Voice Over Contract Essentials: Avoid Costly Mistakes in Projects and Your Business
In any kind of voice over work, a clear and comprehensive voice over contract is more than just pretty paperwork.
It protects both the creative input and the business interests of the talent and the client involved.
Without one, misunderstandings around usage rights, deadlines, or deliverables are sure to surface, and can sometimes even bring a project to an abrupt stop.
And when a project is thrown off track due to unclear terms in the voice over contract, it can also damage reputations and future business for both parties.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, we’ll break down the essential elements every voice over contract should include.
With a few clued-in clauses, some careful tweaks, and a clear assumption that a contract is always part of the process, you can protect the work while addressing expectations, and in doing so, help ensure a completely successful project for all involved.
Voice Over Contract Usage Rights—The “Where”, “How” and “For How Long”
Probably the first area that should be addressed in any voice over contract is usage rights.
These don’t just cover how long the recording can be used; they should also clearly spell out where and how it will be used.
“Where” typically refers to both geographic reach, but can also cover media platforms.
For instance, if a voice actor is hired to voice an ad that later pops up on the radio or other digital platforms, that is a different usage, and one that should come with an additional price tag.
British voice actor Bruce D.
As Bruce D., an in-demand British voice actor known for his natural, conversational tone in campaigns for brands like Google, Barclaycard, PepsiCo, Heineken, and IBM, notes:
The contract should include a clause that outlines a remedy or compensation for the voice artist if the agreed usage is exceeded.
“How” a voice over is used refers not only to the platform (TV, radio, online, etc.) but also to its context and purpose.
Bruce expands on this, explaining further:
The agreement should always specify how and where the voice recording will be used. For example, at a live event, online, broadcast, in a toy, or onboard a vehicle, and whether the client is paying to have the audio delivered to the listener, such as through online advertising.
The final piece of this contract part is how long the voice over can be used.
Bruce recommends including an ‘end date’ for all usage.
In general, a voice artist should seek to avoid ‘in perpetuity’ usage clauses, and instead restrict the licensing period to a specified term (be that a one-off at a live event, or a period of years).
There’s typically no time limit on how long clients can use voiceovers for internal purposes (such as phone systems or employee training) or for most non-commercial content.
However, voice recordings used with paid promotion are limited to the length of the client’s campaign.
If an ad becomes successful and is rolled out year after year by the client, the talent should receive compensation for contributing to the client’s additional revenue, as their voice will become closely tied to the client’s brand.
It’s important to understand that, as long as their voiceover remains in use, a connection with the brand will make it impossible for them to voice for competing brands.
Of course, an “in perpetuity’ usage clause can backfire for the client too.
Not only will the one-time fee likely be costly, but if their brand becomes too strongly associated with a single voice, updating or refreshing the campaign may be challenging.
Not only might the new update confuse their customers, but it could also end up diluting overall brand recognition.
Ensure a Clear Revisions Policy
With any voice over, both the talent and the client want the best results.
But how long this takes may depend on the number of revisions or retakes both are willing to undertake.
Sure, revisions may be necessary, but expecting a voice over artist to be ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and keep recording as you tweak the script or try out new directions of tone or pace may be beyond what the voice actor believes they agreed to.
On the flipside, a client may expect the voice over—even complex scripts with lots of technical jargon such as in medical narration or automotive videos—to be nailed on the first try, while the voice actor wants the flexibility to deliver a take or three to get it just right.
The solution? Spell it all out in the voice over contract.
List how many revisions or retakes are included in the agreed fee, and note any additional costs for extra rounds.
This is especially important if there’s a chance the script could be heavily edited or even rewritten mid-project.
In that case, the voice over contract should clearly define what counts as a revision versus an entirely new script, so everyone is on the same page (so to speak!) from the get-go.
Deadlines and Deliverables
Planning the voice over you need is exciting. Equally exciting is getting the finished product back in your hands.
With more voice actors now recording from their own professional home studios, you may think the voice over will come back before the ink dries on the voice over contract.
But does the voice talent think that?
As you’re waiting, eagerly clicking on every email ping that comes in, they may think they have an extra few days (or weeks) before delivery.
And unless you’ve set clear deadlines for delivery, who’s to say they’re wrong?
Every voice over contract should clearly outline timelines for each step of the process:
When the script will be provided
When the initial recording is due
What constitutes a revision and how many are allowed before an extra charge is applied
In what format should the audio files be delivered
Should the audio be delivered with or without processing (raw)
So, before anyone signs on the dotted line, make sure both sides agree on delivery deadlines and all technical requirements—and put them in the voice over contract.
Not only will this ensure everyone knows what to expect and when,voic but the whole experience will be more pleasant, professional, and more likely to result in a finished product you’re all proud of.
How Should Talent Be Paid For Voice Over Work?
