I am building the voiceoverfreelance.com is the place where fresh talents come to find useful and straight-forward information on starting a voice-over career. On the website and in guides voice-over talents always find the latest and verified facts and updated guides on how to grow their freelance business effectively and quickly.
The report is built with the goal to provide the most recent and relevant data to the voice performers to help them justify their efforts and serve as a point of reference in the conducted business.
This report helps you understand the landscape of content production and trends of what vocal qualities that creatives and producers are seeking out. Starter voice talents can find useful statistics for the past 2019 and voice-over industry forecasts for 2020 in this report.
2019 Voice-over industry report
The report is free to share if the appropriate link provided to the source.
Download and scroll through to see how the voice market is huge and what potential it brings to the new talent like you. Of course, if willing to consistently show the effort and follow friendly advice provided on this website.
Industry Snapshot & Commentary
The industry was doing good in 2019. Particularly it was driven by new eras content delivery models like streaming video and podcasts, increased volume advertisements through social media and such.
Digital ad spending surpassed traditional advertisement spending. By 2023 this number has the potential to exceed two-thirds of total media spending.
Broadcast media ad spending in 2019 declined more than expected losing TV radio ad 3.4%.
Combined linear and digital ad spending grew by 5.1% bringing 6.6% more revenue.
In the US linear and digital ad revenue showed opposite trends in 2019; linear declined 2.3% and projected trend in 2020 to continue shrinking to another 4.3%, while digital ad revenue grew in 2019 more than 16% as mentioned surpassing linear ad spending in absolute numbers, in 2020 it will keep the trend growing in two digits numbers estimated 11%.
World stats showed the same trend shifting towards the digital understandably at a slower pace than the US.
Audio product over the Internet was consumed by over 80% of Internet users in 2019. And streaming services like Spotify and Pandora through their channel targeting were the main advertisement providers for the brands.
The trend in the industry continued for brands to broaden their resource base hiring freelancers directly.
Independent gig workers and contingent gig workers are striving the more than ever in the voice-over industry. The reason is not the only advertisement and animation markets show solid growth in 2019 as years before. It is also thanks to increasing demand from smaller content creators adding video content on streaming services like YouTube, making more podcasts, publishing more audiobooks titles, and e-learning content.
E-learning content added more demand for narrated video and also performed voice acting on camera.
This trend will continue in the future as many more people shift to online ways to study new subjects.
Voice-over Sales and Historical and Forecasted Growth
Revenue Insights & Benchmarks
Animation voice-over jobs were the most popular among new freelance voice talents.
Voice-over Historical and Forecasted Growth Pay
What compensation employee talents or union workers receive?
Per union SAG-AFTRA, all rates grow on average 3% each year with predicted 3,5% in 2020
Average Payroll at brand companies
Pay per Employee vs Freelancer in a voice-over
Wages for working at the studio at least 1 hour expected base $450, working 4 hours-day normal load expected base pay is $900. If working harder 6 hours performing in more than 1 voice, then expected base $1700. The same work by voice-over contractors should be compensated at a +50% rate.
For comparison, audio post-editing and misc jobs like extra rehearsals, and paid callbacks are paid at $30-$40/hour
Voice-over industry forecast for 2020
Digital media distribution allows more specific and personal targeting and consists of an enormously diverse number of content creators. That rapid growing trend constitutes a higher number of voice projects with a lower average budget compare to traditional linear production.
More opportunities for smaller studios and self-represented performers than ever before.
If you haven’t started doing voice-overs yet, it’s time to seriously to consider it. Yes, it is more than just talking to a microphone, it requires attention and involvement in a script. But you will work in a very comfortable environment from your home and you get paid for it.