how to tell if a rate is acceptable

It’s a good idea to get familiar with generally accepted voiceover rates so that you don’t unintentionally lowball yourself by asking for way less than you should be or ask for a rate so ridiculously high that clients will ghost you. These guides can also serve as something you can share with potential freelance clients if you encounter a lot of pushback on rates.

Rate guide resources

• GVAA Rate Guide (US nonunion industry rates across various categories; both broadcast and non-broadcast)
• Gravy for the Brain Rate Card (international options – can be sorted by country)
• SAG-AFTRA Rate Sheets – Interactive (for US-based union game work – other categories listed at top)
• Edge Studio Rate Card (additional options/ideas)
• VAC Indie Rate Guide (for online smaller budget projects such as indie games or animations)

Analyze pay vs. workload

In addition to being aware of what jobs in a certain category usually pay or should ideally pay, expected workload is a major factor in determining whether a rate is worth it to you personally. Many jobs – particularly those on freelance / online casting sites – will offer a flat rate for a VO project. But how do you know if that flat rate is worth it?

In that case, it’s important to have a good idea of how much work you’ll be expected to do. For example, if a client is offering $200 to “narrate a video”, how long is the script? Where will it be used/distributed?

Other factors affecting whether a rate is worth it

• Time commitment (How long do you estimate will it take you to record the project?)
• Session requirements (Does the client need to do a directed session, to where you will need to book specific time out of your schedule to record when they are available?)
• Deadlines (if the client expects you to record for a large job on an extremely tight turnaround, this can factor into whether or not the rate is appropriate)
• Number of initial takes requested (Acceptable number of takes varies based on the script/line length and medium – for example, asking for an “ABC” take of short effort sounds for a game app is reasonable, but asking for three full takes of a very long e-Learning script is probably excessive)
• Expected editing (Can you turn in a raw file with just the mistakes removed, or do they expect it to be fully edited/broadcast-ready? If they expect each line to be split in a separate file, that is a lot of extra work and should be paid accordingly)
• Potential benefit to your career (certain types of work pay lower than others, but offer a good chance to grow a fanbase/following)
• Level of personal interest (Is this something that you really want to work on/find artistically fulfilling, or does it feel more like just a job?)
• Pronunciations/terms requiring additional prep work (for example, narrating a script with a bunch of unfamiliar medical terms, historical names or foreign-language words you’ll have to research how to pronounce – getting a pronunciation guide from the client ahead of time can help save time, but sometimes you will be expected to do this yourself)
• Vocal strain (Many video games for example will involve some level of exertion, but if you are expected to sustain a voice in a placement that is uncomfortable or most of the lines involve shouting, you may not want to work for anything below a certain rate)
• Potential for future/bulk work (Some clients may offer overall lower rates, but provide very consistent amounts of work to their voice talent)
• Client’s budget/situation (Is this a large company that SHOULD be paying more, or a smaller team doing their best?)
• Expectation of revisions (Will you be expected to provide a certain amount of revisions for free? Do you know if the client tends to be notoriously picky/demanding or require excessive revisions? Clarifying revision policies up front and sending a sample for approval beforehand is good practice.)

Always consider context

Context makes a major difference when asking yourself (or others) if a rate is fair. For example, when you see a national brand posting on a pay-to-play site offering a $150 buyout for a national commercial, that is downright insulting. But if Uncle Jim down the street wants a local commercial recorded for his sandwich shop for $150 or else he’s going to make his son who has no voiceover training come in and record it, chances are he’s not trying to stiff you. Similarly, a professional studio refusing to offer the industry standard 2-hour minimum for a nonunion video game recording can be considered unacceptable, but this requirement is often waived for indie dev teams who simply cannot afford these high minimums and would otherwise make their game without VO or (even worse) consider using text-to-speech.

Now, do you have to accept a lower rate just because a client says they can’t afford the standard? Of course not! You are ultimately in charge of your own business, and can decide what your services are worth. But looking at a proposed rate in context can help you decide whether a client is trying to lowball/take advantage of actors who need work, or whether they truly can’t afford it.

How accepting exploitative rates hurts other talent

If you’re new to the industry and desperate to get a foot in the door, you may think that some work, any work, is better than nothing—so what’s the harm in accepting that video narration job for $10 on that popular freelancer website? You may think “I’ve got nothing better to do with my time and it won’t take me that long to record, so I might as well get something on my resume, right?”

