When is it appropriate to charge a BSF in Voiceover?
I saw someone ask in a forum recently whether it was common practice to charge a Basic Studio Fee (BSF) when recording voiceovers from a home studio. I felt that was worth writing about – especially from an Australian perspective.
Historically, Aussies have never charged this kind of fee. The rate guides recommended by the union that covers voiceover work in Australia (MEAA) make no mention of a Basic Session or Basic Studio Fee.
The voiceover industry has changed so much over the past couple of decades. The biggest change that has taken place is the advent of the home voiceover studio. Prior to this, when a voice talent got booked for a voiceover job they would need travel to a studio to record. The MEAA Commercial voiceover rate guide and the rate card on that of any Australian talent agent’s website has the words “per hour” written all over the document. Charging a “per hour” rate acknowledges that the voice talent must travel to and from a studio to record the job.
The Rise of The Home Studio
As recording equipment became smaller and more portable, as well as more affordable, it became more achievable for voice talents to set up studios in their homes.
Some home studios won’t be gracing the covers of any audio engineering magazines. But they will absolutely produce broadcast quality audio when set up correctly. Hiring a VO with a home studio means huge cost savings.
Assuming the voice talent has a home studio that meets required industry standards in terms of audio quality, there’s really no need for everyone to meet up at the same place. Think about that for a minute. All those Uber rides from the agency office to the studio no longer needed. Everyone involved can just log on to zoom to listen and offer feedback to the VO artist. So much time saved! A far more efficient way of doing things means everyone can fit more into their day. Home Studios for the win.
If an external studio is no longer needed, do voice artists need to charge a “per studio hour” rate?
In a lot of cases, I think the “per hour” rate in Australian voiceover rate guides is outdated and irrelevant. I firmly believe that standard Australian voiceover industry rates need a complete overhaul. Which is why I choose not to use these rates for some genres.
Who Charges a Basic Studio Fee?
I charge very differently to MEAA for many genres of voiceover when I record from home, and so it makes sense to me to include a BSF (Basic Session/Studio Fee.)
A Basic Studio Fee is designed to cover things like the VO artist’s time and talent. This incorporates all the training, experience, equipment and expertise the artist brings to a project. BSFs can vary between artists. A more experienced or in demand voice talent might well charge a higher BSF than a newer talent. What it doesn’t cover is the rates associated with any licensing periods, or usage.
The agent I had a few years ago (circa 2017/2018) was starting to charge a basic studio fee of $50 whenever I was asked to record from home. I have no idea if they are still doing that for their clients. I will say that $50 is a terribly low rate to be charging, and I felt that at the time.
It’s quite customary in the UK for a BSF to be charged.
The US based GVAA rate guide says if a voice talent is recording themselves in their own studio and then sending files, that a fee of US$250 should be added.
So, they do it in the UK and they do it in the US. I’d hazard a guess that BSFs are charged in many more countries too. Why is it not commonplace in Australia? Well the lovely thing about being an independent voice talent is that you can charge whatever you want.
An Example:
Let me give a scenario-based example of why I often charge a BSF for eLearning jobs.
The ‘standard’ rate you’ll find on most Aussie voice agents’ sites for eLearning narration is about $470 per studio hour. A voice talent that takes 2 x hours to record the script earns 2 x $470.
This rate structure is problematic. The longer it takes the voice talent to record the script, the bigger the invoice. From the buyer’s perspective it doesn’t seem fair. And what if the script is only 700 words, for example? That’s not going to take a full studio hour, surely. Is it fair to charge the buyer $470 even though it only took about 20 minutes to record? I don’t think so. And I think there are plenty of buyers out there who’d agree with me. Especially if the voice talent has not had to travel to a studio away from their home to record the job. There’s far less logistical effort involved with recording from a home studio.
Unfair to the Voice Talent
That hourly studio rate structure isn’t fair to the voice talent either. Ego aside, I can comfortably say that as an extremely experienced narrator I’m an excellent cold reader and can knock a big script over in far less time than someone less experienced than me. But if we were both charging the MEAA recommended $470 per studio hour, the less efficient voice talent would earn more for narrating the same script as me because it took them longer. See the problem?
HOWEVER. When a rate per word is agreed upon, then the buyer isn’t left feeling like they are paying a higher price for the voice talent’s inefficiencies. Similarly, it delivers equality to voice talents. More experienced and efficient narrators effectively earning a better rate because they can get through the work faster.
That all seems much fairer to me.
I charge a Basic Studio Rate for genres such as e-Learning BECAUSE I charge a per word rate instead of an hourly studio rate. Under my per word rate, if an e-Learning client sends me a very short script it doesn’t amount to much on the invoice. The price isn’t a fair reflection of the skills & equipment needed to complete the job. I add a Basic Studio Fee to ensure I am compensated for my time, the use of my professional recording studio and equipment, my skills as a voice actor & narrator and the usage of my recorded voice in their non-broadcast material. A separate line item on my invoice asks the client to acknowledge all of this.
When I am booked to record a voiceover job at an external studio, rest assured I charge MEAA rates. But when I record from home, I have agency and flexibility to adjust my pricing as I see fit.
My Basic Studio Rate doesn’t apply to certain genres. When it’s called for, I charge it, and I negotiate with it under certain circumstances. That’s the beauty of not only running your own business and representing yourself, but also having a foundational understanding of voiceover rates.
Confidence with setting rates, sending quotes, and negotiating with potential clients comes from knowledge.
The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel!
“But Sarah, you haven’t told me what to charge for a BSF!”
I know. It’s up to you to decide that. Do your research. Look at what other artists are charging. Consider the value of the work you deliver. (Be careful not to undervalue yourself!) Then decide on your own bottom line.