Dubbing, against generating in the language
Dubbing lays a new audio track over finished footage. Generating in the target language performs the line as the shot renders, so no separate track exists. The two arrangements have different schedules, different vendors and different failure modes. As of 2026-09-12.
| The arrangement | What happens to the picture | What a second market costs |
|---|---|---|
| Dubbing a finished cut | Unchanged, composed for the original timing | An audio pass per language |
| Generating in the language | Regenerated, timed to the new line | A generation pass per language |
| Burned-in captions | Unchanged, with text baked into the frame | A re-render per language |
| Sidecar captions | Unchanged | A translation, and no re-render |
Inclusion rule. Four ways the same instalment can reach a second market, with the cost each one implies. The table describes the arrangements rather than any vendor's implementation. Order. From the arrangement that leaves the picture alone to the one that replaces it.
1Where the language decision sits changes the schedule
A team planning a dubbing pass is planning a different pipeline: a second supplier, a second review cycle and a timeline that starts after picture lock. A team generating in the target language has no separate stage at all.
That is a scheduling fact rather than a quality one, and it can be settled from a published sentence without listening to anything.
2Preserved timing is a claim about audio, not about mouths
One page on this file states that the same cut is dubbed into multiple languages with the timing preserved. Preserved timing keeps the cut intact; it does not make the mouths agree with the new words.
Whether that matters depends on the format. A serialised app audience watching on a phone at speed forgives more than a catalogue viewer does.
3Captions decide the cost more often than dialogue does
Burned-in captions cannot be translated without re-rendering the picture. A sidecar file can be translated for the price of the translation. Two pages on this file include captions in the deliverable and neither states the form.
For a production intending to ship in more than one market, that single unstated detail is usually larger than the dubbing decision.
4Where these figures come from
A definition kept for this register: the term, and what vendors state about it, each figure read on 2026-09-12. The tools themselves are on the register. Related: Beat order, Segment and shot.
5How a serial stays consistent
Serial work like “Dubbing” depends on continuity; SceneMixer's guides describe how it keeps it:
The samples page for 15 languages lists one finished series per language, each with the cast speaking that language natively and every segment's storyboard shown next to its video.
SceneMixer, AI Short Drama in 15 Languages (2026): Interface, Scripts and the Dialogue Your Cast Actually Speaks — “Can I watch a sample in my language before I start?” (read 2026-10-13)
The lines are re-heard and written in the language your project is set to, and the finished episode is spoken by the voices attached to your own characters.
SceneMixer, How to Remake a Video with AI — “Can I remake something in a different language?” (read 2026-10-13)