The problem with this line of thinking is that it doesn’t just hurt YOU—it hurts all of your peers and colleagues who are trying to make a living. Many industry veterans have spoken at length about how rates have been eroded over time due to the prevalence of online casting jobs and hordes of aspiring actors so desperate to break into the industry that they will accept a gig for virtually nothing. This can condition clients to expect low rates and balk when someone actually quotes what they’re supposed to for a job.

Sadly, the simple truth is that there will always be someone out there willing to undercut by taking these bottom-of-the-barrel jobs, and there will always be scummy clients that would happily post a full audiobook narration job for $5 if they thought someone might take it! But it’s important to educate clients that they get what they pay for. “Know your worth” doesn’t mean to have some ridiculously inflated idea of what you’re entitled to, but it does mean that you should know that once you enter the professional realm, your time, expertise and skill are worth being compensated for.

What to do when a rate seems suspicious

Be careful. If a project seems “too good to be true” or is offering to pay in a way that is unconventional for that type of work (example: the rampant audiobook scams listing a high “per page” rate), it may be a scam.

Still not sure?

Ask around to your peers in the industry if you need a second opinion. But remember, ultimately YOU are the one who has to decide whether or not a project is worth it to you.

tips for negotiating with freelance clients

If you’re doing in-studio character work, the rates are generally standardized among projects, and actors can feel comfortable knowing they will get paid the same hourly/session fee as the rest of their castmates without having to do individual negotiations. But in the online freelance world, you’ll often be quoting directly to a variety of independent clients whose projects may not always fit into the same neat little boxes on a rate guide or whose budgets simply can’t meet what you’d ideally like to get.

As you grow and evolve as an actor and start taking on more projects, chances are that situations will come up where you are no longer content with the pay rates you are working for, but worry about alienating clients or losing jobs by asking for higher pay. Talking about money isn’t easy, but it’s an important part of the job!

The following perspectives can help you be armed with some talking points for when clients push back on rates.

It’s not just about the time spent on that particular job

Clients who are resistant to a proposed rate may say “This job won’t even take you that long to record; why should I pay hundreds of dollars for it?”

But it’s important to understand that they’re not JUST paying for the time you spent recording that particular job for them. They’re paying for your expertise, efficiency and skill as a voice actor – something that likely took you many years of education, practice and/or past experience to hone. And if the job is to record remotely, they’re also making use of your home studio space and the professional recording equipment you’ve invested in, saving them the expense of renting out a studio.

“We could just go online and find anyone to do it for virtually nothing“

Sadly, there will always be bottom-of-the-barrel clients, as well as newer actors desperate for any kind of foot in the door. It is unfortunate that some clients try to take advantage in this manner, but remember that ultimately, if they want a professional, they need to be willing to pay for a professional. Would you hire an amateur plumber to unclog your drain for $10 because they just “really need the experience?”

There is a saying that goes, “Fast, cheap, and good…you can only pick two.” A client who is only concerned about “fast and cheap” likely doesn’t see the importance of quality. (Yet they still may be overly demanding with revisions despite paying so little in the first place!)

In some cases, clients who insist on cheaping out on VO may actually end up paying more money later to fix unusable work.

If they threaten to move to using AI voices

Despite all the ethical concerns, AI voiceovers are seen as a cheap and easy way out for companies who want VO generated in real-time without having to pay a professional actor.

You can’t always deter a client from wanting to go down this route, but you can help educate them if you feel it’s worth it. Explain that a good amount of AI voice models have been trained from stolen recordings (without consent from the actors involved), that AI can replicate vocal tones/patterns and the idea of emotion but cannot make emotional choices or convey intent the way a human would, and that even if they don’t care about that, using AI voices is bad PR for their brand —many consumers/viewers strongly dislike hearing AI voices in their media and it also brands the client as cheap and lazy.

Use negotiation to your advantage.

If you open with the lowest possible price you’ll accept, a client could assume that’s just what voiceover costs, or attempt to talk you down even further. If you’re offering the client a deal, explain that you are doing so and why, for example:

“Thanks so much for reaching out! For video games, I typically charge the US industry standard rate of $250 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. However, since you mentioned you’re a smaller team doing your own funding, I’m open to negotiating within reason based on your budget. Let me know if that works for you!”

