Before you order or contract a voiceover artist, it’s crucial to understand their usage rights and voiceover licenses, which determine how their voice can be used. Common to all rights and licenses for voiceover work is that they ensure the voiceover is used correctly and fairly. Let’s take a closer look at what the different usage rights entail in voiceover rights and licenses.
The License Controls the Use of the Voice
If you haven’t hired a voiceover artist before, licensing is often a confusing part to understand in the artist’s contract. Therefore, we will try to make the whole process a little easier for you. Let’s start by explaining what the license does. The license sets the framework for how the voice recording can be used – either in broadcast or non-broadcast, depending on voiceover rights and licenses. This means that when your company enters into a license agreement with the voiceover artist, it establishes the terms of use for the voice recording. The following questions are relevant:
- What geographical areas does the license cover?
- What timeframe applies to the license?
- What media does the license cover?
- What is the minimum budget for using the voiceover?
Similarly, these questions also come into play when determining the price of the license. For example, whether the voice recording will be used in a single country or globally. Whether it will be used on one platform or several. Or whether it will be used for one or three years. The license agreement thus ensures that your company has the legal right to use the voice recording in either broadcast or non-broadcast media. However, as a company, you do not own the voice recordings themselves. Instead, you purchase a license to use them in your products. This is an important part of voiceover rights and licenses. Let’s look at the difference between broadcast and non-broadcast:
Broadcast
Broadcast refers to the transmission of content via TV, radio, or streaming services to a broad audience. This means that you as a company with a broadcast license pay for media rights to TV, radio, or streaming services when using the voiceover.
Non-Broadcast
Non-broadcast is the opposite. In this case, it’s not about broadcasting on traditional channels but instead covers all entertainment that people can watch or listen to at their own choice. This means that the non-broadcast license includes online videos, advertisements, film trailers, content on social media platforms, games, podcasts, and audiobooks with voiceover rights and licenses.
Can a Voice Be Protected by Copyright?
Although a voice recording can be protected by copyright, the voice itself cannot. This means that if you record a voice, you can protect the recording but not the voice itself as a unique sound. For example, when a voiceover artist voices a character in a film or computer game, the specific voice performance constitutes an original work that can be protected by copyright. Thus, voiceover artists’ vocal performances can be copyrighted in the same way as a musical performance in a song. It is important to note that although copyright is often transferred to companies in commercial situations, the voice actor usually retains the moral rights. These ensure that he or she is recognized as the one who performed the work.
What Should You Consider?
We have compiled some useful tips to help you navigate the process of hiring a voiceover artist for your project and understand voiceover rights and licenses:
- Be clear about your needs
- Choose the right voice
- Make sure to read and understand the contract
- Talk to your voiceover artist
- Be aware of rights and copyright
- Avoid misunderstandings
- Pay attention to the budget
- Be open to collaboration
Does It Sound Complicated?
If you are not entirely sure how licenses and rights around a voice recording work, you can let a voiceover agency do the job for you. When you order a recording through an agency, you can feel safe and secure that all voiceover rights and licenses are handled correctly by the agency.
Ready to Start Your Voiceover Project?
Feel free to contact one of our voiceover specialists at Voice To Me Voiceover Agency if you have any questions or concerns. You can find more information at www.voicetome.com.
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