About voice actors and budgets

[truefaiterman]

Hi there Lemma! I think this is the first time I've opened a topic in Creator Discussion...

TL,DR VERSION: If you don't need/want the explanation, then go directly to the questions (quoted for readability), every help is appreciated!

If you want to help me, but you don't want to make certain data public, don't be afraid of telling me via PM or email at truefaiterman@hotmail.com

Allow me to explain what is this about:

Recently I've been asked by a Voice Acting Asociation in Spain to get data regarding indie voice acting rates and budgets. The reason behind it is that, in Spain, most voice acting has fixed rates, but the current agreement is going to be reviewed and probably changed in a year or so. One of the points mentioned during our meetings were that there are no rates regarding indie products, videogames, web-series nor any kind of self-published product (or even published products made by little companies or coming from emergent markets).

Since it'll be pretty much impossible to negociate payment in any other way than fixed rates, a few friends and I have been tasked to collect data on indie publishing, budgeting and rates, so we can make an affordable payment ratio.

So, I have a few questions for you guys:

If you are a voice actor/director/singer (please, specify):

-How do you measure your work? Per lines? Per word? Recording time?

-If you don't measure it by word, do you have a set standard for what defines your work?
(For example, if you work "per line", do you have your definition of how many words or characters compose a line? Or if you measure it by recording time, how much time do you count?)

-Can you tell me your rates?

-Which country are you from?

-Do you differentiate different types of work, payment-wise? (Videogames, web-series, commercials, etc)

-If you do, how?

-Do you ask for royalties? If you do, can you share your percentage or rate?

If you are/work with a recording studio (I've heard about indie studios, but please correct me if I'm wrong about it):

-Do you give the same rates to all of your actors, or do they have their own rates?

-If you have fixed rates, can you share them?

-How do you budget the projects you're involved in?

-Do you ask for royalties? If you do, can you share the numbers you ask for?

-Which country is the studio located in?

If you are a game developer:

-How do you organize your voice-acting budget? Do you measure it in any specific way (per line? Per word? Any other?)?

-If you do, can you share your method?

-Do you contact a studio, or only freelance voices?

-Do you work with a voice director?

-Can you tell me the overall prices you've been asked/paid for?

-Can you tell me about the overall workload of your projects?

-If you comission your voices, do you pay any royalties to them? If you do, can you share the overall rates?

-Which country are you/your team from?

[sake-bento]

I am a voice actor/director. I've cast and directed several projects of varying mediums, but I'll limit my answers to video games as much as I can.

How do you measure your work? Per lines? Per word? Recording time?
Per hour, usually, often with a certain minimum based on line count. The hourly rate also changes based on the difficulty. e.g. Dialogue is less taxing on an actor than fighting/screaming noises for a fighting game.

If you don't measure it by word, do you have a set standard for what defines your work?
It depends on how fast the director and actor work, but the hour count is usually estimated based on the word count and we go from there. The hourly minimum is in place to protect an actor if they're especially efficient and finish early. So if the minimum is three hours, and the actor finishes in one, the actor is still paid for three hours of work.

Can you tell me your rates?
It's all under NDA lock and key, but I'd say to base it off current going rates and estimated earnings of whatever project is being made.

Which country are you from?
United States of America.

Do you differentiate different types of work, payment-wise? (Videogames, web-series, commercials, etc)
Yes. Video games and commercials tend to be on the higher end in terms of payment requested. Commercials often ask for residuals. Animation and narration are at the other end. Anime dubbing is usually paid for with a handful of beans and a Pikachu plushie.

If you do, how?
It's usually based on how much money the final project will be earning, or in the case of commercials, how much that commercial will sell its product. Things that sell less (like anime) pay less.

Do you ask for royalties? If you do, can you share your percentage or rate?
Commercials have residuals, and animation (like Disney movies) have royalties, but it's pretty atypical to get royalties for video games. In fact, that's a hot button topic in the US right now. The current union contract doesn't give royalties for video games, and the union is asking for that to change. Specifically, they're asking for royalties for games that make a certain amount (some millions of dollars, I think). They're actually threatening to go on strike if the new contract doesn't go through, so it might be something worth investigating if you want to see current voice actor negotiations. It's a pretty big deal in voice actor circles right now. I believe they're using the hashtag "#PerformanceMatters" if you want to search social media for it.

[truefaiterman]

Thanks for your answer, it's really valuable!

I've heard about the #PerformanceMatters issue, but I don't really know much about it, I'll have to take a good look at it!

I do have a last question, if you can answer it: do you make the stated work in a home-studio, or in an external recording studio? I've heard about multiple issues with rating per recording time when using home-studio equipment, and I'm curious.

With that said, I'd like to point out that, unfortunately, there is no current rates nor estimations on indie games in Spain (there has been like... literally one or two indie games with official indie voice acting, and that's it), which is one of the reasons we're gathering as much information as possible.

Also...

Anime dubbing is usually paid for with a handful of beans and a Pikachu plushie.

Damn it, you lucky people! You get a plushie! Jokes aside, it's a pity that anime is underpaid everywhere :/

[Claretta]

I'm a developer from Australia that is making a game with extensive voice acting.

I usually pay per word and go with freelance actors in the UK which are generally cheaper than their US equivalents.

