Localize video and multimedia

Any multimedia material included in your product or used to support the release needs to be considered when planning localization. Examples include:

• Videos:
  • Training material
  • Product demonstration
  • Advertising
• Audio recordings
• GIFs and other animations

The most cost-effective method for providing localized multimedia is subtitling. Subtitling displays a translation of the dialog so that people who have limited or no knowledge of the original spoken language can follow the content. Subtitling is similar to captioning, but captions also describe non-speech audio, and are intended to provide accessibility to people that have a hearing impairment. In some cultures, subtitles are common and wouldn't be seen as a significant impediment to using the product. For more information about these options, refer to Captioning and subtitling.

The next level in both cost and cultural immersion is dubbing. This method involves translating the script and casting voice actors who speak the new lines. Since all speaking roles need a different actor (although sometimes one actor can dub several characters who only have a few lines), it’s easy to see how dubbing costs considerably more than subtitling. In many cultures, viewers expect films produced in a different language to be dubbed, preferring not to read while watching.

Finally, you could have a full re-creation of your multimedia. This process can start with using your existing footage but editing it into a new video to accompany new dubbed dialog. But it can also mean creating an entirely new version of your content to perfectly deliver your message to the target culture. Re-creation is the slowest and most expensive method, but it can deliver an experience unmatched by the others. It's usually reserved for content with high strategic value, for example, your advertising campaign.

For more information about dubbing and re-creation, refer to Re-creation.