When a video ad goes to a new market you have two ways to carry the spoken message: replace the voice with a dub, or keep the voice and add subtitles. Both work. The right choice depends on the ad, the market and how people will watch it.
What each option changes
Subtitles keep the original audio and burn translated captions into the picture. The viewer reads the message. Nothing about the speaker changes, which keeps the ad authentic and cheap to produce.
Dubbing replaces the spoken audio with a translated voiceover timed to the original edit. The viewer hears the message in their language. It can keep the original speaker’s voice, with their consent, or use another voice.
Both combine a dub with subtitles in the same language, so the ad works with the sound on or off.
Viewing habits differ across Europe
European countries grew up with different ways of watching foreign film and television, and those habits still shape what feels natural:
| Tradition | Typical markets | What viewers expect |
|---|---|---|
| Dubbing | Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary | Speech in their own language |
| Subtitling | Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Portugal, Greece | Original voice, translated captions |
| Voice-over | Poland, Baltic countries | One translated voice over the original audio |
These are tendencies, not rules. Streaming has made subtitles common everywhere, and younger audiences in dubbing countries often watch in English. Children’s content is dubbed almost everywhere. Use the table as a starting point for a test, not as a final answer.
Sound off changes the default
Many feed placements start video muted, and many people scroll with their phone on silent. If your ad only works with sound, it does not work for a large share of the people who see it.
That makes subtitles the safe default for feed video in any language, including the original. TikTok and Reels are more often watched with sound, which raises the value of a good dub there.
When a dub earns its cost
A dub adds the most when the voice is the ad:
- Talking heads and founders. A person explaining the product to camera loses most of their effect when the viewer has to read them.
- Testimonials and UGC. The trust comes from hearing someone speak naturally.
- Explainers. Dense information is easier to follow by ear than to read at feed speed.
- Audio-led ads. Where the music and voice carry the mood, captions alone feel thin.
For close-ups of someone speaking, consider lip-sync, which matches the mouth to the new voice. It costs more and works best on one face at a time.
When subtitles are enough
Subtitles are usually the better call when:
- the ad is visual first: product demos, before and after, unboxing;
- there is only a short line of speech, or none;
- the market is a subtitling market and the ad is aimed at adults;
- you are testing a market and want the cheapest credible version first.
What each option costs
At Ad Localizer’s list rates, a 30-second ad in one format costs:
| Option | Credits for the first language | Each further language |
|---|---|---|
| Subtitles over the original voice | 3 | 3 |
| Dub, translated voiceover | 15 | 8 |
| Dub plus lip-sync | from 27 | from 20 |
Subtitles cost 0.1 credits a second for each format. A dub costs 0.5 credits a second for the first language and 0.25 for each further one; lip-sync adds 0.4 to 1 credit a second depending on the model. The pricing page has the full table.
A rule of thumb per market
- Every market: burned-in subtitles, so the ad works with the sound off.
- Dubbing markets, and any ad where a person speaks to camera: add a dub.
- Close-up speakers in your most important markets: consider lip-sync.
- Test both where you are unsure, with the same ad and budget, and keep the winner.
You can try both from one upload: video ad dubbing for the voiceover and video subtitles for captions, in 27 languages. If you plan to keep the original speaker’s voice, read voice cloning, consent and the EU AI Act first.