Paul Boucher - Blog #PricingPaul Boucher - Blog #Pricinghttps://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/tag/PricingWed, 25 Mar 2026 18:18:11 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Why Professional Voice Actors Charge For Studio Services]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/why-professional-voice-actors-charge-for-studio-services

There are all sorts of things professional voice actors do to provide value to their clients.

In the age of AI, everything in a voice actor’s business is up for reappraisal.

One of the key differentiators in my business is my Right Voice Vault studio service.

I’ve archived every client recording session since 2000 in secure, offline drives, and redundantly since 2010.

The reason is simple: I was taught to do it by the pros at Sync Spot Audio Post (merged with Twisted Pair in Calgary to create Propeller Studios). 

I sublet space there for several years, and I witnessed how their archival practices provided added value for their clients. 

One immediately obvious benefit was preventing data loss. Hard drives fail, people break and lose things, etc. When a client lost portions of any recorded audio session, it was immediately restored and resent.

Another, perhaps less obvious benefit is that when any production needed updating or alterations, the original session could be restored, and new voice recordings could be matched with the original for seamless integration for the intended audience.

That makes more of a difference than you might think. 

We listen to audio on headphones the majority of the time, so we hear sound in a lot of detail. When sound changes in tone or quality, we notice it. When studio pros and professional voice actors work their magic, the change will zip by you like it never happened, like it was the original.

Value and cost can be tricky conversations, but if services add value to your core service (voiceover/narration), pricing the value appropriately and clearly explaining the value it provides can ease the acceptance of any fee.

In the age of AI audio technology, though, do those studio best practices STILL have value?

AI technology *can* give a client the ability to “clone” a voice actor’s performance and make the voice actor say things he never said in a new recording. It’s not always perfect, but addressing the question of how many clients say it’s “good enough” is another blog for another day. 

The human heading back into the studio with attention to detail will do a better job than the AI 100% of the time. Still.

Also, there are a few issues with AI alterations to an original performance. Let’s start with the theft of the voice artist's intellectual property—their voice—and the violation of the original contract or agreement.

File this under “Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.” Especially if you have an ounce of integrity and respect for your supplier.

A service/performance was supplied for a specific instance covered by a verbal or written agreement. Altering that performance in any way without the consent of the voice actor is unethical, and thankfully, in many jurisdictions, illegal. There’s also the issue of compensation. The actor should be paid if the original performance is altered, and their voice is used to update or change a narration or voiceover.

So, is there still added value in specific studio practices, including archival? 100% there is. Ask yourself how you’d feel about dealing with a human supplier that simply stopped providing the added value service that’s saved you on more than one occasion, and made you look especially good on others. It’s one thing to read another sad clause in the terms of use from a tech company that “this agreement may change without notice.” It’s another thing entirely to have it yanked without notice by a human supplier.

Not to mention that the investment made by the voice artists to guarantee broadcast-quality sound, which can be repeated for each engagement, is worth an hourly studio fee.

I hope this gives you a bit of insight into just a couple of the added value benefits of dealing with a human voice actor rather than text-to-speech or AI voices. 

This human voice actor is happy to provide the right voice for many projects. Samples and a way to reach out live at www.paulboucher.com, and https://www.youtube.com/@PaulBoucher. 

]]>Wed, 23 Apr 2025 23:27:16 +0000<![CDATA[Unethical Outsourcing, The Sequel]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/unethical-outsourcing-the-sequel

Funny how things come around. I wrote about this subject almost a year ago today, and it’s circled back.

For many years, large corporate players in all sectors have looked for ways to “divide and conquer” suppliers to erode quoted prices.

 

There are times when this is completely above board, genuinely looking for the best match of price and value.

 

However, one of the most insidious ways that North American companies have affected supplier prices is through outsourcing to lower price jurisdictions, who then attempt to engage North American suppliers at prices suitable for their lower-cost location.

 

In voice acting, as in other businesses, the cost of the service or product should reflect the location where the work is destined to be used.

 

This happened again today when an audition that had come around via North American channels came around again via an off-continent channel with lower rates.

 

For years, generations of performers before us have fought to value and price our often-ephemeral work using objective metrics. They include (and this is not a complete list), terms of use (how long a narration can be used), and the medium or mediums the work is being used in.

 

Another important but often ignored consideration is the geographical location of use.

 

For North American voice actors, the two outsourcing locations that have acquired the most notoriety are India and China.


