A 60-second read takes the same 30 minutes in the booth whether it ends up in an internal onboarding video or a national TV spot. The difference in value is entirely in the usage, and that's where voice actors lose money: a client books a "web video," pays the session fee, and six months later the same read is running as a pre-roll ad across three countries.
This agreement is built for freelance voice actors working from a home studio or a booked studio, for agencies, production companies and direct clients. It separates the session from the usage, defines pickups, and adds the clause every voice actor now needs about cloning.
TL;DR
The voice-over agreement template separates the session fee from the usage fee and defines usage by media, term and territory, with broadcast and non-broadcast categories and an optional buyout. It covers script and direction, pickups (free for talent error, charged for script changes), file delivery specs, exclusivity for competing brands, and a ban on voice cloning. Sign it before the session, and price renewals in advance.
What's inside
- Project and script — the production, script length, language, and who directs.
- Session terms — date, location or home studio, session length, and live direction.
- Fees — session fee, usage fee per category, and buyout pricing.
- Usage license — media, term, territory, and the broadcast or non-broadcast category.
- Pickups and revisions — what is free, what is charged, and the time window.
- Delivery — file format, editing level, file naming and delivery date.
- Exclusivity — whether you may voice competing brands during the term.
- Voice rights — no cloning, synthesis or model training, and how your name and voice are used.
- Cancellation, payment and general terms.
When to use it
Use it for any paid voice-over job where the client hasn't sent their own agreement, and as a checklist when they have. It covers commercials, explainers, e-learning, corporate narration, phone and IVR systems, podcasts, documentaries and game or app characters. If the voice-over is part of a larger video you are producing, the video production proposal or the videography contract carries the production terms, and this agreement can sit alongside it for the talent.
If you are a member of a performers' union, union rates and terms may apply to some work. Fill in the status line and check the relevant agreement rather than relying on this template for union jobs.
Usage, buyouts and pickups explained
Broadcast vs non-broadcast. Broadcast covers TV, radio, cinema and paid digital ads (pre-roll, paid social, streaming ads). Non-broadcast covers corporate, internal, e-learning, explainer videos on the client's own site, trade shows, IVR, and organic social. Non-broadcast work is often quoted as a single fee with broad usage; broadcast work is quoted per medium and per term.
Term. Common broadcast terms are 13 weeks, 6 months or one year, with a renewal fee if the ad keeps running. Write the renewal fee into the agreement now.
Territory. Local, regional, national or worldwide. Online paid ads that can be geo-targeted can still be licensed by territory.
Buyouts. A full buyout (all media, worldwide, in perpetuity) removes renewal income. If a client asks for one on broadcast work, quote it as a separate, much higher option, or offer a long fixed term instead.
Pickups. Typical terms: pickups for your own errors are free; script changes requested within 30 days are charged at a reduced pickup fee for short changes (for example, up to three lines) and at the full session rate for larger rewrites. Retakes for "different read" direction after approval are a new session.
Customize it in your COLO workspace
Save the agreement as a contract template in COLO Contracts and add your company signature; the client signs in the client portal with a typed name or signature image. Quote the session fee and each usage category as separate line items on a proposal, then convert the accepted proposal into an invoice, in the client's currency if they are overseas.
Common mistakes
- "Web use" with no definition. Organic posts and paid ads are both online; only one is broadcast-level usage.
- No renewal fee. Clients rarely come back to ask; they just keep running the spot.
- Unlimited pickups. A free "quick fix" turns into three new sessions.
- No cloning clause. Recorded voice is now raw material for synthetic voices. Say no in writing.
- No competitor exclusivity price. If the client wants you exclusive in their category, that has a cost.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between a session fee and a usage fee?
The session fee pays for your time recording. The usage fee pays for how and where the recording is used: which media, for how long, and in which territory. Broadcast and paid advertising usage is usually charged on top of the session fee.
Q: What counts as broadcast versus non-broadcast voice-over?
Broadcast generally means TV, radio, cinema and paid online advertising where the client buys media to reach an audience. Non-broadcast covers corporate videos, e-learning, explainer videos, phone systems, internal training and organic social content.
Q: What is a pickup in voice-over?
A pickup is a short re-record after the main session, usually to fix a line or record script changes. Many voice actors include free pickups for their own errors and charge a reduced fee for client script changes within a set time.
Q: Should I agree to a buyout?
A buyout grants unlimited usage, often in all media and in perpetuity, for one fee. It can be reasonable for internal or e-learning work. For broadcast advertising it should be priced much higher than a limited-term license, because you give up renewal fees.
Q: Can a client use my recordings to clone my voice?
Not unless your agreement allows it. Add an explicit clause that recordings may not be used to train, clone or synthesize your voice, and that any such use needs a separate written agreement and fee.
Related
More for voice talent on COLO for voice-over artists.