Adaptation
Modifying a film or television program's dialog and audio elements to fit the language and cultural context of a different audience.
Adapters
Professionals who adapt the script from one language into another for the purpose of dubbing.
Adjustment
Any guidance that a director gives to the actor to change their performance.
Ad-lib
Improvised lines that don’t feature in the original script.
ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement)
The process of re-recording dialog by the original actor after the filming process to improve audio quality or reflect dialog changes.
AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)
A union for radio and TV actors and voice actors.
ANNC
Stands for “announcer”.
Arc
The voice actor’s interpretation of the emotional parts of the storyline.
Audio
Transmission, reception or reproduction of sound.
Audiobook
A recording of the contents of a book read aloud.
Audio layback
The process of creating a final video in your desired target language, with a newly recorded voiceover embedded into it.
Audio splitting
The process of dividing an audio track into separate segments or clips.
Audition
A trial performance for voice talent where to display their skills, usually non-paid.
Automated transcription
Converting spoken language into written text using specialized software.
Availability
The times at which a voice actor is available for a session.
ASR
Automatic Speech Recognition. It is a technology that converts spoken language into written text.
Back translation
Translating content back to the original language to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Background
Also called background noise, this is placed behind a voice-over and is usually made up of music or sound effects.
Bandwidth
The most common way to measure data transmission, bandwidth indicates how many bits can be transferred to or from a device in one second.
Beat
A thought that makes a speaker pause before they keep speaking.
Beat sync
A technique used to match the rhythm and timing of the original speech with the dubbed audio.
Bed
The music or sound effects behind or under an announcer’s voice.
Bleed
Noise from headphones that’s picked up by a microphone.
Billboard
This refers to when you highlight a certain word or phrase in the script while keeping a consistent tone during the overall performance.
Board
An audio console that an engineer uses during a recording.
Booking
A decision to hire a voice actor for a session.
Boom
An overhead mic stand.
Booth
The enclosed, soundproof room in which a voice talent usually records.
Break up
When vocal audio is distorted or unstable, this is usually caused by equipment problems or phone line interference.
Breaks
Notations in a transcription that indicate a pause.
Broadcasting
Distribution of audio or video, usually through traditional TV or radio channels.
Bump
To remove someone from a casting list, or add more studio time to a session.
Butt-cut
When sound files are joined up tightly.
Button
A single word, phrase or sentence at the end of a spot that clinches the whole meaning of the piece.
Buy
Also known as a keeper, this is when the best part of the VO is selected.
Buy-out
A one-time fee paid that’s paid for voice-over services on a commercial.
Byte
A unit of measurement for memory storage.
Closed captioning
Text displayed on a television, video screen, or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information.
Character voice
The distinct style or manner of speaking or expression that differentiates one character from another
Copy
The script.
Cadence
How breaks are placed between words.
Callback
A second audition after passing the first.
Casting
A pre-production process to select actors for a recorded performance.
Character
The person an actor is cast as in a spot.
Class A
National network commercial usage.
Cold read
An audition in which an actor is given very little or no time to rehearse.
Compression
A sound technique that reduces the dynamic range of an actor’s voice.
Console
A large piece of equipment where the audio engineer records and mixes a voice-over.
Creative Director
The person at the ad agency who is responsible for the work of the creative teams.
Cross talk
When talking into one microphone is picked up by another mic.
Cue
An electronic or physical signal given to an actor to start performing.
Cue up
Lining up an actor’s voice to the visuals or music.
Cut
A specific segment of the voice-over recording, usually referred to during editing.
Cutting through
When a voice is not drowned out by music and sound effects.
Dialog isolation
Separating spoken dialog from other audio elements in a track, like background noise, music, and sound effects.
Dubbing
The process of replacing the original dialog in a film or television program with dialog in another language.
Director
The person responsible for overseeing the voice actor, audio engineer, music composer, and sound designer.
Dead air
The silence when a voiceover pause is too long.
De-esser
A piece of equipment used to remove excess sibilance (the “s” sound) of spoken text.
Digital recording
A process where sound is converted into numbers and stored on a DAT or computer hard drive.
Distortion
Fuzziness in the sound quality of a recorded piece.
End-to-end service
The comprehensive creation of dubbed or localized content from the creation of the script to final post-production services.
Emotional-Text-to-Speech
Deepdub’s proprietary technology that allows for the creation of human-sounding voices from text at a large scale and with full emotional support – and it comes with commercial rights built in.
Emotion bank
Assigning unique emotions to each voice for a nuanced range, ensuring accurate and human-like dubbing experiences.
Emotional speech synthesis
AI-generated speech that conveys specific emotional characteristics for a more natural and expressive output.
Emotion mapping
The process of identifying and understanding the range and progression of emotions of a character in a story.
Echo
A repetition of sound.
Editing
Removal, addition or re-arrangement of recorded material.
Engineer
The person who operates audio equipment during a recording session.
Equalization
Also known as EQ, it is used to stress certain frequencies.
