01What each one is
Voice over records a narrator, or a few voices, over the picture. The viewer hears one voice that explains or tells, and in some formats the original speech stays faintly audible underneath.
Dubbing replaces the original dialogue with recorded dialogue in another language. The translated lines have to match the length and the mouth movements of the original, so the viewer can believe the characters are speaking the new language.
Subtitles leave the audio untouched and add text. They are the lightest option, but they ask the viewer to read instead of watch.
02How to choose
Choose voice over when the video explains something: training, product demos, corporate films, explainers, documentaries and museum guides. Nothing on screen needs to look like it is speaking, so the translation can be adapted freely to fit the time.
Choose dubbing when people on screen speak to each other and the audience should forget the translation: drama, animation, series and some advertising. It needs more adaptation, because every line has to fit the speech on screen.
- Voice over
- Narration, training, explainers, corporate film. Light timing constraint.
- Dubbing
- Drama, animation, characters on screen. Strong timing and lip constraints.
- Subtitles
- Social video and audiences used to reading.
03What each one needs from you
For voice over, send the final script and the picture, so the adapted text can be timed. For dubbing, send the full dialogue with timecodes and, where possible, the original performance as a reference.
Whichever you choose, lock the picture before you localize. Changes after recording mean new sessions.