The response to this question can actually separate a modern professional voice talent and an out-of-touch voice actor.
Voice over clients now more than ever have a choice in selecting voice talent with many and varied options online. Let me be clear I’m not saying you should
do unlimited revisions for nothing, but the fact is clients now expect a lot more for a lot less. The majority of work cast online is non-union, that is a fact. So you must remain competitive.
My expertise in being able to answer this question with authority is observing literally hundreds of back and forth messages between voice talent and clients each week, then following up with the client and sometimes the voice talent. Seeing who gets booked often and regularly by the same clients and who doesn’t.
The professional voice talent who go above and beyond to please the client almost always get booked a second time or more. And all voice talent know a regular client is one of the best. Is asking for a $50 revision fee for a few words really worth missing out on hundreds even thousands of dollars of future work?
The voice talent who believe the client is ‘lucky to be getting me at this rate’ almost always create awkward tension and leave the client regretting hiring them and almost certainly never going to cast them again.
If a client asks for a small revision when they notice an error in the script of simply want to change one line, the voice talent who oblige with no hesitation can almost guarantee they will be added to the client’s ‘favorite list’.
The voices that immediately begin to discuss extra fees for small changes are doing themselves no favors.
There is of course a fine line between what is and isn’t acceptable in regards to revisions. I believe anything more than two sentences and there is justification in asking for revision fees.
If a client asks to change a few words, and you demand a revision fee – that is totally unprofessional in my view. Ten years ago when you had to drive to the studio, then yes, now with competition online increasing, not so much.
If you’ve only charged $50 for a 2 minute read, and they then make changes to the script, yes, by all means revision fees are needed.
If it’s anything over $150, I think one small revision should be included.
What are your thoughts on revision fees? Let me know below.