Looking around for freelancers at the right junction of cost vs quality obviously takes a lot of time to do the casting process. This is the main cost to my method - it saves money, but you need to be prepared to work hard.

I use actors that have home studios.

[CrazyHussar]

I'm a developer too and I (will) pay for the actors for the contract - the goal to their to give their sound to the characters then they will get the payment. Obviously, I work with young amateurs and beginners because it's like being a bo... erhm, a patron of upcoming talents.

Aw yes, the questions:


"How do you organize your voice-acting budget? Do you measure it in any specific way (per line? Per word? Any other?)?"

Per acted character, as I said. Payment depends on other factors.

"If you do, can you share your method?"

I don't think I know what I'm doing. Exactly. Just doing but it works.

"Do you contact a studio, or only freelance voices?"

Like I said, I'm a kind of a patron of upcoming talents. It means I employ freelancers and students.

"Do you work with a voice director?"

I Am the director. I know what I want to hear and I can help the actors if they got into some problem.

"Can you tell me the overall prices you've been asked/paid for?"

Well, I didn't set up NDA for myself - just to know, I'm not American nor Australian or Japanese - let it said we in a little, weak, poor and hateful coutry in the shadows of the European Union - I employ voice actors from there so the prices are adequate to the local wages. The actress and the actor of the main characters got $100 for the first chapter, the others got 40-80$ depending on the numbers of scenes and sentences.

"Can you tell me about the overall workload of your projects?"

Surely don't know how much time my actors bestir with their libretto. I think there's a few one who can came to the studio, read their lines a few times, then act and I judge their performance.

"If you comission your voices, do you pay any royalties to them? If you do, can you share the overall rates?"

Hard question, but I don't think our VN will be a blockbuster so no, I won't pay royalitiens. In exchange for it, there will be a lot of work with other VN's and I want to keep my actors at arm's lenght.

"Which country are you/your team from?"

I doubt you ever heard about Hungary.

[truefaiterman]

I'm a developer from Australia that is making a game with extensive voice acting.

I usually pay per word and go with freelance actors in the UK which are generally cheaper than their US equivalents.

Looking around for freelancers at the right junction of cost vs quality obviously takes a lot of time to do the casting process. This is the main cost to my method - it saves money, but you need to be prepared to work hard.

I use actors that have home studios.

Thanks for your answer!

The use of home studio seems pretty big for indie projects (it is understandable, if everything goes online). It's an emergent figure in Spain, relatively speaking. Have you got any particular rates you can share from the actors you've contacted so far? Every number is useful!

I'm a developer too and I (will) pay for the actors for the contract - the goal to their to give their sound to the characters then they will get the payment. Obviously, I work with young amateurs and beginners because it's like being a bo... erhm, a patron of upcoming talents.

Aw yes, the questions:


"How do you organize your voice-acting budget? Do you measure it in any specific way (per line? Per word? Any other?)?"

Per acted character, as I said. Payment depends on other factors.

"If you do, can you share your method?"

I don't think I know what I'm doing. Exactly. Just doing but it works.

"Do you contact a studio, or only freelance voices?"

Like I said, I'm a kind of a patron of upcoming talents. It means I employ freelancers and students.

"Do you work with a voice director?"

I Am the director. I know what I want to hear and I can help the actors if they got into some problem.

"Can you tell me the overall prices you've been asked/paid for?"

Well, I didn't set up NDA for myself - just to know, I'm not American nor Australian or Japanese - let it said we in a little, weak, poor and hateful coutry in the shadows of the European Union - I employ voice actors from there so the prices are adequate to the local wages. The actress and the actor of the main characters got $100 for the first chapter, the others got 40-80$ depending on the numbers of scenes and sentences.

"Can you tell me about the overall workload of your projects?"

Surely don't know how much time my actors bestir with their libretto. I think there's a few one who can came to the studio, read their lines a few times, then act and I judge their performance.

"If you comission your voices, do you pay any royalties to them? If you do, can you share the overall rates?"

Hard question, but I don't think our VN will be a blockbuster so no, I won't pay royalitiens. In exchange for it, there will be a lot of work with other VN's and I want to keep my actors at arm's lenght.

"Which country are you/your team from?"

I doubt you ever heard about Hungary.

Oh, I've heard about that Hungary place Fortunately our maps have your country's name on it, they erased the "There be dragons" sign some time ago!

Now, jokes aside, thanks for your imput! Would it be possible to tell me how many lines or words have the casted actors? That could be a great help to get an average. And this isn't that important, but I'm curious about it: are there royalties for any kind of voice acting at Hungary? There's almost none in Spain, not even with the biggest blockbuster films!

Once again, thanks to the both of you, and I wish you the very best! I hope to be able to play your games someday!!

[sake-bento]

I do have a last question, if you can answer it: do you make the stated work in a home-studio, or in an external recording studio? I've heard about multiple issues with rating per recording time when using home-studio equipment, and I'm curious.

Both. I have a home studio that sounds pretty good, but there's also a local studio I use if the client prefers it and can afford to pay the studio's rate. I generally think my recording pace is pretty normal, although you'll run into sites like VoiceBunny that REALLY push actors in terms of speed. It's not unusual to get a request to turn in files within thirty minutes of accepting a job.