Voice-over and speech recording

01What the booth is used for

Every client asks for something slightly different, but the starting point is always a clean, intelligible voice. Common projects include:

• Ads for radio, online video and social media, where every second counts
• E-learning and how-to videos, where consistency across dozens of modules matters
• Podcasts with one or two hosts, as a one-off episode or a regular series
• Audiobooks and long-form texts, recorded across several sessions
• Phone menus and on-hold messages for businesses

Speakers need to be at least 16 years old. For younger voices, we agree on the arrangements with parents or the agency in advance.

02Inside the booth

The 6 m² booth is separate from the live room and has a window onto the control room, so speaker and engineer can see each other. It is deliberately small and dry: a voice should sound close and natural, not as if it were recorded in a hallway.

From our 22 microphones we pick the one that suits the voice. A bright, higher voice sometimes calls for a different model than a low, warm one. There is a script stand, a tablet holder, water and adjustable lighting. Sitting or standing are both fine; standing often gives ads more energy.

03Remote direction

You do not need to be in Amsterdam to direct a session. An agency, a client or an author can listen live over an online connection and give notes between takes. The speaker hears the director in their headphones, while the engineer manages both the call and the recording.

Agree beforehand who has the final say on a take. With three remote listeners who each want something different, time disappears quickly. We send the connection details in advance and run a short line test at the start of the session.

04What to prepare

A voice session depends on its script. The more complete the text, the less booth time goes into discussion.

• The final script as a document with numbered lines or sentences
• Pronunciation of names, brands and technical terms, ideally as an audio clip
• The target length per spot, for example 20, 30 or 60 seconds
• A sense of the tone: businesslike, warm, upbeat or narrative
• For video: a cut of the film to time the read against

In English, a 60-second script usually runs to about 140 to 170 words, depending on pace. For more on planning and costs, read our guide to the voice-over recording budget.

05Hourly rate or per-spot price

There are two ways to pay for voice work. Which one works out cheaper depends on the length and the number of versions.

Hourly bookings have a minimum of 2 hours. If you have five short spots in several variants, an hourly booking is often better value than five separate spot prices. Not sure? Send us the script and we will work it out with you.

06Files and formats

Our standard delivery is 24-bit, 48 kHz WAV, the usual format for video and broadcast. For podcasts and web use we can add MP3 versions on request. Long texts are split by chapter or module, with file names that match your script.

• Edited, clean files with breaths and clicks removed
• Raw takes on request, so you can choose alternatives yourself
• For ads, a version cut to the agreed length

We keep the session for 6 months, so that a later pick-up line sounds the same as the original. After that, everything is deleted.

07Revisions and what the price leaves out

Each spot includes 2 revision rounds on the edit, such as swapping a take or tightening a pause. If the wording itself changes after the session, it needs a new recording, which we charge at the hourly rate.

Not included: fees for an external voice actor, any usage rights you agree with that speaker, music under the spot, and mixing the voice with a soundtrack. To have voice and music mixed together, see mixing. If your project is music rather than speech, music recording is the right place to start.

08Payment, cancellation and terms

All prices include 21% VAT: €75 per hour and €195 per spot. Business invoices show €61.98 and €161.16 net of VAT, payable within 14 days. A 30% deposit secures your booking.

You can cancel or reschedule free of charge up to 3 days before the session. The full rules are in our terms and conditions. If we process personal data on behalf of your organisation, for instance employee names in an e-learning course, we sign a data processing agreement.