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RATES

VOICEOVER RATES

A quick but important note on voiceover rates.

Voiceover is quoted for on an individual, per job rate.
Here's why.
Every job has its own specific requirements and cost factors. These being:

It's Genre
(What type of job is it)

It's Usage
(What platforms will it be released on)

The Length of Time it's used for
(How many months or years will it be publicly available for)

  • How fast can you deliver?
    This industry works fast, and so do I! As a full-time, professional voice artist, I aim to deliver all jobs inside of 24 hours during the working week. It’s really important to me to be transparent with my clients so, if for any reason, I’m not able to deliver inside that timeline (whether that be my availability or due to it being a particularly large job), I will always give you a clear delivery window so you know exactly when to expect your new audio.
  • How much does it cost?
    Voiceover rates are generally calculated on a per-project basis. This is due to just how incredibly variable each project can be. The way I put together a quote is using a few bits of info; - What type of project is it? - What’s the usage? - How long will the audio be used for? - What’s the word count of the script? The more info you can send me at the start of a project, the more accurate I can be with my quote. But don’t worry if you’re new to this or it all seems a bit confusing; I’ve been doing this for close to a decade and I’m here to help! We can chat it all through together and I can advise on anything that isn’t clear. You can read up on my personal rates guide here. If you’re working with a specific budget then please let me know upfront and we can see if we’re a fit for each other. If you’d like a couple of quick (and excellently put together) resources on standardised voiceover rates, then check out: Gravy For The Brain’s Rates Guide (the UK’s most comprehensive voiceover rates guide). Global Voice Acting Academy’s Rates Guide (for international and US markets). Gravy For The Brain’s Licensing & Usage Guide
  • Can I use your audio for AI projects or use AI to re-record sections of my script?
    The only thing I explicitly do not allow my audio to be used for is AI. That means you can’t use my audio to clone an AI voice, create a Text-To-Speech (TTS) application, or research or develop a synthetic voice. Crucially, this also means that you cannot use AI to create new audio of my voice in order to re-record small amendments to the script. Script changes that need to be re-recorded must always be done by the OG, flesh’n’blood version of Barney. For more information on AI usage exclusions please do drop me a line, I’m always happy to chat, or see the AI Clause in my invoice-contract.
  • What if I don’t like the voiceover? Do you do revisions?
    I sure do! I want each and every client to love the product we create together! I have an unlimited revisions policy for my projects, which lasts all the way up until the project releases. If you’d like me to make some changes then just let me know what needs tweaking and I’ll dive into it as quick as I can. Please note; revisions assume there are no changes to the script. For script amendments that need re-recording I do reserve the right to charge an additional fee. I do also reserve the right to charge an additional re-record fee for particularly large projects such as audiobooks and eLearning jobs over an hour in length.
  • Do you offer free demos?
    Absolutely! This is standard practice in the VO world and a great chance for us to get a head start on things like voice tone, style and project aims. Send me a sample of your script (a few lines to a paragraph at most) along with any notes, instructions or directions for the performance, and I’ll have a demo back to you as fast as I can manage.
  • What if I want to direct you live?
    Say no more! (In fact, let me say it for you – that’s my whole shtick after all). I offer live sessions inclusive with all quotes, and it couldn’t be a simpler system. We can hop onto a call via any video conferencing platform (Google Meet, Teams, Zoom) or specific voiceover live session platforms (Source Connect, Cleanfeed) and you can listen to me live as I voice, adding in your creativity and direction to the process. I’ll happy send you as much of the session audio as you like once the session’s over.
  • How do I pay for my new voiceover?
    I accept payments via Bank Transfer, PayPal & Revolut. All my payment details will be on my advanced invoice. I prefer payments via Revolut for non-UK buyers and I can send you a direct-payment-link in these cases. Please note; I always quote in my native currency, £-GBP, and my payment terms require payment in 30 days or less of receiving the initial delivery.
  • How will you send the audio to me?
    I generally send audio via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) systems. The most well-known of these is WeTransfer, although these days I prefer TransferNow as it has longer expiry dates for its shareable links. I can also send audio via email attachment (if the file size is small enough) & G-Drive. If you’ve got another way you like things done then let me know and I’ll do my best to accommodate.
  • What format will the audio be in?
    My normal audio format is a WAV file type, 48kHz, 24 bit, mono. But I can adapt to whatever you need. If you’ve got specifics then just let me know what they are and I’ll make it happen. My audio chain can handle audio up to 96kHz & 32 bit float. Demos are delivered in MP3.
  • Is there anything you don’t do?
    I like to go the extra mile for my clients and I’m up for pretty much any challenge! So, there’s very little I’ll say no to. The only thing I explicitly do not allow my audio to be used for is AI. Please see the AI drop down (above) for more info here. I do also reserve the right to refuse extremely sensitive or offensive material such as NSFW/explicit material, and highly sensitive social or political issues.
  • What project info should I provide for the recording?
    I’m a professional and can work with as much or as little detail as you’re happy to send me. I know some projects are under strict NDAs so it’s completely up to you how much info you send to me. Some useful things to send across, if you are able, are: • Written, audio or visual project materials e.g. storyboards, mood-boards, backing music, scratch videos or final project videos. • Tonal references e.g. other videos/audio that you’d like us to mirror or references from my own voice demos and previous projects. • Direction and notes from yourself e.g. pacing, emotional qualities, key points or words to stress. • Target market & demographic info i.e. who are our audience? • Pronunciations: any unusual words or organisation names that need to be pronounced in a specific way.
  • I’m not seeing my question here.
    Cool, you’re a details person; so am I! I’m also super easy to contact and effortless to chit chat with. Get in touch with me at: - barney@barneycoopervoiceover.com - Via +44 7791 403 177 (Whatsapp messages tend to be best, in case I’m recording with my phone on silent when you reach out) - Or via the contact me page on this website. I can’t wait to have a natter with you!

