Here's the part of voice over pricing nobody explains properly. When you book a voice actor you're paying for two things: the recording, and permission to use it. The second one is called usage, and it's the reason the same thirty seconds can cost $75 or $9,000.
This guide takes the whole topic apart in plain words, for clients booking a voice and for voice actors quoting one. It covers what usage is, how long a licence lasts, what “buyout” really means, why where an ad runs changes the price so much, and the questions to ask before anyone records a word. Where it helps, it shows exactly how it works on The Voice Realm rate card, with real numbers.
- Usage calculator
- What usage is
- How long
- Where it runs
- Buyouts
- Online and social
- Six questions
- Questions
What usage actually is
A voice recording is a bit like a song. Making it is one job. Playing it on the radio, on TV and on YouTube for three years is something else, and the person who made it gets paid for that too. In voice over, that permission is called a usage licence, or just usage.
Every licence is a set of limits. Four of them do almost all the work:
The four limits on every licence
- MediaWhere it plays. Radio, TV, paid online ads, a website, an app, a phone system, a training course.
- ReachWhere in the world. One city, one region, a whole country, or several countries.
- TimeHow long. One year, two, three, or for ever (that last one is called perpetuity).
- ExclusivityWhether the voice actor can also voice your competitors. Usually they can, unless you pay for them not to.
The bigger the audience and the longer the time, the more the recording is worth to the client, and the more of the voice actor's sound is tied up in one brand. That's the whole logic. A local bakery's radio ad heard by a few thousand people for a year is a very different deal from a national TV campaign heard by millions for three.
Two parts to every fee
It helps to think of any voice over fee as two parts, even when they're shown as one number.
What you're paying for
- The recordingThe voice actor's time and skill: preparing, performing, the takes, editing and delivering clean files. This part doesn't change much with the audience.
- The licencePermission to use it in the agreed media, reach and time. This is the part that grows when the audience grows.
On The Voice Realm, the price on the rate card already includes the recording and a standard licence. You only pay more when you need more: a bigger area, a longer time, or both. That keeps a small job simple and makes it obvious what a big one costs, before anyone records.
Which jobs carry a time limit, and which don't
This surprises people. Most voice over work doesn't have a time limit at all. Only advertising does, because advertising is where audience size and length of campaign really move the value.
On The Voice Realm rate card
| Kind of job | Licence included |
|---|---|
| Licensed for one year from the date of recording | |
| Radio commercials | 1 year, in the area chosen |
| TV commercials | 1 year, in the area chosen |
| Internet commercials (paid to run on other websites) | 1 year |
| Unlimited use, no time limit (a buyout) | |
| Corporate and explainer videos | Unlimited |
| E-learning and training | Unlimited |
| On hold, phone menus and voicemail | Unlimited |
| Audiobooks, podcasts, apps and websites | Unlimited |
Why the difference? A training video or a phone menu reaches the same people however long you keep it, so there's nothing to scale. A commercial is bought precisely to reach more people, and it's paid to be put in front of them. Its value grows with the campaign, so the licence does too.
Usage calculator
What does a commercial cost for the area and time you need?
How long a licence lasts, and what longer costs
A commercial on The Voice Realm comes with one year of use from the day it's recorded. Need longer? Each extra year adds the same again, and a buyout in perpetuity costs four times the one year price.
Time, on a $150 commercial
| Licence | Multiplier | Comes to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (included) | ×1 | $150 |
| 2 years | ×2 | $300 |
| 3 years | ×3 | $450 |
| Buyout in perpetuity | ×4 | $600 |
Two things to know about time. First, the clock starts at the recording date, not the day the ad first airs, so book close to your launch if the timing is tight. Second, a licence runs out. If a commercial is still running after its year, it needs a renewal, which is simply paying for the extra time. It's far cheaper and friendlier to sort that out before the end date than after.
Where it runs: the biggest lever of all
Area moves the price more than anything else, because it's the closest stand-in for how many people will hear the ad. On our rate card a commercial is priced for its broadcast region (North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and so on), then for how far it reaches inside that region.