Both locations offer, without exaggeration, pennies on the dollar compared to the rates suppliers command when working with North American companies directly for work destined for use in North America.
 
Here's another real-world example. I was approached by a company in India to do work in Canadian French for a national enterprise.


The work was obviously destined to be used in Canada.
 
The Indian company was offering 1/10th the market rate for work that that same company, has in the past, paid me full value rates for.

 

When I explained to the representative of the production company in India that it didn’t make business sense for me to practically give away my service to a client who had previously paid the market accepted rate for content to be used in North America, they all but laughed. They explained that this is the price offered from that jurisdiction to companies in our back yard.

 

On what level is this in any way an ethical way for a North American company to treat high value, high-quality, North American suppliers?
 
Understand that I’m not accusing a minion somewhere on the corporate ladder of maliciously seeking to undermine neighbouring businesses, but somewhere in that food chain, someone knows exactly what impact they’re having, and they DON’T CARE.

 

Otherwise, they could easily instruct their third party in those jurisdictions to deliver work completed locally in that jurisdiction to be priced according to local norms, but to accept North American pricing from suppliers required to complete the project. Simple.

 

Knowingly eroding livelihoods in North America, and using outsourcing to purposefully disregard objective pricing norms is not ethical capitalism.

 

Go ahead and float a rising tide in distant jurisdictions for work performed on those shores by paying local rates. That’s one of the benefits of globalization and multi-national supply chains.
 
Do NOT however screw over companies in your back yard by forcing them to drop their rates by 60-90%. We will call you out. We will call out the third parties following your instructions. We will continue to refuse the work.

 

We know there are bottom feeders who will always accept the work. And that as they go bankrupt, others will replace them. We can’t fix stupid. Or if you prefer a more politically correct approach, “we can’t support those who, without prior acquired business knowledge, experience, and intelligence, make faulty decisions they aren’t fully qualified to comprehend the full, long-term consequences of.”

 

That’s my take on multi-national corporations with profits in unimaginable sums screwing over suppliers by using outsourcing. Also, those who don’t understand the ramifications of their own actions accepting work on terms that should, from every common/business-sense perspective, be re-negotiated or declined.

]]>Wed, 19 Jun 2024 15:25:32 +0000<![CDATA[The Definition of Insanity]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/the-definition-of-insanity

Yesterday, I was reminded how much I enjoy working on the

​ business of the business.

I started at about 9:30 a.m. writing emails, tending to some due diligence, following up with some happy customers, etc., when I realized that, except for a couple of hours recording some smaller projects, it was 5:30 p.m.!

The long, and enjoyable dialogue with my clients has fuelled my passion to ensure great service while providing bilingual narration for everything from eLearning to TV and radio commercial campaigns. Clients mention things they've historically enjoyed from our collaborations, like how easy I was to work with, how professionally everything was handled, how audio was delivered faster than expected, the quality, and making what might otherwise be dry come alive in ways they hadn't expected.

THAT last note, in particular, spurred me to explore continuously evolving and improving the craft I bring to the microphone then and now.

So, with that in mind, here are three thoughts and their offshoots that might help you genuinely enjoy working on your business and shine a light on the attitude you should look for in your voice actors or other suppliers. 

1. Analyze and Adapt:

   One of the first things I instinctively do when I suddenly have more time on my hands than I'm used to is working to understand why. And then take a breath. 😏 I dive into the business's makeup over the past 90 days to 6 months. Are there changes in customer behavior? Who's the new competition? Have there been any internal inefficiencies or bottlenecks? Once I've pinpointed the issues, I pivot & adapt immediately. This doesn't mean reinventing the wheel. Almost everything is working well. Can it work better?

2. Focus on Customer Experience:

   During slow periods, doubling down on customer satisfaction can set you apart from everyone else. Reach out to existing customers for feedback on their experiences with you. I remember one client conversation about a real pain point for them: revisions, or what's often needless "rework." Together, we devised a policy that both of our businesses still use. It helped to move the needle on the problem from two directions. It rewarded the clients who had their ducks in a row when providing scripts and applied a "corrective incentive" to those who didn't. Haha. It dropped the dreaded rework by at least 50%. No mean feat.

3. Invest in Innovation:

   As a small business, that phrase may seem like "big-company-think." And that sort of thinking will keep you exactly where you are, applying the definition of insanity to your work processes: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." 

