The Complete Matinée Guide To Voice Over Usage Fees

Revised: December 2025

If you’re new to voice over projects, there are many things you need to consider that you might not have thought about in the planning stages, including voice over usage fees. At Matinée Multilingual, we can help guide you with our transparent process.

Every project that requires a voice over recording will include a basic session fee, commonly known in the industry as BSF. This fee is paid to the voice artist. Depending on the project type and where it will be distributed (TV or radio commercials, paid social ads), additional usage fees may also be paid to the artist.

What are usage fees?

When you pay for a voice over recording, you might also pay usage fees in addition to the standard recording fee. Whether you pay these fees and how muchdepends on how, where, and for how long you plan to use the voice recording.

Usage fees are paid to the voice artist if their voice is used to help make a profit. Also called buy-out fees, these are essentially a licensing agreement between you (the client) and the artist.

For example, if you use a voice recording only within your own company, for a staff training video, usage fees might not apply. But if the recording is for public use, you’ll usually need to pay usage fees to the artist.

How Much Are Usage Rates?

Usage fees aren’t a fixed price point. There are many variables that can affect how much the buyout fees will cost, and they can change from project to project. Sometimes, they won’t be charged at all. Since usage fees can be a significant cost and change a lot, always get an exact price quote before ordering voice over work.

How Are Usage Fees Calculated?

It’s natural to want to know how the usage fees you’ll be paying are calculated. In order to do this, you’ll need to provide the answers to the following questions to the artist or agent:

What is the voice over for?

That is, will it be used in an in-flight presentation, an event or exhibition, on a website or in a TV commercial?

What is the subject of the piece?

Is it educational, about a service or selling a product?

Where will the recording be aired?

This means both the medium used to air the recording and the territories in which it will be aired.

For example, the medium could be one or more radio or TV channels, a website, one store or a chain of stores, or a one-off event. The range of distribution of the recording could be a single shop or event, a region, nationwide, European or global.

Once you have collected all of this information, voice over agencies will be able to give you an accurate figure for usage fees. 

Here’s how it breaks down by the type of distribution:

Television Commercials

Voice recording fees for TV ads depend on the commercial’s expected viewership.

For example, an ad on a niche satellite channel during the day will cost you less than one shown during a prime-time slot on major TV networks.

This is based on the amount of revenue you could potentially earn from the broadcast of the voice over at peak times, as well as the number of people it’ll reach.

Radio Commercials

Usage fees for radio ads depend on two things: the number of scripts and the number of radio stations airing the commercial.

Typically, these fees are calculated for a three-month period.

• For small radio stations, the fees can be so low that they’re often waived.

• For large national stations, the fees can be significant.

It’s also important to note that if you’re working with talents represented by a union, or those who follow union guidelines, there could be minimum radio usage fees set by organisations like Equity.

Online Usage Fees

Online fees are negotiable and are based on several key factors. These include:

• Audience: The size and demographic of your target audience.
• Voice over type: The specific application, such as an instructional video or a promotional ad.
• Usage period: How long the voice over will be used, from a short-term campaign to perpetual use.
• Additional factors: Other elements like regional broadcast rights, delivery format, and post-production needs also affect the final fee.

When Do I Have To Pay Buyout Fees?

Buyout fees are typically discussed and agreed upon during the booking process, before the actual voice over recording takes place. This ensures transparency and avoids any unexpected costs for the client.

It’s important to clarify these details upfront with the voice over artist or agency and include them in the initial quote or contract.

Payment of the buyout fee will depend on payment terms set by the voice over agency. The payment terms may include your total fees to be paid on a 50/50 or 100% upfront basis (especially for new clients), how the voice over recording is arranged (whether in-person, remote or requires live direction) and if necessary, usage fee renewals.

How To Incorporate Usage Fees Into Your Advertising Budget

When it’s challenging to determine the exact cost of usage fees in advance, it’s wise to allocate a flexible portion of your advertising budget specifically for these expenses.

Start by researching typical usage fees within your project niche to establish a baseline estimate. Include this estimate as a line item in your budget, and then add a contingency buffer to account for any unexpected variations.

If you anticipate negotiating new or expanded rights as your campaign evolves, factor in additional budget flexibility for these potential adjustments.

By building in this adaptability, you ensure that you’re prepared for any additional costs while maintaining the fiscal health of your advertising efforts.

Communication with the voice over agency about potential fee ranges is also crucial for planning effectively.

The Matinée Approach to Usage Fees

At Matinée, we believe in transparent pricing, including usage fees. We strive to offer great value to our clients and fair rates to our voice talent.

To get the most accurate quote for your project, please provide as much detail as possible about how the recording will be used. Knowing its purpose, where it will be heard, and for how long helps us give precise usage fee information.

Our usage fees are based on industry standards set by voice artist unions, and these costs will always vary depending on your planned use of the recording, so providing detailed information is essential when requesting a quote.

Does All Voice Over Work Come With Buyout Fees? + –

No, not all voice over projects include buyout fees. Usage fees are only required for certain project types and use cases.

At Matinée, we provide a clear breakdown of costs based on your project type, so there are no nasty surprises

Are Buyout Fees Unavoidable? + –

Usage fees are unavoidable when the audio will be used in the public domain to promote or sell a product or service. However, they’re not needed when your VO project is internal, private, or for non-commercial uses, like training videos.

Remember, these fees vary based on project requirements, and we ensure transparency by detailing all costs upfront for your convenience.

Are Buyout Fees Built Into the Cost of a Voice Over? + –

Yes, buyout fees are often included in the overall cost, but this depends on the project and the agency.

Do Audiobook Voice Overs Require a Buyout Fee? + –

No, not all audiobook voice overs require a usage fee. 

Our team can advise on whether your audiobook project will require buyout fees when you get in touch.