Invoicing as a Voice Actor in the UK: Sessions, Usage and Studio Fees

🎙️ Voice work is quick to record and slow to get paid for — usually because the invoice doesn’t say clearly what was recorded, how it can be used, and for how long. Get those three things on paper and most payment questions disappear.

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Split the job into lines

A voice-over fee is rarely one number. Put each part on its own line:

Line	Example
Session fee	Recording session — 1 hour — radio spot “Summer Sale”
Usage / buyout	UK radio, 12 months from first broadcast
Studio fee	Home studio, recording and edit — 1.5 hours
Pick-ups	Re-record of 3 lines, requested 14 Nov
Rush fee	Same-day delivery, agreed 12 Nov

Separate lines make it obvious what the client is paying for, and they make the next negotiation easier: if they want another territory or another year, you already know what the usage line was worth.

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Write usage terms like a contract

The usage line is where disputes start. Always include:

• medium — TV, radio, online, in-store, games, e-learning
• territory — UK, Europe, worldwide
• term — 3 months, 12 months, in perpetuity
• start — usually first broadcast or first publication

Usage — online and social, UK, 12 months from first publication — £400.00

If the client later wants to extend, that is a new invoice line, not a favour.

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What a UK invoice must show

As a sole trader, include:

• a unique, sequential invoice number
• your name (or trading name) and address
• the client’s name and address
• the invoice date and the recording date
• a description of each line and the amount
• payment terms and bank details

If you are VAT-registered, add your VAT number and show VAT separately. Most freelance voice actors are below the £90,000 threshold.

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Agencies, studios and commission

• Booked through your agent? Ask who invoices. Many agents invoice the client and pay you after their commission; others ask you to invoice them.
• Booked by a studio for their client? Invoice the studio unless told otherwise, and quote their job or PO reference.
• Direct clients: agree terms before you record — 14 days is reasonable, 30 for larger companies.

Log commission as a cost against the job so you know what you actually kept.

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International clients

Invoice in the currency you agreed, and include your full bank details for international transfers (IBAN and SWIFT/BIC). Agree up front who pays the transfer fees.

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Know which jobs really pay

A £250 session that needs a trip to a London studio can leave you with less than a £180 home-studio read. Log travel, studio hire and kit against each job and the difference is obvious — the free gig profit calculator does it for one job, and StagePay’s gig profit tracker does it for all of them.

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❓ FAQ

Should I charge for my home studio?

If you record, edit and deliver finished audio, a studio fee is fair — it covers the equipment, the treatment and the time producing the files.

Do I invoice before or after the job goes live?

After delivery, not after broadcast. Usage usually starts at first broadcast, but your payment terms should run from the invoice date.

What if the client wants the files with no usage agreed?

Ask for the usage before you send the final files. If they can’t say, quote a limited usage now and extensions later.

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Related: StagePay for voice actors · voice actor invoice template · performer invoice guide · getting paid on time.