Synchrogen vs 3Play Media for audio description.
Updated 2026-10-24 · 3Play prices from its public price list, checked October 2026
The short answer
Choose 3Play Media if you want captions, audio description and dubbing from one vendor with automatic post-back to Kaltura, Brightcove or Wistia. Choose Synchrogen if you need audio description only and want every line written or approved by a professional describer for less: up to $5 per finished minute, against $9.00 for 3Play’s professionally scripted Accommodate tier. 3Play’s AI-only tier costs $1.25 per minute, but no person writes or reviews those descriptions.
How do Synchrogen and 3Play Media compare?
| Synchrogen | 3Play Media | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, professionally written AD (US) | Up to $5 per finished minute, lower with volume | $9.00/min standard, $14.00/min extended (Accommodate) |
| Cheapest option | Same tier: every order is human-written and reviewed | $1.25/min AI-scripted with AI voice (Launch); $4.25/min with a human spot check (Refine) |
| Who writes the descriptions | AI drafts; a professional describer rewrites and approves every line, then QC | Depends on tier: AI only, AI with spot check, or professional describers |
| Voice | Synthetic voice or human voice talent on any order | AI voice up to Accommodate; voice actors optional in Studio ($18/min standard) |
| Extended audio description | Available, quoted per project | Available on every tier |
| Delivery formats | SRT/VTT/TTML script, WAV description track, broadcast-ready full mix | MP3, OGG, WAV, MP4, WebVTT, DOC, TXT |
| Video platform integrations | Files delivered in your platform's format; no direct integration | Kaltura, Brightcove, Wistia with automatic post-back, plus a free player plugin |
| Captions, transcripts, dubbing | Not offered: audio description only | Yes, from the same vendor |
| Languages | English and other languages on request | English plus 20+ languages at tiered prices |
| Software for in-house describers | Yes: Synchrogen desktop editor, from €22/month | No |
| Free sample | Up to 3 minutes of your video, within 24 hours | Not listed on the price list |
3Play Media figures come from its public price list and product pages, checked October 2026. Negotiated university rates differ; see audio description cost per minute for published examples. Comparing more vendors? See audio description vendors compared. 3Play Media is a trademark of its owner; Synchrogen is not affiliated with it.
Which one should you choose?
Choose 3Play Media if
- You want captions, transcripts, audio description and dubbing from one vendor and one contract.
- Your video lives in Kaltura, Brightcove or Wistia and you want finished files posted back automatically.
- Your player has no audio description support and you need 3Play's plugin to add it.
- You need many languages at published prices, or AI-only description at $1.25/min is acceptable for some content.
Choose Synchrogen if
- You want every description written or approved by a professional describer, at a lower per-minute price than professional tiers elsewhere.
- You need human voice talent or a broadcast-ready full mix without paying studio-tier rates.
- You are budgeting a large back catalog or course library and price per minute decides how much gets described.
- Your team writes some descriptions in-house and wants the same software we use.
Frequently asked questions.
01How much does 3Play Media charge for audio description?+
According to 3Play Media's public price list (checked October 2026): Launch, AI-scripted with AI voice, $1.25 per minute; Refine, with a human spot check, $4.25 standard and $5.25 extended; Accommodate, professionally scripted with AI voice, $9.00 standard and $14.00 extended; Studio, with studio mix and optional voice actors, $18.00 standard and $25.00 extended. Universities often have negotiated rates that differ.
02Is Synchrogen cheaper than 3Play Media?+
For professionally written description, yes: Synchrogen charges up to $5 per finished minute in the US, against $9.00 for 3Play's Accommodate tier. 3Play's AI-only Launch tier at $1.25 per minute is cheaper than Synchrogen, but no person writes or reviews those descriptions.
03What is a good 3Play Media alternative for audio description?+
It depends on what you use 3Play for. If you need audio description only and want every line written by a professional describer at a lower price, Synchrogen is an alternative. If you also need captions and dubbing from the same vendor, or automatic post-back to Kaltura or Brightcove, 3Play's bundle may suit you better.
04Does Synchrogen integrate with Kaltura like 3Play does?+
Not directly. Synchrogen delivers a WebVTT description track, a WAV description track or a described video that you upload to Kaltura, Panopto, YuJa, Brightcove or another platform. 3Play offers automatic post-back to Kaltura, Brightcove and Wistia.
05Is this comparison neutral?+
No comparison written by a vendor is neutral, so we used 3Play Media's own public price list and product pages and listed where 3Play is the better choice. If anything here is out of date, email info@synchrogen.app and we will correct it.