From there, you’ll be able to get a good idea of what the client can and can’t realistically afford. You can always negotiate down, but it’s much more difficult to negotiate up!

Offer to continue work on previous/ongoing projects at your former rate, while setting new expectations for the future.

Project budgets are set in advance, so it’s never a good idea to “bait and switch” by suddenly demanding more money in the middle of an ongoing one. But if you’re working with a long-term client and want to make adjustments to the pay, you can say something like “By the way, I wanted to inform you that I am raising my prices to (x) starting on (date). Because I value our working relationship, I plan to finish out any projects we are already working on at the rate we’ve previously agreed to. However, I’m hoping we can honor the updated rate for any new projects going forward.” This can help them plan their budgets accordingly and avoid being blindsided.

Use a “favor” or “freebie” to your advantage.

Sometimes you may accept a job that pays less than what you’re worth because you honestly just really need the money, but then feel stuck because the client comes back for future work expecting to pay that same low rate. You can let them know “I’m accepting this first job for you at the rate you offered, but just so you know, my usual rate for any future projects is (x).” Hopefully the quality of your work will hook them enough to where they’re willing to meet your asking rate going forward.

It’s reasonable to make exceptions on charges sometimes for great clients who take care of you. But it’s a good idea to let a client know when you are making an exception or offering them a deal, so that they don’t expect it as standard practice. For example, if a client asks you for an urgent pickup due to a script change, you may say something like “While normally I invoice for rerecords due to script changes, I won’t charge for this one since it’s just a short line. Have a great weekend!”

If they are unable to budge on the pay, consider negotiating other aspects of the job.

Sometimes the budget just is what it is, and you must take it or leave it if you wish to work on the project. But are there any ways the client may be willing to compromise in a way that saves you time or otherwise makes your job easier? This could be asking for more flexible deadlines, not doing your own editing, or asking to record independently rather than via live-directed sessions.

Consider checking in with some of your other castmates if you feel comfortable doing so.

If the majority or entire cast of a project feels they are being treated and/or paid unfairly, it may be worth talking to your other friends in the cast about coming together and negotiating for better pay. You can always frame this as a “temperature check” – are they happy/comfortable with the current rate?

While you should understandably be careful about confidentiality, NDAs do not always, and ideally shouldn’t, bar people from discussing working conditions amongst themselves. Here is an article that discusses this in more detail.

If you have an agent, see if you can loop them in (if the client would realistically be open to it).

Having an agent can help take the pressure off having to do your own negotiations, and can sometimes have better luck in getting rates up then when actors try to do it directly.

It’s unfortunately not always an option, as plenty of freelance online projects do not go through agencies and will only book directly with actors, and if the project is low-budget, your agent may not even be willing to take it on in the first place. Before passing a job on to them, it may be good to check in, explain the situation, and see if it’s something they’d be willing to handle for you.

Let them know what they COULD be paying.

If a client complains about a rate they’re already getting a good deal on, linking to something like the GVAA Rate Guide can be a good reality check for what you could be charging to record VO for them. While some clients may still balk at any sort of industry standard rates and claim they will go to an online freelancer site known for exploitative rates, the old saying goes “you get what you pay for.”

If all else fails, understand that you may need to walk away.

Saying goodbye to a project or client relationship is never fun, but there are times when it’s necessary. If you ultimately cannot come to an agreement regarding the acceptable monetary value of your work, it may be time to move on. Let the client know that you appreciated the chance to work with them and wish them the best, but that you’re just not able to work for the pay they are offering. Who knows—there’s always a chance they might not find what they’re looking for at the cheaper price and end up coming back to you in the future!

how to say “no”

While receiving a direct role offer is normally a great feeling, what happens when you get an offer for a project you can’t or don’t want to take part in? There are all sorts of reasons you might say no to a project—perhaps the rate isn’t good, you don’t have the time in your schedule, it contains content you’re not comfortable with, or you’re just simply not interested, and that’s okay! Unless you’ve already made a commitment and signed a contract, you’re not obligated to work on anything you don’t want to work on.

