What Is Voice Over Narration & How Much Does It Cost?

guide to video marketing
A Complete Guide To Video Marketing: Strategy, Benefits, and Challenges.
September 6, 2019
guide to video marketing
A Complete Guide To Video Marketing: Strategy, Benefits, and Challenges.
September 6, 2019

Voice over narration can be termed as storytelling at its best!

Narrations are usually long form audio as opposed to voice overs which are short form audio. They have become the most sought – after voice over service, as a distinctive voice helps convey a message far more effectively than mere printed words.

For voice over narration finding the best voice over artist is important as a voice over includes much more than just simply reading written lines.

Thus, read this article to learn more about narration voice over, the different types of narration and voice over rates. This will help you make an informed choice that’ll help accelerate your business growth!

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A] What is Voice Over Narration?

Wikipedia defines narration, ‘as the written or spoken commentary used to convey a story to an audience.’ In voice over narration, one hears an off-camera voice (sometimes that of the main character) narrating a story, explaining an event or providing instructive information to the user.

What is Voice Over Narration

They are most commonly used for long projects such as a film, TV shows, documentary, audiobooks, e-learning etc. Also, typically in narration voice over, there is only one main narrator but some projects may have multiple narrators.

B] Voice Over Narration Examples

With over a decade’s experience in offering exceptional voice over services, I can offer the best voice over narration service as per individual client requirement. No matter how small or big the project is, you can be assured of best-in-class service alongside transparency and on-time delivery. So, check out a few of my voice over narration examples below. Also, for more audio & video samples of my work, take a look at my portfolio.

    • Siamwalas – Documentary

    • Chanakya – AudioBook

    • The Invisibles – Documentary

    • Amazon – e-learning

    • ACC Ambuja – e-learning

    • 1HourLearning – e-learning

C] Different Voice Over Narration Types

To select the best voice over narration style, you need to, first, know what different narration types are available. In most cases, the voice over narration includes only one voice (solo reading/narration), as mentioned above. However, there might be some instances where more than one voice artist is needed, such as for multicast narration.

Depending on your requirements, the voice over artist rates will differ. However, for now, let’s look at what some of the usual voice over narration types include: –

1. Narration for Films/TV shows/Documentaries:

This narration type is usually done in first-person or third-person voice. A voice over narration in film, TV shows or documentaries helps capture the audience’s attention when relaying a story or series of events. Here, having a strong and distinctive narrative voice is extremely important in order to maintain a steady flow that’ll help move the feature forward. Learn more about voice over services for movie, TV shows and VO services of documentaries.

2. Narration for Audiobooks:

Narration for Audiobooks

Depending on the voice over narration scripts, an audiobook narration can include solo narration or multicast narration. It comprises of both fiction & non-fiction books that include many genres. Thus, a voice over artist for Audibooks should be able to effectively deliver powerful narratives in different voices which will help make characters come alive.

3. Narration for e-learning:

Narration for e-learning

For e-learning, the narrative could be;

  • Detailed – includes additional information in an audio format, apart from the text displayed on-screen.
  • Synopsis – a concise summary of the on-screen text in an audio format.
  • Descriptive – the description of the on-screen images in an audio format.
  • The voice over artist for e-learning should be apt at different e-learning narratives.

D] How Much Does Voice Over Narration Cost?

When it comes to voice over narration, there is no one-size-fits-all or an industry standard voice over rates in India. The voice over costs for each project depends on its scope. A VO artist may charge you by the minute or hour for shorter projects, whereas, for bigger projects such as a movie/documentary etc, he may quote a single sum. However, as mentioned above, the voice over prices vary from project-to-project.

For example;

  • For a non-broadcast voice over narration such as corporate films or AVs, the voice over rates starts from ₹ 8,000/per 5 minutes of recorded audio. Studio costs may or may not be included.
  • For broadcast TV shows or feature films, the voice over rates starts from ₹ 30,000 per 30-minute episode. This, however, doesn’t include the Studio costs.

Ready to elevate your project with professional voice-over narration? Contact us!

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#Conclusion

The demand for voice over narration service has been on an all-time high, thanks to the boom in the digital marketing space. If you want to yield greater rewards on your investment, then choosing a skilled and experienced VO artist is vital.

