📅 Season Scope
🎭 Cast & Roles
1 = no doubling. 2 = each actor plays two characters on average.
Remaining characters are treated as guest/single-episode roles.
⚠ Lead + recurring count exceeds total characters. Adjust to avoid double-counting.
💰 Actor Fee Tiers
Indie non-union rates vary widely. Voice Acting Club's Indie Rate Guide suggests ~$50–$400+ per session/episode. Adjust to your negotiated rates.
Used only when fee model is "per session". Recurring roles get 60% of this; guest roles = 1 session.
🎚 Recording Setup
Set to 100 if all episodes use studio, or adjust for hybrid.
Live-directed remote sessions via Source-Connect or similar. Enter total hours for the season.
🔊 Sound Design & Post
Includes editing, mixing, SFX, ambient beds. Typical range: 3–15 hrs/ep.
Leave 0 if your sound designer handles final mastering.
🎵 Music
Royalty-free subscriptions: ~$100–250/yr. Original score commissions: $300–2,000+.
📦 Other Costs & Contingency
e.g. Buzzsprout ~$96/yr, Simplecast ~$180/yr.
Industry standard: 10–15% buffer for overruns.
Cost Breakdown
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Production Summary
Save & Export
What This Calculator Does
Planning the budget for an indie audio drama season is a multi-layered puzzle. Most producers end up cobbling together a Google Sheet or guessing. This calculator replaces that spreadsheet: enter your episode count, cast size, fee tiers, recording setup, sound design rates, and music approach—and instantly see your full season budget broken into every major cost line, plus a contingency buffer.
How to Use This Tool
- Season Scope – Set the number of episodes and their average length. Choose your episode format (fully scripted drama has higher recording ratios).
- Cast & Roles – Enter how many named characters your story has. If actors are "doubled" (voicing two or more roles), increase the roles-per-actor value to reduce your unique actor count and total fee.
- Actor Fee Tiers – Choose your fee model (per session, per episode, or flat season rate). Separately set fees for leads, recurring roles, and one-off guest characters. The defaults reflect typical non-union indie community rates.
- Recording Setup – Most indie productions record actors remotely. If you're booking studio time, enter the hourly rate and hours-per-episode. Add directed remote session hours separately.
- Sound Design & Post – Enter the hours your sound designer will spend per episode and their hourly rate. Add per-episode mastering cost if applicable.
- Music – Choose your music approach and enter the total season music budget.
- Other Costs – Add cover art, podcast hosting, and marketing. Set a contingency percentage (10–15% is standard).
- Results update instantly. Print or save as PDF to bring to funding conversations, crowdfunding campaign planning, or co-producer negotiations.
When & Why Producers Use This
Crowdfunding goal-setting: Before launching a Kickstarter or Patreon campaign for your audio drama, you need a credible budget. This tool produces a line-item breakdown you can share with backers.
Co-producer or grant applications: Arts councils, indie audio drama funds (like the Audio Fiction Fund), and co-production partners often ask for itemized budgets. A breakdown from this tool gives you a professional starting point.
Negotiating with actors: Knowing your total cast budget before outreach lets you enter rate negotiations from an informed position rather than agreeing to fees that blow the budget later.
Season vs. series planning: Run the calculator for one season, then multiply to see what a multi-season commitment would cost—and whether your monetization plan (Patreon, Spotify deal, merchandise, live events) can cover it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many recording sessions does an indie audio drama season typically need?
It depends on your cast size and how many actors share scenes. Casting actors in multiple roles ("doubling") reduces sessions. A solo narrator records the whole season in as few as 3–6 sessions; a full ensemble cast of 8–10 actors across 10 episodes may require 15–30 separate sessions depending on scheduling availability and whether actors record remotely or together.
What is a fair non-union rate for indie audio drama voice actors?
The Voice Acting Club's Indie Rate Guide—widely used in the r/audiodrama and r/VoiceActing communities—distinguishes between volunteer (no pay), token ($50–$150 flat per project), and paid indie tiers ($100–$400+ per episode or session for recurring roles). Rates depend on episode count, actor experience, and whether the actor records remotely with their own equipment. Use the per-actor fee fields to enter your agreed rate for each tier.
What is doubling and how does it affect the budget?
Doubling means one actor voices two or more characters in the same production. It reduces total cast fees because you pay fewer actors. However, doubled actors cannot voice two characters in the same scene. The "avg roles per actor" input accounts for this: enter 1 for no doubling, 2 if most actors voice two roles. A higher value lowers your unique cast count and total fee.
Should I record actors together or separately?
Most indie audio dramas record actors remotely and separately (asynchronous recording), which eliminates studio scheduling conflicts and keeps costs low. Some productions prefer ensemble recording for natural chemistry, but this requires all actors to be available simultaneously and often means renting a professional studio. The calculator lets you toggle between home recording (no studio cost) and professional studio rental.
How much does sound design cost for an indie audio drama?
Sound design for audio drama typically requires 1–5 hours of editing and mixing per finished minute of audio, depending on complexity (ambient beds, sound effects, music stings). A 20-minute episode with moderate sound design might take 4–8 hours of post-production work. At typical freelance sound design rates of $30–$80/hour, budget $150–$600 per episode. Adjust the hours-per-episode and hourly rate fields in the calculator for your situation.
Can I use royalty-free music to save money?
Yes. Many indie audio dramas use royalty-free music libraries (Epidemic Sound, Artlist, Soundsnap) on subscription plans typically costing $100–$250/year, or free Creative Commons libraries like Free Music Archive or ccMixter. If you commission original music, expect $200–$1,000+ per track depending on the composer. Set the music budget field to $0 or your subscription cost to model either scenario accurately.
What's the difference between a session fee and a per-episode fee?
A session fee pays the actor each time they sit down to record, regardless of how much content they complete. A per-episode fee pays a flat rate for each episode in which their character appears, regardless of how many sessions it takes. Per-episode fees are simpler to budget; session fees better compensate actors who need extra takes. Choose the model that matches your production agreement and set the calculator accordingly.