How to Translate a Video Into 120+ Languages in 9 Minutes

So, you've got a video that you'd like to share with a global audience, but you're facing the language barrier? 🌍

We get it, creating videos in more than one language is a long and expensive process, that usually involves (at least) a video translator, a native speaker, videographer, video editor, and a bunch of other stakeholders.

The good news is that with modern technology, the process doesn't have to be this difficult anymore. 😮‍💨

In this post we're going to show you the fastest and easiest way to translate your videos into other languages in more or less 9 minutes.

No need to re-film or re-record anything - we'll walk you through the whole process.

3 reasons why you should translate videos

In case you're only dabbling with the idea of video translation, or you aren't convinced that translating your video into other languages is worth your time and effort, here are 3 reasons that might convince you. 👇

Reason 1: Accessibility

According to the Ethnologue, there are around 7,151 languages spoken in the world, with hundreds of millions of people who are not proficient in English.

Translating videos into different languages makes video content accessible to a global audience, thus increasing the reach and impact of the content.

Reason 2: Business growth

Video translation can expand the potential customer base for businesses and help them to grow globally by reaching new markets and customers who speak different languages.

Besides, according to Common Sense Advisory, 72.1% of consumers are more likely to buy a product if the information is available in their own language. Additionally, the same study found that 56.2% of consumers are more likely to trust a product if the information is available in their own language.

Reason 3: Increased Engagement

Translating videos can increase engagement with the content by making it accessible to a wider audience, who are then more likely to share, comment on, and interact with the content.

A study by WIT Translation found that 63% of consumers prefer to watch videos in their own language, and 59% said they would be more likely to engage with a video if it were in their own language.

How to translate video content: the easiest method

Traditionally, translating video content is a complex and time-consuming process that requires a significant investment of time, resources, and money. Everything from translating the original script, to hiring a voice actor, to re-editing the video requires A LOT of work.

Translating your video doesn't have to be this difficult, though.

You can use an AI video maker with a text-to-speech function to help you translate video content in a matter of minutes.

We'll be demonstrating using a text-to-speech video maker caller Synthesia STUDIO, but you can replicate the process with most other AI video makers.

How do AI video makers work?

First, a short introduction.

Synthesia creates videos using a process called text-to-video. This allows users like you to type in any text, and Synthesia will generate a realistic AI presenter narrating your text.

You can see how it works in this video.👇

That means you can translate your video into your preferred language by just translating the text, without needing to record a new voiceover or film a new actor.

Step 1: Translate the original script text file

For this step, simply take the original video script and translate it into other languages. You can use whatever method works for you: Google Translate, ChatGPT, an online translation service, or your multilingual work buddy.

Step 2: Paste the translated script into Synthesia STUDIO

Next, you will use your translated script to generate a video with narration in the target language.

If you already have a Synthesia video you would like to translate, you can simply duplicate it, and paste the translated text. Synthesia will automatically pick a voice and language, but you can also browse the different dialects and voice variations to choose one that you like best.

That's it. The only other thing you might need to adjust is the timing of animations, since the pace or the narration likely changed.

If you don't yet have a Synthesia video, you can simply create a new one, paste your text in any language, and edit to your liking. After that, you can translate your video into more than 120 languages using the same method as described above.

Tip 💡

If you want to re-create the same video in multiple languages, save the first version as a video template. Whenever you need to translate videos, simply use your pre-designed template, paste the text in another language, and generate.

Step 3: Generate the translated video

Your video is now translated and localized, and it only took you a few minutes.

Tip 💡

Automatically generate subtitles

When generating a video in Synthesia, you can also choose to automatically generate closed captions. Simply enable the 'Include captions' toggle and the video will be generated with subtitles (in the same language as the narration).
You can also export the .srt subtitle file once the video is generated.

Other translation methods

To be fully transparent, the above translation method is useful for presenter-style content: training videos, lectures, how-to videos, and the like. If you need to translate more cinematic videos, you should consider more traditional methods.

Here are a few other popular methods of localizing videos for a global audience. Let's discuss their pros and cons.

1. Translating your video using subtitles

Translating only the subtitles of a video and not the audio can have its advantages and disadvantages.

On one hand, it is a cost-effective solution that requires less time and resources compared to fully dubbing the video in another language. Additionally, it allows for a quicker turnaround time and enables the audience to hear the original audio and voiceover, adding to the authenticity of the video.

On the other hand, the lack of a translated audio track may not be ideal for audiences who are deaf or hard of hearing, and can also impact the overall viewing experience for those who may not be fluent in the original language.

2. Dubbing the videos

Dubbing in this case refers to replacing the original audio track with a translated one.

It's a better way to create a more immersive experience than translated subtitles, especially for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

However, dubbing is generally a more time-consuming and expensive process, requiring voice actors, recording studios, and additional resources.

3. Re-filming the video

This method will probably result in the most high-quality results, but the cost of that can be potentially hard to justify.

First, finding an actor or presenter that's a native language speaker can be challenging. Especially when you consider regional accents. For example, the Spanish spoken in Spain is different to Spanish spoken in Argentina. This is something you will have to account for.

Besides, you will have to duplicate the filming conditions of the original video for all the new languages involved, which is incredibly costly.

While this translation method gives the most authentic results, it's difficult to scale.

Which translation method is right for your videos?

And that's a wrap! We hope this post has given you some valuable insights into why translating your videos is a great idea, and how you can do it in just 9 minutes with our 3-step method.

Remember, making your content accessible to a wider audience can help drive business growth, increase engagement, and make a real impact on people's lives.

So, don't let language barriers hold you back, get creative and start spreading your message with the world!

You can test if text-to-speech video translation is right for you by generating a free demo video with Synthesia. Simply type your text in any popular language and click 'Generate'.