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recommended rates

Voiceover artists working in the UK are usually paid on an hourly basis known as 'basic studio fee' (BSF) - also called 'basic session fee'. Fees vary considerably depending on whether the voice is a celebrity, his or her skill and the type of voiceover session.

What should the producer pay?

BSFs have not changed greatly since the 1990s due to the growing number of voices in the marketplace and the globalisation of the industry, a process which is speeding up. The current figure is in the range of £160 for the first hour upwards when negotiated between a voiceover artist and a client direct. When booking artists via an agency producers can expect to pay between £180-200+ per hour with the voice receiving that amount less the agency’s commission which is typically 15% with some of the larger agents on 16.5%.

It is standard for artists to work at discounted hourly rates for half or full-day bookings or repeat work. Experienced voiceover artists reasonably expect to work for the rates detailed below (before any deductions for commission if you are working via an agent). Voicefinder encourages “new talent” to charge less than experienced voices due to them not being as quick in studio. Producers may want to offer “new talent” voices a fixed fee for the whole job rather than a BSF.

Fee guidelines by type of session

Voicefinder.biz recommends the following rates (revised 2008 - ALL RATES QUOTED ARE BEFORE ANY COMMISSION WHERE APPLICABLE):

• Radio commercials: £180 per hour plus a per script usage fee if aired (usage for broadcast on British radio is usually a buy-out for 3 months per network - amounts vary from £55 for local radio to £400 for national radio (ie. Classic FM)
• TV commercials: £185-£250 per hour plus a per script usage fee if aired
  - usage fee for broadcast on British TV is calculated according to how many times the commercial is broadcast on each terrestrial channel (this type of usage fee is known as TVR - TV Repeats).
  - On cable and satellite TV, a buy-out for one year is more common.
• Documentaries for UK broadcast: £180 BSF per hour plus a rights buy out. Usage is negotiable but should reflect the rights required. For example UK transmission rights only would command a cheaper buy out than deals where the production company is looking for international rights and possible sell through to DVD. Producers and voices should be clear about what rights are required and be prepared to negotiate a session and usage deal of £250-£300 and upwards. The larger documentary makers have been driving hard bargains in recent years.
• Advertising narrative: (usually script reading for pre-tests): £175 per hour (no usage)
• Corporate video: £180-£200 per hour (no usage)
• Corporate promotion: (includes Internet broadcast, promotional CDs, display show exhibits and other business-to-consumer products): £180-£200 plus a buy-out in perpetuity (100% - 200%)
• Computer games: £200 plus usage fee (negotiable - usually a buy-out in the form of a higher hourly rate). One agency has a standard policy of charging £230 for computer games work including the usage.
• Equity rates for ADR: strictly confined to film and television dubbing and educational material. The Equity minimum rate is £220 for film dubbing per 4 hour session. Please check http://www.equity.org.uk/ for specific information regarding any entitlements the voiceover artists may have regarding repeat fees or slightly different rates for television dubbing.

The above fees are a good guide to current rates but should not be seen as rigid.

Usage fees and buy-outs explained

In addition to the BSF artists are sometimes entitled to extra fees depending on the broadcast media, in simple terms the way in which the recorded material reaches the general public. These are usage fees. In exchange for certain limited rights to use the artist's voice a royalty or buy-out will be paid, more often than not on a scale agreed with Equity (the Actor's Union). Commonly, this would be for a television or radio commercial, a video game or perhaps even a documentary.
A buy-out is an agreement where the voice receives an additional fixed fee in return for releasing the rights to his or her voice. For example a voiceover artist might record a talking toy for a one hour BSF of £250 and agree to receive a further payment of £250 (%100) in return for the rights to use that recording in perpetuity.

Royalties are more complex and mainly restricted to television commercials. The basic idea is that any additional payment is linked to the number of times the commercial (and by association the artist's voice) is broadcast. This amount is a calculation relating to the BSF. Put as simply as possible the artist receives a percentage of the BSF which diminishes the more the commercial is aired.
Buy-outs and royalties vary hugely from one project to another. Buy-outs generally favour the production company whilst royalties generally favour the voiceover artist.

Session time management

The first hour of any session is charged as a full hour's fee from the time the artist is booked - even if the session lasts only a few minutes. After that first hour, subsequent hours are charged half hourly until the moment the session is finished. For example a session lasting two hours and twenty minutes would be charged as 2.5 times the BSF. Any portion of less than ten minutes is often waived. In this situation it is advisable to agree the time worked and chargeable before leaving the studio to avoid misunderstandings.
Start the clock from when the booking begins, including in situations where the voice has to wait for the session to start due to a technical problem, another voiceover session running late and delaying the session, or other key people being late or unprepared.