How Much Does a Voiceover Cost in the UK?

This is probably the most Googled question in the voiceover world, and I completely understand why. If you've never hired a voice artist before, the pricing can feel like a total mystery. Some people quote fifty quid. Some quote five thousand. And you're stood there thinking, "but it's just talking into a microphone, isn't it?"

(It isn't. But I get why it looks that way from the outside.)

So let me break it down properly, because I think this industry could do with a bit more honesty about money.

Why there's no single answer

I know, I know — you clicked on this hoping for a nice clean price list and I'm already hedging. But hear me out. Voiceover pricing depends on a few things, and they genuinely do make a difference to the cost:

Script length. A 30-second radio ad is a very different job to narrating a 6-hour audiobook. The longer the script, the more studio time, the more editing, the higher the fee. Makes sense.

Usage. This is the big one that catches people out. Where the voiceover will be used — and for how long — affects the price significantly. A training video that lives on your company intranet costs less than a national TV campaign, because the audience reach is completely different. Think of it like licensing a photo: you pay more for a billboard than a blog post.

Turnaround. Need it tomorrow? That's doable, but a rush job usually costs a bit more. Need it in a week? Standard rates. Need it in a month? Also standard rates, but I'll be chuffed with the breathing room.

Buyout vs. limited licence. Sometimes clients want to own the recording outright (a buyout), and sometimes they want to use it for a set period. Buyouts cost more because you're essentially paying for unlimited, forever usage.

Some rough numbers to give you a starting point

These are ballpark figures for a professional UK voice artist working from a broadcast-quality home studio. They're not my specific rates (drop me a message for those), but they'll give you a realistic sense of the market:

Corporate / internal video (up to 500 words, internal use): roughly £150–£350

E-learning module (per finished hour of audio): roughly £250–£500

Explainer video (1-2 minutes, online use): roughly £200–£400

Radio ad (30 seconds, regional): roughly £200–£400

TV ad (30 seconds, national): roughly £1,000–£5,000+ depending on channels and run time

Audiobook (per finished hour): roughly £200–£400

IVR / phone system (a set of prompts): roughly £150–£300

I know that's a wide range. But it reflects reality — a one-minute explainer for a small startup's website is a different job to a one-minute explainer for a global pharmaceutical company. The work in the booth might be similar, but the value and reach are different.

What's included in the price

When you book a professional voice artist, you're not just paying for someone to read your script out loud. Here's what should be included as standard:

Studio time, recording, and basic editing. Delivered as clean, broadcast-ready audio files (usually WAV or MP3, whatever you need). A reasonable number of revisions — most voice artists include at least one round of tweaks. And the licence to use the recording for the agreed purpose and timeframe.

If someone's quoting you significantly below the ranges above, it's worth asking what's included. Sometimes a cheap quote means no revisions, no editing, or lower quality audio. You get what you pay for — and in voiceover, that usually means either a smooth, professional experience or a frustrating one.

The Fiverr question

I'm going to address this because I know you're thinking it. Yes, you can get a voiceover on Fiverr for twenty quid. And sometimes that works out fine, genuinely — and I've done Fiverr! But more often than not, you'll get inconsistent audio quality and have to go via a platform to talk to who you've hired.

If your project matters to your business — if real people are going to see it, hear it, and form opinions about your brand because of it — it's worth investing in a voice that sounds like you mean it.

How to get a quote

Honestly, the easiest thing to do is just ask. Send the script (or a rough idea of the length), tell me where the voiceover will be used, and let me know your timeline. I'll come back with a clear quote, no hidden surprises, and if it's outside your budget, I'll tell you honestly rather than wasting both our time.

I'd rather have a straightforward conversation about money upfront than have anyone feel awkward about it later. Life's too short for that.