home
Voiceovers FAQ
Why should I use BigFish Media for voiceovers?
We are fast, friendly and efficient. Just choose your voice from the selection of voiceover artists and leave the rest to us. You don’t need to worry about booking a studio either. We will do all that for you. Using our studio is also a lot cheaper than hiring somebody else's studio, especially if they are in London.
How will I know if the voiceover is the right one for my project?
If, after hearing the voiceover samples on this site, you are still not sure if they are the right person for the job, in most cases, we can get them to record a short audition for you. And it’s free!
But are you any good at voiceovers?
Hundreds of our previous clients think so and we have been in business since 2004. We also use very experienced broadcasters, actors and TV Presenters who are used to "lifting" the text off the page and making your script sound interesting, natural and engaging. Just have a look at our testimonials page.
How can I be sure that what you record will be how I want the voiceover to sound?
Once you have commissioned us to record your voiceover and we have agreed a price, we will take some time to discuss the script and any difficult pronunciations, and technical terms, to make sure we get these correct.
This preparation can prevent re-records and amendments later. We could also record more than one version of a sentence or paragraph, giving you the opportunity to use the one you prefer.
We will also discuss the style and tone that you require for the voiceover. Or you could have another listen to the showreel and tell us to record in a particular style.
How much do you charge for voiceovers for adverts?
For voiceovers for radio commercials in the UK we charge the station rates based on the equity rate card. These are normally recorded via ISDN (or VOIP).
For commercials for overseas stations, and TV commercials please ask for a quote.
What is ISDN?
You don't need to know this, but it stands for Integrated Services Digital Network and it has revolutionised many business activities throughout the world.
In practical terms, it means that you can hear our voiceover artists in our studio in Surrey as if they were with you in your studio. You can produce the session and we can talk live down, what are in effect, very high quality telephone lines.
But I don’t have ISDN…
That’s no problem at all, we can send your audio (mp3 files, wav files or aiff files) to you via FTP.
What is FTP?
It stands for File Transfer Protocol but you didn’t need to know that either! As email can only handle small MP3 files, we use this little bit of software as a way of transferring large files from our computer to yours.
It just means that you can visit the Client Area of this website, enter a username and password (which we will give you) and then you can download your audio. It’s simple. Honest!
I still want to hear you record the voiceover. Can I do that?
Yes. If you would still like to produce the session, you could either listen on the telephone or you can visit our studios in Surrey. If you have VOIP with the Audio TX codec, we can record the session that way. But you don’t have to. Ricky Salmon is very experienced at self-producing his voiceover sessions.
And for the other voice talents with BigFish Media, Ricky will be in the studio to produce the session for you.
What equipment do you use for your voiceovers?
Our state of the art digital recording studio includes:
Codec: Audio TX Communicator
Microphone: Audio Technica AT4033
Sound Cards: Marc 2 PCI
Mixers: Powerplay Pro and Stage Line
Headphone and micrphone pre-amp: Audio Buddy
Editing Software: Adobe Audition
Headphones: Beyer Dynamic DT100's
Computers: Dell x 2
Talkback Mic Pre-amp and Mixer: Stage Line
CDR: Memorex
There's more information on our Technical Page
What audio format can you supply your voiceovers in?
We can supply your audio in high quality MP3, wav or AIFF files. Or vox files for on-hold telephone messages.
Can you record voiceovers to picture?
Yes. If the video is uploaded to the internet.
What happens if you have made a mistake in the voiceover?
We want you to be delighted with the voice-over audio but if, for some reason, a mistake has happened, then we will correct it free of charge.
But what if I change my mind and what to alter the script after you have recorded it?
That depends on the voiceover artist and how the recording session is carried out. Sometimes we will be able to include one set of re-takes for free. Sometimes this will incur an extra charge.
How quickly can you get the voiceover job done?
Fast. Normally within 24 hours, and often much quicker. We can usually be given a script in the morning and have the audio sent back to you by the end of the day. There’s no waiting around to be sent a CD in the post.
Sometimes of course the project is very big and will take days to record and edit, or if a particular voice artist you require is unavailable you may have to wait. Talented people are often in demand.
How much will the voiceover for my project cost?
That depends on how long the script is, and what you would like to use it for. If you would just like some voiceovers for your on-hold telephone service, prices start at £100 + VAT.
Most scripts for corporate videos are under two thousand words. That means that the audio we send you, the “Finished Audio”, will be up to ten minutes long.
There are extra “usage” fees for certain other applications. Please visit the ratecard page or contact us for more details.
What is Finished Audio?
“Finished Audio” is the recording of your script, edited and de-breathed. It’s the final masterpiece for you to use.
So when we talk about 10 minutes of Finished Audio, this is how long the voiceover will be, as opposed to how long it will take to prepare the script, record it and edit it which will, of course, be much longer.
Our charge for this is between £150 + VAT and £250 + VAT depending on which voiceover artist you choose. This fee includes the voiceover fee, studio fee, editing, de-breathing, file transfer and sometimes re-takes after the session has ended.
Isn’t that expensive?
We don’t think so. You may be able to find voiceovers cheaper, but ask yourself what the quality of the voice is like.
Is the voice really good enough to represent your company or product? What about the acoustics of the audio? Can you hear cars driving past in the background? Or planes flying overhead? Is there a buzz or hum on the recording?
With a professional voice artist and proper equipment, you should hear nothing else on the recording except the voice.
Any professional will be happy to provide you with a showreel or a demo recording of what your script will sound like, so that you can check these things. There are of course voice-over artists who will charge you a lot more.
"If you think it's expensive hiring a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur" - Red Adair
How can I pay?
You can pay by cheque, paypal or BACS. Our payment terms are 30 days. If you have no credit history with us, and you are not in the UK, we require payment before sending the audio to you.
Ok, I am convinced, can I book you today?
That’s great. Yes you can, please email us or call us now.
Oh, just one more thing, how can I become a Voiceover Artist?
Please read our voiceover page.
Please have a look at the other services we offer: