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1.800.846.451Voice Over Rates: What a Voice Over Costs
How much does a voice over cost? Rates by word count
Short answer: a professional voice over here starts at $60 for a script under 40 words, and most projects cost between $90 and $250. Prices are set by word count and where the audio will be used. See worked examples
The official rate card below works like building blocks. Easy as 1, 2, 3
- HOW MANY WORDS ARE IN YOUR SCRIPT and WHERE WILL THE AUDIO BE USED?
- Work your way down the rates and select all that apply.
- TV, RADIO and INTERNET COMMERCIALS have a 12 month license from the date you book.
- All other rates are buyout in perpetuity (unlimited usage)
How many words does a voice talent read per minute? As a general guide; reading slow - 100, regular - 150, fast - 200.
For further details on which voice over rates to choose please see FAQ at bottom of page.
Good to know
The rules behind the rate card, in plain words
These are non-union rates, worked out by word count, not studio time or the length of the recording. The timings are a guide.
Usage
Every rate is a buy-out (unlimited use) except radio, TV and internet commercials, which are licensed for one year from the date you book. Running the spot on both TV and radio? Select both.
An internet commercial is a spot that runs on other websites, not just your own. Need a commercial forever? Tick buyout in perpetuity. Exclusivity is by negotiation.
Delivery, editing and syncing
Recordings arrive dry: the raw take, no music, no editing. Want it cleaned up, music added or split into files? Add Production.
Audio that has to match a video exactly (syncing) carries a 100% loading, and that doesn't include laying the voice onto the video. If the actor only needs to hit rough timings and your editor does the matching, Production is all you need.
More than one script
Book several scripts in one session, as long as they're all for the same client or brand.
Re-records and revisions
Under 750 words: one initial record plus two full re-records for tone and style. Over 750 words: re-records are 50% of the rate unless you direct the session live.
Script changes after recording are a Revision fee, available for 30 days from the booking.
Still have questions? Email support@thevoicerealm.com and a human answers.
Voice over costs, answered
What a voice over actually costs
Real prices from the rate card, for the jobs clients ask about most. Tap a question to open it.
How much does a voice over cost?
from $60
A professional voice over starts at $60 for a short script under 40 words. Most projects cost between $90 and $250. The price depends on two things: how many words are in your script, and where the audio will be used.
| 30 second explainer for your website (85 words) | $90 |
| 2 minute corporate video (300 words) | $175 |
| 5 minute training module (750 words) | $225 |
| 30 second radio or TV ad, one city, one year | $150 |
How much does a voice over cost per word?
Rates are priced in word bands rather than a fixed price per word, so the cost per word falls as the script gets longer. A 150 word script works out at about 93 cents a word, while a 10,000 word course comes to about 7 cents a word.
| 150 words, internet video | $140 (about 93c a word) |
| 750 words, corporate | $225 (about 30c a word) |
| 1,500 words, e-learning | $290 (about 19c a word) |
| 10,000 words, e-learning | $685 (about 7c a word) |
How much does a 30 second commercial voice over cost?
from $150
A 30 second TV, radio or internet commercial costs $150 for local broadcast, licensed for one year from the date you book. Regional broadcast adds 25%, national adds 500%, because the same read is reaching a far bigger audience.
| 30 seconds, local (under 1 million people) | $150 |
| 30 seconds, regional | $187.50 |
| 30 seconds, national | $900 |
| 60 seconds, local | $200 |
| Second year of use | double the one year price |
| Use it forever (buyout in perpetuity) | four times the one year price |
How much does an explainer video voice over cost?
from $90
An explainer for your own website or social channels costs $90 for a 30 second script and $140 for one minute, with unlimited use on your own channels. Running it as a paid ad on other sites is priced as an internet commercial or pre-roll instead.
| Up to 30 seconds (41 to 85 words) | $90 |
| Up to 1 minute (86 to 150 words) | $140 |
| Up to 2 minutes (151 to 300 words) | $185 |
| Paid pre-roll ad, up to 30 seconds | $175 |
How much does an e-learning voice over cost?
from $125
E-learning and training narration starts at $125 for a one minute module. A 10 minute course is $290 and a full hour of narration is $685, with unlimited use.
| Up to 10 minutes (751 to 1,500 words) | $290 |
| Up to 30 minutes (3,251 to 5,300 words) | $425 |
| Up to 60 minutes (7,501 to 10,000 words) | $685 |
| Edited, cleaned and split into files (up to 2,500 words) | + $60 for production |
How much does an on-hold or phone system message cost?
from $80
A phone greeting or IVR menu up to 100 words costs $80. A full set of on-hold messages up to 320 words is $150. Phone systems need special file formats, so add production and say which system you use.
| Greeting or menu, up to 100 words | $80 |
| On-hold set, up to 320 words | $150 |
| Full IVR tree, up to 800 words | $200 |
How much does audiobook narration cost?
$280 an hour
Audiobook narration is $280 per finished hour. A finished hour holds about 9,300 words, so a 60,000 word novel runs to about 7 finished hours, or $1,960.
| Per finished hour of audio | $280 |
| 60,000 word novel (about 7 hours) | $1,960 |
What is included in the price?
Every rate includes the recording and the right to use it. Commercials are licensed for one year; everything else is yours to use without limit. Scripts under 750 words also include two full re-records for tone and style. Files arrive as the raw take, so add production from $30 if you want them edited.
| Auditions of your script before you book | free |
| Re-records under 750 words | two included |
| Editing, cleaning, file splitting | from $30 |
| Matching timing to an existing video | +100% |
Are these union or non-union voice over rates?
These are non-union rates, published so you know the price before you start. If your project is a union job, the SAG-AFTRA scale applies instead, and it is set per session and usage rather than by word count.
Prices are in US dollars, straight from the rate card. Commercial examples use North American broadcast rates. Your quote shows the full total before you pay.
Rate notes
Read this first
- Non-union rates, unlimited use, except radio, TV and internet commercials, which are licensed for one year from the date you book.
- Priced by word count, not studio time or the length of the recording. Timings are a guide.
- Delivered raw. No music, no editing. Want it cleaned up, music added or split into files? Add Production.
- Syncing to video is a 100% loading. Hitting rough timings for your editor to match is just Production.
- Phone systems need special file formats. Check with your phone system maker, then add Production to save in that format.