Let's take a look at some questions that people ask when ordering voiceovers online.
If you have a question that does not appear on this page, feel free to contact me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I going to receive a quality product?
Naturally. Visit the Demos page to listen to the quality you will receive.
Will the sound quality of the final product be up to par with the demos on your website?
Smart question! Some voice actors record their demos at an outside studio, but record projects at their home studio. In this case, the sound quality you hear on their website may differ from the quality you will hear in your recorded project. Furthermore, poor audio quality may be masked by music and sound effects in their demos.
My audio demos are an accurate reflection of my studio’s sound quality, as they were recorded in my home studio. In contrast, some of the video demos were recorded at outside studios. Furthermore, the audio quality of the video demos may be degraded, due to compression techniques applied by the video hosting site, so the video demos do not accurately reflect my studio’s sound quality.
To enable you to gauge the audio quality you will receive, you can listen to a demo without music or sound effects (a “dry demo”) on the Demos page.
Voice overs aren’t cheap – I’ve got a lot of money riding on this! What if you screw up?
No worries. I provide a recut free of charge if I have made a mistake of any sort in the voiceover.
Will the voiceover sound the way I want it to? How can I direct you if I’m not there in the studio?
It is important to provide direction, before I start recording. You need to specify the tone of voice you want, what pace to use, etc.
Further, when you write the script, it is recommended to include instructions. Put words that should be emphasized in bold or italics, and if you need longer pauses write that in the script, too.
If you made a mistake in the script, or if you later decide to change the direction, I will provide a recut at my standard per-word rates, but with a much lower minimum fee.
But I really want to know how my project will sound in advance! Is there a way to do this?
You can always request a free custom demo before hiring me. This will give you a good idea how you project will sound, and it will give you a chance to request changes in tone, cadence, etc.
My project is really urgent. How soon can you record the voiceover?
Since I work full time as a voice actor, I have high availability. I won't wait till the end of the work day to record your project. Most short projects will be ready within 1-2 hours.
Can you help me write my script?
This site provides guidance on how to write a voiceover script, as well as some sample voiceover scripts. For your convenience, you can download an MS Word file with a standard script template.
Once your script is ready, you can use my voiceover script editing service, to perfect it.
What is the recording procedure?
You can view a detailed infographic about the recording procedure.
Either way works fine for me, but note that the voiceover is usually recorded before the video. Furthermore, timing a voiceover to an existing video costs an additional fee.
For an in-depth discussion of both approaches, see What Should Be Prepared First: The Video or the Voiceover?.
How soon will my voiceover be ready?
Turnaround time is usually 1 business day for projects up to 2,500 words. Longer projects may or may not take longer.
But voiceover is just talking. Why can’t you have my voiceover ready in a few minutes?
This is a common misconception. Voice over is actually a lot of work, and it requires skill and time. Furthermore, the audio must be edited.
I’ll give you 25 bucks for 1,000 words. I think that’s fair enough, don’t you?
As mentioned, voiceover is most definitely not “just talking”. It is a craft that takes much training, skill, and effort, as well as investment of time and money. So no, $25 for 1,000 words is not going to work.
Here’s a fantastic podcast on the costs behind voiceover. Here is an article explaining why cheap voiceovers actually cost you more in the long run, and here is an explanation of what goes into the pricing of a voiceover.
Would you consider working pro-bono or at a discounted rate for a good cause?
Yes. Indeed, I have done so. If you are a charity organization, and I believe in your cause, I would consider recording your project at a discounted rate.
To ensure maximum availability, I own a travel voiceover studio, from which I can record your prompts on the road.
Article by Victoria Feinerman
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