originaltonen
Originaltonen is a German-language term used to refer to the original sound tracks of audiovisual works, i.e., the audio recorded during production in the original language, as opposed to dubbed or otherwise altered versions. The term is formed from Originalton (original sound) plus the plural suffix -en. In German-language cinema, film distribution, and archives, Originaltonen denote the audio track that preserves the source-language performance. Screenings labelled Originalton (OV) or Originaltonfassung indicate that viewers hear the content in its original language, often with subtitles. In home media and streaming catalogs, metadata may list available Originaltonen for different language tracks, sometimes alongside dubbed tracks.
In archival and restoration contexts, preserving the Originalton is important for documentary accuracy and historical integrity.
Outside German-speaking regions, the term is less common; English-language equivalents include original audio track, original language
- Dubbing