Voiceover FAQ's
If you've never worked with a professional female voiceover artist before and haven't got a clue how it works, or perhaps you do work with voice artists but you want to know more about how I work, you've come to the right place!
Below I have listed the most common questions I get asked. If you've got one that I haven't answered, don't be shy and get in touch!
​TECHNICAL VOICEOVER QUESTIONS
​​​​What formats will you supply the files in?
Most audio formats can be supplied, but the most common are mp3 and wav.
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Can you guarantee broadcast quality audio?
Yes, of course!
Please check out my studio page for details of my recording studio as well as a full list of my professional audio equipment.​​​​​
THE VOICEOVER PROCESS
​​What's your normal turnaround time?
I pride myself on being a professional female voiceover with fast turnarounds, usually under 12 hours. I can normally guarantee pretty swift audio, often the same day. For you radio producers out there, yes, 9 times out of 10 I'm available for live, on-demand sessions!
If we work together on a live session, I send the RAW audio immediately after so there's no delay. For longer projects and projects that require mastered audio, we will have already agreed a deadline which is always guaranteed.
I need a voiceover urgently and need a fast turnaround. Can you help?
I'll certainly try!
If you need a voice urgently, the best thing to do is to call, WhatsApp or email me and I'll get back to you ASAP to let you know what can be achieved.
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Can I listen to the recording live and provide real-time feedback?
Yes absolutely! I love live sessions and there are lots of ways we can do this. For example using Cleanfeed, Source Elements, Zoom etc. Doing it this way means you're able to listen in to the recording session and provide real-time feedback from anywhere in the world.
How does a remote voiceover recording work?
Once we have agreed the on the price and licensing terms for the project, we'll set up a time to record together live. If you have a preferred platform to meet me on, you can invite me, alternatively, I can invite you to Zoom, Cleanfeed or Source Connect. I'll be recording form my professional broadcast quality studio and you'll be listening to my voice coming straight down from the mic into your ears in real time. All you need is some headphones and ideally Google Chrome as your browser. I will record natively at my end. It could be just us or if you have directors or the client or branding agency for example, they can all dial in and join the session to be part of the creative process. Oh and don't worry, you don't have to be a 'Director', it just mens you can listen in real time and provide real time feedback making sure you get exactly what you're after. Immediately after the session I'll send you the clean RAW audio with all takes.
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I don’t want to do a live session. Can you self-direct?
I can indeed!
Being a professionally trained female British voiceover artist with a professional studio, I have the tools and techniques to interpret scripts and get cracking solo! It always helps if you have some information you can share with me such as the intended audience, how you want them to feel and any particular style notes. ​
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Do you offer free voiceover pick ups in your fee?
In a nutshell, if I've made a mistake or haven't delivered a line in exactly the right way (according to the brief set out and agreed prior to recording), I will of course make things right at no extra charge. However if script changes take place after the recording or a change in brief requires a re-take then an extra charge will be incurred. Please see my T&C's for my policies on pick ups, revisions and retakes.
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Can you attend a voiceover session in-person?
Of course! Although I record the lion's share of my work from my own broadcast quality studio, I often travel to studios further afield to record in person. Just send me all the specs of the project and where you'd like me to be and when and I'll come back to you with my availability ASAP.
VOICEOVER PAYMENT QUESTIONS
What are your payment terms?
My standard payment terms for repeat clients are 30 days.
For new clients I kindly ask for 50% of the total agreed fee in advance of recording, and the remaining 50% balance prior to delivery of the final files.
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What are your T&C's
You can find my full T&C's here.
How much does a voiceover cost?
Ah ha! The golden question! The short answer?.. It depends on:
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1. What the script is for
2. Where it is going to be broadcast
3. And for how long
What information do I need to provide to get a voiceover quote?
Every project is completely unique and that’s how I treat them when it comes to quoting. An advertising campaign for LandRover is very different to that for a local car dealership.
Here are a few questions I try and get answered, to help me quote fairly:
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What is it I'll be voicing? (Is it a Radio Ad, TVC, Explainer, Corporate Brand Film, eLearning tutorial, Museum Audio Guide etc.)
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Who’s it for? Can you share the end client with me? If not, feel welcome to send me an NDA.
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Where’s it going to be broadcast? (Online, TV or Radio broadcast, Socials, Podcasts, Streaming, Events for example? Or is it just for internal company use only?)
