Media Localization: A Primer

A Media Localization Primer – Types, Challenges and Future Avenues

• Video content accounts for 90% of internet traffic.
• Video is the #1 source of information for 66% of people.
• 93% of businesses gain new customers as a result of branded video content.

If you are not taking advantage of localized audiovisual media content yet, you are missing out on new opportunities.

There are three main types of media localization: (1) subtitling & captioning, (2) dubbing, and (3) voice-over. The type of media localization could be entertainment content, corporate or educational videos, marketing or advertising content, to mention just a few possibilities.

Given the recent changes in the audiovisual landscape, especially the rise of OTT platforms and streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu, we have seen a change in viewers’ preferences and film watching habits. A recent study by Preply has shown that Gen Z and millennials overwhelmingly prefer to watch videos with the subtitles on. We have also witnessed an unprecedented growth of dubbing into English, pioneered by Netflix. Viewers seem to want to watch more and more content in their own language.