What’s reasonable, expected, or completely over the top?

“So, now I’m set up and ready to go, what do I charge for my voiceover services?”

It’s a question that has even the most seasoned voice artist confused, due largely to the ‘shifting sands’ of the voiceover industry… 

Now, don’t get me wrong, the shifting sands I’m referring to, are not the tropical jungle quick-sand type, that will swallow you whole, completely gone without a trace… 

Although for beginners, the industry may feel a bit that way from time to time…

I’m referring to the ‘shifting sands’ of the voiceover market, which currently feels like the only consistent thing about it, is it’s constantly changing and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s changed again by the time you’ve finished reading this article!

Some time ago, there was no such thing as talent websites, ‘pay to play’ sites...

So, what exactly is a voice actor rate card anyway? A VO rate card is simply a chart, document, graph, etc. that outlines monetary prices to work with you and to license your work.

Why is it important?

1. Your business is supposed to make money. Without knowing how much you are charging and what you can expect, you will not be able to grow a profitable enterprise.
2. Consistency - There needs to be a consistent customer experience so they can trust in your name

How is a rate card formatted (Simple example)

A. Rates determined by length of the script:

1. 5 words (2 seconds)
2. 50 words (20 seconds)
3. 500 words (3 minutes)
4. 5000 words (33 minutes)
5. 50,000 words (5.5 hours)

B. Broadcast Rates and Sizes Online

1. 10,000 people
2. 100,000 people
3. 1M people
4. 10M people
5. 100M people

How do you price your rate card?

3 ways to do it:

1. Industry Standards: GVAA is a great place to start your search
2. What are your operating costs
3. What are the trending rates on the platform you are on?

Do you post it?

1. Do you...

There is no doubt that voice-over rates cause more havoc in our small VO community than anything else. When I first started in voice-over, I stepped right in the middle of it with people telling don't charge too much and others telling me to charge more. 

I certainly had no idea what to expect for pricing. I heard things like don't undervalue yourself, and make sure you are not cutting the industry. 

Whenever we try to put a price on someone, with the caveat of, "How much am I worth"? It strikes a real cord, on a personal level.

You can't value someone, that is impossible. The conversation always goes to this. 

But to me, this is the mistake that most of us are making. We keep looking at pricing as a function of what WE are worth and not a representation of what our BUSINESSES are worth.

If you haven't had a chance yet, listen to our latest episode of A VO's Journey Podcast here with an interview with Philip Chryssikos.

This needs to be talked about more, and it...