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Audio Production: Frequently Asked Questions[Audio Production] FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Audio Production Services

Which plan should I choose?

If you are ordering based on the number of characters, the Light Plan is recommended. If you are ordering based on time, the Custom Plan is recommended. If you have many recordings, the IVR Voice Guidance Recording Service (IVR Plan) is recommended.

If you are unsure which plan is best, we will provide a quote based on the submitted script and recommend the best plan.

Please note that if you plan to use multiple narrators simultaneously or are considering commercial use/resale of the audio, or if you require multilingual audio production, you should choose the Custom Plan or IVR Plan.

How is the character count calculated for the Light Plan?

The total number of characters in the submitted script is calculated using the character count function in MS Word (including punctuation marks and spaces). Up to five file cuts (splits) are free; for the sixth and subsequent files, a fee of 132 yen (incl. tax) per file will be charged.

If there are many file cuts, the Custom Plan or IVR Plan may be cheaper.

Why are punctuation marks and spaces included in the character count?

Punctuation marks and spaces are essential to accurately reproduce the nuances of the submitted script.

What is the audio file format conversion option for the Light Plan?

The standard delivery format for the Light Plan is 16-bit 44.1kHz WAVE or AIFF files. Delivery in other formats requires a conversion fee of 1,320 yen (incl. tax) per project (e.g., 8-bit 8kHz μ-Law). MP3 format is available at no additional cost.

This conversion fee is included in the basic fee for the Custom and IVR Plans.

I don’t know the optimal delivery file format.

For general PC or music file use, the default “16-bit 44.1kHz WAVE” format is recommended.

For use in telephone automatic voice guidance systems, the format specifications may vary depending on the device or service. The most commonly used format for telephone guidance is “8-bit 8kHz μ-Law WAVE” (a special format: paid for the Light Plan).

Please consult with your telephone equipment or service provider for details.

What are the benefits of the Advanced Plan?

By booking the studio and narrator based on time, we can meet almost any request as long as the recording is completed within the scheduled time.

Special format conversions and file cuts exceeding six files (up to 50 files) are included in the basic fee for the Custom Plan, which often makes it cheaper than the Light Plan in such cases.

Generally, for recordings of around 10 to 50 files, the Custom Plan is often the most cost-effective.

In what situations is the IVR Plan suitable?

For recordings of more than 50 short sentences, the IVR Plan is often the cheapest. If you are unsure which plan to choose, we will compare the Custom Plan and IVR Plan and recommend the more economical option. The recording quality is the same for all plans.

The IVR Plan also includes free audio file format conversion, so delivery in formats commonly used for telephone guidance (e.g., 8-bit 8kHz μ-Law) is included at no additional cost.

The IVR Plan is not limited by recording time, making it easy to understand the total cost for projects with a large number of files.

Can you tell me about the delivery time?

For both the Light and Custom Plans, the usual delivery time is five business days after the application, depending on the number of recordings and the narrator’s schedule.

For non-Japanese announcements/narrations, please allow approximately two weeks for delivery.

The delivery time for the IVR Plan varies significantly depending on the number of recordings, and we will inform you of the delivery time when providing a quote.

What should I do if I need the audio urgently?

For the Light and Custom Plans, we offer expedited delivery within three business days for 1.5 times the regular fee.

Is it possible to request retakes?

Retakes due to noise or obvious misreadings in the deliverables are covered by our company.

Retakes due to script corrections or other customer reasons require a new application, so please be aware of this.

Can I receive a sample in advance?

We do not generally provide individual samples in advance for each project.

Please check the voice quality of our registered narrators on the Narrator introduction page or apply separately for sample requests under the Light Plan.

For IVR Plan projects with more than 100 files, we will create a sample with your desired narrator after the application.

Is it possible to attend the recording session?

Attendance is possible for the Custom and IVR Plans (a fee applies for using partner studios). For the Custom Plan, attendance is available for sessions of one hour or more. We also offer remote direction via Zoom upon request, so please feel free to consult us.

How can I confirm the reading and intonation of difficult kanji?

Please provide instructions when submitting the script, and we will follow them during direction.

We may also review the script in advance and contact you for clarification on unclear points, so please cooperate with us if necessary.

What about the copyrights and commercial use of the deliverables?

In our audio creation service, the practical ownership of the deliverables’ copyright is transferred to the customer (moral rights are not transferable but will not be exercised). There are no restrictions on reuse within your company. However, for commercial use involving embedding audio in devices or bundling with other services for resale, please use the Custom or IVR Plan.

For the commercial use of existing music, you need to obtain permission from copyright management organizations like JASRAC.

If we book voice actors/narrators outside of our registered narrators (including rank SP), we may need to negotiate individually with their management regarding copyrights. For TVCM or WebCM audio, even for our registered narrators, the usage period may be set based on the narrator’s or their management’s preference.

Additional charges for deliverables will not generally occur unless additional editing is requested. However, if external voice actors/narrators (including rank SP) are used, we must comply with their management’s regulations.

What cases are considered commercial use?

Commercial use refers to “using the created audio directly for profit.” Examples include:

・Embedding in devices for sale
・Bundling audio with other services for sale
・Audio guides for sales vehicles
・Promotional audio played in stores
・Use at profit-oriented events

Non-commercial use examples include:

・Telephone auto-response guidance
・Voicemail
・In-house broadcasting (including commercial facilities)
・Automated audio in public spaces

※Please feel free to contact us if you need any escort.

What are the payment methods?

For domestic corporate clients, an invoice will be issued upon delivery. Please pay the full amount by bank transfer by the payment due date. Our default payment term is end-of-month closing with payment by the end of the following month.

For individual clients and overseas corporate clients, an invoice will be issued upon application, and prepayment of the full amount or half the amount is required. The option to pay half as a deposit is available for invoices exceeding ¥100,000 (excluding tax).

Both corporate and individual clients can also pay by credit card or PayPal. Please indicate your preference when applying.

Besides the registered narrators, what other voice actors or narrators are available?

For the Custom Plan or promotional video production, we can arrange bookings for voice actors/narrators according to your preferences (costs will be negotiated with their management).

We can negotiate with almost any voice actor/narrator, but booking may be difficult depending on their schedule, fees, and recording content.

If we book voice actors/narrators outside our registered narrators (including rank SP), we will need to negotiate individual terms with their management regarding the use of the created audio files.

Other inquiries

For any other inquiries, please contact us via the inquiry form.