For most voice over projects, talent is paid at the end of the job, once all stakeholders on the client’s end have signed off on the audio.
However, there are exceptions, and we recommend that talent request payment differently in the following scenarios:
First-time clients. We highly recommend requesting payment in advance from first-time clients. At the very least, talent should request a 50/50 split.
Rush projects. Clients with a rush project often result in voice actors having to reschedule or even turn down other projects, so they will often want to apply an extra charge and/or request payment in advance.
Large projects. Large projects involving many hours of recording may warrant milestone payments for stages defined in the contract.
International clients. In some cases, international transactions may take several days, prompting talent to request payment upfront or a 50/50 split.
Long-term projects. Projects spanning several months should include milestone payments in the contract to maintain cash flow and reduce risk for both parties.
What Happens When a Project Is Canceled?
Sometimes projects get canceled after the recording has already taken place.
In those cases, the industry standard mandates that the voice actor is paid for the session fee.
The session fee (typically between $200 – $300) is usually clearly defined in broadcast or commercial projects, but not in their non-broadcast counterparts.
Non-broadcast projects usually have the session fee “baked into” the total price, so it is important to define it for non-broadcast projects, before the recording takes place, so that there are no surprises should the project get canceled.
What About Contracts Involving AI Voice Cloning?
Last but not least, let’s talk about AI.
Artificial Intelligence-based voice-overs have gone a long way over the past decade, with the biggest strides made in the past 2-3 years. They no longer sound robotic or monotone as they used to.
Much of that is thanks to voice artists who lent their voices to AI voice training, with or without their consent.
While lending your voice to be synthesized is arguably harmful to the voice over industry, it can be done ethically.
Traditionally, voice actors received one (supposedly) generous lump sum for a long recording project, and for their cloned voice to be used in just about any application, many, especially professional voice actors, have steered clear of such deals, knowing that it would hurt them in the long run.
For voice actors to embrace AI technology while sustaining their livelihood and the industry’s, the business model must be ethical, such that any contract must:
Define the voice over usage (i.e. audiobooks, IVR, internal training, etc)
Define an ongoing compensation per said usage, for example, per audiobook sale.
Another approach would be for the talent to review and approve each cloned voice project on a case-by-case basis, while establishing a set rate, potentially at a discount, that also covers situations when the talent is unavailable due to illness or travel.
IMPORTANT: In situations where voice actors wish to protect their voice from unauthorized cloning, we recommend either having the client sign an AI Rider, as the one found on NAVA’s website, or stipulating in their agreement with the client that cloning of their voice is not allowed.
Working with professional voiceover artists who understand standard contracts helps ensure everything stays clear and above board.
Voice Crafters provide voice over services by fully vetted and experienced talent, so you won’t run into any strange or hidden contract terms.
If you’re looking for top voice acting,search hundreds of award-winning professional voice artists on our platform, and we’ll find exactly what you need.
We advise against it as it’s risky for both parties.
Professional voice actors should politely insist on having signed agreements before beginning any work.
Most clients will understand and respect this business practice.
The contract doesn’t have to be lengthy or separate from the email exchange between both parties, as long as it stipulates the important elements that ultimately protect both.
“Buyout” typically refers to acquiring the rights to a recording in perpetuity, while “usage rights” are more specific and limited.
Usage rights are usually applied to commercial/promotional voice recordings and define exactly how, where, and for how long the recording can be used.
Professional voice actors will usually not provide full buyout for commercial voice-overs, but voiceover work intended for internal and/or non-promotional usage can often be used in perpetuity.
Not unless your contract specifically includes those usage rights.
If your voice over is for internal usage, but you decide to use it online organically (that is, on your website and/or social media channels, without paid advertising), the voice actor won’t likelyt request an extra charge.
However, if you decide to use your recording for promotional purposes (e.g. pre-roll ads on YouTube), a usage charge would be applied.
At any rate, you should confirm with the voice actor you work with, as they hold the rights to the audio.
Most voice actors will provide unlimited revisions for (mostly pronunciation) errors made on their part. To avoid excessive back-and-forth, it’s recommended that clients provide a pronunciation guide ahead of time.
The Industry standard typically includes 2-3 minor script revisions in the base fee.
However, there are voice artists who will apply an extra charge for any script revisions made after the fact, so it’s best to confirm with the talent before the recording.
The industry standard in this scenario mandates that the client would pay the talent a session fee, which is typically $200 – $300.
Commercial voice overs typically define the session and usage fees, while non-broadcast voice overs will have the session fee “baked into” the total.
Therefore, it’s important to ask the talent what portion of the total constitutes their session fee in case they need to be compensated for a canceled project.
Voice actors should include specific AI protection clauses in their contracts that prohibit clients from using recordings to train AI systems or cloning their voice without explicit written permission and additional compensation.
0 Comments