How do I Quote my Voice Over Turnaround Time?

Tom Dheere
2 days ago
4 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

It’s Not About Speed, It’s About Strategy

We’ve all gotten that email. You nail the audition, the client is thrilled, and then they hit you with the big one: "This is great! When can I have this back?"

Your gut reaction, especially when you’re hungry for the gig, is to be the hero. You want to type "ASAP!" or "How about in an hour?"

Stop. Right. There.

Giving a knee-jerk answer to the turnaround question is one of the fastest ways to destroy client trust and torpedo your own business. I’ve conducted this autopsy more times than I can count, both on my own projects and for my students.

Quoting your turnaround time isn't a guess. It's a calculation. It’s a core part of managing client expectations, and it's just as important as your rate. Here are the variables you must consider before you ever type a delivery time.

a typewriter with a piece of paper in it that says "Deadline"

What’s the Genre?

A 500-word script is not just a 500-word script. The type of voice over dictates the time.

Commercial: Is it a high-energy, hard-sell read? That’s going to take way more takes, energy, and vocal strain than a calm, conversational read.
E-Learning/Narration: This is often a steadier, more measured pace, but it requires absolute consistency in tone and pacing over a long period.
Medical/Technical: This requires prep time. You can’t just "wing it" on complex terminology. Grab that Dorland's Medical Dictionary!
Video Game/Animation: Are you voicing one character or five? Does one of them involve screaming for 10 minutes? Exertions are a thing.

Don't just count the words; consider the performance required.

What’s the (Actual) Length and Format?

This may seem obvious, but this is where the landmines are. A client saying "it's a 10,000-word project" is hiding the real question.

Is that one 10,000-word file? Or is it 100 individual 100-word files?

The second one isn't a single VO job; it's a massive post-production and file management project. The opportunity cost of spending 3 hours just saving, naming, and QC-ing 100 tiny files is huge. You must clarify the format of the deliverables, not just the total length.

Is Editing Required? (The "Hidden" Time Suck)

This is the big one. You must define what "finished" means. To quote my Voice Over Service Guarantee:

● “Uncut”- completely untouched audio, warts & all

● “Raw/Dry” - I remove the big breaths, boo-boos, burps, and curses 🙂

● “Processed/Wet” - In addition to making it Raw/Dry, I apply a custom “rack” (FFT Filter, Automatic Click Remover, Dynamics Processing, Tube-modeled Compressor, Parametric Equalizer, Hard Limiter)

This "post-production" work can easily double or triple your time on a project. If you're using a DAW like Adobe Audition to clean up and master 50 separate files, you're not just a voice actor anymore; you're an audio engineer. That’s a different service, it takes significant time, and you must account for it in your timeline (and your rate!).

Does a Directed Session Need to be Scheduled?

The second a client says "great, can we book a 1-hour directed session?" your personal timeline just went out the window.

A "1-hour session" is never 1 hour. It’s:

15 minutes of tech setup, checking your connection, and getting levels.
The 1 hour of the session itself (which often runs over).
15-30 minutes of editing, file conversion, and delivery after the call.
Most importantly, it’s a 2-hour block of time on your calendar that you cannot use for anything else.

Your turnaround time is no longer "2 hours from now." It’s "When can we both find an open slot on our calendars?"

How Much Prep Time Do You Really Need?

Rushing in cold is for amateurs. Professional strategists build in prep time.

Do you need to read the full 30-page e-learning module to understand the context? Do you need to research the company's brand voice? Do you need to warm up your voice for that character role?

This is the unseen, unpaid work that is critical to delivering a paid, professional product. I always build in at least a 15-30 minute "strategic buffer" to review the script, get a cup o' tea, and get my head in the game. You should too.

Your Turnaround Is Your Promise

It is always better to under-promise and over-deliver.

It’s better to promise a 24-hour turnaround and deliver in 20 hours (making you a hero) than to promise 4 hours and deliver in 5 (making you a failure).

Your turnaround time is a key part of your brand. It communicates reliability, professionalism, and that you are a serious business partner, not just a flaky starving artist.

Stop guessing and start calculating. That’s how you build a business that lasts.

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