Saying no feels counterintuitive, because the average life of an actor involves “feast or famine”, with perhaps routine fears that you’ll never find work again during a slow period. But if you’re getting burned out or feeling stuck or obligated to do “favors” for people at your own expense, it can be easy to lose your creative spark. As much as you want to make all of your clients and potential clients happy, sometimes you have to look out for and take care of yourself, too.

Supplemental Reading: How To Say No To Others, from the “Personal Excellence” blog

While an explanation can help, you’re not required to give one.

If there is a specific reason you can’t or don’t want to take on the project, it may be worth mentioning (as perhaps that aspect of the job can even be negotiated), but ultimately, no one is owed an explanation for why you’re declining. Of course, it’s best to avoid wording it in a way that might insult their skill or hurt their feelings, so don’t simply say “I’m not interested”—that comes off curt and rude. Instead, say something like, “I really appreciate you thinking of me, but unfortunately I’m not able to take on this project. I wish you the best of luck!”

If you’re not available or interested, but know someone else who might be, consider recommending them.

Sometimes an opportunity you turn down can end up being a blessing for someone else. If you don’t think you’re a great fit for a role or don’t have the time, but have a friend or colleague who would nail it, see if you can pass along their information. Or, you can always direct them to resources like our Discord server where they can post an open casting call!

If the request is from a friend or acquaintance, be sensitive to their needs.

There are many stories from creative professionals about friends, family members, or even acquaintances expecting them to work for free. Sometimes you may decide to do a favor for someone you know, and that’s fine! But if you’re a busy person, you may not have the time or energy to say yes to all these requests—so don’t let people make you feel obligated.

However, it’s important to handle these requests with care, because you don’t want to make a friend or acquaintance feel that by rejecting their work offer, you’re rejecting them. For example: “Hey Sally, I’m really honored that you are interested in having me narrate your audiobook! I’d love to do it, but right now I’ve got a lot of commitments with paying clients and I just don’t feel that I’d be able to give it the time it deserves. If by any chance you are willing to pay for the recordings, let me know and we can negotiate a little bit of a discount since you’re a friend, but either way I wish you the best with your book!” Yes, you are sugarcoating things quite a bit more than you would for a random client you don’t know. But assuming you want to keep the friendship intact, telling Sally “There’s no way I would ever spend hours narrating your book for free and you should know better than to ask me that” probably isn’t the best way to go about it.

Another, simpler way to decline working for free – especially for those you may not know well – is to say something like “Thanks so much for thinking of me! My usual rate for this type of project is (x). Let me know if that works for your budget!”

When transitioning out of unpaid or low-paid projects, offer to assist with solutions if you have the bandwidth.

Example 1: As an amateur voice actor, you participated in many volunteer projects, including an ongoing one that requires a lot of unpaid time commitment. But now that you’re balancing a day job with occasional paid gigs, you no longer wish to contribute.
In this situation, you could message the project director letting them know that you really enjoyed working with them over the years, but that your schedule has gotten busier and you are no longer able to make the time for unpaid projects. As a gesture of goodwill, you may optionally offer to continue recording until they are able to recast the role or write your character out of the script.

Example 2: You are asked to reprise a role from a project you did years ago, but the pay no longer aligns with your current rates.
If possible, it’s good to attempt to negotiate with the client in good faith and consider coming to some type of compromise if they can’t fully meet your new rates. However, if neither of you can come to an agreement, the role will likely need to be recast. Try to let the client know as soon as possible if this is the case so that they have enough time to search for a replacement, and if you are leaving the project on good terms, you may even recommend a friend or colleague to take over the role.

Always be gracious and avoid burning bridges.

Not every client who lowballs is trying to take advantage. Perhaps they aren’t aware of proper voiceover rates/protocols, or maybe the expected rate structure is different in their country. Even if you think an offer is insulting, it’s better to take the high road and decline respectfully.

Leave the door open for future collaboration.

Unless you’re sure you want nothing to do with this client in the future ever, sometimes a “not now, but maybe sometime” response can lead to better opportunities down the line. For instance, if a potential client says they cannot afford the rate you are quoting, you could say “I understand, but should your budget ever change in the future for other projects, please feel free to reach out to me then!”

When is it okay to do things for “exposure?”

