Budgeting for Narration of Your eLearning Course
When planning and budgeting for your online training, interactive presentation, or other eLearning course project, it's important to have an idea of what you should set aside for voice-over narration within your eLearning budget. This article aims to give you an overview of what the average rates are throughout the industry.
Industry Standard Rates
There are no official fixed industry rates, so they will vary from one voice talent to another, and from project to project. In general, you can expect eLearning narration pricing to fall into the ranges below.
| Low | Average | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Word | 20¢ | 25¢ | 35¢ |
| Per Finished Minute | $30 | $35 | $55 |
| Per Raw Hour | $600 | $1200 | $2400 |
| Per Finished Hour | $1500 | $2000 | $3300 |
| Directed Sessions | $150/hr | $200/hr | $300/hr |
All of these include editing, except the raw hour which is for raw unedited audio only.
You can expect quotes toward the high end for overly complicated technical or medical language scripts.
Directed sessions typically include the first hour and then incur a 10¢ - 30¢ fee per word for additional hours.
You can also expect session minimums to apply for projects under 1 hour in length, and in many cases, discounts are available for longer courses or bulk training program material.
It is also fairly standard to accrue fees for file splitting, these will vary by voice talent but are typically around $1 per file.
Finally, if your online course is intended to be made available beyond your internal resources, you should expect to discuss usage terms and costs as well. eLearning is generally priced for non-paid usage, primarily intended to teach an organization's internal resources.
Any Questions?
Hopefully, this article has provided you with sufficient information to have a baseline of what you can expect to be quoted for your eLearning project. Without seeing a script it is impossible to provide a quote, and everyone will quote things a little differently. The ranges above are based on those in the GVAA guide, and generally in line with where Will Vincent's quotes land. If you would like to discuss your project, you can schedule a complimentary 15-minute voice-over consultation, or request a free quote or custom audition.
