Every voiceover project is unique – which makes it tricky to set a standard, one-size-fits-all rate.

It’s easy to assume that longer scripts automatically mean higher costs, but that’s not always the case. Pricing often depends more on how the recording will be used than on its length. In fact, a 5,000 word childrens audio book might cost less than a 30 word script for a 30' TV commercial!

That said, there are some base costs that tend to apply across most voiceover work. A good place to guide you is here https://rates.gravyforthebrain.com/

In voiceover work, BSF stands for Basic Studio Fee or Basic Session Fee and is the base rate paid to a voice actor for their time spent recording a script, similar to a minimum call-out fee for other trades. It covers the cost of the session, including studio time or home studio time and basic delivery of edited files, but it does not include usage fees, which are separate payments for the commercial or public use of the recording.

If your video will be hosted online or broadcast publicly, a usage fee will apply.

When you hire a voiceover artist, you're not purchasing the recording outright. Instead, you're buying a license to use the voice recording. Even if you hold the copyright to the script, the voiceover artist retains the rights to their performance – this is protected by law. That’s why the term usage is often used: you're paying for the right to use the recording, not to own it.

For certain types of content — such as internal corporate videos or e-learning/training modules — usage is typically included in the overall price.

However, for most commercial or public-facing projects, professional voiceover artists will charge a separate usage fee. This could either be a percentage of the Basic Session Fee or a fixed amount.

Usage fees are usually based on:

• The geographical reach of the voiceover (local, national, international)

• The size of the audience who will hear or see the content

• The number of platforms it will appear on (e.g., web, TV, radio)

• The length of time the license is valid

Running my voiceover business comes with some fixed costs, so I have to pass those on to you. That’s why most jobs come with a £250 Basic Session Fee. This covers pretty much all kinds of voiceover work, from explainer videos to corporate business videos

If you’re planning to use the voiceover online or on TV/radio, there’s also an extra Usage Fee. How much that is depends on a few things:

• Where in the world the voiceover will be heard

• How many people will see, hear, or use the product with the voiceover

• How many platforms it’ll be played on (like online, TV, radio)

• How long you want the license for

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For example, a license for use in one country, on just one platform, for one year usually costs less. But if you want the recording used globally, across radio, TV, and online for three years, the price goes up.

Sometimes companies want to license the voiceover everywhere, on every platform, forever (“in perpetuity”). That kind of license is much more expensive — sometimes so much that it’s not even practical.

It’s a team effort, and you’re in full creative control — which is how I like to work. I’ll send you a link for Source Connect or CleanFeed, and you just click it to connect to my studio from wherever you are, whether that’s home or the office. It’s kind of like a phone call, but I hear you right through my headphones.

You can listen in as I record, give feedback, and help me nail exactly what you want, right from the start.

All voiceover material on this website is the Copyright of Karis Pentecost. Downloadable Demos and other voiceover audio samples are solely for client evaluation. They are not licensed to any other party for AI training or any other purpose beyond assessing Karis Pentecost's suitability for your project.

An AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) Rider applies to any agreement made between Karis Pentecost and their clients.

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