Not quite 30 voice artists braved an answer to my VOAT question dealing with setting rates…but they were the meatiest answers of the month, and deserve a quick run-through in case you didn’t see them all.

I consider this to be the thorniest question for freelance voice over talent, ’cause it opens up a can of worms that leads all over the place — into the realms of what constitutes a free market, what IS capitalism, where do unions fit into the picture, what variables enter into YOUR formula for setting rates, and most of all:  how do you guage your own self-worth?

‘Not to get too deep on ya here, but this can get real philosophical.  Luckily the respondents had their heads on straight.

For instance, Paul Strikwerda said:  “…My fee reflects my experience, expertise and my expenses on one hand, and a realistic sense of my value in the market place on the other. For this I need facts about the cost of doing business, the client’s evaluation processes and competitive activity. This allows me to calculate my price floor, the point below which my service should not be sold or I won’t turn a profit…”

Jodi Krangle stated:  “…I do have a minimum fee. Once that’s met, it’s a matter of weighing the customer’s needs and my own and seeing where they meet. There’s a magical, mystery convergence somewhere in there..”

I like that. You really should read the rest of Jodi’s comments.  It captures my sentiment exactly…but then so did Craig Burnett:  “…While I have a price in my head that I’d like to meet, I always try to remain flexible.  That doesn’t mean I’ll lowball…I’ve turned down a LOT of work simply by saying, “Thanks anyway, and let me know when your budgets improve.”  But I’ve nabbed a bunch of clients by understanding that sometimes their budgets are stupidly low, and sometimes they have extra dough that they’ll pass along…”

Sometimes you have to make exceptions, and sometimes it really pays dividends.  Like Jeff Conwell:  “…While I try not to even crack the mic for less than $150, I recently saw a script on a pay to play that was so good, I auditioned without even looking at the pay. I got the booking and the pay was only $50. The good news was it was for an agency that I have a strong relationship with and it really help their small client and in the end, strengthened our relationship further…”

Since I was the first one to post on this question, many responded to my statement that I’m not union (yet).  I think most of those who responded here are not union, and for instance, Robin W. acknowledged that:   “…I am not Union.  I have a set rate sheet, but look at every client’s situation.   Some don’t have a lot of money are upstart companies, or are having it rough with the economy   For these clients I work within their budget, not only does this help them out financially, but cultivates a great relationship…”

Dana Marks also gave a tip of the hat to the unions:  “…I start with the union scale and work from there, depending on the scope of the job and the pocket depth of the client.  I try to be fair about it and not leave too much money on the table…”

Arnaly A. summed-up what a lot of us go through when we consider the rate setting issue:  “…I try to find our as much as I can about the project and the client’s budget before quoting. Then I have a minimum rate that I will work for. If that standard is not met, I don’t even audition. After deciding if I will audition, I take this points into consideration for defining my rates:

- Purpose of the job (national commercial, psa, narration, etc)
- How big is the company I will be working for (if known)
- Possibility of repeat business.
- Have I work before with this client?
- What feedback does he or she have?
- I compare the client’s budget with how much I am being paid in the currents job I have and go slightly higher in order to try to increase my rates.

All of these parameters help me decide if I will raise or lower the rates in comparison to the client’s budget.

I’m not going to go on…all you have to do is go to the VOAToday Week-3 question, and bask in the collective wisdom of the VO community.  Even though VOAToday is but a September memory, I’m leaving up the site for a few more weeks, so everyone gets to see all the great responses you gave.  Thanks!

CourVO