How Much Should New Voice Actors Charge? The TRUTH About VO Rates

If there’s one question every new single solitary voice actor who’s starting to seek work asks starting out it’s this: How much should I charge?

If you're just starting out, the answer isn’t as simple as “pick a number and hope for the best.” Rates in voiceover aren’t arbitrary; they’re based on industry standards, market value, and genre. 

So let’s break this down the right way, because guessing—or even worse, undercharging—can do more damage than you think.

GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com

VO Rates 101: https://vorates101.com

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Well, if there's one question that every single solitary voice actor who starts seekingfor work asks, and especially asks me, is, how much should I charge?
And yeah, if you're just starting out, it's not as simple as just, you know, pick a numberand hope for the best.
Good luck!
Now, rates in voiceover are not arbitrary.

(00:21):
They're based on industry standards and market value and genre.
Alright, so let's break this down the right way because...
Guessing or even worse undercharging can do a lot more damage than you think.
So first let's not put the cart before the horse here.
Even before you start thinking about pricing, are you ready to work?
I know, I know you're eager to get going and get out there and get that work.

(00:44):
But before we talk numbers, let's be real.
Are you ready to work as a professional voice actor?
Because if you jump in too early, you're gonna get your ass handed to you.
So here's what you need to have in place before you start seeking work.
Number one, baseline training several months at minimum.
If you just discovered voiceover through a TikTok video and you haven't had anyprofessional training, newsflash, you're not ready to work.

(01:09):
Period.
Voiceover is a business and just like any professional business, you need professionaltraining.
Several months of coaching in voiceover technique, in script analysis, in characterdevelopment and vocal delivery is the bare minimum before you even start thinking.
about getting paid for your voice.
Investing in coaching will teach you the acting skills you need along with other thingsyou're gonna need like vocal stamina, consistency, and the ability to take direction, be

(01:41):
able to interpret direction.
If you don't have those skills, you're not gonna be competitive.
Yeah, even if you have a naturally great voice, well, welcome to the big leagues.
Everybody here does.
Raw talent alone, that nice voice, that ain't gonna cut it.
My, you have such nice legs, I bet you're a phenomenal dancer.
It's not the way it works.
A trained voice actor who understands how to interpret a script and deliver exactly whatthe client is looking for will always, always, always outperform somebody with a

(02:12):
quote-unquote nice voice.
Number two, pro demos.
Ideally two of them and never DIY them.
Laying down a couple of lines on your USB mic ain't gonna cut it, kids.
Your professional demo.
produced by a professional demo producer will be your calling card.
That's how people will judge you.
That's how people will hire you.

(02:33):
If you're planning to work in, let's say, commercial and corporate narration, then you'regonna have ideally two, but if you can't swing it at first, maybe only one pro demo.
Anything less and you're not gonna be competitive.
And if you're thinking about DIY-ing your demo, watch this video here.
A great demo isn't just a bunch of clips thrown together.

(02:54):
It's crafted strategically to be a showcase of what you can actually produce in the boothwhen left to your own direction and your ability to perform with different styles,
different tones, show some range, and to demonstrate you know what the hell you're doing.
You slap together a homemade demo or a poorly produced demo and it can actually damageyour career.

(03:17):
People who hire us, producers, casting directors, etc.
have long memories.
You put garbage in front of them, they will not forget it.
Third up, a solid voiceover website.
Nobody but nobody is taking you seriously if you've got a scattered social media presenceand a demo buried somewhere on a Google Drive folder.
You need a clean, professional website that showcases your demos, where clients can learnabout your services, and they can contact you to hire you.

(03:47):
If they have to dig around to find your damn demos, they're gonna move on and findsomebody else.
ProVO website should include, first, your demos.
Front and center, easy to play, easy to download.
A short bio that establishes credibility and tells people who you are and what you'reabout.
Remember I said short.
clear contact form so people can get in touch.
And maybe if you want to throw them in some client testimonials if you have them, abooking calendar and maybe your studio specs.

(04:14):
Your website is your digital storefront kids.
If it looks amateurish, then the clients are just going to assume that your work is too.
So if you're missing any of these three foundational pieces, stop worrying about ratesright now and get your ducks in order.
Focus on getting your business set up right first.
So let's say you ignore my advice.
Who the hell is this guy to tell me how to do it?

