Clients from all over the globe are seeking voice talents to lend a voice to their projects. Commercials, narrations, IVR prompts, promos and more. Some have been hiring voice actors for a long time and understand the rate structure. Some have not and it's the responsibility of the voice actor to explain why we charge what we do and how usage fees apply.
If you're new to the voiceover business and are unfamiliar with what a usage fee is, this is when additional fees are paid to the voice actor for the ongoing use of their voice recording. They are a licensing agreement made between the client and the voice actor. They are occasionally referred to as buy-out fees.