THE VO PRICING GUIDE
A working framework for pricing with clarity
There's no shortage of rate cards in the VO world. What's harder to find is a clear explanation of how those numbers are arrived at and what to do when a project doesn't fit the standard categories. This guide is an attempt to share that thinking, built from real conversations with working voice actors about how pricing actually plays out in practice.
5
Sections
3
Core Variables
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Pricing VO work well isn't just about knowing the going rates. It's about understanding why those rates exist and how to apply them to projects that don't come with a clear label. This guide works through the three variables that shape the value of any VO project: how the audio will be used, who the client is, and what kind of licence they need. Once those are clear, arriving at a number becomes a lot more straightforward.
It also covers how to frame a rate when you send it, how to respond if a client pushes back, and how to build a simple review process so your rates stay relevant as your business grows. Nothing here is prescriptive; it's meant to be useful context you can adapt to how you actually work.
INSIDE THE GUIDE
Five sections - One theme
01
Why pricing tends to stay stuck
Before getting into the framework, it helps to understand the patterns that make pricing feel difficult to move on — things like quoting from habit rather than logic, or calibrating rates based on what feels comfortable rather than what the project is actually worth. Recognising these makes the rest of the guide easier to apply.
02
The three variables behind every quote
Usage, client type, and licence terms. These three things determine the value of a VO project more than almost anything else — including word count or session length. This section walks through each one and explains how they interact, so you have a consistent way to think through any brief, however it's written.
03
Project type guidance
How the three variables play out in practice across the most common VO formats: commercial, corporate, e-learning, medical narration, explainer, and documentary. Each has its own conventions around usage and licensing, and this section covers the ones worth knowing before you quote.
04
Presenting and holding your rate
How you frame a quote matters as much as the number itself. This section covers scope-first quoting, three responses worth having ready when a client comes back wanting a lower figure, how to handle rush requests, and the kind of language that keeps a conversation professional without opening the door to unnecessary negotiation.
05
Keeping rates current
Rates set once tend to stay put longer than they should. This section covers a simple quarterly review process, the signals that suggest it's worth moving outside the annual cycle, and — for when you do make a change — a one-paragraph email that lets returning clients know without making more of it than necessary.
WHAT THE GUIDE COVERS
Core concepts
USAGE-BASED PRICING
How the intended use of audio affects what it's worth
The same 60-second script recorded for an internal staff training video and for a national TV campaign are technically the same deliverable, but they represent very different value to the client. Usage is one of the three core variables the guide works through, with practical guidance on how to factor it into any brief.
CLIENT CALIBRATION
Why the client matters as much as the project
A small independent business and a large enterprise operate with very different procurement processes, budget expectations, and timelines. Understanding who you're quoting, and what that means in practice, is covered in section two alongside usage and licensing as one of the three variables that shape every quote.
HANDLING PUSHBACK
What to say when a client asks for a lower rate
It comes up in most VO businesses at some point. Section four covers three approaches worth having in mind that keep the conversation moving without the automatically ending in a discount. The language matters, and it's worth thinking through before you need it rather than in the moment.
RATE REVIEW
Building a habit of checking whether your rates still make sense
Rates set at one point in a career often stay in place well past the point where a review would make sense. Section five covers a simple quarterly check, the signals worth paying attention to, and a straightforward way to communicate any changes to clients you've worked with before.
ABOUT THE GUIDE
Where this came from
This guide grew out of conversations that kept coming up in consulting sessions with voice actors around the business side: how to think about quoting a project with unusual usage, how to respond when a client asks for a discount, or whether a rate that's been in place for two years still makes sense.
The framework in here is the same one I use when working through pricing with clients one-on-one. It's not the only way to approach it, but it's a consistent and practical starting point. And it's written to be useful whether you're just getting your pricing in order or looking to refine a process you already have.
20+ years in technology consulting
Business systems, ITSM, Agile, project management, and customer success across enterprise and SMB clients.
Trained voice actor
Commercials, corporate narration, medical narration, documentary, e-learning, explainers, and IVR.
Business consulting for creating freelancers
Working directly with VO professionals and creative freelancers to implement the systems that let their talent earn what it's worth.
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A framework for thinking through any VO quote, including projects that don't fit standard categories
Practical guidance across six project types: commercial, corporate, e-learning, medical, explainer, and documentary
Practical guidance across six project types: commercial, corporate, e-learning, medical, explainer, and documentary
Five questions to help you get a clear picture of where your pricing currently sits
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