How To Use This Voice Over Calculator
Need a great female voice over, but aren’t sure how much it will cost?
Simply and quickly create a base-line quote for your estimates, based on your basic studio fee and a per minute rate.
You can enter the number of words in a script to easily find an estimate of how long the finished audio would be, depending on the speed at which you read.
Basic Studio Fee (BSF)
First enter your Basic Studio Fee. This is the cost of your studio hire per hour, or part thereof, and is usually considered to be your minimum price for a job.
Professionally Made, Professionally Paid –
How Much Should You Budget For Your Professional Voice Over Requirements?
Usage
All work should include some additional usage fee, limited by a set time period. Also known as royalties and residuals. Should the work be used later on, then this is the sum which would be quoted.
Per Minute Rate
How much you charge for each finished minute of finished audio.
Reading Speed
The average reading speed is about 140 words a minute.
Number of Words
The number of words in a script.
One sentence contains an average of 11 words and one A4 sheet contains an average of 32 to 35 sentences. Therefore, an A4 sheet has an average of 350 to 400 words.
Microsoft Word offers a function that allows you to see how many words a document contains. The number of words can be checked by going to File -> Properties, or displayed at the bottom left of the status bar. This word count will not always be exact, since Microsoft Word does not count words in pictures or text boxes, or differentiate the word count in numeric numbers or symbols (such as ampersand or emojis).
Calculated Cost
The total cost is based on the number of words in the script multiplied by your per minute rate, plus the basic studio rate and the usage (if any).
Number of Finished Minutes
The number of minutes is the number of words in the script divided by the average number of words from the drop-down list-box.
Additional Voice Over Costs
Bear in mind that an hour’s finished audio takes up to six hours to record, process and QA.
This tool is meant as a guide only, and full cost would also need to take into account processing and editing requirements (for example number of files required), whether or not the client wishes to listen in on the recording, extras (such as accents or timing to video), the amount of rework expected and, importantly, the type of usage required (i.e. for corporate use, on-line, TV etc) (see also my voice over costings information).
No details are stored or passed to the host when using this calculator (see Terms and Conditions) .
Voiceover Rates
The following sites are great resources for finding the correct rates for professional voiceover artists:
- More information and costings with regard to broadcast usage can be found on usefee.tv.
- Recognized UK Industry Rates: Gravy For The Brain
- UK Union Rates: Equity
- Germany: https://brilliantvoice.com/de/sprecher-preise.htm
- Australia: https://www.meaa.org/download/commercial-voiceover-rates
- France: https://www.voixoff.pro/tarifs-voix-off/
- USA: https://www.globalvoiceacademy.com/sag-aftra-rates/
- Spain: https://www.agencialocutores.com/tarifas/
- New Zealand: https://20413079.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20413079/Voice Over Rates 202023.pdf
Voice Over Resources
https://www.peoplescollection.wales/collections/376944
https://privatebin.support-tools.com/
https://store.source-elements.com/software-products/short-term-licenses
https://www.agencesartistiques.com/agences.cfm
http://bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk/
https://morgan3d.github.io/articles/2016-03-20-pronunciation/index.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3MPFWlx0dyTF9ZqQ6ljycgD/about
https://www.splitpixel.co.uk/how-to-write-the-perfect-website-brief/
https://www.dialectsarchive.com/
https://clincalc.com/PronounceTop200Drugs/HowToPronounce/adalimumab
Professionally Made, Professionally Paid
When it comes to hiring a voiceover artist, one of the most important factors to consider is the fees associated with the work. The fees for a voiceover work can vary depending on several factors, including the length of the script, the type of project, and the experience of the voiceover artist. As a client, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you’re paying for and how much you should expect to pay.
Typically, these fees are based on either the length of the script or the total time of the finished audio. For example, a voice over actor may charge a certain amount per word or per minute of finished audio. Some voiceover artists may also offer package deals, where you can get a discounted rate for larger projects or multiple recordings.
Another factor that can impact the fees for a voice over work is the type of project. For instance, a commercial project that will be used for advertising purposes may have higher fees than a project that will be used for internal corporate training videos. Additionally, the usage rights of the audio can also impact the fees, as more extensive usage rights will typically result in higher fees.
Overall, it’s important to communicate with your voice over talent to determine their fees and ensure that you’re both on the same page. By understanding the fees associated with a voiceover work and communicating openly with your artist, you can ensure that you receive high-quality audio that meets your needs without breaking your budget.
As one of the leading female voice overs in the UK, I use this calculator to work out a baseline for a job, based on my client’s script, my basic studio fee and the reach of the final product (see also my voice over rates page).
Have a go, and see what you think!
And if you want to know more, send me an email and we can discuss your voiceover project in more detail.