The four items in a voice-over budget
Almost every voice-over project breaks down into the same parts. Not all of them come from us: the voice artist and the usage rights are usually arranged by you or through an agency.
| Item | What it covers | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| Studio time | Booth, engineer, recording | Comptelogicza |
| Editing | Choosing takes, removing breaths and clicks | Comptelogicza |
| Voice | The speaker's session fee | Voice artist or agency |
| Usage rights | Medium, term, territory | Voice artist or agency |
Studio time: by the hour or per spot
Longer scripts are charged by the hour: €75 in the booth, with a minimum of 2 hours. For ads there is a fixed price of €195 per spot of up to 60 seconds, editing included. That keeps things simple for agencies recording several versions of one campaign.
The Voice-over and speech page explains what each rate includes. All amounts include 21% VAT.
How long does a script take?
A professional speaker reading Dutch typically averages around 130 to 150 words per minute; English reads at a similar pace. An e-learning module of 3,000 words therefore produces a little over twenty minutes of audio. In the booth, expect two to three times the final running time, because lines get repeated, pronunciation is checked and the director listens along.
- 30-second ad: usually within an hour, variations included
- Podcast intro or phone menu: one to two hours
- 20-minute e-learning or corporate film: half a day to a full day
- Audiobook: plan in half-day blocks, the voice needs rest
Editing and finishing
Raw recordings contain retakes, breaths and mouth noise. Editing turns them into a clean, continuous read. For spots this is part of the price; for hourly work editing is extra time, often a third to half of the recording time. If you have your own editor, you can also take just the raw takes with a take list.
If the voice has to sit under music or picture, we can handle that through Mixing; we agree it per project.
Usage rights in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands a voice artist is usually paid a session fee plus a fee for use, known as the buy-out. It depends on the medium (radio, TV, online, internal), the term and the territory. An internal training video costs considerably less than a year-long national TV campaign.
Always put the agreed use in writing. If an internal video is later run as an ad, an additional buy-out is normally required. We do the recording; the rights agreement is between you and the speaker or agency.
Remote direction
Clients do not have to travel to Amsterdam. With remote direction you listen live and give notes during the recording. It saves travel time, but agree on a single decision-maker: a call with five people who each want their own version eats into booth time.
How we handle recordings and client data is set out in the privacy policy; business clients can sign a data processing agreement.
A worked example for a campaign
Say a campaign has three 30-second radio spots and one 60-second online version. With us that is four spots at €195 each, editing included. On top of that come the speaker's fee and buy-out, which you agree with the voice artist.
For a long e-learning course the hourly rate of €75 makes more sense. Ask for a quote based on your script; business invoices have a payment term of 14 days.
Keeping the budget under control
- Deliver a final script, with pronunciation of names and technical terms
- Mark which lines need alternative reads
- Agree beforehand who approves the takes
- Ask for the file format and loudness your platform expects; see our guide on master formats and loudness
You can send a draft script via contact or by email at [email protected]. We reply within 2 working days with an estimate.
