Dubbing and voice-over
Hear, hear! In 42 languages.
Two reasons for professional dubbing and voice-over
Customer orientation. Maximum reach.
Here are two reasons why dubbing and voice-over are gaining in importance:
1. A customer-centric mindset suggests reducing the customer’s workload as much as possible. This also includes offering the customer options so that they can choose the option that suits them best. This is why, for example, it is worth offering documents and websites in multiple languages, even in markets where most people speak English. After all, we find it easier to process content in our native language.
2. Audio and video content is growing fast. People are already watching 17 hours of online video a week. It likely is just the beginning of a long-term trend. And since video content is shared much more frequently than text, it is an important component of most successful marketing strategies.
Subtitles are one way of offering this audio and video content in multiple languages, dubbing and voice-overs are another. The good thing is that they are not mutually exclusive. You can ensure maximum reach, for example on YouTube, by combining both technologies.
Of course, you usually hire a professional translation agency to translate multilingual content. But it’s also worth using them for the technical implementation, including dubbing, if they have the necessary expertise, that is – like DialogTicket. Sure, your advertising agency could do the same. But it saves time and money to keep the number of links in your supply chain to a minimum. It also saves you unnecessary back-and-forth communication between different suppliers. As a result, your content goes online faster.
What does dubbing cost?
To get a first idea.
The price for a dubbing or a voice-over including translation depends on the target languages, the volume of text and the type of text on the one hand, and on the type of voice-over and the project requirements on the other. A standardised price per minute is therefore not possible. We will be happy to review your material and send you a free quote. To give you an initial idea of the costs* involved, here is some basic information:
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Creation of subtitles €6 / Minute
Necessary as a basis for translation and dubbing
If optimisation is necessary: € 70 / working hour -
Translation of the source material from €12 / Minute
Price depends on language and specialisation
Normal speaking speed (approx. 100 words / minute) -
Human dubbing & voice-over €50-200 / Minute
Price depends on the speaker and the language
-
Dubbing with AI voices €30 / Minute
Including customisation and editing
Based on the timestamps of the subtitles
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AI synchronisation €10 / Minute
All inclusive, as subtitling and translation by specialised translators are not required
No adjustments possible
*All prices plus VAT.
Dubbing, voice-over and synchronisation
What's the difference?
In the context of media production, the term “dubbing” usually refers to the addition of spoken language, often in combination with background music, acoustic effects, etc.
As a translation agency, we naturally focus on the translation of existing audio and video material. We then have this translation either recorded by human speakers or generated using text-to-speech tools. As a rule, we replace the original voice track of the source file.
Voice-over is a special type of dubbing. A voice is also placed over the original audio track of a video. However, unlike ordinary dubbing, the original track is not completely removed, so it remains audible. However, its volume is usually reduced. You are probably familiar with this from documentaries, news programmes and educational materials. There, the voice-over usually provides additional information or commentary.
Voice-overs are also used to translate content into other languages, with the original voice remaining quietly in the background, for example so that the listener or viewer can understand the tone or mood of an interview.
Synchronisation involves replacing the original dialogue of a video or film with a new audio recording in a different language. But unlike ordinary dubbing, the aim here is to synchronise the translated language as much as possible with the the lip movements of the characters. On German television, most international films are dubbed. The aim is to provide the audience with a seamless viewing experience in their own language. In contrast to a voice-over, the original voice is completely replaced by the new recording. We only offer AI-based dubbing.
Dubbing by human speakers
For best results.
Whether on television, the internet or radio, human voice actors are still the gold standard – and for good reason. A voice-over artist can adapt to the requirements of a project almost at will, bringing out nuances with their voice and getting the message across effectively. For translations, they can adapt to the style of the source material, ensuring that your corporate communications remain consistent across different languages. A human voice-over is therefore often the best choice when you need a high-quality, professional results.
Advantages of human dubbing
- Most professional results
- Human native speakers without an accent
- Max. flexibility, as pronunciation, tone and speed are adapted to the project
- Perceived as natural by the audience
- Output quality does not depend on the length of the source material
- Particularly suitable for high-quality productions in the TV and marketing sector
Disadvantages of human dubbing
- Availability of speakers may vary
- More preliminary work before the start of the project, e.g. when searching for and selecting the most suitable speaker
- Recording and realisation takes longer (less suitable for projects with tight deadlines)
- Corrections can be time-consuming
- No lip synchronisation
- Prices vary with the speakers
- Not as cost-effective as AI alternatives
Music or background noise?
Three ways to deal with it.
We achieve the best possible audio quality for a dubbing and a voice-over if you provide the voice recording and any background music or sounds on separate audio tracks. This allows us to simply replace the voice track with our voice-over, but leave the background music or sounds untouched. The overall impression of the original is retained.
