Voiceover Usage
- Ian Russell
- Apr 16
- 3 min read
Much is said about the negative aspects of agreeing to
"forever"- In-Perpetuity usage for 'broadcast' commercials.
It particularly impacts negotiations where a potential client is seeking to use your voice exclusively in their market.
Granting 'broadcast' usage rights indefinitely to a party means you cannot provide exclusivity in the same market to another party. The risk involved is that a prospective client, Company A, seeking exclusivity, might choose not to hire you because a competitor, Company B, retains the perpetual right to broadcast an advertisement featuring your voice, thereby undermining the exclusivity desired by Company A. Calculating in-perpetuity usage rates can be complex, as they depend on various factors such as time, platform, and geography, and different countries may have distinct methods for determining a fair rate.
It’s a contentious debate and worth understanding what saying yes or no to “In Perpetuity” really means. Saying no means you will be actually saying yes to a time-limited use of your voice and all the benefits that come along with that.
Extending Voiceover Usage
This was brought into sharp focus for me recently. In the last three months, I've had several clients extend usage on existing commercials This meant several things:
The content has been well received such that the client prefers to re-use the existing content rather than make a whole new film
The client must negotiate new usage terms (unless they were pre agreed) which is a wonderful opportunity to renew the working relationship
I get paid…again… usually more than the original rate. Typically the Usage rate +10% is what you will see in a pre-agreed arrangement. And I don’t need to step into the booth
Incidentally, one of these clients has now renewed the usage three times, so a gig that may have been a modest win initially, has become much more lucrative.
The final example of winning from ”time-limited” usage is the opportunity to replace a voice that is no longer available or (in the case of a celebrity) may now be too expensive to renew. No names, no pack drill, but that has happened for me and now I may have another client with whom I may have another opportunity to renew usage at a later date.
Tracking Usage
Be mindful of your voiceover usage deadlines. Missing the usage end date might lead the client to assume you're no longer available, prompting them to hire someone else or to even continue airing the commercial with your voice. This oversight could result in a loss of future earnings. I've delegated most of this responsibility to my agents, which has proven effective. An experienced agent will negotiate on your behalf, demonstrating your professionalism and likely strengthening your relationship with both the agent and the client over time, especially if regular multi-buyouts occur.
For more info on rates & usage, check out these other articles:
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