Voiceover FAQ

What are your voiceover rates?

Voiceover rates differ depending on the usage type, length of use, the number of words, pages or minutes in your script, and whether the voiceover is a synced recording or wild (= no timing or syncing constraints). In addition, we have voice talents in each language to accommodate every reasonable budget, but please note that not all voice talents have the same rates. That’s where we come in. Please contact us with a description of your job, your budget, and any special information you think we should know, and we will get right back to you with a quote and a preliminary selection of voice talent appropriate for your needs!

What are your accepted methods of payment and payment terms?

We begin production upon receipt of a 50% deposit of the total agreed-upon cost of your project. This deposit is payable via ACH (preferred), PayPal, Credit Card, bank or wire transfer, or company check. The remaining 50% is due upon completion of the project. Pickups may be requested at any time, even after your balance is paid.

Is there a minimum fee?

There is a minimum session fee for every voiceover project. Depending on the language, script length and voice talent selected, the minimum may be as low as $100-150. This is to cover the setup time involved in any studio recording, talent and engineer time. This minimum may not apply in ongoing or corporate contracts.

How long are your quotes valid?

Every quote is valid for 30 days from issuance. Voiceover sessions are scheduled according to talent availability.

What is your turnaround time?

That depends upon the size and complexity of your project. Small projects can have a 24 hour turnaround time, assuming talent availability. We have been known to do same-day work as well! Contact us and let us know what you need. We’ll always go the extra mile to make it happen for you.

Do you guarantee your work?

Your satisfaction is our goal. From developing a custom quote based on your project’s unique parameters, to sending samples of our work in progress to you along the way, we are committed to getting the job done right, on time, and in budget.

We know from experience that happy clients are repeat clients. So we work very hard to make sure we know exactly what you are expecting before we begin recording. For most large projects, we will send you test recordings for your approval of our recording settings and voiceover direction. Once you sign off on these test recordings, we save these settings and use them throughout your project. We stand by our work and will always correct our mistakes at no extra charge – we only require that you submit one request with all changes compiled together, and then we will schedule a recording session for these corrections. Client-side changes to the script or direction after the recording session, or multiple pickups requests, may incur additional charges.

How do you deliver the finished audio files? What file format do you use?

We deliver the finished audio files via email, wetransfer, Dropbox, FTP upload, direct to your server or even overnight mail– your choice.

As for file format, wav and mp3 are the most common. Some IVR applications may require vox files. There are hundreds of formats available, so if it’s an unusual format, we may need to know what codec you are using in order to guarantee compatibility. But we’ll figure out how to do it, and get it to you in the format you need. A consultation with our chief engineer is only an email away.

For a voiceover job that requires translation, why is your quote sometimes an estimate?

Word length and sentence construction vary greatly from language to language. You should expect the translated version of an English document to be approximately 20% longer in Spanish, for example. While this will not affect your translation costs because translation fees are based on the source language wordcount, this does mean that we may not have a final word count or time estimate for your target-language recording until the translation is complete. At that time, we may send you an updated invoice and you will have the opportunity to review the cost of your project. This awareness should help you plan your timeline and budget more accurately.

When translating from English, please budget for a possible increase in word count in the target language according to the following percentages:

If your project involves timed or synced voiceover, or voiceover to picture, we strongly recommend that you only use translators who have experience in translating to time code. The extra money you spend getting a high quality translation will save you many times that amount in re-recording the voiceover when it doesn’t fit your video! We have tried and true methods for avoiding that — please ask us for help!

What about dubbing – how do you ensure a good sync?

We have a FAQ dedicated to the art of dubbing and video localization. Check it out here.

In what languages can you handle voiceover recordings? How do you guarantee the accuracy of a recording in a language you do not speak?

We can record voiceover in any language. Based in Los Angeles, we have a huge pool of voice actors from around the world to choose from, plus over one thousand voice actors based in their home countries who have been carefully selected, vetted and trained by us and with whom we have years of experience working. With your approval, we will hold a casting session using our deep casting resources and identify the best voice in your requested language. For intricate and larger projects we can offer you a director or language consultant who is a bilingual native speaker of the target language and can assist in directing the talent during the recording session for an extra level of assurance of an accurate outcome.

As for accuracy, we check all audio recorded in the studio during or after recording with the recording staff. But for an additional level of assurance, we offer an optional Third-Party QA service for every project at very reasonable rates. This service is at your discretion. If you prefer to QA our audio internally and send us a pickups request, we are happy to work in that manner as well.

How do I start?

Contact us for a quote. Please include as much information about your project, timeline and budget as possible so that we can tailor our response to your unique needs. Also, if you provide us with a contact telephone number, we will call you back asap. We look forward to working with you!