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How long do you need the voice for? (For example 6- 12months, 1-2 years, 3-5 years?)
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Can you share the script with me? If not, do you know how long it is?
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What geographic regions will the content be used? (UK only, Worldwide etc)
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Are you happy for me to send you clean, RAW audio? Or would you prefer 'Ready To Go' audio that I've mastered for you?
What does a voiceover's BSF stand for?
'BSF' stands for either 'Basic Session Fee' or 'Basic Studio Fee'. In a nutshell it’s the fee agreed to record a script without any ‘usage’ or ‘residuals’ attached.
Usually, calculating a BSF is easy, it's a minimum or hourly rate.
Small projects that may only take a few minutes to record are paid as a minimum BSF, ensuring it’s still worth the voiceover's time whether they record at home or to travel to record at a studio location.
What is a voiceover’s BSF?
Every voiceover sets their own BSF. In the UK it commonly ranges from £200 - £400 p/hr. As a professionally trained voiceover artist, my BSF is £250. This is a fixed price that I charge for doing most kinds of voiceover work.
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What is included in a voiceover's BSF?
Included in my BSF is the following:
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The hire of my professional recording studio which includes all of my industry standard equipment which you can read more about on my studio page. This ensures that you get guaranteed broadcast quality recordings, every time.
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A live directed voiceover session (unless you prefer for me to self-record). It's simple and straightforward to connect with me for a live session. We can use platforms like Zoom, Google Meet or Teams, or on bespoke audio options such as Cleanfeed, Sessionlink Pro or Source Connect.
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The benefit of my experience and ongoing training as an award winning voiceover artist.
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Clean RAW audio from the session which I will send to you immediately, sent via WeTransfer, Smash or similar.
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My BSF also includes audio storage for 5 years. This means that later down the line if you want to give your project a revamp, change a bit here or there, I'll have the original RAW files to work from saving you time and money.
What does a voiceover BSF cover?
The BSF usually covers most corporate videos, documentaries, audio guides and commercials for TV or online.
When a project is going to be public facing or broadcast somewhere, for example a website or TV/ radio, then a usage fee will be added on top of the BSF.
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What is voiceover usage?
To put it simply, it's the 'royalty' you pay depending on the number of ears or eyes that the broadcast will reach.There are 3 different types of voiceover usage:
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Organic usage
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Online commercial usage
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TV commercial usage
Organic usage
Organic usage applies when you are broadcasting your video on your website or your socials and you're not paying for advertising. In this instance you will be quoted a BSF price for the recording and a price for an organic usage license. These vary in duration and are negotiable, depending on the size of the company and the expected reach. The reason you need to purchase a licence is because although you own the copyright to your script, you don't own the copyright to the voiceover talent's performance.
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Online commercial usage
Online commercial usage kicks in when you are broadcasting your content online, with paid advertising. In this instance you will be quoted a BSF price for the recording and a price for an online commercial usage license. These vary in duration and are negotiable, depending on the expected reach/ number of purchased impressions. The reason you need to purchase a licence is because although you own the copyright to your script, you don't own the copyright to the voiceover talent's performance.
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TV commercial usage
TV commercial usage applies when you market your product or services in a commercial broadcast on TV and use a professional voiceover to enhance your product and the campaign. When you purchase a commercial, the cost depends on how many people will see it. The exact same applies to the TV commercial usage licence that you will be quoted from your voiceover talent, along with their BSF. These vary in duration and are negotiable, and they are directly linked to the audience reach. The reason you need to purchase a licence is because although you own the copyright to your script, you don't own the copyright to the voiceover talent's performance. In the UK, the reach of a TV ad is measured in TVR's or 'Television Ratings'. 1 TVR is the same as 500,000 impressions.
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Each of these licences comes with it's own T&C's which can get a bit complicated and are often negotiated by agents. If you would like to speak to my agent, please get in touch.
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OTHER POPULAR QUESTIONS
​Do you have an agent?
Yes I do.
I'm repp'd in the UK by Alex and Siân at the wonderful Foxy Tongue Voices.
In New Zealand I'm repp'd by Sarah and Maisy at Big Mouth Voices
I need a professional male voiceover. Can you recommend any?
Absolutely. I have a carefully curated roster of exceptional male (and female) talent that I'm more than willing to share. Get in touch if you'd like some suggestions.
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