However, separate audio tracks are not always available. This may be because the original audio or video project file is no longer available. It may be because the speaker was recorded in nature or in the city, so that the background noises are part of the voice track.
There are essentially three approaches to dealing with such projects:
1. We reduce the volume of the original and overlay the translation as a voice-over. You will certainly recognise this from television, for example when the original interview is playing in the background but the translation has been placed over it so that it is easy to understand.
2. We eliminate the audio track completely and replace it with the spoken translation. This is ideal for recordings of lectures and presentations, for example, as the audience noises are usually not essential.
3. We filter out the original voice as well as possible so that it is barely audible, if at all. This doesn’t always work, depending on the noise level or the type of sound, but thanks to AI it works surprisingly well. This is useful for corporate films with background music, for example.
AI voice-over
Inexpensive but less flexible.
Gone are the days when computer-generated voices sounded like robots. They sound more natural, more emotional and more convincing than ever. However, there are a variety of different systems, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Some systems sound so good that they can hardly be distinguished from humans, but offer only a small selection of voices, support only a few languages or can hardly be customised. Other systems may offer maximum flexibility but are not quite as convincing. The speaking speed can be changed almost at will. The emphasis of individual words can be set. Sentences can be spoken happily, sadly or angrily. Such systems are more complex to work with, but they can also be used for projects with very specific requirements. A contact who knows the best systems and uses the most suitable one for your project is therefore worthwhile.
Original track with a human German speaker
Translation of the original track and dubbing with a male American AI voice
Translation of the original track and dubbing with a male British AI voice
Translation of the original track and dubbing with a female American AI voice
Translation of the original track and dubbing with a female American AI voice
Advantages of
AI speech synthesis
- Inexpensive
- Fast implementation of your projects possible
- Voices mostly have little to no accent
- Some systems allow the pronunciation to be adapted, e.g. via phonetic transcription (particularly important for product and company names)
- Translations can be edited
- Output quality does not depend on the length of the source material
- Particularly suitable for videos in which the speaker cannot be seen, such as marketing material, training courses, etc.
Disadvantages of
AI speech synthesis
- Voice characteristics of the original voice are not retained
- The voices sound good, but not always 100% human
- The voices can be partially customised, but they cannot capture the nuances of human communication
- Speakers’ lip movements are not taken into account
- Not all languages are supported
- The quality of the output varies from voice to voice and from language to language
AI synchronisation
When time is of the essence.
Modern AI systems can clone voices and use them as the basis for a synchronised translation. On the one hand, an attempt is made to preserve the voice characteristics of the speaker in the target language as far as possible, while on the other hand, the translation is designed to synchronise as closely as possible with the lip movements of the source video. This does not always work perfectly, but the result often appears more natural and less irritating than a dubbing that is independent of the image.
Advantages of
AI synchronisation
- Extremely inexpensive
- Fast dubbing processes – even of long videos
- Voice characteristics of the speaker are mostly retained in the target language
- Lip movements are taken into account during translation
- Particularly suitable for interviews and presentations where the speakers can be seen
Disadvantages of
AI synchronisation
- Voices sometimes have a strong accent in the target language
- Translations are understandable, but often seem bumpy and not native-speaking
- Errors cannot be corrected as translation and dubbing take place simultaneously
- Output quality depends on the length and quality of the source material
From the enquiry to dubbed project
How does the process work?
Let’s say you have audio or video material and now want a dubbing or perhaps specifically a voice-over. How does this work?
To begin, we review your material and listen to it. It is not only important how extensive the material is, but also how good the audio quality is, whether there is background noise or music and whether the speakers have an accent. Generally speaking, the better the quality of the source material, the easier it is to create a transcription or subtitles, which we then translate and set to music. In other words, the quality of the source material has an impact on the effort required and therefore also on the price.
At this point, we usually seek dialogue with our client to discuss details and advise them.
What is the purpose of your dubbed audio or video? Where should it be presented? Do you have specific ideas and wishes for the voice? Is the material better suited to a human voiceover or can good results also be expected from an AI voiceover? What formats do you need? Are there separate audio tracks?
Once we are clear on your requirements and preferences, we prepare a quote for you. If you are happy with this, we get to work.
At this point, we are happy to adapt to your company processes. For example, some clients want to review and approve the translation first before we start with the dubbing process. No problem. Would you like a few voice samples for your texts first? No problem either.
Your Free Quote
Do you have questions about the realisation of your audio project or would you like to request a quote?
Wonderful! Our project managers will be happy to advise you.
Your Free Quote
Do you have questions about the realisation of your audio project or would you like to request a quote?
Wonderful! Our project managers will be happy to advise you.