AI is the obvious shiny new toy out there. How can YOU use it to increase your productivity? Is it a new software plug-in? Is it generative AI to help you with the never-ending development of "content?" 

By the way, here's a quick aside on "content." It's perceived as a huge time-suck and a "negative" by a lot of solopreneurs. Try this reframe: if you've never kept a journal, think of content development as that. It's amazing what you can discover about your philosophy and attitudes toward "your every-day," and your worldview for that matter, simply by writing it down. 

The same business coach I quoted above once refreshed advice I'd received in grade school: if you don't write goals down, they're just wishful thinking. That applies to many other parts of running your business.

You'll discover whole new parts of yourself writing things out. That will lead you to explore and genuinely enjoy the discovery of new ways of doing things (innovation) that complement your existing offerings or tap into emerging trends.

So what started on a reflection of a day well spent on the business has led me to one of my favourite things: sharing the valuable insights I've been taught in the hope that one of those nuggets can make your day better. I hope that's the case.
]]>Wed, 08 May 2024 14:45:39 +0000<![CDATA[Friday Feeling: Irked]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/friday-feeling-irked

I’m a reasonably positive person, but brain-dead, one-size-fits-all large enterprise processes leave me with today’s Friday Feeling, which is irked.

I received an HR Risk Assessment survey that took 90 minutes to fill out yesterday. That was the “Lite” version!

If you work in a Risk Management or HR-related department in a large enterprise, please wake up to the fact that in 2 employee vendor scenarios involving a married couple for example, diversion and inclusion policies are, um, “not applicable”. That is, unless you’d like that we introduce polygamy so we don’t leave anyone out.

Or pandemic preparedness. We’re prepared. It’s called a will.

Also in that situation, child labour means something *completely* different than what you’re talking about.

It’s important to note that I’m not saying that diversion and inclusion policies, Pandemic Preparedness, and child labour are not to be taken seriously.

What I’m suggesting is that in the majority of small vendor situations, which a lot of service providers to the goliaths of industry are, we should be charging YOU for the billable time we’re wasting crossing “t’s” and dotting “i’s” for you.

Let’s face it, in the absence of human intelligence being applied, maybe artificial intelligence could prepare revised questionnaires for vendors of different sizes.

If a 1-5 person company is providing services, and say, like in my case, I have a 10 step commute to my studio in my backyard garage, do I really “need” a 5-page risk mitigation strategy?

I mean, it can be a bit slippery in the winter because of the snow, but really?

Do I really need to carry Workmen’s comp insurance of over $1,000,000 when I’m the only one providing a service, and the greatest hazard I face in recording a voiceover is possible static discharge from walking across my carpeted floor?

Do I really need to measure schedule 1, 2 and 3 Greenhouse gas emissions from my 14 by 14 foot studio heated by a natural gas fireplace, and powered by just enough electricity for my recording equipment? 

I answered question after question for 90 minutes, and the only reason is took JUST 90 minutes is that I was able to copy a version of “….this is not applicable to my 2 employee company or relevant to the services I provide your company.

To be honest, I should be asking the large enterprise this: In the event that your payables policy continues to be 90-120 days, may I defer delivery of the service by the same period so that services rendered converge with the payment. Like they SHOULD.

It’s time for large enterprise to really abide by the sentence in almost every one of their HR policies is actually true: your most important asset is your people. That includes your vendors and suppliers. Take the time (because you certainly appear to have it) to create custom surveys by using a couple of introductory qualifying questions related to the size of the company, and the specific type of service offered among other things.

You’ll waste less of their time with necessary regulatory compliance. You won’t create resentment at doing your work for you which is what that exercise felt like. You’ll have the answers you need to qualify the vendor, and the vendor will be aware of concerns within their company they need to prioritize to remain in good standing with you.

As opposed to asking their dog not to pass gas in the backyard to keep their GHG emissions lower.


]]>Fri, 03 May 2024 17:39:32 +0000<![CDATA[What does it COST?]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/what-does-it-cost

Today, I was reminded of a problem in the entertainment industry and regarding voice acting: the apparent lack of transparency and known pricing metrics.

Seriously, where do you shop, or what do you shop for where you don’t have at least some idea of what you’re going to pay?

 

To be fair, it’s not so much that the information is missing in action. It’s that voice performance is a “just-in-time” sort of product. We create bespoke narration for your project when you request it.

