In many countries, actors who regularly perform this duty remain little-known, with the exception of particular circles (such as anime fandom) or when their voices have become synonymous with roles or actors whose voices they usually dub.
Outside the film industry, the term "dubbing" commonly refers to the replacement of the actor's voices with those of different performers speaking another language, which is called "revoicing" in the film industry.
In the past, dubbing was practiced primarily in musicals when the actor had an unsatisfactory singing voice.
An alternative method to dubbing, called "rythmo band" (or "lip-sync band"), has historically been used in Canada and France.
It provides a more precise guide for the actors, directors, and technicians, and can be used to complement the traditional ADR method.
In North-West Europe (the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium and the Nordic countries), Portugal and Balkan countries, generally only movies and TV shows intended for children are dubbed, while TV shows and movies for older audiences are subtitled (although animated productions have a tradition of being dubbed).
For movies in cinemas with clear target audiences (both below and above 10–11 years of age), both a dubbed and a subtitled version are usually available.
Over the course of multiple takes, the actor performs the lines while watching the scene; the most suitable take becomes the final version.
The ADR process does not always take place in a post-production studio.
Today, dubbing enables the screening of audiovisual material to a mass audience in countries where viewers do not speak the same language as the performers in the original production.
Films, videos, and sometimes video games are often dubbed into the local language of a foreign market.
Dubbing, mixing or re-recording is a post-production process used in filmmaking and video production in which additional or supplementary recordings are "mixed" with original production sound to create the finished soundtrack. After sound editors edit and prepare all the necessary tracks – dialogue, automated dialogue replacement (ADR), effects, Foley, music – the dubbing mixers proceed to balance all of the elements and record the finished soundtrack.