What's the price for a 2 minute professional voiceover clip?

Dgriff

Hi
Can anyone tell me how much it would cost me to get a 2 minute voiceover done professionally? I'll provide the script, so it's just the voiceover price I'm curious about.

Thanks

peterk675

Do you mean, someone to edit the voice-over, or someone to do the voice over?

Miguel_Sanchez

Depends what the voiceover is being used for.

Here's a site that will help you figure out how much the voiceover artist should be paid: http://www.piehole.ie/ratecard

Obviously if you want a big name they'll be charging you more.

Of course on top of that you have studio rental.

Dgriff

I mean someone to do the voiceover. I'm looking at around 2 mins (280 words). I'll prepare the script. I'll get the voiceover artist to record the voiceover. They'll email me the voiceover audio clip and I'll throw the voiceover audio into after effects and I'll cut the audio clip up to time it with the video.
So, I'm looking for a ballpark price for a 2 minute voiceover audio clip (around 280 words). Thanks.

Miguel_Sanchez

Take a look at the rate card I linked to.

It really depends what you're using it for. Is it a radio ad or an internet promotional piece or something similar?

smcgiff

It's usually 1 second per 3 words. If you pm the details I'll find out a price for you.

If it's a male voice you need I know someone that's a professional VO that has his own studio. I know a female VO but she doesn't have her own studio.

Either way let me know what you want and I'd at least be able to get a quote for you.

From what I know the prices on the linked website would be on the high side.

Miguel_Sanchez

smcgiff wrote: »

From what I know the prices on the linked website would be on the high side.

That's the standard ratecard for voiceover work. I know the temptation is there these days for people to work for cheaper and cheaper but if someone is doing a TV or radio ad for lower than the standard rate they're not doing themselves any favours in the long run.

Also - there's a non-broadcast rate card on there which obviously is lower. So if the piece the OP needs the VO for is non-broadcast they should check that out.

And of course the length of time the recording takes and how long for and where the finished piece is being used are the main factors that determine pricing. The length of the read itself is a lesser factor.

smcgiff

The website linked was showing how they could do it way cheaper than the quotes they came up with.

We paid a fraction of those VO prices. Even the pros that made a signiciant amount of their living by doing VOs would come into the studio for very reasonable money. Nowhere near what came up on that website.

Miguel_Sanchez

I'm not saying you couldn't get people for lower than those rates but that's what I was given as the standard equity rate card for voiceover in Ireland. So depending on the person they could be asked to pay those rates.

I know a few pros who will not go into the studio for anything under those rates. However a lot of people of course will do deals depending on the amount of work you're going to be giving them etc.

If you don't mind me asking - what rates did you pay and for what kind of usage?

smcgiff

Radio, within Ireland. Some well known voices. Nowhere near the rate on the website. We occasionally came across clients that wanted cetain VOs that were more expensive, but again lower than what was on the website.

Miguel_Sanchez

smcgiff wrote: »

Radio, within Ireland. Some well known voices. Nowhere near the rate on the website. We occasionally came across clients that wanted cetain VOs that were more expensive, but again lower than what was on the website.

Interesting. People I know in the business would never go in for less than those rates, certainly the set studio fee is something they'd never budge on.

Personally I wouldn't consider 533 euro for an ad that could be used on every radio station in Ireland to be that high at all.

smcgiff

Miguel_Sanchez wrote: »

Interesting. People I know in the business would never go in for less than those rates, certainly the set studio fee is something they'd never budge on.

Personally I wouldn't consider 533 euro for an ad that could be used on every radio station in Ireland to be that high at all.

There are plenty that will do it for approx 10% of that. Which I think is low, but €533 for a couple of minutes work is far too high and the max we paid was mid €300 (recharged back to client) and that would have been for one of the top pro VOs.

Miguel_Sanchez

smcgiff wrote: »

There are plenty that will do it for approx 10% of that. Which I think is low, but €533 for a couple of minutes work is far too high and the max we paid was mid €300 (recharged back to client) and that would have been for one of the top pro VOs.

Anyone who will do a radio ad for 50 euro is not serious about voiceover as a real job, are they?

But for a year's run on an ad I would have thought 500 euro odd would be not too much at all. Sure the time in the studio doesn't take long (that's what the studio fee covers) but you're paying for them being on the radio for a year and being 'that annoying guy/girl from X ad' aren't you?

Mind you I hold my hands up here and say I'm getting all this from people I know who work in the industry - I work in TV myself and haven't ever done voiceover work yet.

skeltonrh

I have written a blog about this - I can't put in the link but its at skeltonvoiceover/blog