VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Glenn Moore]

For a :60 dry read $___
:60 with music/sfx $___

For a :30 dry read $___
:30 with music/sfx $___

What about market size? Does that play a factor? Radio or TV?

The reason I asked is because of the previous post and the fact that I havent really established any set rates as of right now. I judge it according to the client since I only have a small handfull that are steady. However, I want to get a rate(s) and stick to my guns. Anyone care to share? In some markets, $150 for a dry read :30 ain't that bad. Don't ya think?

[Glenn Moore]

What? No replies? Is this a personal question or am I just out of line in asking? I am open for rebuke:-).

[Don G.]

I don't think it's a matter of being "out of line" in asking, but if you look back through the archives, you'll see that there is no clear, single answer. Yes, it does depend on your market to some extent.

Some here (myself included) try to keep within a few dollars of AFTRA/SAG rates, but I've been known to throw a bone to a loyal client on occasion if a particular project is on a tight budget. Other times a client will state their VO budget during casting and it will be a little more than I might have charged otherwise.

The answer is that there is no one answer. But this will give you some idea of union rates: http://www.aftra.org/contract/crates.htm, and http://www.aftra.org/contract/nonbroadcast.htm

BTW, In my opinion, a spot is a spot, whether it's a :15, :30 or :60. Whether it's radio or TV makes a difference, and the market it will air in makes a difference, but timing and length is relevant only in long-format content. Again, this is only my opinion.

[Bruce]

One man's observations:

It's kind of what the market will bear. In smaller markets $100 is often the going rate for a radio spot (I think the majority of people make no distinction between a :60 and a :30). There are plenty of low ball exceptions to this rule, and a lot of folks take less for quantity work such as through the cable TV companies. Add on $50 for TV VO in small markets.

In bigger markets I've seen rates up to $250 for radio and $350 for TV (close to AFTRA rates) and the big 3 cities even more. But there are dj's in this city who have been charging $50 a spot out of their radio studios for twenty years and just won't change. Middle markets are somewhere in between. Tags run $25 to $75 depending on market and local practice.

Denver is just plain weird. Some folks charge normal per spot rates, and others will take $200 per hour NO MATTER HOW MANY SPOTS THEY RECORD in that hour. It's the lack of O2 I believe.

On production some folks throw it in for free, especially if it's easy, and others will tack on 25 or 50 percent more.

Your mileage figures may be different.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .