Creative Industry Trends – What’s in Store for 2025?  

Now that the festivities have come to an end and we’re gearing up to start strong into the brand-new year, it is essential to be aware of top trends defining the creative industry. From the rapid evolution of AI tools to the growing love of subtitled content, this will affect and bring about significant changes in the world of voice overs, translation, subtitling and localisation.

So, let’s dig deep and dive into some of the trends that will shape the nature of this industry in 2025.  

Strong Preference for Authentic Voice Overs 

Though the usage of AI voice technology is increasing, voice buyers will still show a strong preference for natural and human voice overs to use in their projects. The human element is here to stay because customers are looking for authenticity, emotion and consideration for ethics in the voice over industry.  

According to the 2025 Voice & Audio Trends Report by Voices, 52% of voice buyers anticipate needing a voice for branding and marketing efforts in 2025 while these are other categories most anticipated for needing a voice this year; animation (45%), internet ads (35%) and television, including intros, outros, and advertisements (35%). 

Rising Need for Industry-Specific & Non-Document Translations 

The demand for linguists and translators who specialise in specific industries and market sectors will increase with law being one of such sectors. New international regulations require accurate translations of legal documents which translate to law firms or companies with legal content assignments wanting to make sure that the records comply with applicable regulations.   

Also, since the Covid-19 pandemic, precision in the fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals and tech translations are more important than ever, due to the fast development within these fields. 

On a separate note, as content consumption habits evolve, the demand for non-document translations is expected to increase. Translation providers must adapt their offerings to meet the growing need for localising social media posts, videos and subtitles. This shift towards non-document translations also opens exciting opportunities for businesses to engage with global audiences!  

Designing for Inclusive Engagement 

Inclusive engagement translates to understanding the digital divide and designing content that is accessible to users with different abilities, languages, and technological access. Essentially, when thinking about publishing a health awareness video in English for a diverse population, take a step back and think if the video would reach a wider audience if it was voiced in other languages and is culturally appropriate. Companies are also choosing to get on board with this trend and go beyond language localisation to consider cultural nuances, accessibility and engagement tools tailored to varied user needs.  

Not Human Vs Machine, But Human and Machine 

If the machines are getting smarter, where does that leave translators and linguists? During Lingoport’s webinar on trends for this year, the CEO of localisation and translation company Phrase offered a reassuring vision: “AI doesn’t eliminate human roles—it reshapes them. The future is one where AI and humans work in tandem, each complementing the other’s strengths. This co-pilot model aligns with the philosophical shift happening in localisation: move humans away from monotonous error-spotting and toward tasks that require empathy, cultural understanding, and editorial judgment—areas where technology, no matter how advanced, struggles to emulate the human touch.” 

With that being said, we expect more companies to test the human-AI symbiosis this year. It is also just plain common sense: While AI is good at performing manual and repetitive tasks, automating and scaling processes, humans have the innate creativity and sensitivity to know what makes other humans tick and how to create impactful content. 

Growing Audience for Closed Captions 

“Where’s the subtitles? Turn them on!” In surveys by Stagetext and YouGov, 60–80% of respondents aged 18–24 prefer turning captions on. This includes those without hearing impairments and adults watching shows that are in their native languages! Some say it helps them follow what’s going on. While for others, it helps with concentration.  

The need for captions is popular in contemporary media as it prefers a “natural” over “clear” performance. This means that actors would end up mumbling their lines to maintain a kind of “genuineness.” With that, the younger generations will likely rely on captioning for accessibility, as well as convenience. 

According to audience research company Gwi, 24% of people worldwide like watching content from other countries with Brazil and the Philippines at the top of this trend. In the dubbing vs subtitling debate in other countries, there appears to be a persistent split. However, based on data from Gwi, in Malaysia, 73% of viewers love their subtitles. That means well over half the population is part of your potential market! 

That’s where Matinée comes in 

Whether you’re a bustling company or an independent professional wanting to expand your global reach why not get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you?  

We’ve been in the voice over, translation and subtitling industry for over 40 years, and there’s not much we haven’t been asked to do! Our professional in-house engineers use the latest video editing software while our dedicated project managers strive to deliver high-quality and cost-effective services in over 80 different languages.  

Email us via project@matinee.co.uk and let’s have a chat on how we can help elevate your next project.