 

I’ll provide three great resources at the end of this post that can help with your voiceover budget. You’ll miss a good example of a relatively simple scenario, but you can save a couple of minutes by scrolling down quickly.

 

Here’s the example. This past month, I was hired by a previous client who told me that they had 6 15-second videos they wanted me to narrate.

 

Let’s walk through 2 scenarios – one where I don’t ask the right questions 🤪, and one where I do. 🤓

 

Scenario 1. This one: 🤪

 

I assume that the client will use the six videos internally and that they will not be used in external media, on a website, etc. because all the client said to me was, “…We’re doing another series of six 15-second videos…”

 

I base my quote on 0-10 minutes of narration plus one hour of studio services and based on one of the rate resources below (GVAA Rate guide, Non-broadcast, hourly session time), quote $525.

 

Now, let’s go to scenario 2. This one: 🤓

 

There are 3 documents sent for the project on the day of the session, and they clearly delineate:
1 small market TV commercial

1 small market radio commercial

6 commercials destined for social media use on TikTok, FB and Instagram.

 

Well, now we have a completely different kettle of fish!

According to established local rates:
TV: $250

Radio: $150

Social Media: $200 per commercial OR $400 per commercial based on whether it’s organic, unpaid placement on those networks, or paid placement. *Note these prices for SM use are at the lower end of the possible range.

Think of “paid placement” as buying the specific time slot you want in the old radio and TV network days.

OK, so now that project, affected by the market distribution and audience reach of the three different mediums and the terms of use (how long it will be used), is either going to be $1600 or $2800.

 

That’s quite a difference, and the objective metrics used to calculate pricing can all be validated and justified.

 

That’s one of the biggest differences you’ll find when dealing with professional voice actors.

 

You’ll either deal with them directly (especially outside of the top 5 markets in the US and the top 3 in Canada) or with their agents/managers. They’ll ask the right questions and create an agreement that allows for a win-win situation for everyone. The actor can continue a sustainable business/career in voice acting, and the client knows exactly what they’re paying for and why.

 

Clarity is a very good thing. It helps establish trust and helps both parties understand the value provided in both directions.

 

Thank you for your time reading.

Here are the three pricing resources I promised you. Obviously, this is useful for both voice actors, who are running their *businesses*, and the producers looking to finalize a budget for themselves and/or their clients.

 

The first two, the SAG-AFTRA Rates and GVAA Rate Guide are for North American content (especially US and Canadian jurisdictions). If content is destined to be used in Canada or the US, these rates should be used to help create budget expectations. Where you are as a producer is secondary to where the content will be used. Always.

If you’re planning to hire a voice actor for a recording that will be used in one or more European countries, the Gravy For The Brain Guide is a good resource for identifying potential costs for the voice acting portion of your budget.

 

SAG-AFTRA rates, helpfully compiled here on the Wrapbook site

 

For non-union or Fi-core voice actors in North America, the indispensable Global Voice Acting Academy Rate Guide, known as the GVAA rate guide


For Europe, the Gravy For The Brain resource: 

]]>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 04:27:35 +0000<![CDATA[On The Subject of AI]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/on-the-subject-of-ai

It seems lately that every day provides an opportunity to consider AI and the ethics around it.

Last week, for example, I learned that a client who’s moved into an AI-related business was using a portion of a past French narration in a presentation demonstrating the capabilities of their AI to switch languages so a presentation could be instantly adapted and localized. 

The client neither asked my permission nor sought to compensate me for using my intellectual property – my voice – for a new use of a long-ago recording. 

This was one of two things: an unfortunate decision based on ignorance of the above or a deliberate decision based on the assumption that I’d likely never hear about it, and what was I going to do about it anyway? Understand that this client is using this narration to sell their technology, so essentially to profit from it without compensating the voice actors involved. Again, the benefit of the doubt allows that this is a whole new frontier, and it was done with no ill intent. However, independent of intent, theft is theft.

A couple of things crossed my mind:

1 - The successful legal battle that Canadian peer Bev Standing was forced into to have TikTok remove her voice from the platform and compensate her appropriately. They had acquired audio files from another company that had recorded Bev’s voice. That company sold the files to TikTok without Bev’s knowledge or consent.  The result was they used her voice, that voice actor’s intellectual property, to create new intellectual property for other clients without compensating her. The eventual settlement and resolution resulted from the hard work of a US attorney who rightly pointed out that the platform had illegally profited from using that actor’s intellectual property without due compensation for the unauthorized use of her voice.

