An exporter finishes a company profile video in one language, and a trade show suddenly calls for another. Opening the file reveals that the titles, charts and name straps are all baked into the picture, and the narration is in the original language too. "Adding another language" now means remaking every piece of text in the video. Multilingual versions aren't difficult, but they need planning from the start.
Three levels of localisation
Level one: subtitles
Picture and sound stay as they are, with subtitles added in another language. The fastest option and the easiest to update. It suits interviews, talks and executive messages, where people speaking carry the video. See multilingual subtitles.
Level two: voice-over
The narration is re-recorded in the target language, so viewers don't have to read while watching. It suits product introductions and company profiles. The options are a voice artist or an AI voice; see voice-over options for video. A new voice-over changes the length of each section, and the edit points follow.
Level three: on-screen text
Titles, cards, charts, name straps, specifications and closing contact details all change language. This is a true language version, and the one that feels made for the overseas customer.
Most export and brand videos need level three. For internal training or interviews, level one is usually enough.
Who supplies the translation
We build the translated text into the video. We suggest the translation itself comes from your company or a translator you appoint, for three reasons:
- Your company already has established terms for its products and its industry.
- Claims and specifications need confirming by someone who knows the product.
- Overseas sales staff or distributors, reading it once, will catch what sounds unnatural.
Supply the translation line by line against the original, marked with the shot or timecode each line belongs to. Machine translation can serve as a draft; have someone fluent check it before sign-off.
Length and layout: languages differ
- The same sentence takes a different amount of space in each language. English and German generally run longer than Chinese or Japanese.
- A title that fits neatly in one language may need a smaller size or two lines in another.
- Narration too: read aloud, each language takes a different time, and the picture stretches or shortens to match.
- Right-to-left scripts such as Arabic need a mirrored layout. Tell us at the start.
So leave space around title cards, and keep text from sitting tight against graphics.
What planning from the start saves
- Replaceable on-screen text. Each card and chart keeps its text separate, so a new language means new text only.
- A clean version without text, kept for future languages.
- Sound kept on separate tracks: voice, music, effects. A new voice-over then needs no remix from scratch.
- One language signed off first. If the content is still changing while three languages are in production, every change is made three times.
- No written language in shot. Slogans on walls, whiteboards and screens in the background are hard to replace.
To add a language to a finished video, supply the original project material. With only an exported file, see what is possible in re-editing an old video.
Markets differ in more than language
- Units and formats: metric and imperial, date formats, currency.
- Contact details: the local office, web address or distributor at the end.
- Certifications and marks: each market asks for different ones, and what appears on screen should match.
- Music licensing: confirm the licence covers the territories involved.
- Platforms: the social and video platforms in use differ by market, and so do the sizes and lengths needed.
What to tell us
The languages needed, the level for each, the translations (or the date they'll arrive), and the purpose and date for each version. Put it in the brief; see the corporate video brief template. Related industry pages: factory and manufacturer profile videos and tech company ad videos. The overview is commercial video editing for businesses.
FAQ
Can two languages of subtitles appear in one video?
Yes, though the frame gets crowded, especially on a phone. For formal external videos we suggest separate versions.
Is an AI voice good enough for a formal video?
For most explanatory videos, yes. Pronunciation of names and terms needs checking one by one; for a brand film where feeling matters, a voice artist is still the better choice.
Can AI make the speaker appear to talk in another language, with matching lips?
The technology exists, but results are unstable and it involves the person's likeness and voice, which needs their consent. For formal external videos we recommend subtitles or a separate voice-over; see using a real person's face in AI video.
