Budgeting for Your First Explainer
A budget sheet you can copy, including the lines nobody warns you about.
An explainer video budget has five lines, not one: production, script time, revisions, rights for any music or images, and the hours your own people spend reviewing. A first 60-second explainer costs from GBP 9 on AutoScribble to US$5,000 or more from a studio, and the forgotten lines add 30 to 50 per cent on every route.
The short answer
Budget an explainer video in five lines: production, script time, revisions, rights, and internal review hours. Production is the only line most people plan for, and on every route it is the only line with a published price.
A realistic first 60-second explainer lands at GBP 9 to GBP 30 if you generate it, low hundreds with a freelancer, and US$5,000 to US$15,000 for a custom studio film (D-MAK Productions 2026 pricing breakdown, checked 13 September 2026). Add the other four lines before you take a number to whoever signs it off.
Why first budgets are always wrong
They are wrong in a predictable direction. People price the film and forget the project around it.
Our judgement: the two lines that break a first budget are revisions and review time. A 60-second script takes three people forty minutes each to read, argue over and approve, and that happens at least twice. None of it appears on any quote, but it is real money if those people are paid.
The rights line catches people differently. It is small on most projects and enormous on the one where someone drops a chart track into the edit.
How to build the budget, in order
Work down the sheet in this order. The order matters, because each line changes the one below it.
- Fix the length first. It sets the production cost on every route and the word count of the script. 30, 60 and 120 seconds are the useful sizes.
- Price the production line on two routes, not one, so you know what you are comparing against.
- Add script time at your own hourly cost. A 60-second script is roughly 140 to 150 words, but the thinking behind it is the part that takes an afternoon.
- Budget three revision rounds. Not one. Ask what each extra round costs before you sign anything.
- Check the rights on any music, stock image or font you plan to add, and budget the licence you actually need — commercial use, not personal.
- Count review hours: how many people, for how long, how many times.
- Add ten per cent for the thing nobody thought of. There is always one.
The first-project budget sheet
Copy this and fill in your own figures. The worked column shows a realistic first 60-second explainer made with AutoScribble by a two-person team, at GBP 9 for the film and GBP 30 an hour for internal time.
FIRST EXPLAINER VIDEO BUDGET — length: 60 seconds date: ____________
LINE YOUR FIGURE WORKED EXAMPLE
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1. PRODUCTION
The finished film itself GBP ________ GBP 9
(100 credits = 1 finished minute on AutoScribble;
30s = 50 credits, 120s = 200 credits)
2. SCRIPT TIME
Hours to write and agree ___ hrs 3 hrs
Your hourly cost GBP ________ GBP 30/hr
Subtotal GBP ________ GBP 90
3. REVISIONS
Rounds budgeted ___ 3
Cost per round GBP ________ GBP 0 before rendering
Subtotal GBP ________ GBP 0
4. RIGHTS
Music licence GBP ________ GBP 0 (none used)
Images / fonts / stock GBP ________ GBP 0
Subtotal GBP ________ GBP 0
5. INTERNAL REVIEW
People x hours x rounds ___ 2 x 0.5 x 2 = 2 hrs
Subtotal GBP ________ GBP 60
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SUBTOTAL GBP ________ GBP 159
CONTINGENCY (10%) GBP ________ GBP 16
TOTAL GBP ________ GBP 175
COST PER FINISHED MINUTE GBP ________ GBP 175
of which cash out the door GBP ________ GBP 9What the production line costs on each route
Figures quoted from each source on the date shown.
| Route | Production line for one 60-second film | Source and date checked |
|---|---|---|
| AutoScribble | GBP 9 or US$12 — 100 credits, one finished minute. New accounts start with 100 welcome credits that never expire, so the first film can cost nothing | AutoScribble live pricing records, checked 13 September 2026 |
| Subscription whiteboard software | US$10 to US$20 a month, spread across however many films you make: VideoScribe from US$12.50 a month billed annually, Powtoon Lite US$15 a month billed yearly, Animaker Basic US$10 a month | Each company's own pricing page, checked 13 September 2026 |
| Freelance motion designer | US$18 to US$120 an hour, with most US-based designers at US$35 to US$75 | Damongo freelance motion designer rates 2026, published 29 August 2026, checked 13 September 2026 |
| Agency or studio | US$3,000 to US$25,000 for a typical project; custom 60-second animated explainers often US$5,000 to US$15,000 | D-MAK Productions 2026 pricing breakdown, checked 13 September 2026 |
What goes wrong
Budgeting the film, not the project. The film is often the smallest line. Fill in all five before you ask for money, because going back for more is what damages a first project.
Assuming one revision round. Three is normal for a first explainer, because the first cut is when everyone finally has an opinion. Price the third round before you start.
Grabbing music from anywhere. A track you did not licence for commercial use can cost far more than the video did. If a soundtrack matters to you, budget the licence properly — or ship the film on narration alone, which is what most explainers do.
What this budget buys on AutoScribble
For the production line here, you type or paste your idea, choose orientation, narration voice and length, add an optional logo, and get a narrated whiteboard explainer you can watch, download as an MP4 and share by private link.
The script is yours to edit, rewrite or improve before anything is rendered, which is why the revisions line on the worked sheet is zero. After rendering, an edit-and-remake makes a new version and uses credits, and the number is shown before you confirm.
Next step
Fill in the sheet for your own first video, then price the production line here: your 100 welcome credits cover a full finished minute. The length guide below will tell you which length your script actually fits.
See what your video would cost
Free to write and rewrite. Credits are only used when you generate.
Common questions
- How much should I budget for my first explainer video?
- Budget five lines, not one: production, script time, revisions, rights and internal review hours. The production line runs from GBP 9 for a generated 60-second film to US$5,000 to US$15,000 for a custom studio explainer (D-MAK 2026 pricing breakdown, checked 13 September 2026). Our judgement is that the other four lines add 30 to 50 per cent on top on every route.
- What costs do people forget when budgeting a video?
- Four: the hours spent writing and agreeing the script, the second and third revision rounds, licences for any music or stock imagery, and the time colleagues spend reviewing each cut. None of these appear on a quote, and together they often exceed the production cost on a low-budget project.
- How much does a 60-second explainer video cost to make?
- On AutoScribble it is 100 credits, which is GBP 9 or US$12, and new accounts get 100 welcome credits that never expire. A freelance motion designer bills US$35 to US$75 an hour for most US-based designers (Damongo, 29 August 2026, checked 13 September 2026), and a custom studio 60-second explainer commonly runs US$5,000 to US$15,000.
- Do I need to budget for music on an explainer video?
- Only if you want a soundtrack. Most explainers work on narration alone. If you do add music, budget a commercial licence rather than using a track you found, because the cost of getting that wrong is far higher than the video's production budget.
- How many revision rounds should I budget for a first video?
- Three. The first cut is when opinions arrive, and two more rounds usually settle them. On AutoScribble, editing the script before rendering costs nothing however many times you change it; a remake after rendering uses credits for the new film, shown before you confirm.