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Now Is the right time for AI Dubbing

Studio dubbing is a long-established media industry – and notorious for how time-consuming and costly their processes are.
February 28, 2024

Luckily, the media industry is not overlooked by the AI revolution. These solutions have been on the news constantly for disrupting media localization as we know it. Not only that – they are allowing media businesses to reinvent and scale their growth in completely new ways.

In this article, we discuss why true innovators have been embracing breakthrough tech, such as AI-powered dubbing solutions, and how exactly disrupting workflows with AI-powered dubbing technologies pays off. 

AI Dubbing allows for growth in untapped markets, optimized return on investment, and enhanced profit margins that convince even conservative media leaders to shift their established dubbing workflows.

AI Dubbing vs Traditional Studios

Media content localization is a complex challenge, requiring not just the knowledge of source and target language but also awareness of cultural differences and insights into the needs of diverse audiences. To address this complexity, traditional studios have employed numerous producers, voice actors, translators, and a whole team of specialists. AI was a necessary application for dubbing and has significantly transformed the entertainment industry, with solutions being released by much smaller, specialized teams with a faster turnaround. 
AI tech is cost-effective, accessible, and appealing to a wide range of customers, from media conglomerates to individual FAST channel distributors. Within months, various media companies that adopted the solutions are able to unlock new markets, flexible business models, and enhanced localization speeds. Consequently, an increasing number of content distributors are jumping on this game-changing trend.

AI Dubbing

Studio Dubbing
Speed and Efficiency
Cuts voiceover production time by up to 50%
Involves a time investment, hiring professional voice actors and coordinating studio sessions
Financial Advantages
Cost-effective Reduces costs by up to 60%
Requires significant production investments
Global Outreach
Unlocks global audiences
Diverse language markets could be a problem, accessibility limited
Post-production Corrections
Quick adjustments Changes in script or language can be implemented rapidly
Re-recording is required if changes are needed; the process is complicated and expensive

Innovate or Get Out

Still not seriously considering AI dubbing adoption? Remember how industry leaders were confronted by opportunities and ended up losing valuation because they neglected key trends. Rejecting new technical advancements such as AI Dubbing has left countless media companies vulnerable. 
There was a time when Internet sales were still considered risky. Netflix was investing in video on demand, while Blockbuster focused on the age-old brick-and-mortar model. Flashforward to now: that original Blockbuster hasn’t been an entity since 2010, while Netflix is an entertainment giant that has lived through market crashes and pandemic uncertainties and is steadily growing billion by billion in the first quarter of 2024
AI has long been demonstrating advancements and demanding investment. A topical Ernst & Young survey of over 1,400 businesses confirmed generative AI’s role as a breakthrough technology. Close to half of the respondents are investing in AI solutions: applying the tech or gradually introducing it in their processes through pilot projects and tests. The time is ripe to choose the side in the future Netflix vs. Blockbuster market division.

Automation has a powerful draw when media conglomerates and language service providers (LSPs) strategize around expanding their markets and optimizing their existing localization structures. With an outsized demand for content, there’s a great deal of urgency to deliver the media in a way that is accessible, without letting the costs skyrocket. 
This innovative approach not only breaks language barriers but also enriches the whole entertainment landscape, making content more inclusive and globally accessible. By offering films in multiple languages, producers tap into previously inaccessible markets, letting viewers enjoy a broader range of content. In the future, AI video localization might even become the standard, with human professionals retraining, accompanying, and guiding the algorithms.  As AI dubbing continues to evolve, it promises greater efficiency, revolutionizing the dubbing process.
The media landscape was forever changed by AI solutions, and it’s not limited to film and TV: text-to-speech is applied by Apple in their recent release of synthetic audiobooks, and the Jamie Oliver Group partnered with an AI startup to dub Jamie’s high-performing videos into three new languages. Generative AI applications in new media are constantly growing in scale; while technology is moving at an unbelievable pace, AI adoption will surely be the crux of innovation, determining which companies withstand the test of industry change and which will get outsmarted by competition.


New Season of Media

AI dubbing solutions stand out for affordability, fewer barriers, and no need for a massive budget, which is the case for traditional studio localization. What’s more, AI solutions also unlock new business models and markets. Many media companies have already embraced AI dubs as their main localization solution or sample it on a trial basis. Let’s take a look at a few such cases:
- Little Dot Studios successfully localized and dubbed 100 hours of broadcast-quality YouTube programming from English to Spanish, catering to the growing demand for premium factual content in Spanish-speaking LatAm regions.
- Motorvision Group reduced localization costs by a radical 17% through AI dubbing and improved their connection with the target audience in Latin American countries, paving the way for potential expansion into yet-untapped markets.
It’s advantageous to consider how AI dubbing fits into your media company’s strategy because odds are – your competitors and peers are already in on the trend, embedding AI systems in their media cycles. 
Reach out to Dubformer to discuss AI solutions that will improve your media localization, help optimize spending, and scale market growth!

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