"What does a commercial cost?" is usually the first question on a call, and the honest answer is a range. A small commercial can be filmed for around $25,000. A national spot can cost more than ten times that in production alone, and the biggest brand commercials go well past it. This guide walks through the options, what moves the price, and how to get the most out of the budget you have.
The Short Answer
- Small commercial: around $25,000
- Multi-spot campaign: $50,000 to $150,000
- National commercial: around $300,000 and up
- Big-brand and celebrity productions: $1 million and up
These are production costs: what it takes to make the commercial. What it costs to run it is a separate budget, covered below.
Production Cost vs. Airtime
The two numbers people mix up most are production and media. Production is the cost of making the spot: concept, crew, talent, locations, editing and finishing. Media, or airtime, is what you pay a network, streaming service or platform to show it.
Media is usually the bigger number, and it's never included in a production quote. A local TV buy, a YouTube campaign and a Super Bowl slot (several million dollars for 30 seconds of airtime alone) can all run the same commercial. Decide the media plan early, because it decides what versions and formats the production needs to deliver.
What Drives the Cost of a Commercial
Running time has surprisingly little to do with the price. These are the things that do:
Shoot days
The single biggest factor. Every day adds crew, equipment, location and talent costs. A tight one-day shoot and a three-day shoot for the same 30-second spot can differ in price by two or three times.
Crew size
A small crew of a director, camera, lighting and sound can shoot a social ad. A broadcast spot adds an art department, hair and makeup, wardrobe, a larger lighting team and producers. More departments means more people on the day rate.
Talent and usage
Actors are paid for the shoot day and for usage: where the commercial runs and for how long. Union talent on a national TV spot costs far more than non-union talent on a three-month social campaign. Creators and celebrities are negotiated separately.
Locations and permits
Filming in a real location in Los Angeles usually means a location fee and a city permit, sometimes police or fire safety staff. Studio days trade those costs for stage rental and set construction.
Art department and props
Sets, props and product styling. For beauty and food commercials, this is where the product gets its close-up, and it's worth the line item.
Post-production
Editing, color grading, sound design and mix, graphics, and any visual effects. Music adds cost too: licensing a known track can cost more than the shoot itself, while library music and original scores are more predictable.
Deliverables
A 30-second TV spot, a 15-second cutdown, a 6-second bumper and vertical versions for Reels and TikTok are four different edits. Planning them before the shoot is cheap. Finding out you need them afterward is not.
Does a 30-Second Commercial Cost Less Than a 60?
Not much. The 30 and the 60 usually come from the same shoot, with the same crew and talent, so the difference is mostly editing time. If you think you'll want both, say so up front and they can be planned together.
Commercial Options, From Small to National
Small commercial: around $25,000
One shoot day, one location, a small cast and crew. You get a finished :30 or :60 plus cutdowns for social. It's the right size for a product launch, a regional brand, or testing a message before a bigger campaign.
Multi-spot campaign: $50,000 to $150,000
Two or more shoot days, several locations or setups, a larger crew and an art department. A hero spot plus versions for TV, YouTube and paid social, planned together so one production feeds every placement.
National commercial: around $300,000 and up
Several shoot days, union talent paid for national usage, a full art department, specialty equipment and agency and client approvals at every stage. Car commercials, with picture cars, precision driving and road closures, often start here.
Big-brand and celebrity productions: $1 million and up
Celebrity talent, multiple cities, major set builds or heavy visual effects. The biggest brand commercials run into the millions in production before a dollar is spent on airtime.
How to Get More From Your Commercial Budget
- Shoot several spots in one day. Crew and equipment are already paid for. Adding a second or third script to the same day costs far less than a second shoot.
- Plan every cutdown before the shoot. A 15-second version needs its own moments, not a squeezed 30.
- Lock the script first. Changes on set cost crew time. Changes in the edit cost rounds.
- Use real locations where they help. A real kitchen or office can look better than a built set and cost less.
- Agree on review rounds up front. Most budget overruns come from extra rounds of changes, not from the shoot.
- Ask for a line-item budget. You should see what each department costs, so you can decide what matters.
What a Commercial Budget Should Include
When you compare quotes, check that each one covers the same things:
- Pre-production: concept, script, storyboards, casting, location scouting and permits
- Production: crew, camera and lighting, talent, locations, art department, insurance
- Post-production: editing, color, sound mix, graphics and music
- Deliverables: every version, length and aspect ratio you'll run
- Usage: how long and where you can run the talent and music
A lower quote that leaves out usage, music or cutdowns usually ends up costing more.
How Long It Takes
Plan on about two to three weeks for a single-day shoot and four to eight weeks for a full campaign, from the first call to final delivery. Our video production timeline breaks down each phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a 30-second commercial cost to make?
About the same as a 60-second one, because the price is driven by shoot days, crew, talent and post rather than running time. A small 30-second commercial can be produced for around $25,000, and a national spot often costs $300,000 or more in production alone.
How much does a local TV commercial cost?
A small local commercial typically starts around $25,000 to produce. Airtime is separate and depends on the market, the station and how often the spot runs.
Does the production price include airtime?
No. Production is the cost of making the commercial. Airtime, or the media buy, is what you pay to run it, and it's budgeted separately.
Why does production cost more in Los Angeles?
Crews, talent and locations in LA are priced for a market that makes a lot of commercials. You also get experienced people and a huge range of locations within a short drive. Our Los Angeles video production cost guide covers this in more detail.
If you have a project in mind, tell us what you're planning and we'll give you a real number for it. You can also see examples of our commercial work.