Reach, on the same $150 commercial, one year
| Reach | Means | Comes to |
|---|---|---|
| Local | One city or market | $150 |
| Regional | Several markets, a state or a region (+25%) | $187.50 |
| National | The whole country (+500%) | $900 |
The jump from regional to national is deliberate. A national campaign is a different scale of business: more stations, more viewers, and a voice that becomes part of a brand people recognise across the country. If your spot only runs in two cities, say so. Paying national rates for a local campaign is the most common way clients overpay.
The base price changes with the broadcast region too, because ad markets are different sizes. A 16 to 30 second local spot is $150 in North America, $200 in Europe and $75 in Australia and New Zealand. A spot that genuinely runs across many countries at once is priced on its own international rate. The calculator above uses all of these.
Buyouts, and what they really mean
“Buyout” is the most misunderstood word in voice over. People hear it and think “we own it, everywhere, for ever.” Sometimes that's true. Often it isn't.
A buyout just means one payment, no further fees, for whatever was agreed. A buyout for one year of local radio is still one year of local radio. What a buyout covers is set by the media, reach and time written next to it, so always read those, not just the word.
Three buyouts that sound the same and aren't
- Buyout, local radio, 1 yearOne payment, no extra fees, for local radio for a year. After that, a renewal.
- Unlimited use, non-broadcastOur standard for corporate, training, phone and web work: use it as long as you like, in those media.
- Buyout in perpetuityFor a commercial: one payment, its area, for ever. On our rate card, four times the one year price.
Perpetuity means no end date. It's genuinely useful for things that run for years without changing: a brand's sign-off line, an app's onboarding voice, a phone system, a museum guide. It's priced higher because the voice actor gives up every future renewal on that recording, and it's tied to that brand for good. If you're likely to run a spot for more than three years, perpetuity is usually the better deal. If you might change the ad next year, it usually isn't.
And a true “everything, everywhere, for ever” buyout across every media at once is a different, much bigger purchase. We price that separately on request, because it's rarely what a project actually needs.
Online, social and “also on the internet”
The internet is where most usage confusion lives, so here's the simple version.
Is it an internet commercial?
- On your own website or channels, not paid to promoteA video on your site, your own YouTube or social pages, posted normally. That's ordinary web use: no time limit.
- Paid to run on other websitesPre-roll before other people's videos, paid social ads, banner video, connected TV ads. That's an internet commercial: one year, like broadcast.
- A broadcast spot that also runs onlineRadio or TV, plus the same spot online. Broadcast doesn't include online by itself, so choose the “also used online” option ($100, or $200 over 30 seconds).
The test is whether money is spent to put it in front of people who didn't come looking. Boosting a post is paying to promote it, so treat it as an advert. If a spot runs on both radio and TV, choose both on the rate card, because they're different audiences.
Exclusivity
Unless it's agreed in writing, a voice over licence isn't exclusive. The voice actor can record for anyone, including your competitors. For most work that's fine; listeners rarely connect a voice across brands.
Exclusivity matters when a voice is the brand: a long-running campaign where you don't want the same voice selling a rival bank or car next month. If you need it, say so in your brief, name the category narrowly (“banks”, not “financial services”), and give it dates. It's priced on top, because it costs the voice actor work they'd otherwise take.
Union and non-union usage
Everything above describes non-union work, which is what The Voice Realm rate card covers. Union work under SAG-AFTRA in the US runs on a different system: a session fee for the recording, then use fees paid in cycles (often 13 weeks) for as long as a commercial keeps running, plus pension and health on top. It's thorough, and it's a lot more paperwork. Our SAG-AFTRA rate calculator works those figures out for you.
Usage and AI
One more line belongs in every licence now. A usage licence is permission to use a recording in agreed places. It isn't permission to copy the voice, train an AI model on it, or make new lines the actor never recorded. On The Voice Realm that's in the terms: unless it's specifically agreed with the voice actor and us, no recording is used for AI audio or data training. If you need AI rights for a project, ask first; it's a separate agreement with its own price.
Six questions to settle before anyone records
Get these answered in writing and nobody is surprised later. Clients, put them in your brief. Voice actors, ask them if they're missing.
