Explainer Video Company: 8 Questions to Ask First

You're about to spend real money on a video for your business. Maybe $500, maybe $8,000. Either way, you want to know what you're getting before you sign anything.

That can feel hard. Most explainer video company websites hide prices behind a form, talk about awards instead of dates, and put you through three sales calls before you learn what's included.

The good news is you don't need to know anything about animation to hire well. You need 8 questions, asked before you pay a deposit. This guide gives you each one, what a bad answer sounds like, and what a good one sounds like.

Key takeaways

• Get a written price before you share any payment details.
• Approve the script before animation starts. It's the cheapest place to fix mistakes.
• Ask for an exact number of revision rounds and an exact delivery date.
• Make sure the contract says you own the finished video.
• Pick the clearest company, not the cheapest one.

Why these 8 questions matter before you sign

Prices for the same kind of video swing wildly. In a 2026 study of 61 usable quotes, prices ran from $2,800 to $27,000, with a median of $9,680. And most companies want you on a sales call before they tell you any of it.

A few minutes of good questions can save you thousands of dollars and weeks of back and forth. It also keeps you out of a contract you never fully understood.

Screenshot the table below and keep it next to you on your next call with any video vendor.

If you'd rather skip the shopping around, you can get a 30-second explainer for $297. We write the script, record the voiceover and animate it, delivered in 7 days.

Question 1: What will this cost, in writing?

A fair explainer video company gives you a real number before you hand over payment details. Not after a "discovery call." A studio's own buyer guide lists "Pricing unavailable without a discovery call" as a red flag, and it's right.

Here's what normal looks like in 2026, based on the YumYum Videos pricing study:

For a longer video, a 60-second animated explainer from a studio typically costs $5,000 to $15,000, depending on style.

Across the wider market, Vidico puts prices anywhere from about $99 for AI tools to $50,000 or more for premium custom animation. Most 60-second professional explainers land between $2,500 and $10,000. Studios using AI-assisted production usually start around $1,500 to $4,000.

Once you have a number, ask what's inside it. Does it cover the script, the voice, the music and the revisions? Or are those extra?

Say you run a two-van plumbing company and ask three companies for a quote. One says "call us." One sends $6,500 in an email. One shows a fixed price on its website. Only the last two can be compared, so the first one is out.

For more on budgets, see what small businesses pay for an explainer video.

Question 2: Will I approve the script before you animate?

Animation is slow and costly to redo. A script is just words on a page. That makes the script the cheapest place to fix anything, so you want to sign it off before a single frame is drawn.

A good script has four parts, in this order (Biteable):

• A hook that grabs attention in the first few seconds.
• The problem, in your customer's own words.
• Your fix, and why it works.
• One clear next step, like call, book or visit.

Biteable also suggests about 150 words for a 60-second video. So a 30-second script should land near 75 words.

Say you run a dental practice. Read the script for any claim about treatment results before it's animated. It's a two-minute job now and a costly redo later. A plumber would check the words too: "leak" beats "water remediation" every time.

Pro tip: Read the script out loud with a timer. If it runs over, it's too long.

Question 3: Is the voiceover a real person?

Ask this one directly. Some companies use AI text-to-speech to cut costs and don't always say so.

A human voice almost always sounds warmer. Computer voices have gotten better, but they still go flat on words that carry feeling, like "pain-free" or "guaranteed." Your video's voice is often a customer's first impression of your business.

A human read is not a luxury. A non-union voice actor for a 60-second read starts at $250 to $500 for a single internal-use buyout, so it shouldn't blow up a quote.

Ask to hear a sample from the actual voice actor who will record yours. If the company can't or won't share one, treat that as a warning sign.

Say you run a law firm and want a video on "what happens at your free consultation." A calm human voice does a lot of the trust-building for you. An AI voice is fine for staff training, but not for the video your clients hear first.

Question 4: How many revisions are included?

Ask for the exact number, in writing. "Unlimited revisions" often hides a limit buried in the contract. Some companies count each tiny fix as a full round, then charge once you pass a cap they never mentioned.

Most studios include 2-3 revision rounds in their pricing, and extra rounds typically cost 10-20% of the project fee each. On a $6,000 video, one extra round could cost you $600 to $1,200. Three rounds is a fair, common number for a 30 to 60-second video.

Ask three things:

• How many rounds do I get?
• At which stage: script, storyboard or animation?
• What does one more round cost?

A strong answer sounds like "Two rounds at script, two at storyboard, two at animation". It tells you exactly where your changes fit.

Say you run a salon. Changing a brand color in round 3 is easy. Rewriting the whole script in round 3 is not, and that's why stages matter.

More detail here: how many revision rounds you should get.

Question 5: What happens if I don't like the final video?

Ask it plainly. Do you get a refund, a free redo, or nothing at all?

A low price means very little if you're stuck with a video you can't use and no way to get your money back. That's why a written guarantee is worth more than a slightly cheaper quote. A company with no revision or refund policy stated before you sign is a red flag.

Try this line on the call: "If I'm not happy after the last revision, what exactly do I get back?" Then get the answer in writing, not just a verbal promise.

For comparison, here are our terms. Our 30-second explainer is $297, with 7-day delivery, 3 revision rounds and a money-back guarantee. The 60-second version is $497 on the same terms.