FAST channel
Free Ad-supported Streaming TV and includes any channels that stream linear programs without viewers needing to pay for a subscription, like YouTube.
Foley
Reproduction of everyday sound effects added to films, videos, or other media in post-production.
Full lip sync
meticulous synchronization of a character's lip movements with the spoken dialog.
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission.
Fade
To increase or decrease the volume of sound.
Feedback
A distorted, high-pitched sound, usually coming from headphones or speakers.
Filter
An item that engineers put on a mic to make an actor sound clearer.
Fluctuation
How often a voice goes up or down, also known as inflection.
Franchised
Talent agents who adopt SAG/AFTRA guidelines.
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation, a comprehensive data protection law that came into effect in the European Union (EU) on May 25, 2018.
Generative AI
A type of artificial intelligence that can generate new content, like text, images, music, or voices.
General transcription
Converting spoken language into written text without necessarily adhering to the strict rules of verbatim transcription.
Globalization
Preparing audiovisual content, like movies, TV shows, or video games, for international markets.
Gain
The volume of a voice, or a fader on the console.
Gobos
Portable partitions positioned around the actor to absorb or reflect sound, or to isolate the actor from another on-mic actor.
Glossary
A list of terms and phrases, often with definitions and translations, specific to a particular project or content type, used to ensure consistency in translation.
Homophones
words with the same pronunciation, like “through” and “threw”
Harmonizer
A piece of equipment designed to change the pitch of the voice, usually upward.
High-speed dub
A copy of a tape or CD made at several times normal speed.
Highs
The high-frequency sound of a voice.
Hook
Starting out on a high note on the first word of a recording to grab attention.
Hot
A phrase that describes a mic that is on.
Inaudible
A notation in a transcription that shows a certain part of the recording cannot be heard.
Intonation
Variation in pitch and tone of voice used during speech.
Inflection
Emphasizing a higher or lower pitch at the end of a word or phrase.
ISDN (Integrated Services for Digital Network)
Communication standards for digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services.
In-country review (ICR)
A key step in the process of localization, especially in the context of translating and adapting content for global markets.
In-house
A production produced for a client in their own facilities.
IVR
In phones, interactive voice response is a technology that allows a computer to detect voice and touch tones using a normal phone call.
Lip sync
Synchronizing the movements of an actor's lips with recorded dialog in post-production, especially in dubbing.
Localization
Adapting content to suit the cultural, linguistic, and other requirements of a specific target market or region.
Languaging
Using language to construct and negotiate meaning, identity, and social relationships
Level
Reading the script into the microphone at the full volume you intend to use during the performance.
Line cue
The last part of the last line before your cue begins.
Looping
Recording or re-recording dialog for a previously filmed scene.
Lay It Down
A phrase meaning, “let’s record.”
Library music
Pre-recorded music that producers use when budget doesn’t allow original music.
Live mic
A mic that is on and can pick up everything said in the booth.
Looping
A type of voiceover where artists watch a previously recorded video and must record whenever the person on screen talks.
Lows
The low frequency of a voice.
M&E track (Music and Effects track)
An audio track that contains only background music and sound effects.
Multilingual dubbing
Dubbing voiceovers into many different languages.
Multilingual TTS (Text-to-Speech)
Technology that can convert written text into spoken words in multiple languages.
Master
The original recording that all dubs are made from.
Mix
The blending of voice, sound effects, music, etc.
Mixing Board
An device to combine, route, and change the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals.
Modulation
Varying tone to convey a message.
Monolog
One-person copy.
Mouth noise
The clicks and pops a microphone picks up from a dry mouth.
MP3
The name of the file extension.
Multitrack
A machine capable of recording and replaying several different tracks at the same time.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
AI technology that enables machines to understand, interpret, and generate human-like language.
NLS
Natural language segmentation describes the process of dividing a continuous stream of text into smaller units, such as sentences or phrases.
Neural Machine Translation (NMT)
A machine translation approach that uses neural networks to improve translation accuracy.
Non-synchronous sound
Sound that doesn’t directly correspond with on-screen actions or movements.
Narrator
Someone in a narrative who tells the story to the audience.
Non-union
A voice-over job that’s paid off the books, not through the union.
Overdubbing
The process of adding additional audio, such as voice or sound effects, over existing recordings.
One-tier translation
Only one round of translation.
On mic/off mic
Speaking or not speaking directly into the microphone.
Outtake
A previous take that isn’t approved and accepted.
Overlapping
When an actor starts their line a moment before another actor finishes theirs.
Over scale
Any amount paid over the minimum wage set by AFTRA or SAG.
Parametric TTS
Text-to-Speech systems that use parameters to control aspects of speech synthesis, allowing for customization.
Post-production
The stage in filmmaking and video production in which the team completes the work after the film's shooting or recording of the footage has ended.
Pitch matching
Adjusting one's vocal pitch to align with a reference pitch.
