With Dubbed Content, Global Viewers Cross the Borders of Imagination

The confluence of the global pandemic and the rise of streaming services around the world has had an unusual – some might say wonderful – effect:

Audiences are discovering that creativity knows no borders.

Icelandic mysteries … Senegalese police dramas … French comedies … Japanese period pieces … not to mention a certain dystopian South Korean thriller.

As worldwide audiences find and fall in love with these series, many American viewers are learning something that international audiences have known for decades: Dubbed programs can make “foreign” content accessible with virtually no barriers.

One of the particularly unique traits of American film and TV viewers is that they are accustomed to their “native” content being distributed to hundreds of countries around the world. They have rarely considered what “Cheers” or “Friends” or “Law and Order” have sounded like to other audiences – and have often gleefully reported back after a trip abroad that they saw their favorite show on German or Vietnamese TV and couldn’t have imagined hearing familiar actors suddenly speaking a different language.

Now, of course, the United States is as much an exporter of television and films as an importer – in fact, the Indian action-epic RRR recently became one of the top-grossing films in the U.S. during its opening weekend, a feat that would have been virtually unthinkable just a decade or so ago.

If it had previously been unusual for a non-English-language series to become an American success, it’s now commonplace – almost as common as it has long been for American entertainment to succeed with international audiences.

English-language programming from the U.S., the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking countries has long been successful in dubbed versions, and now it’s happening the other way around, a development that truly excites us. VoiceQ takes great pride in being part of this “content explosion,” because it not only brings great stories to people regardless of their country of origin, it ensures that cultural walls come down – showcasing our common bonds of imagination, excitement, joy and hope.

It's easy to look at the state of the world today and be discouraged. Just turn on your favorite streaming service to find a source of inspiration: Stories that might never before have been shared are now available all around the world.

Dubbing goes one step further to opening up access to all. As non-English audiences have long known, dubbing makes it possible for everyone in a family to watch a show together, for stories to more easily make the transition between cultures.

VoiceQ is an integral part of the process of dubbing, which is getting better and better thanks to technology and a passion for excellence shared by translators, adapters, directors, performers and engineers across the globe.

Next time you sit down to watch the newest streaming sensation, keep in mind you’re part of this worldwide revolution that is changing the face of entertainment everywhere … and dubbing is at its core.

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