Voice Over Pricing in 2024: Human vs AI Cost Comparison

Understanding voice over costs is essential for budgeting your audio content projects. This guide breaks down pricing for both human voice actors and AI alternatives.

Human Voice Over Pricing

Per-Word Rates

Industry standard rates:

• Budget: $0.10 - $0.15 per word
• Mid-Range: $0.20 - $0.35 per word
• Premium: $0.50 - $1.00+ per word

Per-Minute Rates

For finished audio:

• Budget: $50 - $100 per minute
• Professional: $150 - $300 per minute
• Celebrity/Premium: $500 - $2,000+ per minute

Project-Based Rates

Project Type	Low	Average	High
Explainer Video (2 min)	$100	$300	$800
Audiobook (per hour)	$200	$400	$1,000
E-Learning Course	$500	$1,500	$5,000
Commercial (National)	$1,000	$5,000	$20,000+
IVR/Phone System	$200	$500	$2,000

AI Voice Over Pricing

Pay-Per-Use Models

Typical character-based pricing:

• Budget Platforms: $0.000004 per character
• Mid-Range: $0.00002 per character
• Premium AI: $0.00003 per character

Monthly Subscriptions

Popular plan structures:

• Free Tier: 5,000 - 10,000 characters/month
• Starter: $10-30/month for ~100,000 characters
• Pro: $50-100/month for ~500,000 characters
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for unlimited use

LangVoice Pricing

Tier	Characters/Month	Cost
Free	100,000	$0
Enterprise	Unlimited	Custom

Real Cost Comparisons

Example 1: 10-Minute Explainer Video

~1,500 words

Human Voice Actor:

• Budget: $150 - $225
• Professional: $300 - $525
• Premium: $750 - $1,500

AI (LangVoice):

• Free tier: $0
• Generates in seconds

Savings: 100% on free tier

Example 2: Audiobook (50,000 words)

~6 hours of audio

Human Narrator:

• Budget: $5,000
• Professional: $15,000
• Premium: $35,000+

AI Voice:

• LangVoice Enterprise: Custom (significantly lower)

Savings: 80-95%

Example 3: 100 Product Descriptions

~50 words each = 5,000 words

Human Voice Actor:

• Per recording: $50-100
• Total: $5,000 - $10,000

AI Voice:

• LangVoice Free: $0

Savings: 100%

When to Choose Human vs AI

Choose Human Voice When:

• Brand voice is critical
• Emotional delivery required
• High-stakes advertising
• Celebrity endorsement needed
• Legal/regulatory requirements

Choose AI Voice When:

• High volume content
• Frequent updates needed
• Budget constraints
• Quick turnaround required
• Consistent quality needed
• Multi-language content

Hidden Costs to Consider

Human Voice Over

• Studio time
• Editing and post-production
• Revisions (often extra)
• Licensing fees
• Project management

AI Voice Over

• Minimal editing
• Instant revisions
• No additional licensing
• Self-service

Return on Investment

Case Study: E-Learning Company

Before (Human VOs):

• 50 courses per year
• Average $800 per course
• Annual cost: $40,000
• Time to production: 2 weeks

After (AI Voice):

• Same 50 courses
• LangVoice Enterprise
• Annual savings: 90%+
• Time to production: 2 hours

Conclusion

AI voice technology offers dramatic cost savings without sacrificing quality. For most use cases, AI represents the smart financial choice.

Try LangVoice free and calculate your potential savings. Your budget will thank you.