Are you trying to increase your company’s recognition?
Are you looking to open up new perspectives for your business in the online world?
Do you already have video content on your website? Have you ever considered setting up an international YouTube channel for your company? What about a brand video, perhaps in multiple languages? Or how about practical videos in foreign languages or even in Hungarian instead of the boring small print text of user’s manuals?
Why is professional video communication of crucial importance?
User habits have changed considerably in recent years. We’d much rather watch a short how-to video than sift through meticulously written instructions. Instead of reading information guides, we prefer watching a 30-second video clip. In fact, at exhibitions, we tend to choose interactive audio guides over lengthy information brochures. Remote learning is also gaining ground: e-learning videos support both in-house training and lifelong learning.
Here are a few important numbers from YouTube’s statistics for 2017:
- 300 hours of video are uploaded every minute
- Almost 5 billion videos are watched every single day by YouTube users.
- YouTube has over 30 million visitors per day
- 49% of users are between the ages of 18 and 44, and 80% are from outside of the U.S
You might be a step ahead of some of your competitors, because you may already have several videos uploaded on your website – in Hungarian. But what’s next? How can you make these video contents available in foreign languages? What should you keep in mind when making more videos?
Let’s see what options you have if you want to localize your videos:
1. Subtitling
It helps the viewer understand what is being said in the video. In the past, subtitles were mostly made for the hearing-impaired, while today subtitling has become one of the most readily available tools to make multilingual videos.
There are a number of criteria and rules you have to consider before you start subtitling, as the viewer’s attention will be divided between the content of the video and the subtitles. Too many subtitles make the film difficult to follow, in which case subtitles will be more disrupting than helpful. Subtitles can be permanently embedded into the video (so they’re always visible), or set up as an optional feature that viewers can turn on or off as they prefer.
If the rate of speech is too fast, there are some key questions you have to keep in mind.
- Are viewers able to follow the subtitle even at such a fast pace?
- Should you try to shorten the subtitle, leaving out some less important parts?
- Is there enough space for the text on the video?
- How should you lay out the text: in 2 or 3 rows?
- Is it necessary for some subtitles to be positioned differently so that they do not cover parts of the image?
Of course, we do not intend to list every possible scenario, but it is always worth considering both the needs of the target group and the opportunities provided by the video content. The client has to make the final decision, but you can rely on the expert team at Edimart.
2. Voice-over
It’s much more comfortable and engaging to watch a video when the content is presented in the viewer’s native language. In that case, the viewer’s attention can be fully focused on the content of the video, and there is no need to pay attention to the subtitles at the same time. Voice-over provides numerous options. The most comprehensive solution is dubbing, because this way the localized content will be exactly the same as the original: it is recorded with professional voice actors, adjusted to mouth movements, and delivered with the right intonation. Voice-over can also be a perfect solution when experienced language speakers or voice actors narrate the actions seen in the video in a foreign language different from the original language of the video.
How can you decide which solution is the best for you?
It depends on the type of video and the purpose you want to use it for. Budget is an important consideration too. The truth is, voice-overs—and especially dubbing—tend to cost much more than simply adding subtitles.
What do you need to consider when you want to localize your video?
Are there any graphics or text in the video?
If so, the text may be confusing, and subtitling might be a better option. Of course, if there are only a few flashes of text appearing in the video, or if the message is quite obvious, they won’t be a problem. If you want to localize the text appearing on the screen, we can prepare the content in the given foreign language, but we will also need to consult the creator of the video.
Useful tip: before making a video, consider whether subtitles in foreign languages will be needed, and leave as little “noise” as you can in the video.
How many different voices can be heard in the video?
The more voices, the more difficult it will be to distinguish the speakers during subtitling. In this case, voice-over or dubbing offers more practical solutions.
Useful tip: if your budget includes a voice-over, keep in mind while preparing the video that there shouldn’t be too many speakers, and they shouldn’t speak at the same time. Otherwise we recommend dubbing.
Where do you want to showcase your video?
If it’s going to be played at a trade show or in a busy, noisy setting, subtitles are a must-have to ensure your message gets across. In case of image films or marketing videos, dubbed versions are still preferred in certain countries, such as Italy, Spain or Germany, just to mention a few.
Tip: if you plan to share your video across multiple platforms, consider whether voice-over alone is enough, or if adding subtitles would make it even more practical and accessible.
Is your video going to be featured only on your website and your company’s YouTube channel?
In this case, it is not recommended to burn the subtitle into the film, as the visitors should be able to choose the language in which they want to read the subtitle. This solution is not only practical, but it’s also more favourable financially.
Tip: If your video can be viewed with multiple subtitle options on the same platform, it’s worth applying some SEO strategies as well—this can help boost your channel’s visibility and increase viewership.
There’s still plenty more we could cover—like background music, extra on-screen text, or credits—but let’s leave something for our next blog post!
If you already have a good video or if you are just planning to make one, do not hesitate to contact us. Our video localization team would be happy to brainstorm on how to make it happen.
