Explainer Video Revisions: How Many Rounds Should You Get?
You get the first cut of your explainer video.
One line makes you wince.
The voice says "affordable."
You meant "fair."
The logo looks squashed too.
Can you ask for a fix?
Or did you already use your only chance?
That depends on how many explainer video revisions your company promised.
And whether they wrote the number down.
Here is what this guide covers.
What a revision round is.
Where each round belongs.
How to spend them well.
What happens when you want more.
A good explainer video company includes at least three revision rounds, written into the price you agree upfront. Three rounds cover three jobs: fix the words, then the pacing, then the small visual details. Ask for more after that, and you pay per extra round, or you agree a fresh brief.
What are explainer video revisions, and what is a round?
A revision round is one batch of feedback.
You send it once.
The studio applies it in one pass.
Explainer video revisions are the changes inside that round.
Think a new word in the script, or a different button color.
Here is what most owners miss about the word "round."
Send five emails with one note each, and some studios count that as five rounds.
Send one list with five notes, and that is one round.
So a round is not a single change.
It is one hand-off of every change you want, right then.
Most of your feedback should land on the script first.
According to Biteable's explainer script template, a simple script has four parts.
A hook, the problem, your solution, and a call to action.
A call to action, or CTA, tells the viewer what to do next.
Something like "Book online today."
Check each of those four parts when you review a draft.
That habit alone cuts the rounds you need.
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How many revision rounds should an explainer video company include?
An explainer video company should include at least three revision rounds for a short video.
That number should sit in writing, before you pay.
Three rounds gives you room to fix the message, then the timing, then the small details.
The project never drags on.
Why three, and not one?
One round leaves no margin.
Misread your first note, and you have nothing left to fix the fix.
Why not ten?
A short video has few moving parts.
According to HubSpot's 2026 marketing statistics, citing Wyzowl, 51% of people say 30 to 60 seconds is the best video length.
And 91% said under two minutes.
A 30-second video runs maybe six or seven scenes.
Three good rounds cover that.
What matters most is a clear count.
"Revisions included," with no number, is a promise you cannot check.
Our own 30-second explainer is $297.
That covers the script, a human voiceover, the animation, 3 revision rounds, and a money-back guarantee.
Delivered in 7 days.
Which stage should each round of changes happen at?
Each round works best at its cheapest stage.
Words belong at the script stage.
Look and feel belong at the storyboard stage.
Timing and small details belong once the animation is done.
The later a change lands, the more work it undoes.
Here is how the stages compare.
| Stage | Easy to change now | Costly to change later |
|---|---|---|
| Script | Any word, the order of points, the offer, the call to action | After the voice is recorded, each new word means a new recording |
| Voiceover | Tone, speed, how a name is said | After animation, the scenes are timed to the voice, so a new take shifts every scene |
| Storyboard (the sketch of each scene) | Which scene shows what, colors, characters | After animation, a new scene means drawing and moving it from scratch |
| Final animation | Text on screen, a color, the logo size, music volume | Very little is left after this, so big changes here often mean a new video |
A storyboard is a set of rough drawings, one per scene.
It shows what the viewer sees while the voice speaks.
If your company shares one, our guide on how to review and approve an explainer video storyboard walks you through it in twenty minutes.
Check your script length early too.
Breadnbeyond plans on about 150 spoken words per minute.
A 60-second script runs about 140 to 160 words.
A 30-second script is about half that.
Add two sentences in the last round, and the video gets longer, or the voice speeds up.
Make that fix while it is still just words on a page.
What counts as a revision and what counts as a new video?
A revision keeps the same message, audience and length.
Swap a word, a color, a line of on-screen text: still a revision.
A new video changes who it is for, what it sells, or how long it runs.
That line is where most arguments with studios start.
Here is where it usually falls.
| Change you ask for | Usually a revision? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fix a word or a phone number | Yes | Same scene, same timing |
| Change the brand color on a button | Yes | A small visual tweak |
| Make the voice slower or warmer | Yes, if asked at the voice stage | A re-record at the right stage is normal |
| Swap the music track | Usually yes | Music sits under the scenes |
| Add a new service to the script after animation | Often no | New words need new voice and new scenes |
| Change the video from 30 to 60 seconds | No | That is a different video |
| Aim it at a new audience, like landlords instead of homeowners | No | The whole script changes |
Not sure which side your change falls on?
Ask before you send it.
A good studio tells you straight away, and does not charge you for asking.
How to spend three revision rounds without wasting one
Spend three revision rounds well by sending one clear list each time.
From one person.
At the right stage.
Here is a simple routine for a busy owner.
Time is the real limit for most owners.
According to Vidico's 2026 video marketing statistics, citing Wyzowl, 33% of marketers call lack of time their top barrier to video.
Block 30 minutes for each review.
Do it in one sitting.
Step 1: Pick one person to sign off
Choose one person to have the final say on every round. Let your partner, your office manager and your sales lead all send notes, and you burn a round just settling their differences.
Step 2: Read the script out loud
Read the script aloud, at a normal pace, before you send any notes.
Clunky lines and hard words jump out when you hear them. A voice actor will hit the same bumps.
