Video and Audio Localization: Ready for the Movie

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela

Video and audio localization goes beyond translation. If you want to reach wider audiences, communicating with them in their native language is a much better business decision than simply relying on their knowledge of the English language. Truth be told, less than 20% of the internet speaks English.

To help you get ready for the move, we’re sharing five proven ways to ensure your audiovisual content is successfully localized. Let’s dive in.

Cultural adaptation and research

When adapting your multimedia content for a new market, it’s not enough to just translate the script and get it over with. No - video localization requires a deep understanding of the cultural norms, behaviors, and habits of your target audience.
To ensure your global campaign is a worldwide success, do not skip the localization of your multimedia content. Seek help from localization experts to avoid any law implications, misunderstanding, or major errors. Culturally adapting video content may help with your brand reputation, and value proposition on the global market.

High-quality translation, not automation

Relying on machine translation for your audiovisual content is a disaster waiting to happen. Remember that it’s your brand image at stake. Translation quality should be your number one priority, and video localization is no exception. You might be tempted to give machine-generated subtitles a try, but trust us, AI technology is not as developed yet.
To obtain high-quality translations that will support your global growth, trust only human translators who are native speakers and localization experts. That’s the only way to accomplish your goals!

Subtitling or voice-over

When it comes to video and localization services, one of the first decisions you need to make is whether you need voice-over or subtitles. We’ll help you figure out which type of localization is best for your business.

Subtitles are used to help audiences understand your content in different languages. So if you’re looking to translate and localize video material, subtitles are a good choice for many reasons. One of the biggest benefits of incorporating subtitles to your videos is their ability to boost your SEO results, and with that, your marketing metrics too! Another reason is to increase accessibility. It could help you open up your campaign to wider audiences and reach new markets. The downside is the inability to express strong emotions and convey the message properly.

This brings us to voice-over services, another audiovisual localization option. The technique involves recording a different target language over the source language. While it’s typically more costly to incorporate voice-over, it’s more effective in evoking strong emotions and touching your audiences. The catch is that without subtitles you’d miss out on SEO traffic and marketing boost.
Before choosing one of these services, circle to your team to discuss the option of incorporating both subtitles and voice-over. Even if it requires a bigger budget, the benefits are endless and your ROI could go through the roof!

Prepare a script

Forgetting something? Before you start your localization project, there’s one more thing left to do! Prepare a script. The process of localization video and audio content always starts with a script. If you don’t already have one prepared, consult your localization vendor about it. Most professional translation agencies offer transcription and script services, so it’s a win-win situation for you both.

Video and audio localization checklist

We want to get you all set for your video and audio localization project! That’s why we’ve made this checklist to help you and your localization partner run a smooth project:

• Make your localization strategy and budget to ensure smooth sailing;
• Provide your translation partner with a glossary to ensure your localization is consistent;
• Ensure you have high-quality, clear audio without noise in the background;
• Prepare a style guide, and branding guidelines for your partner to help them maintain your brand image;
• Don’t forget about the script; in case you don’t have it, ask your language partner for assistance

Video and audio localization may seem challenging and costly right now, but it offers a great return-on-investment in the long run. After all, videos are taking over the internet, which means they could play a major role in your global success.

At Language Buró, we understand how valuable multimedia content is for your brand. Our video and audio localization services include everything you need for a successful global project. We want to help you reach international audiences, hassle-free, and with guaranteed quality. Contact us for a free localization quote.