2 - That directly led attorney Robert Sciglimpaglia Jr to work with an American industry association called NAVA to craft an AI rider that freelance voice actors could add to their contracts when working with clients.

It’s important to note here that most freelance voice actors working without a union contract go to great pains to vet their clients and essentially work on the principle of a virtual handshake, assuming that agreed-upon use terms, etc., will be respected.

So I’d like to share the AI rider, now attached to my terms of use, and used by many actors across North America and Europe. Please note the guidance to voice actors in red. The association added those notes to make actors aware that although these terms are designed to delineate the IP rights for the voice actor clearly, the rider, as a whole, is intended, with very few exceptions, to be part of a negotiation. So, there is flexibility in the terms to be adjusted on a case-by-case basis. 

PLEASE NOTE:

1 - This is not a “take it or leave it” Rider.  The client may have issues or want to change some of the language.  Changing language is normal for any contract.  If they want to change it and you don’t know what to do, or if you aren’t sure it’s already covered in their agreement, please contact NAVA, and we will refer you to an Attorney to review the rider and any requested changes.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RIDER

THIS RIDER is attached to the Agreement dated ___________________ between the parties _______________ (Talent) and __________________________ (Client) and is intended to replace and supersede any conflicting language in that Agreement.  (This sentence means that if something is different in the original agreement, then this agreement will control in Court.)

1 - Client expressly agrees not to utilize any portion of the Talent’s file, recording or performance of Talent for purposes other than those specified in the initial Agreement between the parties, including but not limited to creation of synthetic or “cloned” voices or for machine learning. 

2 - Specifically, Client shall not utilize any recording or performance of Talent to simulate client’s voice or likeness, or to create any synthesized or “digital double” voice or likeness of Talent. 

Most clients agree with the language in Paragraphs 1 and 2.  If they push back on these, then they may be planning on using the recordings for voice cloning or AI, so be sure to ask for more info about usage.

3 - Client specifically agrees not to sell or transfer ownership to all or part of any of the original files recording the performance of Talent to any third party for purposes of using the files for Artificial Intelligence, such as text to speech, or speech to speech uses, without Talent’s knowledge and consent.

4 - Client agrees not to enter into any agreements or contracts on behalf of Talent which utilizes all or any part of any of the original files recording the performance of Talent for purposes of using the files for Artificial Intelligence, such as text to speech, or speech to speech uses, without Talent’s knowledge and consent.

Some clients may think you are trying to restrict how they sell or use the end product after production with this paragraph, but that is not the intent.  Paragraph 4 says that they won’t sell or transfer your original recordings so that your voice can’t be cloned.  If the client wants to use the files to fix or add something in this particular job that they hired you for, that is not prevented by this paragraph.

5 - Client agrees to use good faith efforts to prevent any files of recordings or performances stored in digital format containing Talent’s voice or likeness from unauthorized access by third parties, and if such files are stored in “the cloud” Client agrees to utilize services that offer safeguards through encryption or other “up-to date” technological means from unauthorized third party access.

This is self explanatory, and it is not a be all end all in case a hacker gets a hold of your files.  It just says the client will use their best efforts to prevent that instead of doing nothing.

This rider is available to members and non-members of NAVA at this link: https://navavoices.org/synth-ai/ai-voice-actor-resources/#nava-synth-ai-rider. 

One of the recommended uses of this rider is to approach past clients and have an agreement in place to govern the use of past narrations. This would be particularly applicable to voice actors working in fields being cannibalized by AI, unethically or otherwise.

Off the top of my head, I can think of IVR/Telephony, eLearning companies and corporate narration/explainer video companies 

I will be following up with my client about that long ago narration. I expect a goodwill win-win resolution, which could include everything from a commitment not to use the narration anymore, or ideally, compensation for the current use, and a written commitment to compensate me for each and every single instance my voice is cloned and used for a new project. I’ll post an amendment to this post with the conclusion of that conversation at a later date.
]]>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:54:02 +0000<![CDATA[Unethical Outsourcing]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/unethical-outsourcing

For many years, large corporate players in all sectors have looked for ways to “divide and conquer” suppliers to erode quoted prices.

There are times when this is completely above-board, genuinely looking for the best match of price and value.

 

However, one of the most insidious ways that North American companies have affected supplier prices is through outsourcing to lower price jurisdictions.

