Studio Bookings - Policies/Help/Advice/Terms/Conditions (This will print on A4)

  • Most of our sessions are 1-2 hrs, so we have to be strict about session times.  We can keep our rates at a realistic level only by strict management of sold studio time - so we have to charge for time booked & confirmed - whether or not you use it all – plus any over-runs used. However, over-runs are often not possible unless you want to pay the extra voice fees & other costs incurred by ourselves and those clients with following sessions who have been delayed! 
  • A "provisional" 1/2 hr (max) over-run can be booked in advance if the time is available - but we may grab this back if the time is needed for another client! So please be realistic when estimating the time you need - otherwise you may be walking away with an unfinished job.
  • Minimum booking period is one hour. Ideally sessions should start on the hour and be booked in 1/2 hr blocks after the first hour. Sessions may not be booked starting/finishing on the quarter hour. Please, always confirm your session by fax (+44 (0)207 580 6454) or e-mail to
  • Outline EXACTLY what you need to do, facilities required (ISDN/Digi Beta/Beta SP/MOV etc) and what you need to walk away with. Please detail deadlines, delivery requirements, people attending and a schedule of voice artists. Our bookings people, are NOT trained sound engineers. If in doubt, please ask to speak to an engineer.

    When you arrive, explain to your engineer exactly what you need to do - and what you need to walk away with. If somebody has booked on your behalf, they may not have passed on your instructions correctly - or may have skipped the most vital part!
  • FTP/DigiDelivery/Email In the UK, fast UPLOAD circuits are VERY expensive - a reliable non-contended line costs about the same as employing a junior runner! We therefore charge £20 per 600MB for files downloaded, uploaded or received/sent by email.
  • Incoming phone patches and incoming ISDN calls are not charged. If we originate calls we charge them out at BT Business Rates + 20%. Please note that thanks to BT, outgoing overseas ISDN calls can be VERY costly as they are charged at data rates not normal voice rates. ISDN link-ups can use 1-6 ISDN lines. It's usually much cheaper to get overseas studios/voices to dial into us.
  • Out-of-hours fees. Our staff work long days. It's only fair they get paid overtime. For insurance reasons we normally have two members of staff covering out of hours work (outside of Mon-Fri 9-6), an engineer and a runner. So the fee we charge (£40 p/h) covers overtime payments for two people.

    For early morning starts (e.g. 08.00 or earlier) we may have to charge staff cab costs. Ditto for late finishes after 21.00 and weekends. Evenings - out of hours fees will be charged from 18.00 to whenever your session proper starts.
  • Because our studio engineers work long hours, for early/late sessions, or if you are working through the lunch period – we do ask that you fuel your engineer, especially if you are ordering food for yourselves and your clients.
  • We don't build in a margin on our studio rates to cover lavish free meals - we provide refreshments (including 18 different teas), fruit & scrumptious biscuits - meals can be ordered from our local restaurants & will be charged on your invoice at cost.
  • We have to assume that anybody attending a session on behalf of the client will be acting as producer/director and will have full authorization by the client to agree changes to technical facilities provided, budgetary changes and creative concerns - should the situation so demand.
  • If you are planning not to physically attend the session, or to produce/direct via a 'phone patch, then the recording session and any consequent over-runs, edits and re-records for anything other than technical reasons - must be at your risk I'm afraid. Obviously, we will use our best endeavours to ensure your script is recorded as received - but, although very capable, our engineers are not paid to be producers or voice directors. Production/voice direction is available as an extra production charge.
  • Tape, CD & DVD stock. Most tape stock is pre-striped or blacked by us prior to usage. We use stock that we know is reliable. If you insist on using your own tape/CVD/DVD stock then we cannot guarantee the physical integrity of the recordings thereon. Further copies or re-records will, I'm afraid, be at your expense.
  • All deliveries are charged - whether we use a courier company or our runners.
  • Normally we are pretty fully booked which generally means we will have turned other work away to accept your confirmation. So, if a confirmed booking is cancelled with less than 48 hours to go, we will charge a 50% cancellation fee. Less than 24 hours - 100%. Agency voices will usually always charge 100%.
  • If you are planning to stop work for a 1 hr lunch break and don't wished to be charged - please detail that in your booking request so that it can be "sold" to other clients. You must vacate the studio during that period.
  • With the best will in the world, engineers sometimes fall ill or have accidents. If we are unable to go ahead with a session, we cannot accept liability or consequential liabilities in these situations. Similarly, if someone in an adjoining building decides to start heavy building work, we cannot guarantee that there won’t be interruptions or disruption to your session. We will, of course, attempt to contact you just as soon as we have an inkling that there might be a problem.
  • Payment. New Clients must pay in full at the end of the session unless an account application has been approved. We can invoice in UK pounds sterling, Euros or US dollars. Credit cards accepted. Our terms for account clients are "strictly 30 days net". This is a legal definition - not to be confused with "thirty days". "30 days net" means 30 days after the invoice date. "30 days" can mean 30 days after the end of the month in which the job was invoiced. So, 30 days net!!
  • Whilst we strive to use our best endeavours at all times, lack of information / preparation - or changes by clients are the most common causes of things not going according to plan! We can only work with the information you give us. We cannot be held responsible for circumstances outside of our control such as performance of voices, script readability, technically sub-standard material provided or changed deadlines / job parameters. Unless we have control over all elements of a job, an estimate can only ever be an informed guesstimate. Till full payment is cleared, the mechanical rights and physical stock of all recorded material remains the property of The Sound Company Ltd. Our payment terms are full payment within 30 days net of invoice date unless agreed in writing in advance. Punitive interest charges may be levied for late payment! We cannot be held responsible for session disturbances/cancellations due to circumstances outside our control - power cuts, lightning strikes, storms, public transport disruption, staff illness or accidents, nearby building demolition or building works etc etc.
    • E & O E. © Geoff Oliver/The Sound Company Ltd 1993-2008

      The Sound Company Ltd
      23 Gosfield Street
      London W1W 6HG, UK

      T: +44 (0)20 7580 5880
      F: +44 (0)20 7580 6454
      E: bookings@sound.co.uk

      www.sound.co.uk



    The Sound Company Ltd
    Seven studios for voice-overs
    & audio post-production

    6 x Pro Tools studios,
    1 x Sadie

    750 sq ft studio for TV media training or 4-waller hire

    *****

    Sessions MUST be confirmed by email

    Minimum booking 1 hr

    Sessions are charged as confirmed plus any over-runs

    £40 p/h out-of-hours fee outside of Mon-Fri 9-6, 2 hrs minimum@ w/ends.

    Early/late transport costs and/or meals may be charged.

    Deliveries are charged

    Meals charged at cost

    FTP/EMAIL file uploads/downloads £20 per 1GB