Freelance Voice-Over Rates in 2026
Voice-over pricing has two components on almost every job: the session fee for performing and producing the audio, and the usage fee for the client's right to use it. Mixing those two together is how new VOs underprice. This guide anchors per-finished-minute, per-spot, and PFH ranges across the major use cases.
TL;DR — Voice-Over Rates at a Glance
- E-learning / corporate narration: $75–$400 per finished minute.
- Explainer video: $200–$800 per project (60–90 sec).
- Commercial spot: $250–$3,000 base + usage fees.
- Audiobook narration: $200–$500 PFH (indie); $400–$1,000+ PFH (publisher).
- IVR / phone system: $100–$300 per 5–10 prompts.
- Pickups / retakes (script change): $75–$150 per session minimum.
Rates by Use Type
| Use Type | Pricing Unit | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| E-learning | Per finished minute | $75 – $400 / finished minute |
| Corporate narration | Per finished minute | $100 – $500 / finished minute |
| Explainer video | Per project | $200 – $800 / 60–90 sec |
| Web / digital commercial | Spot + usage | $250 – $1,500 + usage |
| Broadcast TV / radio commercial | Spot + usage | $500 – $3,000+ + market fees |
| Audiobook (indie / ACX) | PFH | $200 – $500 PFH |
| Audiobook (publisher) | PFH | $300 – $1,000+ PFH |
| IVR / phone prompts | Per prompt set | $100 – $400 / 10 prompts |
| Animation / character VO | Per session | $250 – $750 / session |
Finished-minute pricing already accounts for the 4–6x multiplier between studio time and edited audio output. A 5-minute e-learning module typically takes 30–45 minutes of recording + 1–2 hours of editing.
Usage Rights Pricing
Usage rights are the biggest lever on commercial VO pricing. They're always quoted on top of the session fee, and they scale with audience size, geographic reach, term, and exclusivity.
| Usage Tier | Multiplier on Session Fee | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Internal / training only | 1.0x | Employee onboarding video |
| Single channel, 1 year | 1.5–2x | Single platform digital ad |
| Multi-channel digital, 1 year | 2–3x | Digital + social ad campaign |
| Regional broadcast, 13 weeks | 2–4x | Local TV/radio spot |
| National broadcast, 1 year | 4–8x | Network TV campaign |
| Perpetual buyout, all media | 3–10x | Full rights transfer (rarely worth it) |
Union vs Non-Union (SAG-AFTRA Scale)
SAG-AFTRA covers most broadcast commercial, animation, video game, and traditional audiobook work. Scale rates are published by job type: $544.50 per spot for a TV commercial as of the 2024 Commercials Contract baseline, with separate use fees by cycle, market, and platform. Most union artists earn above scale once agents, residuals, and session minimums are factored in.
Non-union workdominates e-learning, corporate, IVR, explainer, and indie audiobook. Rates are set by the artist, not contract. Treat the SAG-AFTRA scale as a floor reference even on non-union work — if you're consistently quoting below scale for broadcast use, you're leaving 30–50% on the table.
Fi-Core status lets union members accept non-union work, but with trade-offs that vary by local. Most professionals stay either fully union (for top-tier broadcast and animation) or non-union (for volume across e-learning and explainer).
Studio Fees, Pickups, and Retakes
- Studio rental. Most working VOs have a home booth. When clients require a directed session at an outside studio, bill the studio rental as a pass-through ($150–$400/hr) plus your session fee. Some artists charge a $50–$100 home-studio fee on every booking to amortize booth setup and software.
- Pickups. Re-records due to artist performance error are free. Re-records due to script change, direction change, or production issue should carry a pickup minimum of $75–$150 per session, or higher for travel/booth setup.
- Retakes vs new performance. A retake is redoing the same line. A new performance (different tone, character, or version of the script) is a new session and should be priced as one.
- File preparation. Splitting, naming, normalizing, and delivering in multiple formats (MP3, WAV, AIFF) adds 15–30 minutes per project. Build this into your finished-minute rate or quote it as deliverables prep ($25–$75 flat).
Related Calculators & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What does PFH (per finished hour) mean for audiobook narration?
PFH is the audiobook industry's standard unit: pay for one finished hour of polished, edited audio that ends up in the final book. Producing one PFH typically takes 6–10 hours of studio time (recording, retakes, editing, mastering, proofing). Standard PFH rates run $200–$500 for indie/ACX work and $300–$1,000+ for traditional publisher work. Always quote PFH, never per-hour-in-studio.
When should I charge usage rights on top of session fees?
Always, for any commercial use. Session fees pay for your time producing the audio; usage rights pay for the client's ability to use it. Internal-only and educational uses can be priced as a single bundle, but anything broadcast or paid-media should split the invoice: creative/session fee + usage fee by channel/term/region. Voice-over buyouts that bundle everything are the #1 way artists leave money on the table.
Should I charge an audition fee?
Generally no for normal-length auditions (under 60 seconds, one read). Yes when the client asks for a custom direction, multiple reads, or audition copy that's effectively a usable performance (long-form e-learning samples, multi-character book demos). Charge a discounted half-session rate in those cases, creditable against the booking if you win the job.
How much should I invest in a demo reel?
Plan on $500–$2,500 per demo produced by a professional VO demo producer (commercial, narration, character, audiobook are typical reels). A bad demo is worse than no demo. New artists often need 6–18 months of training and coaching before a demo will land bookings — budget for that runway. A solid 60–90 second demo per category should serve you for 2–3 years before refresh.
What's the multiplier on a full buyout?
Full buyout (perpetual, all media, worldwide) typically commands 3–5x the equivalent one-year single-channel licensed rate. For high-profile campaigns or brand work, the multiplier can reach 8–10x. The safer approach is to refuse perpetual buyouts unless the price genuinely reflects forever-and-everywhere use — most 'buyouts' get sold for 1–2x because clients frame it as a small add-on.