Myth 2: If you pay for the recording, you can use the audio anywhere, forever
Here’s the truth: This is the most common and most expensive mistake in the industry. The recording cost is only half the picture. It's like renting a fancy suit for an evening party, but then appearing on cinema posters with it without paying extra. For commercial projects, you pay for the usage, known as a buy-out.
- A commercial voice-over artist works with a fixed basic rate for the recording session, plus a buy-out for usage.
- Non-commercial work, such as an internal corporate video or e-learning, is usually charged per word or per project.
- If you use the audio outside the agreed channels, you risk hefty claims from the voice actor or their representative afterwards.
For an exact price that fits your plans, it's best to request a custom quote beforehand.
Myth 3: A professional voice actor doesn't need direction or instructions
Here’s the truth: Even the best voice actor can't read your mind. A lack of clear instructions inevitably leads to extra recording rounds and unnecessary costs. As directors, we see this happen daily.
Director's Tip: Give the voice a very clear reference beforehand. Don't just say 'sound professional', but explain who the listener is. Tell us if the voice should sound like a helpful colleague at the coffee machine or more like a neutral newsreader. That saves you hours of re-editing.
Myth 4: Every voice actor can naturally record any type of text
Here’s the truth: Just as a theatre actor plays a specific type of role, every voice actor has their own specialisation. A voice that excels in fast, enthusiastic radio commercials isn't automatically suitable for a technical manual. We find that our platform, with 93 publicly available voices, is so successful precisely because we can select the right specialist for every niche. A voice like Bernard, who speaks French (BE) in Belgium, brings a very different nuance than a voice working exclusively for the Dutch market.
Myth 5: The cheapest voice delivers the most cost-effective productionHere's what's true: In this industry, going cheap often costs you more. An inexperienced voice actor who charges very little often needs more recording time. They might deliver audio with distracting background noise or misunderstand the video's timing. This means you might need to book more studio time or eventually hire a professional to redo the job. The total cost will then be much higher than if you had worked with an experienced voice actor from the start. All our voices are professional voice actors, carefully selected by our agency, who deliver excellent quality from day one.
