to negotiate down. If your friend is still struggling to quote then maybe he should just ask what their budget is. Most of the time they know what they are expecting to pay and we know when we see that figure if we like it or not!

Reply #5

Posted : 30/01/10

Jenna.Sharpe
209 posts
last on: 40 min
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VO rates are so complicated. I am still perfecting my rate card and rates vary so much depending on all sorts of factors.

Your friend will need to ask the following before he can really give them a quote:

* Length of project (word/page count or ideally a script).
* Who the company is/what you are voicing. (I'd charge a small charity less than I would microsoft!)
* What it will be used for. E.g. internal company use only or for sales presentations, on the website, on TV etc. And also UK only or worldwide.
* For what duration.
* Will they be providing the recording facilities or do you need to. If so who will be booking and paying for this.
* Do they require any editing or post production? Or any other "extras" such as lip syncing to a video or something.

Yes it is a lot of questions but you can't really quote until you know the answers to at least the first three. And you don't want to make the mistake of quoting a special rate then find out later the project is much bigger than anticipated.

Otherwise FamousGuy is right especially about level of experience. And if it is a new client with the potential for regular work then it is better to go in with a sensible offer rather than start high and expect to negotiate down.

If your friend is still struggling to quote then maybe he should just ask what their budget is. Most of the time they know what they are expecting to pay and we know when we see that figure if we like it or not!

	Reply #6
Posted : 31/01/10
NaomiR.Carlisle 6 posts last on: 7 hours send private reply	Wow!!!!!Thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond!!!It really Is very much appreciated,your advice is invaluable.......Once again Thank you. Naomi....:-)

	Reply #7
Posted : 31/01/10
NaomiR.Carlisle 6 posts last on: 7 hours send private reply	Wow!!!!!Thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond!!!It really Is very much appreciated,your advice is invaluable.......Once again Thank you. Naomi....:-)

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