The idea of working “for exposure” has a negative connotation, particularly because there is a pervasive idea that creative labor isn’t real work and therefore doesn’t need to be compensated appropriately. Artists, musicians, photographers, and yes, voice actors, periodically run into “clients” that tell them they can’t pay any money for their services, but assure them that it’ll be great for their career or visibility. Unfortunately, most of the time this “exposure” never really pans out.

When is it acceptable for a project to be unpaid?

Unpaid casting calls should be reserved for collaborative hobby projects that are not meant to sell or advertise a product or service, and are not significantly monetized. Common examples of unpaid projects include student films, fan-made audio dramas, comic dubs, game mods, and YouTube animations made with existing assets. Most of these projects are made with zero budget and result in little to no revenue for the creator. (If the project IS expected to receive significant revenue, then all contributors should be compensated, including voice talent.)

Many people do unpaid projects with their friends or host a casting call online simply for fun and as a way for everyone to practice their voice acting. It can also be a mutually beneficial situation for class projects and other situations where someone has no funds to pay out of pocket, but is able to collaborate with an up-and-coming voice actor who is just looking to get some experience and get their name out there.

Sometimes, an actor may also agree to do a volunteer project due to personal interest, as a favor to someone they know, or for a charitable cause.

As a beginner, should you do unpaid work?

Unpaid work can actually be a great opportunity for beginner/amateur voice actors because the stakes are relatively low. Hobby projects can be a great way to get acting practice, gain experience, learn the ropes, have fun and perhaps make friends along the way! You can learn how a typical audition process works, get comfortable with recording/editing/exporting your audio files, learn how to manage your time to meet deadlines and possibly even work with a director. Plus, everyone makes mistakes at first—would you rather make your inevitable “beginner mistakes” when working on a video for fun on YouTube, or in an actual studio with an accomplished director?

Some beginners take “knowing your worth” as meaning that they’re never allowed to do unpaid projects and that they’re required to charge industry standard rates no matter what the project is, even if it’s a college student trying to make an animation for a school project or a group of friends making a podcast together. But the truth is that it will be very difficult to book paid work – much less high-profile work that pays industry standard rates – if you don’t have much in the way of training or experience yet. Hobby projects can give you a great foundation for building your way up to a paid career.

Of course, it’s good to avoid being taken advantage of—don’t offer to work for free on commercial projects. Even if you’re new, if you’re good enough to be cast in a professional gig, you’re good enough to be paid the same rate as the rest of the cast.

When is it NOT acceptable for a project to be unpaid?

• The project is made by a company or a corporate entity rather than an individual or group of people doing it for fun (save for certain charitable organizations where people may choose to volunteer their services for a good cause)
• The project is meant to advertise a product or service (for example, narrating a game trailer used in sponsored posts on social media, or providing voiceover for an online ad promoting a webcomic)
• The project is to be monetized significantly, whether via sales, ad revenue, Kickstarter/Patreon revenue, microtransactions, etc. (even a “free to play” mobile game should be paying contributors if in-app purchases are available)
• The project is paying some of their voice actors but not others (even if the unpaid roles are small background characters, it’s unfair to pay the main cast but not supporting cast – *something*, even a small amount, is better than nothing)

What about deferred/potential payment?

Particularly with crowdfunded projects, you may see casting calls that say IF the game sells well, the pilot for a series gets picked up, or the video surpasses a certain threshold of ad revenue, then the cast will be paid after the fact. These projects can be worth it if you are passionate about the concept and want to be part of the project. However, it’s important to go into these projects essentially with the expectation that you will never get paid. Funding a project is difficult and sometimes these projects never get finished at all, so if you agree to do it, understand that there is a good chance it won’t result in a paycheck.

Do “for exposure” offers actually ever result in exposure?

Rarely, but there are some exceptions. Ask to see examples of their past work. Check out their channel and/or social media accounts—do they have a decent number of views and follows? Do people typically share or otherwise engage with their videos?

Sometimes “exposure” may not result in followers or fans, but the idea is that it can be a credit for your resume or IMDB page. This can potentially be valuable if you are in need of building up your credits, as long as it’s something you can actually use. For example, fan-based work such as video game/anime parodies can potentially result in gaining followers, but this type of work usually can’t be used as part of a professional resume or marketing materials outside of the amateur voice acting world.

Ultimately, the best thing you can do is to stay informed and make the decision that feels right to you at this point in your voice acting journey.