How Much Does Voice-Over Cost in UAE?
A transparent breakdown of UAE voice-over pricing, what drives the rate, and what to watch out for.
UAE voice-over pricing is opaque to most buyers. Here's a transparent breakdown of real rates across the four main project categories, the factors that drive the price, and what to watch out for when comparing quotes.
The four pricing categories
Voice-over in the UAE clusters into four price bands based on project type rather than per-word charging. IVR and on-hold work prices from AED 800 per session for projects under ~30 prompts. Audiobook narration prices from AED 220 per finished hour (one finished hour ≈ 9,000-10,000 spoken words). Radio and TV commercial voice-over prices from AED 1,400 per spot for standard 30/60-second commercial work. Dubbing and ADR projects start from AED 1,800 per project for short-form content. These are floor prices; actual pricing scales with talent profile, project size, and turnaround urgency.
What drives the price up
Three main factors: talent profile (premium broadcast voices command 2-3x our floor rates), language and dialect (rare-dialect Arabic talents are scarcer than General American), and turnaround speed (24-hour standard, 12-hour express adds 25%, 6-hour rush adds 50%). Multi-language projects add per-language session fees but typically include volume discounts when 3+ languages are recorded in parallel. Exclusivity (brand voice arrangements where the talent only voices your brand) carries substantial premiums — often 5-10x base rates for tier-1 brand voices.
What pricing should include
Any reasonable UAE voice-over quote should include mastering to broadcast loudness, format conversion to your delivery requirements (MP3 + WAV + telephony codecs), 2-3 free pickup credits for minor revisions, and the right to use the audio across the intended platforms. Watch for quotes that itemise mastering, format conversion, or "audio engineering" as add-ons — these should be table stakes, not upsells. Also watch for restrictive usage rights (some agencies grant audio for one channel only, requiring re-licensing fees for additional channels).
What pricing should not include
Translation should be quoted separately — voicing an Arabic script the client provides is different from translating English source into Arabic and then voicing. Music and SFX licensing for commercials is typically separate (we can supply licensed music or you provide your own). Brand voice exclusivity is a separate negotiation — not bundled into per-session pricing.
How WEENstudio prices
Full package pricing visible before commitment — IVR from AED 800/session, audiobooks AED 220/finished-hour, radio/TV from AED 1,400/spot, dubbing from AED 1,800/project. All include mastering, format conversion, and 3 free pickup credits. 100% money-back guarantee on first delivery if the recording doesn't match the brief. Quote within 20 minutes during studio hours.