In 2023, the global film and video market touched a volume of $286.62 billion and is expected to grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5 to $304 billion in 2024. The effectiveness of the video format is evident from the data that shows 92% of internet users consume short or long-format videos. In 2024 the estimated number of internet users is expected to grow from 5.25 billion to 5.35 billion. So we took a long leap from what was developed as a source of entertainment to what has become a major source of education, entertainment, training, marketing, etc. Moreover, the majority of small and medium businesses use the video format for daily communication.
Interestingly, video format comes with an integral component of audio in the form of narrations, conversations, and background voices. The audio factor of video format is often overlooked when it comes to global expansion and marketing. When any company or brand hires a video translation agency, the main motive is to translate the videos and make them culturally relevant and linguistically accurate. The purpose of doing so is to pitch, educate, and sell the products or services globally without any language barrier. In this short read, we are going to discuss the supremacy of the video format and the types of video translations.
Stats indicate that 54% of potential customers want to see more video content from their favorite brands. Interestingly, video marketing is far more effective, and 88% of video marketers are satisfied with their ROI, making video marketing unquestionably one of the most effective marketing mediums. Just imagine exposing the potential client base to unintelligible video content and expecting them to understand, like, and buy the product. This might never convince the potential clients. The same way, businesses often engage with a professional translation company to reach and pitch global markets with professionally translated videos content.
Types of Videos that Majority of Internet Users Consume
There has been an upward spike in video consumption on the internet post-COVID. In 2023, the average viewer spent 17 hours weekly watching videos. Online businesses can pitch global potential customers and convert them into paying clients. But they need to make data-driven decisions and be aware of what their audience is watching.
| Video Content | Percentage of Internet Users |
| All Types of Mixed Videos | 92.3% |
| Music Videos | 49.6% |
| Vlogs or Influencer Marketing | 23.8% |
| Product Reviews | 25.7% |
| Sports & Highlights | 26.4% |
| Video Live Streaming | 28.5% |
| Educational Videos | 26.4% |
| Gaming Videos | 23.1% |
| How-to and Tutorial Videos | 25.5% |
| Memes & Viral Videos | 35.2% |
Let’s explore key prerequisites of video translation..
Subtitles
Subtitles are a major part of video translations and technically there are two ways to use subtitles for videos. One way is to use Google Translate in which subtitles are automatically translated. The second way is to manually type the subtitles and after the review and correction, these subtitles can be added to a video in a synchronized manner.
Subtitles are required to not only depict the video content accurately, but also sync with the video frame and other elements. To get linguistically accurate and culturally fit subtitles, you need to acquire the services of a professional translation company. Cultural sensitivity and nuances should be considered while translating the subtitles for one or multiple languages. Because the culturally sensitive elements could turn the potential customers away, if not translated the right way.
Dubbing
Video translation process also includes dubbing in the target language(s). Dubbing is the addition of a new language (translation) to the video. The process of dubbing involves script creation, dialogue translation, and accurate synchronization of the translated audio over the original audio.
Furthermore, the timings of dubbing language need to match the exact timings of the video, otherwise, the discrepancies in the audio-video synchronization could result in a bad viewer experience.
Professional language service providers ensure that the dubbing expert is not only a subject matter expert but also aware of the cultural and linguistic nuances of the source and target languages. Comparatively, dubbing is more effective than subtitles. If seamless communication is your priority, professional dubbing can enable your videos to pitch the multilingual potential customers without any language barrier. Video dubbing is a key feature of the globalization of film industry, “Squid Game” has millions of viewers globally, and the famous Korean season is dubbed in dozens of languages. This strategy enables the creators to access global audiences and increase their revenue and sales.
Voice-Overs
A voiceover is an audio layer on the video content in a new language. A voice actor reads the script and translates the dialogue from the source language to the target language. This method is more effective than the onscreen text. Voiceovers helps to maintain the effectiveness of video advertisement and communication. Audiences can hear and understand the audio in their native language. Voiceovers are said to be the most effective video translation method. Despite subtitles, voiceover actors can maintain the original tone and pace concerning the original audio.
Contact a Video Translation Company Today!
In global marketing and advertising, the supremacy of video format is acknowledged. To make the video content accessible, video translation and localization is necessary. While translating your videos for global audiences make sure to get the services of a professional video translation company. It might cost you a bit but increases the effectiveness of the videos and could multiply the ROI.