Our Voice Services

Determine your budget. This can vary widely depending on your actual audio needs. If you’re looking for a voice over for a 15 second ad or greeting, your budget will be significantly different from an eight-hour explainer video. Take into account the type of voice-over project, the length of time it will take to record, and what you need it for (usage rights). Another factor is experience. If you’re looking for someone new in the game, they may be just as talented as a more seasoned voice talent but they won’t have the resume or charge as much.

Independent or agency

The price of a voice over varies greatly depending on the length and complexity of the project, as well as whether the voice actor is working alone or with an agency. At EDS, we charge a per-word rate that decreases as the amount of words increases, and all audio comes with a full buyout. You can also request a quote based on the length and turnaround time of your project here. When searching for voice actors on sites such as Craigslist and Fiverr, remember that you get what you pay for. Be wary of cheap voice overs; with us, at EDS, you will never pay for a read you don’t love. All of our audio is screened for quality and accuracy by expert quality control professionals before being sent for your final approval.

So yes, many things dictate the cost of your voice over, including:

location
length of project
speed of project
rights of the project
edits and redos
independent actor or with an agency
experience of the actor

Depending on the size of your project, length of the audio and how hands-on you’d like to be with selecting the talent, turnaround time for an audio project can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours.

As a rule of thumb, if your audio project is small and straightforward, it will require less time. However, if your audio project is longer, more involved and requires high quality voiceover talent (such as for narration), it will take longer as we have to also hold auditions and review auditions.

Turnaround time for voice overs

Crowdsourcing technology has allowed us to significantly lower the turnaround time for our recording services. With typical turnaround times of 36-48 hours for each hour of audio that you need to be recorded, we can typically cut that time in half. This does depend on specifics such as your deadline, though; so it’s important to ensure that you book as early as possible. We will work with you to make sure that the delivery of your product is smooth and seamless.

Voice over projects are more important than ever, and it’s important to choose the right voice for your brand. Many people, especially women, can feel more connected to their purchases if they believe in the voice behind the product. If you have a trustworthy, empathetic customer base, maybe you should use female voices in your next project. If you want the feeling of protection and security, a male voice may be appropriate. Just remember that not all of your customer base is men! Consider using a gender-neutral voice so that none of your audience feels excluded when listening to your project.

The voice you choose can make or break your project, so it’s important to pick the most effective voice over for each script. A great deal of thought must go into selecting the proper voice over style and inflection. The wrong style of reading for your project can be off-putting to an audience.

Consider where you are using the voice

As you consider whether to book a female, male, or gender-neutral voice for your voice over project, take into consideration your message and the intended audience. Traditional roles may also be something to consider when looking for a voice that reflects your brand. As a rule of thumb, look for something outside of traditional gender roles when booking a voice actor. We’ve all been conditioned to associate certain qualities with voices. While there are exceptions (such as Tom Brokaw who was one of the most trusted news anchors in history), those exceptions are few and far between.

Accents and dialects play a significant role in packaging voices. For example, many of us have some preferences when it comes to accents and dialects, such as British accents. These preferences should match your product and purpose, too. For example, many famous British judges speak with a British accent on talent shows we love to watch. It’s not all coincidence that they speak with that accent; their purpose is to entertain us and their product is the show.

Purpose and audience

When casting for voice-over projects, keep in mind that certain accents will be more effective than others. For example, if you are advertising UGG boots in an American store, an Australian accent might be just as effective as an American one.

Our voice actors specialize in a wide range of accents. Many of our voice pros are trained in one or more accents, while others have simply perfected the accent over time. They can speak with an Arabic, Hindi or Malayalam accent, among many others. If you have an accent you’d like to feature, we have it for you.

It’s important that you get what you want when it comes to voice over recordings. While any professional actor or agency will offer high-quality work, sometimes there are small issues that can be changed. When this happens, don’t hesitate to ask for revisions. You can discuss this with your actor or agency beforehand so both of you know what’s expected from each other.

It is difficult to lay out the exact revision process for every situation and agency, but rest assured that a professional agency will do what it takes to ensure you are happy with the final piece. They should be more than flexible when it comes to fixing issues. Just make sure to leave enough turnaround time so you’re not pressed for time should you need a revision. A flawless voice over recording is worth the wait. Also, the more information you can provide upfront will help avoid mistakes in the final product.

To sum up your voice over questions and answers

When you decide to book a voice actor for your audio project, you are making a professional and savvy decision. Whether you want to record a phone message for your business or complete an in-depth documentary and have it narrated, hiring a voice actor is the way to go. In order to find the right voice, consider factors such as location, experience and agency/independent status of the actor. You should also determine what type of voice you are looking for—male, female, gender-neutral or accented—to narrow down your search. Also remember that if you hire an agency, they may handle all of these details for you; if not, make sure you can get revisions if necessary.