 

In voice acting, as in other businesses, what results is requests for estimates from a jurisdiction whose standard and/or cost of living is a fraction of what those realities are in the North American cities the supplier lives in, and more importantly for our work, where the work is destined to be used.

 

For years, generations of performers before us have fought to value and price our often-ephemeral work using objective metrics. They include (and this is not a complete list), terms of use (how long a narration can be used), and the medium or mediums the work is being used in.

 

One of the other important, but often ignored considerations, particularly for non-broadcast work like eLearning, is geographical location of use.

 

For North American voice actors, the two outsourcing locations that have acquired the most notoriety are India and China.


Both locations offer without exaggeration, pennies on the dollar compared to the rates suppliers command when working with North American companies directly for work destined for use in North America.
 
Here's a real-world example. I was approached by a company in India to do work in Canadian French for a national enterprise.


The work was obviously destined to be used in Canada.
 
The Indian company was offering 1/10th the market rate for work that that same company, has in the past, paid me full value rates for.

 

When I explained to the representative of the production company in India that it didn’t make business sense for me to practically give way my service to a client who had previously paid the market accepted rate for content to be used in North America, they all but laughed. They explained that this is the price offered from that jurisdiction to companies in our back yard.

 

On what level is this in any way an ethical way for a North American company to treat high value, high-quality, North American suppliers?
 
Understand that I’m not accusing a minion somewhere on the corporate ladder of maliciously seeking to undermine neighbouring businesses, but somewhere in that food chain, someone knows exactly what impact they’re having, and they DON’T CARE.

 

Otherwise, they could easily instruct their third party in those jurisdictions to deliver work completed locally in that jurisdiction to be priced according to local norms, but to accept North American pricing from suppliers required to complete the project. Simple.

 

Knowingly eroding livelihoods in North America, and using outsourcing to purposefully disregard objective pricing norms is not ethical capitalism. It’s bordering on criminal. It’s certainly wrong.

 

Go ahead and float a rising tide in distant jurisdictions for work performed on those shores by paying local rates. That’s one of the benefits of globalization and multi-national supply chains.
 
Do NOT however screw over companies in your back yard by forcing them to drop their rates by 60-90%. We will call you out. We will call out the third parties following your instructions. We will continue to refuse the work.

 

We know there are bottom feeders who will always accept the work. And that as they go bankrupt, others will replace them. We can’t fix stupid. Or if you prefer a more politically correct approach, “we can’t support those who, without prior acquired business knowledge, experience, and intelligence, make faulty decisions they aren’t fully qualified to comprehend the full, long-term consequences of.”

 

That’s my take on multi-national corporations with profits in unimaginable sums screwing over suppliers by using outsourcing. Also, those who don’t understand the ramifications of their own actions accepting work on terms that should, from every common/business-sense perspective, be re-negotiated or declined.

]]>Mon, 22 Jan 2024 01:43:17 +0000<![CDATA[Value vs. Price]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/value-vs.-price

As an explainer video producer, you understand the importance of finding the right voiceover artist for your project.

A professional voiceover can make or break the effectiveness of your video. With the rise of freelance voiceover artists, it can be tempting to choose the lowest-priced option. However, it's important to consider the value you receive when deciding on a voiceover artist.


While price is an important factor, it shouldn't be the only one you consider. That goes double for a project requiring fluently professional bilingual voiceover talent. A lower-priced voiceover artist may seem like a bargain at first glance, but if the quality in either language isn't there, it can end up costing you more in the long run. Poor audio quality or an unprofessional delivery can make your video seem amateurish, and ultimately harm your brand's reputation.


On the other hand, investing in a professional, experienced voiceover artist can pay off in spades. A high-quality voiceover can elevate your video from good to great, and help your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace. A professional voiceover artist will have a range of vocal styles and tones, and will be able to deliver your message with clarity and emotion, making your video more engaging and effective. 


I can’t count over the years, the number of times I was approached, declined on price, then revisited to “repair/rescue” a project. Naturally the client would request a discount due to already having paid for the voiceover. Um, no. 


In addition to the quality of the voiceover itself, a professional voiceover artist will provide a level of service that a lower-priced freelancer may not. A professional artist will be responsive, communicative, and able to provide a quick turnaround time. They will also have the equipment and expertise to deliver high-quality audio files that can be easily integrated into your video production.