Also, while the cost of voice over artists differ, hiring someone based solely on the (low) price quoted can lead to sub-standard voice over narration. Thus, always do thorough research and pick the best.

Now that you know what narration voice over is and have an idea of what the voice over price per minute is, if you have a requirement, then contact me to request a quote!

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What is a Usage Fee?

In most cases, a voice over artist usually gets paid a one-time fee for doing the initial recording of his/her voice on a project. This is known as the session fee. However, in the case of certain projects, there may be an addition to the original fee, which is of an ongoing nature. For such kinds of projects, this add-on fee is known as a usage fee. This is roughly a licensing fee agreement between the voice over narrator/artist and the client for the ongoing usage of his/her voice on the project.

Usage fees apply to projects in the public domain such as in film, television, audiobooks, event/exhibition audio and even something like in-flight presentation videos. While not entirely accurate, in the Indian context, usage fees may also be referred to as royalty or royalty payments. It must be mentioned that the usage fee concept is not very prevalent in India, with most clients going for the full buy-out option in case of certain projects.

Usage fee pricing varies from project to project and depends on the specifics of the project like duration, product/service/educational content, which platforms will it be showcased on etc. A broadly used thumb rule is to add 100% of the session fee as a usage fee to the overall fee.

What is a Buyout?

The afore-mentioned usage fee is an ongoing fee that some projects may require to pay the voice over artist. Typically though to avoid the inconvenience of tracking the number of times an audio has been played/aired, a client might simply choose to exercise a buy-out or full buy-out option. This means putting down a one-time fee for the recording and not having to pay any ongoing or usage fees thereafter. A buy-out fee will be significantly higher because it allows the client to use the audio for however long they wish to, and in any manner, they see fit.

How to Become a Narrator For Documentaries?

Assuming you have ticked off all the usual requirements for a voice over narrator i.e. a great voice, smooth delivery and most importantly a suitable fit to the topic of narration, the idea is to reach out to TV channels, production houses and talent agencies who are involved in this kind of work. Please do your homework before you reach out to the television channels especially. If you are a young person with a higher tone voice, it is unlikely that you will be chosen for, let’s say, a voice over narration for a wildlife documentary which seeks a calm, almost solemn type of voice over.

How to Become an Audiobook Narrator in India?

Merely having a good voice and enunciation does not necessarily fulfil the needs of becoming an audiobook narrator in India. It is a great starting point no doubt, but you must also be able to emote well. Audiobooks are done in two ways – one, where the narrator does a straight read and two, where the narrator is a voice actor. In the latter scenario, the same voice over artist performs multiple roles in different voices to provide a greater connect and impact to the listener.

Bear in mind, no matter which direction you take, narrating for audiobooks is demanding work. In the words of Audie Award (that’s like the Oscars for audiobooks) winning narrator Tavia Gilbert, “For those who think they might be interested, try reading alone, out loud, in a closet, and going back to the top of the phrase every time you make a mistake. If you still enjoy it after an hour, then consider putting in the time to develop the skills necessary to make a go of it in audiobooks.”

As with documentaries, you can reach out to audio productions houses or audiobook sellers like Audible and other Audiobook streaming platforms to showcase your demo and hopefully get an opportunity to do your own audiobook.

How Much to Charge For Audiobook Narration?

Typically in India and most parts of the world, audiobooks are paid ‘by the hour’. Usually, an audiobook’s duration starts from 3-4 hours and go into tens or even hundreds of hours depending on the content. As such, there is no fixed voice over artist cost/price. Thus, how much should you charge for an audiobook purely depends on who you are as a voice over artist.

A newer artist might have to charge at the lower end of the scale between ₹2000-3000 per hour while a more established artist might even charge in the high five figures per hour of narration. Celebrity voices like film or television actors command an even higher premium for their work on audiobooks. You could even consider a flat fee for the project but make sure you understand the scope of the project and that you are being reasonably compensated for the amount of work you are expected to put in.

Want to hire with me for your audiobook, get in touch today!

Peter Abraham

Peter Abraham

Peter Abraham is a versatile voice-over artist based in Mumbai working in the voiceover industry since 2009. With a passion for storytelling and meticulous attention to detail in every project, he brings scripts to life with his captivating voice and professional delivery, exceeding client expectations. Whether it's a commercial or an audiobook, Peter specializes in a wide range of voice-over work, ensuring the highest quality.

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