(04:35):
Okay.
You start auditioning and quoting the rates before you're ready.
What's worst that could happen?
What could possibly go wrong?
Here's what.
First, you'll make a bad impression.
As I said, clients remember bad experiences.
If you don't have the chops yet, you risk delivering subpar work and that client will nothire you again.
Or worse, they'll tell other people.
You'll underprice yourself.

(04:56):
Without understanding what pro rates proper pro rates are, you'll probably charge toolittle, which is not only gonna leave thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on the
table for you, but it's gonna drag down the industry as a whole.
You'll burn out faster.
If you can't land gigs because your skills aren't there yet, frustration is gonna kickyour ass pretty quick.
Way too many people quit this business not because they ultimately weren't good enough.

(05:21):
That's usually never the reason.
It's because they tried to run before they could walk.
And you'll attract low quality bottom feeder clients.
Without pro demos and proper training, the only prospects out there that are ever going totake you seriously are the ones looking for the cheapest possible option.
Do you really want to spend your days voicing $5 YouTube videos for your cousin's friend'sdaughter's mother?

(05:45):
I didn't think so.
All right, so let's say you're in a place where you've got the foundation laid, you'vedone the prep work, you've got the training, you got the pro demos, websites looking good
and clean and everything's playable and downloadable.
Write this down.
The GVAA Rate Guide.
That will be your best friend and the link lives in the description and show notes of thisepisode.

(06:06):
The GVAA Rate Guide is the standard for North American
non-union voiceover rates.
It covers everything from commercials to corporate narration to IVR, medical narration,automotive, you name it.
And the great thing about the rate guide is it provides an objective third-party resourcefor you and your clients for professional rates.

(06:30):
There's no guessing in our business and that's huge.
Think of how many other businesses, graphic design, coding, photography.
And the list goes on where the rates are kind of made up and all over the place.
We are so lucky in this business to have this resource.
But I'll say this, because the GVAA rate guide is so powerful and thorough, it's a lot.

(06:53):
The guide can feel overwhelming at first and it's not exactly easy to navigate and that'snobody at the GVAA's fault, it's just we have a complex rate structure in this business.
But here's the thing, you don't have to memorize the whole damn guide right away, or atall.
start using it as a reference in the genres you're pursuing.
If you're working in commercial and narration, focus there first.

(07:14):
More importantly, you have to know these rates are not set in stone necessarily.
Factors like usage and exclusivity and volume at times, licensing, they all affect thefinal quote.
That's why it's crucial to understand not just what to price, but how to price.
Now, if the GVAA rate guide feels

(07:36):
heavy and overwhelming and like I said, it's kind of a lot.
If it feels like you're reading brain surgery instructions in a foreign language, youain't alone.
That's why I highly recommend checking out Viorates 101.
Viorates 101 is designed to help you make sense out of voiceover pricing.
So you don't have to guess, you don't have to undercharge, you don't have toovercomplicate and overthink things.

(07:59):
You'll learn how to break down a project's scope and price it accordingly.
How and when?
to negotiate rates, what other factors influence a quote or a price other than just howlong is the script?
And how to quote with confidence without second guessing yourself.
Bottom line, if you're serious about making any money in this business, how you structureyour quotes, how you price your services is just as if not more important than your

(08:25):
voiceover training.
Kids, I say it all the time, voiceover is a business.
And if you approach it like that one from the jump,
you'll set yourself up for long-term success.
Take your time, do it right, and when it's time to quote, charge what you're bloody wellworth.
Now if this video helped you and brought you value, please share it with other voiceactors so that we can help them too.

(08:47):
Give us a like, a subscribe, hit that notification bell on YouTube so that you know everytime we publish a new video every week, then jump on over to VioPro.Pro, sign up for our
Move, Touch, Inspire newsletter and get information.
on the VO Freedom Master Plan where we teach voice actors like you how to market theirservices directly to clients so that they're not relying on auditions from middlemen,

(09:09):
agents, pay to plays, you name it.
You can take control of your own career.
Thanks so much for your support.
The more we talk, the more we educate each other, the more we exchange ideas andinformation, the better, stronger industry we're gonna have for ourselves and for our
clients.
Thanks so much and we'll see you next week.