Phrase sync dubbing
When dubbed dialog is synchronized with the length and pacing of the original phrases or sentences, but not the exact lip movements.
Phrase match
The style of dubbing where the length of the target language recording matches exactly to the source language, but the lip movements don’t match.
Popping
A plosive sound caused by a sudden burst of air into the microphone.
Punch
To highlight a word or phrase with a notably sharp and emphatic tone.
Pace
The speed at which an actor reads copy.
Paper noise
Sound that the mic picks up as you move your script.
Phasing
When sound bounces off surfaces and causes a weird effect in the recording.
Phonemes
The small units of sound used to make words.
Pick-up
Re-recording a section of copy at a certain point.
Pick-up session
An additional session to complete the original.
Pitch
The vocal level at which a person speaks.
Playback
Listening to what has just been recorded.
Producer
The person in charge of the voice-over session.
Re-recording
Enhancing or redoing the audio track in post-production for better quality or to address issues.
Read
The overall performance quality of a script.
Residuals
Compensation paid to use a performance beyond the session fee or initial compensation.
Real-time
An event that takes as long as it actually takes, as opposed to high-speed.
Released
Being dropped from consideration for a voiceover job.
Resonance
The full quality of a voice created by vibrations in the mouth, throat, chest and sinus areas.
Re-use
What actors are paid when their spot is re-run.
Reverb
A variation of echo.
Room tone
The sound a room makes without anyone in it.
Rough mix
The step before the final mix.
Source language
The original language a film, TV show, or other content is produced in.
Speech-to-speech translation
AI-driven systems that can translate spoken language from one language to another in real-time.
Subtitling
Adding written text to a film or video that translates the spoken dialog into another language.
Synchronization (Sync)
Ensuring perfect alignment between different audio and visual elements.
Spotting
Time code specifically for subtitles.
Session
The time spent recording the voice actor.
SOT
“Sound on tape” – language or sound that is woven into the script but not spoken by the voice actor.
SAG
Screen Actors’ Guild. The union for film actors and performers.
SFX
Shorthand for sound effects. Also seen as EFX.
Scale
The minimum, established wages set by SAG and AFTRA for talent.
Sibilance
A drawn out or excessive “S” during speech.
Signatory
Someone who has signed a contract with SAG or AFTRA confirming that they’ll only work union jobs.
Signature
A specific quality of a voice that makes it unique.
Spokesperson
A voice actor hired on a repeat contractual basis to represent a product or company.
Spot
A commercial.
Stair stepping
Having the pitch rise up or down to define phrases.
Studio
Where all recording and mixing takes place.
Taft-Hartley
A labor law protecting an actor from having to join the union for their first job.
Take
The recording of a specific piece of voiceover copy.
Talent
A performer, entertainer or voiceover artist.
Tempo
The speed at which copy is delivered.
Time code
A digital read-out on the console referring to audiotape and videotape positions. Used in film dubbing.
Tone
A specific sound or attitude.
Target language
The language into which the original content is being translated or dubbed.
Text-to-Speech (TTS)
Technology that converts written text into spoken words using synthetic voices.
Trusted Partner Network (TPN)
A global, industry-wide film and television content protection initiative with extremely high standards of assessment.
Translation
The process of converting text from one language to another. In the context of localization, it often involves adapting cultural references and idioms.
Utterance
A unit of the spoken word.
Unscripted translation
Any translation that us not part of the original.
Undercutting
Dipping down a sentence and throwing a portion of it away.
Units
The number assigned by AFTRA and SAG to cities throughout the U.S.
UN style
When you keep the original voice at a low volume, overlaying it with another voice in another language.
Use fee
An additional fee paid to the performer when their spot is actually aired.
Voice-over (VO)
A production technique where a voice that is not part of the original content is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theater, or other presentations.
VOD (Video on Demand)
A kind of technology that lets viewers choose and watch video content based on their preferences and timings, rather than on a schedule.
Voice actor
A professional performer who provides the voice for characters in dubbing or voice-over projects.
Voice cloning
Creating a synthetic voice that mimics the unique characteristics of a specific individual.
Vocal tone matching
Matching the tone of a recorded piece exactly to the original.
Voice print
The vocal equivalent of fingerprints.
Voiceover coach
A teacher who specializes in improving voiceover skills in students.
Voiceover talent
A person who sells their voice as a product to be used with other media.
Voice seeker
Someone who is looking for a voice talent or voice producer.
VU meter
On the engineer’s console, it indicates the level of sound passing through the board.
Word Error Rate (WER)
Measures the rate at which words are incorrectly transcribed.
Whispering
Speaking at a very low volume.
Word stress
Giving particular emphasis to one specific word.
Wild recording
A VO recorded at a natural pace.
Walla
The sound of many voices talking at once, used as background sounds.
Watermark
A method to discourage unauthorized use of an audition file by adding a visible or invisible mark, indicating its temporary or sample status for audition purposes.
Wet
A voice or sound with reverb added to it.
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