The usage checklist
- What is it?A commercial, or a corporate, training, phone or web piece? That decides whether time and area apply at all.
- Where will it play?Radio, TV, paid online ads, your own site and channels, or all of them.
- Is any of it paid promotion?Paid social and pre-roll are advertising, even on your own account.
- How far does it reach?One city, a region, the whole country, or several countries.
- For how long?One year from recording, two, three, or for ever.
- Any exclusivity or AI use?Both are off unless agreed, and both are priced separately.
Not sure yet? Book the smallest licence that fits today and add to it later. Extending a licence is easy. Paying for reach you never used isn't something you get back.
For voice actors: why usage protects you
It can feel awkward to talk about usage, especially early on. Don't skip it. Usage is what stops one modest fee turning into years of free national advertising with your voice on it. A clear licence also makes renewals simple: when the year is up and the spot is still running, there's a written reason to be paid again.
When you quote, write the licence next to the price: media, reach, time, and “non-exclusive”. Keep the end date in your calendar. And if a client asks for a “buyout”, ask them what they mean by it, out loud, before you agree a number. On The Voice Realm the rate card does this for you on every booking, so you and the client see the same terms. If you're looking for work that's priced this way, see how to choose the right voice over marketplace.
For clients: getting it right first time
The easiest way to get usage right is to let the voices quote from the same card. On The Voice Realm you choose the job, the area and the time, and every voice actor works to that published rate, so there's no haggling and no surprise invoice later. Then:
- Post a free casting and voice actors who fit send you a read of your own script, free.
- Or browse the voices and book one straight from their demos. You're covered by our Voice Satisfaction Guarantee.
- We hold the payment until you're happy with the recording, and you get an instant tax receipt.
Questions people ask
What does usage mean in voice over?
Usage is permission to use a recording: where it plays, how far it reaches, for how long, and whether it's exclusive. You pay for the recording and for that permission, and the permission is the part that grows with the audience.
How long can I use a voice over?
On The Voice Realm, radio, TV and internet commercials are licensed for one year from the recording date, and can be extended or bought out in perpetuity. Corporate, training, phone, web, app and audiobook work has no time limit at all.
What is a buyout in voice over?
One payment with no further fees, for whatever media, area and time were agreed. It doesn't automatically mean everywhere or for ever, so always read the terms written next to the word.
How much does a buyout in perpetuity cost?
For a commercial on our rate card, four times its one year price, in the same area. A $150 local spot is $600 in perpetuity. Everywhere-in-every-media buyouts are priced separately.
Can I use my radio or TV ad online too?
Yes, but broadcast doesn't include online by itself. Add the “also used online” option on the rate card: $100 for spots up to 30 seconds, $200 for longer ones.
Can I post my video on my own social media?
Yes. Posting a corporate or explainer video on your own website and channels is ordinary web use, with no time limit. Paying to promote it, including boosting a post, makes it an internet commercial.
The words, decoded
- Usage
- Permission to use a recording, limited by media, reach, time and exclusivity.
- Licence
- The written version of that permission. The thing a renewal extends.
- Buyout
- One payment, no further fees, for whatever was agreed. Not automatically for ever or everywhere.
- Perpetuity
- No end date. On our rate card, a commercial in perpetuity costs four times its one year price.
- Renewal
- Paying for more time on a recording that's already made. More area or new media is a bigger licence, not a renewal.
- Local, regional, national
- How far a commercial reaches: one market, several markets or a state, or the whole country.
- Internet commercial
- A spot paid to run on websites other than your own: pre-roll, paid social, connected TV ads.
- Tag
- The short line at the end of an ad that changes between versions, like a store address or a sale date. $25 each on our rate card, whatever the area or time.
- Exclusivity
- A promise not to voice competitors in a named category for a set time. Priced separately.
- Session fee and use fee
- Union words for the two parts of a fee: the recording, and the use, paid in cycles.
The Voice Realm figures on this page are from our published rate card on the date shown above, for non-union work, in US dollars. Rates for a booking are always the ones on the rate card when you book. This guide explains common practice; it isn't legal advice, and union agreements set their own terms.
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