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GENERAL
A voice over is the invisible speaker you hear in TV and cinema commercials, radio spots, e-learing, internet, DVD/CD-ROM, product and company presentations, documentaries, podcasts, animated films, flash presentations, IVR voice prompts, on-hold marketing, navigation technology, etc. A voice over from VoiceArchive is done by a certified voice talent, recorded in a professional sound recording studio.
VOICE TALENTS
Yes, all our voice talents are native speakers; we don’t accept non-native speakers on our roster.
Are the voice talents professionals?
Yes, all our voice talents are professionals and use professional studios and recording equipment. They have a voice over experience of minimum two years; most of them have been working in the voice over industry for many years and are highly experienced.
ORDER
We forward a quote based on the info you've submitted (size of your script, media usage, choice of voice talent, etc.). Once you have sent us a written confirmation of the quote we place your order with the voice talent chosen for the assignment.
FORMATS
We support all common audio formats including wave, mp3, aiff and others.
PAYMENT
You can pay via bank transfer or PayPal. A deposit is charged on large projects.
ADVANCED BOOKING
If you know that your script is due for recording on a specific date, you can book a voice talent in advance. This will reduce the delivery time. If you cancel a booking less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled recording, a cancellation fee will be charged to compensate the voice talent.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
We thrive on challenges. If you have requests not matched by any of our voice talent samples don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll do whatever possible to accommodate your requirements.
TRANSLATION
Yes, we’re able to supply translation into more than 70 languages through our network of certified translators. Translations are done by native speakers of the target language for optimal localization – be it colloquial or business language.
PRICE
The price of a voice over includes voice talent fee, booking and studio fee and editing of the recording. The editing is limited to only removing errors from the recording, which means that you will receive one sound file containing the entire recording. At an additional fee we can split the recording into smaller consecutive files, e.g. matching marked paragraphs in the script.
Will I get a discount on large orders?
Yes. Please contact a sales coordinator for discount rates. How large a discount we can offer depends on type of project and which voice artists you have chosen.
Rates are subject to factors such as target language, media usage, voice talent popularity, style, terminology, length of script, deadline and other individual factors. Go to the “quick quote” section for a quote.
MEDIA USAGE
Rates are dependent on whether your voice over is used for a voice mail or a nationwide TV commercial. Typically, voice talents charge more for recordings for broadcast usage (radio and TV) than for non-broadcast recordings.
What is the difference between broadcast and non-broadcast?
In general, broadcast is defined as radio and TV usage. Non-broadcast is usage for all other media, e.g. e-learning, DVD/CD-ROM, product and company presentations, podcasts, animated films, Flash presentations, IVR voice prompts. One exception is the Internet which can be considered both a broadcast and a non-broadcast media.
VIDEO/TV SPOTS
Do you supply ready to air spots and commercials with the voice over edited onto the video?
No. Audio-visual editing/mixing/mastering must be carried out by a production company.
RECORDING
Can I have the voice talent record in my own studio/a studio in my town?
Most of our voice talents live in their native countries and record from their own professional studios. Therefore, it’s not possible for them to come into your studio. Instead, we offer live sessions via Skype, ISDN or telephone. A less comprehensive, yet very effective solution is to talk to the voice talent before he/she goes into the studio.
Your script is recorded in a professional studio. Our voice talents have their own professional studios, and the quality of their equipment and sound is always tested by VoiceArchive's sound engineer before we upload their demos to our database.
What is a live session?
A live session is a recording done from the voice talent’s studio where the client listens to the recording real-time via Skype, ISDN or telephone. This gives the client the possibility to direct the voice talent as he/she records.
Changes to the script after the recording's been done will be charged a re-recording fee. The fee depends on how much text you need re-recorded and will usually be lower than the original voice over price.
This is not a recording issue. You need to have your audio file mixed in a post production studio supporting multi-channel surround formats or stereo to surround upconversion.
Most of our voice talents supply a custom demo free of charge while others charge a minor fee.
Multi track recordings: I want my radio spot to be a call/response between a female and a male voice. Can I choose more than one voice talent for an assignment?
Yes, we can assign as many voice talents as you need for each recording.
RECRUITMENT
Thank you for choosing VoiceArchive. Our biggest asset is our network of voice talents so please go to "New Voice Talent" and fill in the reply form.
This is subject to a lot of individual factors such as length of recording, purpose of voice over and about a ton other aspects. Once we have a job for you, we will offer you a budget based on voice over category.
SUPERVISION
Can I talk to the voice talent before he/she records?
We can arrange for you to speak to the voice talent before he/she goes into the studio. This way, you can give direct instructions and inform about possible pronunciation issues.
EDITING
Can you help me edit the recording?
Yes. We have professional sound engineers working for us and they can help if you need post editing, e.g. audio files split into smaller files, marked, timed/synchronised to a film/video.
No, we only supply voice recordings. If you want to add music and sound effects (eg. reverb, thunder, the sound of a roaring car engine - whatever) you need to have the final mix and mastering done in a mastering studio.
QUALITY
If you are not satisfied with the voice recording and would like another tone of voice, tempo or style, we will gladly record a new version for you. In general, you can help us eliminate the risk of retakes by providing thorough instructions and a pronunciation guide.
DELIVERY
Delivery time depends on script size and the voice talent you have chosen. Most of our recommended voice talents have a turnaround time of just 24 hours for scripts up to 1,200 words.
For fast delivery we upload all audio files to a secure ftp server. As a registered customer you will automatically receive a notification email with a direct link to the file the moment it’s uploaded. Audio files are transferred in the audio format you require, e.g. wave, mp3, aiff.
REFERENCES
By all means. The better references our voice talents get the better we can accommodate your requirements.
That depends on which type of voice over you need. If you want dubbing/lip sync e.g. for a cartoon, our voice talent needs a reference in order to synchronize the voice recording. For other types of videos – eg. e-learning or TV commercials – usually a list of time codes will do.
Have you browsed our "voice talent samples"? You’ll definitely find someone getting pretty close to what you need. If you don't find the right voice, please contact us, and our project managers can help you find exactly what you are looking for.
PRONUNCIATION
How do I avoid mispronunciation of my company name/product name?
No worries – go to “pronunciation guide” which allows you to record and submit sound bites of tricky names and specialized terminology.