The Geographical Regions it's used in
(Is it company-internal, regional, national or worldwide)

The more information you can give me, the more accurate I can be when quoting.

But please don’t hesitate to reach out no matter what as I’m always happy to chat through any potential project and advise on applicable rates and pricing.

If you’ve already got a budget in mind, then let me know. Us voice artists always do our best to be as accommodating as possible and find the ‘everyone’s-happy medium’.

Remember; I’m try before you buy kinda guy, too! If you’d like a free, no-obligation demo to make sure we’re the right fit for each other then just let me know!

RATES GUIDE

Whilst each job is quoted on an individual basis, this guide acts as my start-point for any new quote. 
Use the buttons the skip to the most relevant category for your project.

Internet Commercials
Streaming Commercials

Web / Internet Commercials
 
Online commercials that are only shown on the internet, such as promoted material on social media, YouTube pre-roll, on-website commercials (e.g. Amazon product listing videos) and Google Ads / Meta Ads / TikTok Ads.
 
BSF – starting at £250.00
Usage – starting at 400% BSF per year

Streaming Platform Adverts / ‘OTT’ Commercials  

Commercials that are shown via common streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime etc. These are sometimes known as ‘OTT’ or ‘Over The Top of TV’ commercials.

 
BSF – starting at £300.00

Usage – starting at 500% BSF per year

Explainers
Corporate (Public)

Explainers
 
Short, unpromoted films hosted on the internet that explain how something works. These are usually animations or cartoons, and generally hosted on organisation’s websites and video sharing platforms such as YouTube.
 
BSF – starting at £250.00
Usage – ranging from 50% - 400% of BSF per year, depending on the expected reach/audience numbers for the video

Corporate Content & Brand Films  

Publicly available online content hosted on the internet, organisation’s websites and social channels and without advertising spend behind them (non-paid). Usually live-action & stock footage.
 
BSF – starting at £250.00
Usage – starting from 100% of BSF per year, depending on the expected reach/audience numbers for the video

eLearning
TV Commercials

eLearning
 
Educational content delivered via digital devices such as computers, smart phones and tablets. Can be hosted publicly online, internally or sold as a purchasable product.
 
Rate – starting at £0.20 per word recorded.
Usage – included in the BSF fee.
Minimum Fee - £125.00

TV Commercials

Traditional ‘broadcast’ advertising; commercial content shown on terrestrial, satellite and cable television channels.
 
BSF – starting at £300.00
Usage – terrestrial television content is always calculated via TVRs (Television Ratings). Satellite and cable content may be calculated by impressions converted to TVRs. I calculate all three using this excellent TV fee calculator.

Corp Internal
Gaming

Corporate Internal
 
Corporate content that is not publicly available, often hosted behind a paywall, on an organisation’s intranet or used in pitch meetings.
 
BSF – starting at £200.00
Usage – included in the BSF fee above. As this content is not public facing, it does not require an additional usage fee, however if the content’s usage ever changes to publicly available then it requires a separate usage fee to be purchased.

Video Games  

Dialogue and character voice acting for player characters and NPCs in video games. Games are graded as AAA, AA, A or Indie and may release on multiple platforms (Xbox, PS, Nintendo, PC) or just a single platform
 
BSF – starting at £200.00
Usage – always negotiated on a per-project basis. For indie games I quote based on the VAC Rate Guide

Audiobooks

Audiobooks
 
Audiobook narration for both fiction and non-fiction titles. The below rates include recording, proof reading, and post production including audio cleaning and mastering to Audible / ACX standards (the gold-standard for audiobook file quality and formatting). Clients will receive a full recording of the entire book, ready for immediate upload to their preferred audiobook platform.
 
BSF – £220.00 per finished hour
Usage – included in the per finished hour fee above. No additional usage fee required.
Additional Fees – For fiction titles with character voices I charge an additional, one-off £220.00 fee to cover prep time and character voice development.

Additional Information – 
‘Per finished hour’ means the final length of the book in hours multiplied by the BSF rate listed above. E.g. a 10 hour book would be charged at £220.00 x 10.
Minutes are rounded up to the nearest whole hour. E.g. a 10 hour and 17 minute book would be charged at an 11 hours rate.
I do not upload the finished audiobook onto audio platforms for clients. This must be done by the author or the publishing/production house themselves.
I offer a ‘Quality Control Guarantee’ with all bookings. If the audiobook fails its quality control test on upload to an audiobook platform then I will revise the audio until it passes its quality control test.
Before starting to record the full book, and if requested to do so, I will send a ‘test sample’ to clients to confirm tonality, performance and any character voices we’re using. Revisions or re-record requests made after the initial delivery of the completed audio will be charged at the standard per finished hour rate.

IVR / Telephony

IVR / Telephony
 
Voiceover recordings for answer phone messages, phone trees and telephone Interactive Voice Response systems. Rates are calculated ‘per prompt’, which means a single line of dialogue preceding the caller inputting a response.
 
Rate – starting at £7.50 per prompt recorded.
Usage – included in the per word fee above. No additional usage fee required.
Minimum Fee - £75.00

Not seeing your project type listed here? 

No problem! Reach out to me via my contact page for a free, no-obligation quote.

Copyright & Intellectual Property: Terms & Conditions

All prices for all projects are quoted pro-rata. All copyrights, intellectual property rights, broadcasts rights and any other rights associated with the author (for clarity, the artist hired by the hiring entity, namely in this instance Barney Cooper), and the authors’ works and/or performances shall remain with the authors. Upon full payment of the invoice associated with the project, the license to use the audio is granted by the author for usage rights of the works listed in the invoice associated with the project.​

​

License details
The author’s works may be used by the hiring company for a period of one-year, unless otherwise stated in the line items and usage rights description in the invoice, upon which time the works shall cease to be used, or an additional usage payment (equal to the usage payment in this invoice) shall be made to the author. The author’s works may only be used for the agreed product or service (and any of the platforms or mediums) detailed in the invoice line-items, and not in any additional productions or services in the future unless otherwise stated.

 

For the sake of clarity, this also means that the works may never be incorporated into any text-to-speech, synthetic voice, or AI Voice models, on any platform or medium, known now or in the future.

 

The author’s works may only be used in the geographical region as specified in the invoice line-items, unless otherwise stated; if no geographical region is stated then the license specifies that this is the hiring company’s country location only. The hiring company may not transfer the works, nor this license to any third parties, (including the sale of the hiring company itself) without the written consent of the author.

 

Payment Schedule & Late Payment

Full payment shall be made within 30 calendar days from the point of initial delivery of the entire project. Should payment not be received within 30 days of the date of delivery of the files as per above then Barney Cooper shall have the option of charging interest at 12% per annum (1% per month) on the full balance due.

The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002, as amended by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013, applies to all invoices sent by Barney Cooper. For more information please see the Pay On Time website.

If you believe that you will not be able to pay inside of 30 calendar days from the point at which you receive the initial delivery then this must be discussed before the project begins and a specific payment schedule must be agreed between both of us. I do aim to be as flexible as possible, within reason, but only if advance notice is given and an arrangement agreed before work begins.  

Copyright and Terms & Conditions
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