If I told you that you get voiceovers out there in the world charging €20 for doing a radio ad, would you believe me? It’s crazy, but true.  Many voiceovers totally undervalue themselves in the hope of securing the gig. And many other voice overs simply don’t know what to charge.

Our advice

Our advice to voice overs is always: when quoting a job… STICK TO THE RATE CARD. It’s there for a reason. That’s what IAPI considers a fair wage to artists, and the rate card is put in place so that voiceovers don’t get ripped off. Don’t undercut your fellow VOs, because that will create an industry where lots of people are earning no money.  If you tell people, “my quote is €x, I just charge the standard IAPI rates”, they’ll understand and won’t want to be seen ripping off struggling artists.

Why IAPI rates are fair

People think that voiceover work is very well paid. Yes it is, in a way, but that is taken out of context. Think of all you have to do to be a voiceover artist:

• - training (a few thousand euro)
• - a good demo (€300)
• - professional headshots (€150)
• - piehole subscription (€145 - €500)
• - you might have invested in a home studio (€5000 + for a decent one)
• - perhaps agent’s commission (up to 20%)
• - tons of time/effort self-marking
• - you have to be available  during the day at a moment’s notice (which means you can’t have a stable day job… this is a huge commitment and probably the biggest sacrifice a VO makes)

So yes, it is nice getting a TV job worth €800, and getting it done in less than an hour.  But you’ve earned it.

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