If you’re hiring a voice-over artist for your business, particularly to narrate your video or radio commercial, it’s crucial to understand the associated costs.
Voice-over artists, also known as VO artists, typically charge based on the word count or the time required to record the script. However, there are also other factors that can influence the cost, such as the number of permitted revisions, the duration of usage, and the intended application of the artist’s voice.
Quite often, you hire VO artists to lend their voice to videos or other assets to promote your business. You’re likely to use these assets publicly, which is why you need to comprehend the difference between Commercial Rights and Broadcast Rights.
Commercial Rights vs Broadcast Rights
Opting for Commercial Rights means that the VO artist permits you to use the voice-over for any commercial, promotional, and non-broadcast purposes for an agreed-upon period. This includes any business-related use for the development of, or to boost a profit-making product or service (excluding paid marketing channels). This implies explainer videos for company websites, social networks or email campaigns, audiobooks, podcast intros, and so on.
Should you choose Broadcast Rights, you receive, in addition to the Commercial Rights, permission from the VO artist for full broadcasting for a mutually agreed period. Full Broadcasting encompasses internet, radio, and TV “paid channels”, such as digital advertising, television/radio commercials, internet radio, and music/video streaming platforms, amongst others.
In a Nutshell
To put it simply, Commercial Rights permit general business use in unpaid media. This encompasses internal videos, company website content, social media feed posts, etc.
In contrast, Broadcast Rights permit the usage of paid advertisements on the Internet, radio, and television. These rights typically carry a higher price tag than Commercial Rights.
If you’re unsure, always disclose to the VO artist or agency upfront how you intend to utilize their voice. They’ll be able to advise and provide you with an appropriate quote.
