Most voice over artists don’t publish their rates. I understand why. It’s complicated. The range is wide. And there’s always a fear that putting a number on the page will scare someone off before you get to explain the value.
But here’s what that approach actually does: it makes you look like every other website. The prospect has to fill out a form, wait for a response, get on a call, and then hear a number they could have found in five minutes if anyone would just say it. By then, two other people have already quoted them.
So here’s what I can tell you about what voice over costs. Not because I’ve decided to be revolutionary. Because if you’re a producer or a creative director trying to budget a project, you deserve a real answer.
The Range Is Real, and It’s Wide
Voice over rates vary based on how the audio is used, how long it runs, how many markets it reaches, and how long the usage window is. A 30-second spot airing locally for 13 weeks costs less than the same spot going national for a year. That’s not arbitrary. That’s how the industry prices the value of reach.
Broadly, here’s what you’re looking at:
Commercial spots (radio, TV, digital): Local and regional work typically runs a few hundred dollars for a standard usage period. National and broadcast campaigns are more. A lot more. The SAG-AFTRA rate card exists for a reason, and even non-union talent prices market reach into their quotes.
Corporate narration and training: Most corporate narration is quoted per finished minute of audio or per word. Rates in the $200 to $500 per finished minute range are common for professional talent. Short projects have minimum fees. Long projects often have volume pricing built in.
E-learning: Similar to corporate narration. Longer modules at volume sometimes come with a per-word rate. If your organization has ongoing e-learning needs, it’s worth having a conversation about a retainer structure.
Explainer and web video: Usually quoted as a flat rate for the project. A two-minute explainer is one conversation. A 20-module course is a different one.
What You’re Actually Paying For
This is the part that doesn’t show up in rate sheets.
When you hire professional voice over talent, you’re paying for the recording, yes. You’re also paying for the experience that makes the recording work. The ability to interpret a script on the first or second take and not need three hours of direction. The understanding of what makes a commercial read land versus fall flat. The broadcast-wired instincts that don’t require explaining.
Cheap voice over exists. AI voice over exists and it’s getting technically better. Neither one solves the problem of a performance that doesn’t make the listener believe what they’re hearing. That’s still a human problem, and it’s still a skill problem, and the people who have it aren’t giving it away.
How to Get an Actual Quote
Send me the script and tell me where the audio is going. Those two things determine the rate faster than anything else. I’ll get back to you the same day with a number and a timeline.
No forms that ask for 12 fields before I respond. No “let’s jump on a discovery call” before I’ll tell you what I charge. Just the script, the usage, and the quote.
