Blog VO Genres & Rates

Post Written by Meredith Nudo and Yenni Ann

Below are 9 main genre categories, with several sub categories under them. The creative industry is home to vast amount of information - from sports to cooking to medical terminology to fantasy lore, this list goes on.

To assist in better grasping what is available out there, we have compiled some basic information for each main genre and there respective sub-categories.

TV Broadcast

Television broadcasting can include local, regional, and nation commercials, shows, and movies. Since there are so many channels to choose from, the amount of work available in TV broadcasting is sure to be big.

Commercials & Ads

Your television can be airing a local event, a national commercial, as well as a targeted ad all at once. One of these spots can pay anywhere from $300 to $3,000 (or over!) for a specified duration of time on your contract.

Radio Broadcast

Just like your TV broadcasting gigs, there are many different radio stations that air constant commercials throughout the day to keep their listeners informed.

Commercials

Radio broadcasting offers local, national, and international commercials. While a small radio station may not give a big paycheck, the average radio commercial gig can go anywhere from $200 to $2,000 for a specific amount of time.

Non-Broadcast

Unlike radio and TV, non-broadcasting work is still a huge market that is consistently looking for voices. Though not aired to the general population, non-broadcasting is for niche areas that accrue many viewers and listeners.

Corporate & Industrial Narration

Corporate, governmental, and industrial jobs all need their employees to be trained - that's where you come in! Whether it's going over simple human resource information or specifically going through policies and procedures of the company, these narrations are highly sought out for. Payout may range from $100 to $3,000 depending on company sizing, series of videos, and possible pay-outs.

Explainer Videos

Videos explaining company's products and service range from :30 seconds to a full minute - most of which is either in powerpoint format or fully animated. These particular gigs are one-time payments that again range around $100 to $500 depending on company size and series of videos.

Medical Narration

Perhaps not for the faint of heart, medical narration is a rising voiceover niche. Whether it be for clinics, hospitals, urgent cares, or even pharmaceutical companies, these require voice artists to be proficient in reading medical terminologies and must have good articulation. These videos can be anywhere from a few minutes to a hours long, depending on the procedure or information that is being given.

These narrations are more expensive (which is great for you!) due to their complicated language, meaning you can receive anywhere from $400 to $3,000 on a single gig.

Web Usage

YouTube, Spotify, and all other streaming services are all found under web usage. Just like we mentioned above, these are all niche-centric and is all dependent on who is the targeted audience. Note that the pay for these gigs varies widely as there are many start-up companies and indie content creators. Payment can range from a few dollars, to a over $1,000 for series and highly-viewed/listened projects.

Check out our standard rate guide for more information.

eLearning

A growing industry on its own, eLearning has begun taking the creative industry by storm. The targeted audiences ranges from toddlers to adults. Don't get it confused with corporate narration - this is strictly for educational purposes!

Games

Educational games have sky-rocketed since virtual schools and home schooling have become more sought out in the past few years. From teaching numbers and letters to diving deep into mathematical theories, the amount of work available continues to grow. eLearning game payouts can go from $65 to $100 per hour, and well over $3,000 for the finished product.

Narration

There are two types of viewers: visual and auditory. For narration, most of you audience will be the latter which means you'll have to get used to long form narration!

Audiobooks

Though we all can agree that libraries are beautiful, we can all see that physical books are falling off the charts while a rise in audiobooks has come. The pay for these gigs varies, as authors usually pay out of pocket for voice work - unless you are recruited by a publishing company, which will have vastly different rates.

Podcast

Growing in popularity, podcasts can range from drama to fantasy to life advice; all respectively holding their own audiences. Available on iTunes, Spotify, and other streaming services, podcast have become well sought out for as they can be a stable paycheck since most of in series format.

Film & Animation

A big goal for all voice actors is to be cast in a film or series. The ability to see a character come to life through animation is on everyone's list. At the same time, the ability to dub a film or narrate a documentary should also be in that list. Film & Animating work can be anywhere from a feature film to a direct to DVD.

Series vs Movie

The most steady payment comes from an animated series, giving the actor (should their character be present in most if not all episodes) a stable check until the end of the series. A movie may bring you the option of receive royalties, but a buy-out option can also be written into your contract.

Dubbing

Animated and real-life dubs can range from $75 per hour to over $300 an hour, while shows on streaming sites can pay out near $1,000 per session.

Games

One of the most popular genres, aside of Animation work, is that of video games and toys. It is important to be aware that this genre is not as high paying as commercial work, nor can it be steady.

Video Games

Consumers are most into animation and video games, but for voice actors this should not be the only choice of income. Though popular, video games vary in pay. An indie games may only be able to pay a handful of dollars per line, while a AAA game can pay around $300 per hour.

Toys

As mentioned above in eLearning, toy payouts can vary depending on the popularity of the toy and the amount of work produced for it. Sessions can be per hour, ranging from $65 to $100 for small companies and $400 to $700 for high rated toys.