First of all, how is it calculated? Is it by the number of words, the length of the video, or the time one spends in the studio?
I realize a 10 minute video may take more than an hour to record if your voice has to match the picture.
Anyone with experience in this field? What’s the going rate? Thanks very much.
I did it for a couple of years to earn some extra cash while I was building my business and at the beginning it paid very well. Usually at least 900/hour, however that quickly changed and all the offers were around 600/hour and even lower. Hence, I can’t be bothered with it anymore.
Majority were hourly rates with the exception of very long projects or very short ones where a set rate was negotiated.
It varies from place to place. Basically you need to find out how much they’re planning to pay you, then consider how much time you’ll be spending to earn the money and base your decision on that. It can take a lot more than an hour to do 10 minutes as well, if you’re not experienced and the company is pernicketty.
I did voice recording here, long ago, and did not have a positive experience.
Fifteen years ago there was this sleazy local managing the downtown branch of a big buxiban who asked me to do some voice recordings. The pay was a bit higher than teaching English, but not a huge amount more – something like 700-800 per hour (?), when the class pay was around 550 (?), and it was hourly, yes.
I recall that he was having us record English lessons for some CDs, and when I stumbled over some obvious errors in the lesson and then read them the correct way, this sleazebag objected. I explained that the grammar wasn’t right, but he didn’t care – he wanted the CD to match the text. I objected, saying I wasn’t going to teach English the wrong way, but he insisted. That left me with a pretty bad taste in my mouth.
The time after that, I traveled the great distance from my home to the studio for a session, as scheduled, and since the recording engineer didn’t show, sleazebag postponed the session to another day. Not a penny for the voice people who all showed up, not a penny for transportation and the inconvenience.
Was it worth it? You have to figure in the extra hassles and be clear on the details before making that decision for yourself.
I’ve done it for $1000, higher when they realized that I could get it done for them quickly without many takes. It really varies. It was cool: The studios I was in were also used for a lot of the overdub of animated Hollywood movies. Some had a single voice actor doing multiple characters; quite a thing to watch.
Average pay is around NT$1,000 per hour. Be aware that the authorities are cracking down severely on people who are no allowed to record and several hundred have already been investigated already according to Labour Affairs.
Not sure if I’m understanding your post correctly, but why would would someone not be allowed to record? Or are you talking about the actual person having his voice recorded, i.e. no work permit?
Not sure if I’m understanding your post correctly, but why would would someone not be allowed to record? Or are you talking about the actual person having his voice recorded, i.e. no work permit?[/quote]
I believe strictly speaking one needs to have a “media permit” issued by the GIO in order to “appear” (and that would include vocally) in the media. So if the material you recorded is played on the radio, then you need to have such a permit. But if the recording is not broadcast, then the rule doesn’t apply.
Too bad you met such a sleazebag. I think most bosses, at least those who care about quality, would be glad to have you record the correct way and then pay an additional editorial fee.
Not sure if I’m understanding your post correctly, but why would would someone not be allowed to record? Or are you talking about the actual person having his voice recorded, i.e. no work permit?[/quote]
I believe strictly speaking one needs to have a “media permit” issued by the GIO in order to “appear” (and that would include vocally) in the media. So if the material you recorded is played on the radio, then you need to have such a permit. But if the recording is not broadcast, then the rule doesn’t apply.[/quote]
Makes sense. Thanks.
I used to do some voice recording for TV commercials in the early 2000s. It was hourly and the pay was excellent (NT$2000/hour). It was great work. But the studio moved to Shanghai and I hear from people who still do this that the pay is much lower these days. PM kitkat and ask.
Not sure if I’m understanding your post correctly, but why would would someone not be allowed to record? Or are you talking about the actual person having his voice recorded, i.e. no work permit?[/quote]
I believe strictly speaking one needs to have a “media permit” issued by the GIO in order to “appear” (and that would include vocally) in the media. So if the material you recorded is played on the radio, then you need to have such a permit. But if the recording is not broadcast, then the rule doesn’t apply.[/quote]
Makes sense. Thanks.[/quote]
Sorry. I missed that response.
Many foreign “teachers” and “students” who have recorded for such companies as language schools for example who publish their recordings can be subject to fines and deportation. Also the companies or studios which hire these “illegal workers” can be very, severely fined and can be threatened to lose their operating licences.
Unless they catch you in the act of recording, how do they know who’s voice it is? And if they catch you in the act, then the recording hasn’t been published yet, so you’ve still broken no laws, right?