Step 3: Put every note into one list
Collect every note into one numbered list. Send it once.
Name the scene or line for each note, like "Scene 3, second sentence."
Step 4: Say what is wrong, not only how it feels
Tell the studio what to change, and why. Not just that something "feels off."
Say "24-hour service, because that is why people call us," and the studio has something to act on.
Step 5: Save the last round for polish
Use round three for small fixes only. A spelling, a color, the logo size.
Still want big changes by then? The problem is usually the brief, so talk to the studio before you send notes.
A plumbing script line through three rounds
The easiest way to see how rounds work is to follow one line.
Here is an illustration, not a real client.
Watch the opening hook for a plumbing business change across three rounds.
First draft: "Plumbing problems can happen to anyone, at any time."
That line is true, but it is flat.
No viewer feels anything.
Round 1 note: "Open with the moment the pipe bursts. Mention our 24-hour service."
After round 1: "Water on the kitchen floor at 2 a.m.? We pick up the phone, day or night."
That is much closer.
The owner reads it aloud and spots one issue.
Round 2 note: "Say the town name so locals know we're nearby."
After round 2: "Water on the kitchen floor at 2 a.m.? Riverside's plumbers pick up the phone, day or night."
Round 3 note: "On screen, make the phone number bigger in the last scene."
Round three touches no words at all.
That is the sign of a well-run project.
The script is locked, and the last round is only polish.
Notice what the owner did not do.
No rewrite of the whole script in round two.
No new service added in round three.
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What happens if you want more changes than the package includes?
Want more changes than your package includes?
You usually have three choices.
Pay for an extra round.
Make small text changes yourself, where the video lives.
Or agree a new brief for a new video.
Which one fits depends on how big the change is.
An extra paid round suits a small fix, once your rounds are used up.
Ask for that price in writing before the project starts.
Then it is never a surprise.
Some fixes don't need the studio at all.
A phone number, or an offer that changes each month?
Put that on the web page next to the video, not inside it.
Then you update it yourself, for free.
A new brief suits a big change, like a new service or a new audience.
That is not a failure.
It means the first video did its job, and your business moved on.
The cost of extra rounds matters more on bigger budgets.
According to Vidico's 2026 cost guide, a 60-second custom studio explainer typically costs $5,000 to $10,000.
Yum Yum Videos puts the full range at about $99 for DIY tools, up to $50,000 or more for enterprise brand films, in 2026.
At the top of that range, one extra round can cost more than a whole short video from a budget studio.
The revision policy is part of the price, not a footnote.
Red flags in a revision policy
A revision policy is a red flag when it is vague.
Or when it has no stages.
Or when it lets you change nothing until the animation is done.
Here is a short checklist to run before you sign.
- "Unlimited revisions" with no mention of stages or what counts as a change.
- "Minor changes only" with no example of what minor means.
- No chance to approve the script before animation starts.
- No price for an extra round, written anywhere.
- Rounds counted per email, not per batch of notes.
A sloppy final video costs you trust.
Vidico's 2026 statistics, citing Wyzowl found that 87% of consumers say video quality affects how much they trust a brand.
A clear revision policy is how you protect that quality.
If you're comparing companies, our list of questions to ask an explainer video company before you hire covers revisions alongside price, voice and ownership.
Frequently asked questions
Are unlimited revisions a good sign?
Not always. A studio offering them often limits what counts as a revision, or slows down after a few rounds. I would rather see a clear, written number of rounds tied to each stage. It is easier to hold a studio to that.
Can I change the voiceover after it is recorded?
You can, but it means a new recording. If the animation is already timed to the old take, the scenes may need to move too. Ask for voice changes before animation starts.
Do revisions add time to delivery?
They can, mostly while the studio waits on your notes. Send one full list within a day or two of each draft, and the schedule stays on track.
Can I send feedback by phone instead of in writing?
You can talk it through by phone, but always follow up in writing. A written list means nothing gets lost, and both sides agree on what one round covered.
The short version
Explainer video revisions work best when you know the number up front.
Use each round at the right stage.
Three written rounds is a fair floor for a short video.
Spend the first on the script.
The second on the voice and pacing.
The last on small visual details.
Send one list of notes per round, from one person.
Name the scene for every note.
Keep changing facts, like phone numbers and monthly offers, on the web page, not in the video.
Want more changes than your package covers?
Ask for the price of an extra round before you start.
Or treat a big change as a new brief.
Your goal is a video you are proud to put on your homepage.
Made without surprise bills.
Our own 30-second explainer includes 3 revision rounds for $297.
Bigger projects start at $1,299, with a fixed quote.
Ready to get your own video made? Order a 30-second explainer for $297 and have it in 7 days, or book a free call if you want a custom video from $1,299.
Related Reading
- Explainer Video Guide: The 7 Decisions, in Order: An explainer video guide without the ebook. Make seven decisions in order,…
- Explainer Video Storyboard: How to Review and Approve It: An explainer video storyboard decides what viewers see every second. Learn…
- Explainer Videos from $297 →: Professional animated explainer videos delivered in 7 days.
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