How to produce multilingual videos for YouTube | Need-to-know
Learn more about YouTube video production in our full guide: https://bit.ly/3ejToqm
If you want to create YouTube videos for multiple markets, you need to ask yourself two questions: is the video relevant for your target market, and how are you going to localise the video’s language?
The first question is based on the fact that content is not necessarily relevant or appropriate for all markets.
If the video is relevant and appropriate, however, then you’re faced with the challenge of localising its language.
There are two ways you can do this: voice-overs or subtitles.
Both processes start by transcribing the original audio, timecoding it, and translating it.
From this point onwards, the processes for voice-over and subtitling differ.
If you decide to go for a voice-over, you’ll need to select your voice-over artist and book a recording studio, if they don’t have their own.
If you want your voice-over artist to be directed, for example if you’re making a film or TV programme, then you’ll also need to hire a linguistic director.
If the video will be used for promotional purposes, then you need to bear in mind usage fees.
Usage fees are a hidden fee used by many voice-over artists, where you have to pay them for permission to use their voice in your promotional content.
After you’ve recorded the voice-over, you need to edit and mix it, synchronise it with your video, and master the video.
Alternatively, if you decide to go down the subtitling route, you must decide if you want to burn the subtitles into the video file or just create subtitle documents.
With burnt-in subtitles, you’ll get a separate video for each of your languages.
These subtitles are embedded within the video and cannot be removed.
Alternatively, subtitle documents are very useful if you’re hosting your video on YouTube.
You get a separate subtitle document per language.
When you upload the video to YouTube, you can upload the subtitle documents along with it.
The subtitles will then show up when a user selects to view closed captions in their desired language.
Can you think of any other tips for producing multilingual videos for YouTube? Let us know in the comments below!