For a bigger project, you can book a free call to plan a custom video from $1,299. You get a fixed quote within 24 hours of that call.

Question 6: Will the style fit my kind of business?

Ask to see examples from a business like yours, not just the company's generic reel. One studio calls out "Portfolio showing one visual style applied to every client brief" as a red flag. The same template for everyone means they're built for their speed, not your results.

Here are the three main styles and where each one fits, based on Pexo's guide to explainer types:

Live action means filming real people and places, so it needs a camera crew. Whiteboard and 2D are animated, so nothing needs to be filmed.

Say you run a salon. Ask for beauty or wellness examples. If all you see is software demos, that company may not know how to show a haircut or a color service.

Question 7: What's the exact delivery date, and what if you miss it?

"A few weeks" is not a date. You want a real one, in writing, because your promo, your season or your launch depends on it.

First, know what normal looks like. A standard 60 to 90 second animated explainer takes four to eight weeks from kickoff to final delivery at a studio. The time for each stage breaks down roughly like this:

• Script: about 1 week
• Storyboard and style frames: 1 to 2 weeks
• Animation: 2 to 3 weeks
• Revisions: 1 to 2 weeks

Then ask for three things:

1. An exact final delivery date.
2. A date for each stage: script, storyboard and final.
3. What happens if they miss it: a discount, a refund or a firm new date, written into the contract.

Plan backward from when you need the video. Black Friday is Nov 27, 2026. If a studio needs 4 to 8 weeks, your brief should be in by early to mid October.

Say you run an HVAC company and want a fall tune-up video live before the first cold snap. Count back 8 weeks from that date, and that's when you need to hire.

Pro tip: Your feedback speed is part of the timeline. Block 30 minutes on the day each draft is due.

A fixed 7-day turnaround, like the one on our 30-second explainer, takes most of that squeeze away.

Question 8: Who owns the video when it's done?

You want the MP4 file with full commercial rights. That means you can post it anywhere, run ads with it and use it for years. A streaming link isn't enough, because the company can take it down or put it behind a paywall later.

Ownership has to be in writing. Under U.S. copyright law, a commissioned video counts as "work made for hire" only "if the parties expressly agree in a written instrument signed by them". In plain English: if it isn't in a signed contract, don't assume you own it. Ask a lawyer if the contract is complex.

Also ask about add-ons that show up after the quote. Extra sizes can add 10 to 20 percent per aspect ratio, and licensed music can run $500 to $5,000 per track.

Files to ask for:

• The MP4 in full HD
• Square and vertical versions for social media
• A version without captions
• Confirmation the music is licensed for ads

Say you're a realtor. You might reuse the same video across dozens of listings, and maybe at a new brokerage one day. If you don't own it, you can't take it with you.

Read more on hidden explainer video costs.

How to pick the right explainer video company

Pick the one that answers all 8 questions clearly, in writing. That isn't always the cheapest. A low price with vague answers usually costs you more time and stress than a slightly higher price with clear terms.

One honest note on results. You'll often see claims that video lifts landing-page sales by 80-86%. That number comes from pre-2020 data. Newer benchmarks from the same source range from a small drop for a background video (-10% to +5%) up to a 100% lift for a video in a lightbox popup. In one test, a lightbox explainer converted 13% of visitors, versus 6.5% with no video.

So video won't magically double your sales. The right video in the right spot can help, and the wrong one can hurt.

Say you run a gym. Put the video in a popup on your intro-offer page, then compare sign-ups before and after.

If you want a low-risk way to start, you have two paths:

• Fixed price: a 30-second explainer for $297 (normally $497) with script, human voiceover and animation, 7-day delivery, 3 revisions and a money-back guarantee.
• Custom: a video from $1,299, planned with you on a free call.

Frequently asked questions

Should I hire a local explainer video company or work with one remotely?

Location rarely matters for explainer videos. Almost the whole process happens over email, video calls and file sharing. What matters is whether the company answers the 8 questions clearly and in writing.

Do I need a signed contract before I pay a deposit?

Yes. It should list the price, delivery date, revision count, refund policy and who owns the final file. Also check for a kill fee, which is a charge you pay if you cancel early, and how much it is.

Can I ask a video company for past client references?

Yes. A company that's confident in its work should share some. Just remember references are one data point, not a stand-in for getting your price, timeline and guarantee in writing.

What if the company misses the delivery date it promised?

You get what the contract says, so settle it before you sign. It could be a discount, a refund or a firm new date. If the contract is silent, ask them to add it before you pay anything.

Is a cheaper explainer video ever the smarter choice?

Often, yes, especially for a first video. A fixed-price, fast video like our $297 30-second explainer shows you how video works for your business before you spend thousands on a custom one.

Is an AI voiceover OK for an explainer video?

It's fine for internal training or a rough draft. For a video customers will see, ask for a human voice. A human read can start around $250 to $500 for 60 seconds, so always ask which one you're getting.

The short version

Ask the 8 questions and get every answer in writing before you pay a deposit. Your goal isn't the cheapest video. It's the clearest company.

Ready to get your video made? Order a 30-second explainer for $297 and have it in 7 days, or book a free call for a custom video from $1,299.

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• Explainer Videos from $297 →: Professional animated explainer videos delivered in 7 days.