If you are planning to book studio time for a voice-over recording, it is vital to have a clear idea of how much time you’ll need. Most industry professionals with extensive experience have rough averages in mind.
Fortunately, words to time calculator will provide you with an estimate of the time you’ll need for your voice-over session.
How Long Does it Take Record a Voice-over?
Estimating words to speech time can be tricky because there are multiple factors involved in the process. Additional overrun time is usually factored in if the recording is not completed within the time allocated.
In most cases, this estimate is done by taking the word count of the script into consideration. Additionally, it is also essential to take into consideration other factors such as the accuracy and complexity of the script, the type of voice-over, the competency of the artist, the quality of equipment, the language for recording, and more.
Using online words to time calculator can help. You can also reach out directly to the voice-over agency to get an estimate of the time you’ll need for your specific project.
Wordcount is Key to Calculate the Session Length
An average human being can speak 130 words per minute in English. However, if you tend to speak very fast or slow, this value will be different accordingly. Your reading speed also works on the same principle.
On average, the reading speed or time to read words is between 170 to 240 words per minute in English. This depends on the ability of the reader and the text’s difficulty.
Word count is important when calculating session length. Here are some rough estimates to consider:
- Corporate videos– 1500 words/hour
- IVR recording- 1000 words/hour
- Educational and e-learning recording– 2500 words/hour
- Documentary narration– 30 minutes of documentary narration/hour
- Languages other than English– additional 40% of the time other than listed above
Other Variables that Impact the Recording Time
Words to time conversion is also affected by a lot of other factors, as listed here:
- Competency and speed of voice-over artists vary, and this will impact the total time taken for the recording session.
- Other than word count, the number of takes needed for a script will also affect the time taken. For example, a 1000-word script with five takes will turn into a 5000-word script.
- Clients often have different directors and creatives on the line to direct the recording session. While this is a great way for the artist to receive real-time feedback, it also requires more studio time to incorporate those changes.
- Generally, an English script takes less time to record. When working with translated languages, allow for more time. Each language varies in length and complexity and will require additional checks to ensure accuracy in video translation services.
- Recording time will also depend on whether the voice artist has been provided with the script in advance for practice and preparation. Advance preparation can speed up the process. Sessions can be longer when this hasn’t been done in advance.
- File delivery requirements also affect recording time. If the audio needs to be broken down into smaller files and labelled, it will take longer. This is mostly true for IVR recording, where the client may require dozens of smaller files specifically labelled to suit their needs.
Other variables, depending on the nature of the project and specific circumstances, will impact recording time.
Plan Your Voice Over Session
Plan your voice-over recording sessions effectively with GoLocalise’s tools and expertise.
Voice-over Words to Time Calculator
GoLocalise has extensive experience in the voice-over industry and in words to time calculations.
This expertise has allowed the team to create an easy-to-use and free words to time calculator. If you want to estimate the time you’ll need to record your voice-over, this words to time calculator is an excellent way to start.
Step 1- Specify whether you want to record wild or match audio to video content.
Step 2- Provide an estimate of the run time for the finished materials.
Step 3- Select the complexity level for the project.
Step 4- Calculate
In just four easy steps, you can get an estimate of the recording time you’ll need to account for. This words to time calculation is a rough estimate, so if you want a precise calculation, it is best to reach out to the team at GoLocalise directly.
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