Voiceover Localization is More than Dubbing
What is Voiceover Localization? Isn’t it just “dubbing” into another language? Not quite: it is the strategic marketing purpose for dubbing and translation. Voiceover localization is the process of adapting voiceovers to make them more appealing and understandable to a target audience in a specific country or region. This involves translating the voiceover script into the target language, as well as carefully choosing voice actors with a suitable accent and tone for the audience.  Moreover, the producers must choose from various methods of dubbing for speakers on screen or localized or wild track voice over (more on those methods later).
Voiceover localization is important because it helps businesses and organizations reach a wider audience and build stronger relationships with their customers. When people hear content in their own language, they are more likely to engage with and be persuaded by it.
Strategic Targeting in the Production Process
When considering using specialists in voiceover localization, there are many factors to consider, such as:
- The target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your voiceover? What are their cultural values and preferences? Perhaps you want a neutral accented voiceover, which we will discuss in “Neutral Accent English for Voiceover Localization”.
- The purpose of the voiceover: What do you want your voiceover to achieve? Do you want to inform, persuade, or entertain your audience? Or all of these?
- The tone of the voiceover: What is the overall tone and style of your voiceover? Do you want it to be formal, informal, or humorous?
- The accent of the voice actor: What accent do you want your voice actor to have? Do you want them to have a neutral accent, or do you want them to have an accent that is specific to the target region?
The Process of Voiceover Localization
Once you have considered these factors, you can begin the process of localizing your voiceovers. This involves:
- Translate the voiceover script into the target language by a qualified translator. It is important to make sure that the translation is accurate and culturally appropriate. You cannot trust AI translation on its own. However, a mix of work done by AI and human translators can work very well.
- Decide which type of voice over method you need. Â From the most precise to the least precise (and least expensive):
Lip-synch dubbing matches the lip movements of speakers on the screen precisely
Phrase-synch dubbing matches the start and end of phrases or sentences of speakers on the screen.
Non-synch dubbing doesn’t match phrases or sentences but aligns with scenes or paragraphs of speech. This is often good for corporate video or eLearning.
Bilingual-delay dubbing is similar to non-synch dubbing but the voice over starts a few seconds after the original so that the audience can hear the tone of the speaker first. This works best for presenting voice over localization for speeches and press conferences.
Localization Narration has no speaker on the screen. The voice over generally matches the edit points of the video or the original language voice over. If your voice over talent is familiar with the original language and takes direction well you should be able to get the timings hit very tightly.
Wild Track Voice Over Localization neither the translation nor the voice over is accurate in following the original language. Rather, they provide a summary of the original video or script, much like an Audio Description narration for accessibility. - Carefully select your voiceover actors to ensure that they have a suitable accent and tone for the audience. This is key for Voiceover Localization. Make sure that the voice actor has experience in recording voiceovers and working with remote recording technology with video such as Source-Connect or SessionLink Pro if needed. Moreover, make sure they are proficient in the type of voice over method you need as listed above. Â
- Record the voice over in a professional studio using high-quality equipment. Ideally, voice actors should be directed to deliver the voiceover in a clear and concise manner. However, an experienced voice actor should be able to also work without live direction if needed, especially if given precise timings for the sections. When working without direction, a voice actor should deliver two full takes of the whole program along with alternate takes of sections that are open to significantly different interpretations of tone.
- Professionally edit the voiceover to remove errors and assure high quality audio. Also, the voice may need to be synced to the original language program. Again, do this in postproduction with experienced editors. Some multi-lingual voice actors with their own professional studios have the experience and ability to edit and sync to other languages. Ask if they provide that service, which requires an extra fee for editing.
Achieving Your Marketing Results
Once the voiceover localization process is complete, you will have a high-quality voiceover that is tailored to your target audience. This voiceover will be suitable for a variety of different content types, such as marketing videos, e-learning courses (especially courses with gamification), and software tutorials.
Voiceover localization can be an important tool for your marketing strategy. By localizing your voiceovers, you can ensure that your content is widely accessible and appealing to a global audience. It’s more than just dubbing, and with the right team of specialists and voiceover actors, you can achieve it.