Ultimately, the value of a professional voiceover artist comes down to the impact it can have on your video and your brand – not just your client’s brand. While it may cost more upfront, a high-quality voiceover can help you achieve your goals and make your investment in the video production process worthwhile. As an explainer video producer, it's important to consider both the price and the value when selecting a voiceover artist for your project.


To wrap up, when choosing a freelance voiceover artist, don't let price be the only determining factor. Consider the value that a professional voiceover artist can bring to your project in terms of quality, service, and impact on your brand. Investing in a professional voiceover artist can pay off in the long run and make your video production process more successful.

]]>Sun, 21 Jan 2024 23:47:57 +0000<![CDATA[Narration By The Pound]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/narration-by-the-pound
Last time I addressed time and narration in the context of eLearning, it was to counter one of the most ridiculous practices in the industry: per-word pricing.

It got me thinking about time and eLearning in another way.

  

eLearning projects vary across the spectrum from a time requirement, from a few minutes of almost “explainer-video” style content, to tens of hours of training for various companies with complex education and training needs.

  

Whether it’s driven by the retail marketing technique of getting MORE FOR LESS, or other factors, why does more time equal fewer dollars in many cases? For example, if there’s a 12-16 hour project, the ideal scenario is that the professional voice actor selected should be JUST as engaged at hour 16 as they were at hour one.

  

In many businesses, when a prospective client offers that size of contract, there is often a “price consideration” expected for volume. That’s an expectation of a “discount” if you’re following along at home.

  

Let’s just deal with the logic of this. “…We’d like your full engagement for the full 16 hours, over multiple days, and multiple audio sessions, and expect perfect consistency from one session to the next, which we know involves both technical and performance craft, but we’d like to pay you progressively less as the project goes on, so that by the end, you’re essentially working at a 20-50% discount. How does that sound?”

  

A negotiation is just that, and education is as much a part of it as anything else. A lot of potential eLearning clients, with no professional narration experience never give a second thought to the enormous amount of experience, craft and technical skill involved in accomplishing a long project over multiple days, weeks or months. Just the continuity required in being the SAME PERSON for each of those 16 hours is remarkable. So, really, there’s an argument for paying a voice actor MORE as a project extends into multiple hours of finished narration, not less.

  

Among other things, both voice actors and eLearning clients should expect a negotiation on that length of project to include written requests for a guarantee on the amount of finished work, or failing that, perhaps offering/being offered a tiered rate structure that offers a progressive discount as the work materializes, with agreed upon thresholds at which discounts take effect.

  

Of course, then there’s just the possibility that an actor will quote based on the simple objective metric of the amount of narration provided, and the client will concur.


Thanks for reading. Respectful discussion is always welcome.

]]>Sun, 21 Jan 2024 22:13:21 +0000<![CDATA[Per Word Pricing: Absurd]]>https://www.paulboucher.com/blogs/post/per-word-pricing-absurd

Over the past decade, some clients have requested estimates for their eLearning projects based on a “per word” cost.

This practice originates outside of North America, and is an unfortunately ill-advised practice that works against an objective pricing structure arrived at over many decades of practice for non-broadcast narration.

Let’s start with the basics for both client and voice actor: as a voice actor, you’re not selling words. You’re selling narration. Your finished product is measured objectively in one of two industry-sanctioned ways. 

  1. The time spent doing the work (also flawed, but accepted practice with industry mandated “minimums”), or 
  2. By the amount of finished narration you provide, usually broken out into segments, of 5 to 10 minutes, or even “per-finished-minute”, with prices also affected by usage (online, or strictly non-broadcast).

Narration is not just “words”. If it were just words, certain words would have more value. 

For example, the word “Otorhinolaryngologist”, has a bit more heft than the word “and”. Why shouldn’t a voice actor charge more for that word? Can you imagine THAT estimate process?!

Also is 1985 one word? MS Word thinks it is, but it’s actually nineteen-hundred-and-eighty five, or at the very least nineteen-eighty-five.

These sorts of semantics are to be polite, ridiculous.

When arriving at pricing in any field, the more objective the metric, the better. 

In the case of narration that’s the amount of supplied “product”, or narration. So, the accepted practice of “per-finished-minute” pricing, or pricing by segment, with a minimum “get out of bed” charge is the fairest, most objective way to go about pricing narration for clients.

Thanks for reading. Respectful discussion is always welcome.
Contact Paul
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