4 Main Differences Between Voice-Over vs Dubbing

When it comes to creating audiovisual content to go global, language services help us cross the cultural bridge to connect with international audiences. However, many companies struggle to understand the difference between some of them, such as voice-over vs dubbing. Thus, making it more complex to understand which solution would work best for a given case.

Language services experts know that although these terms are often used interchangeably, they certainly are not the same thing. They pursue a similar overall aim, yes, but they differ in features and applicability.

As interacting with people has become a transcendental activity in these times of hyper-connectivity, it is, thus, crucial to know the most convenient techniques to reach new places and awaken the interest of new prospects. And for that, to understand in-depth which are the services that can best help us to achieve it.

In this blog, we will help you dispel the doubts surrounding what your business needs: Will it be multilingual voice-over services or dubbing? Or is it both? Let us discuss together how to get the most out of your audiovisual content—without squeezing your budget.

Voice-Over vs Dubbing: Characteristics and Differences

With more and more options and innovations for sharing audiovisual content, and 85 per cent of social media users claiming that they want more videos from brands, it seems logical to leverage them to execute a successful strategy. Every day we see that videos posted on social media reach international audiences of millions of people almost as easily as they can reach the next-door neighbour.

Perhaps, for this reason, analysing the voice-over vs dubbing relationship as if it was a sort of battle between contenders is not the best approach. Not if both pursue the goal of enhancing comprehension, creating seamless and inclusive narratives, and improving the user experience. Instead, it may be better to think of them as two sides of the same coin.

When it comes to translation for audiovisual media, there are two options: Using subtitles (the written translation that will be displayed on-screen) or re-voicing the original soundtrack— and here is where the voice-over vs dubbing debate starts. Both are methods to interpret messages for new audiences, but the former is more narrative and perceptible to the public, while the latter is not.

If you have read all of this and still feel lost, fear not. We will explain it better now, although we will leave the written option aside for now. However, you can read in detail about subtitles and CC in our complementary article.

Characteristics of Voice-Over Services

Let us review these four main distinctive features—for further understanding of the differences between voice-over vs dubbing.

#1 Definition

It refers to a production technique in which a voice other than the speaker is displayed on screen—if any—is broadcast live or pre-recorded. The voice-over artists prepare the script or written text, that will be recorded afterwards using their voices. Learn more about professional voice-over services.

#2 Types of Voice-Over

There are two different kinds, and each of them has its own applications:

• The so-called UN-style voice-over, in which the new audio file does not completely replace the existing one. Here, you can still hear the original voices in the background, at low volume—i.e. the two tracks work simultaneously. This style of multilingual voice-over services is commonly found in interviews, speeches, and short segments, where the aim of keeping the original audio is to maintain its authority. Here is an example.
• The off-camera voice-over (or voice-off) can include the narration of what is happening on screen or storytelling. It also works for the expression of inner dialogue and thoughts of characters, etc. For voice-off, there is no track overlap; the voice-over artist is not on the screen, but describes the situation from another place, expands on the information, and guides the audience. Find an example here.

#3 Most Common Industries

Multilingual voice-over services prove to be extremely useful for teaching, selling, advertising, or providing information to various segments of audiences. Consequently, some of the industries that frequently request them are marketing and advertising, business, arts, and education. They can be used for TV, film and series, radio, and theatre.

Within the educational function, a voice-over is an excellent tool for organisations in any field: medical, human resources, technology and engineering, etc.—the list is endless.

#4 Pros and Cons

• If we compare voice-over vs dubbing, we can affirm that in terms of cost, the former requires less budget. Usually, only 1 or 2 voices are required—so there is no need for several voice-over artists. In addition, there are not many time constraints or restrictions to synchronise the new audio track with the speaker’s movements. Also, the focus is on making the message intelligible, so there is no need for extensive emotional acting (especially for UN-Style).
• On the other side, we know that narration can be distracting if not handled correctly. In the case of voice-off, it can be confusing if it does not provide valuable information about what is happening on screen. As for the UN-style, the challenge may be to combine two tracks at the same time; so, it works better for short speeches.

#OptimationalTip: You should not use the voice-over to serve as a transition element to the next scene, nor should it be part of the development of your story. Finally, make sure that the professional you team up with does not voice situations that the audience can see on screen, as this can be redundant.

Characteristics of Dubbing Services

Now let us look at the flip side of this coin, to really understand what are the differences between voice-over vs dubbing, and choose the one that best suits your corporate needs.

#1 Definition

Dubbing is the replacement of the original audio track with a different language version. This is designed to perfectly match the performance and actors on screen mimicry as if the voice was actually theirs. Thus, the audio must show the same emotions as in the original track, which can include laughing, crying, and much more.

#2 Types of Dubbing

There are mainly two kinds:

• Voice replacement (also known as language replacement or fake lip-sync) consists of the exchange of the original audio. But here, the dubbing artists do not focus on mimic synchronisation. In addition, they leave out sounds such as sighs, coughs, laughter, and others from the original voices. This option is most popular for training and corporate videos, and is a middle ground between UN-style voice-over and synchronised dubbing.
• Lip-sync dubbing aims to match the lip movements of the characters on screen with the sounds of the new translated audio track, as closely as possible. When dubbing a video using this technique, the quality of the script translation plays a key role. It must be as faithful as possible to the original content. However, it should enable the necessary changes to ensure the sync. It is a highly complex task; but one that results in an immersive experience, in which the audiovisual content sounds clear and natural. Find a great example from Disney here.

#3 Most Common Industries

Dubbing artists are mostly required in the entertainment industry. There, the focus is on delighting audiences and minimising the foreignising effect that subtitles can have. While it is much more common to see dubbed content in films and TV, it is not exclusive to them, being a great tool to make educational content understandable for children and maybe illiterate adults. In this sense, we can say that lip-sync dubbing is the most inclusive technique.

#4 Pros and Cons

• It might be easier for the audiences to retain and digest the information if it is in their own native language. Moreover, this can increase the feeling of satisfaction and joy, as it will result in a more familiar and immersive experience. Finally, it fosters inclusion and enables linguistic localisation.
• Between voice-over vs dubbing, the latter requires a larger budget. This is because you need as many dubbing voices as characters that are on screen. In addition, the level of detail and attention towards the script translation can also increase the costs and the time to get the content ready. 

#OptimationalTip: When dubbing a video, keep in mind that localisation is sometimes not only available but also necessary. Elements like humour, for instance, can contain certain cultural references that a literal translation can miss—which would not produce the intended reaction.

Final Round on Voice-Over vs Dubbing: Which One Suits Your Business?

As with many things, there is no single, concrete answer to what is best for your company. It depends! That is exactly what this article is about; it is about understanding what content you have already up and running, what is on the horizon, and what your objectives and budget are.

At a first glance, it would seem great to dub all the audiovisual content in your global strategy; but maybe it is not really necessary and you can save time and budget with other techniques that can adapt just as well—or even better. 

To wrap up, here are a few tips to help you choose wisely.  First, find the sweet spot between options and budget. That is, choose the one that will pay off better in the long run. Second, know your audience and speak to them using the methods that best capture their attention. And third, think about the medium you will use to share the content, its duration, and the purpose. An institutional video on the company’s website is not the same as a post on Instagram.