Audio description vendors, compared.
Updated 2026-10-24 · Facts from each vendor’s public pages, checked October 2026 · Written by Synchrogen, one of the vendors listed
The short answer
Audio description vendors fall into three groups. Full-service vendors (3Play Media, Verbit, Synchrogen) deliver finished description. Campus video platforms (YuJa, Kaltura REACH) offer it as a built-in feature. Self-serve AI tools (Audible Sight, ViddyScribe) are cheapest per minute but leave quality checks to your staff. The deciding question is who writes the descriptions: AI alone, AI with a human spot check, or a professional describer on every line. Only 3Play Media and Synchrogen publish per-minute service prices: 3Play from $1.25/min AI-only to $9.00/min professional, Synchrogen up to $5/min with every line professionally reviewed.
How do audio description vendors compare?
| Vendor | Type | Who writes the descriptions | Extended AD | Pricing | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SynchrogenThat’s usFree sample | Service, plus an editor for in-house describers | AI drafts; a professional describer rewrites and approves every line, then QC | Yes, quoted per project | Public: up to $5 per finished minute in the US, lower with volume | Professionally written AD at a lower per-minute price; human voice or full mix |
| 3Play Media | Service (captions, AD, dubbing) | Depends on tier: AI only, AI with human spot check, or professional describers | Yes, every tier | Public: $1.25/min AI-only to $9.00/min professional; $18.00/min studio with optional voice actors | One vendor for captions and AD; automatic post-back to Kaltura, Brightcove, Wistia |
| Verbit | Service and platform (captions, AD) | AI-generated, optional human review for high-stakes content | Not stated | Not public; standalone or in the Campus Complete bundle | Campuses already buying Verbit captioning |
| YuJa | Video platform feature | AI-generated; your team can edit | Yes: the player pauses for longer descriptions | Not public; part of the GenAI Video PowerPack | Campuses whose video already lives in YuJa |
| Kaltura REACH | Video platform add-on | Ordered through REACH; provider not specified publicly | Yes, via player plugin; voiced by browser speech synthesis from a VTT file | Not public; through your Kaltura representative | Campuses whose video already lives in Kaltura |
| Audible Sight | Self-serve AI tool | AI drafts; your team selects scenes and edits | Yes: automatic still-frame pauses | Subscription plans with a free trial | Teams with staff time to edit AI drafts themselves |
| ViddyScribe | Self-serve AI tool | AI-generated; no describer review, your team checks quality | Yes | Free tier and monthly plans | Quick AI description, many languages, YouTube videos |
Based on each vendor’s public product pages, price lists and announcements, checked October 2026. “Not stated” means we could not find it published, not that the feature is missing. Detailed head-to-head: Synchrogen vs 3Play Media. Trademarks belong to their owners; Synchrogen is not affiliated with the other vendors. Spotted something out of date? Email info@synchrogen.app.
Why teams pick Synchrogen.
A describer on every line
AI drafts timings and first-pass descriptions; a professional describer rewrites and approves every line before QC. No AI-only tier.
Professional AD for up to $5/min
Published US price, lower with volume. Professionally scripted tiers elsewhere start around $9 per minute.
Formats for any platform
WebVTT/SRT/TTML text track, WAV description track or a broadcast-ready mix, with synthetic or human voice.
Which type of vendor do you need?
Full-service vendors
You send video, they deliver description. 3Play Media, Verbit and Synchrogen. Compare who writes the descriptions: tiers range from AI only to every line approved by a professional describer.
Built into your video platform
YuJa and Kaltura REACH. Ordering and playback stay inside the platform you already use. Ask who writes the descriptions and whether a person reviews them.
Self-serve AI tools
Audible Sight and ViddyScribe. The cheapest per minute, but your staff does the quality check. A fit when you have people with time to edit.