What you need to know to improve your Audio/Video localization today
Vendor cost containment and expertise are essential to all Localization Managers, as Corporations video usage increases its time to re-evaluate your translation sourcing framework. According to Common Sense Advisory 90 percent of companies outsource all or part of their translation and localization work; therefore efficiently managing the mix of partner agencies is key to lower costs and faster speed to global markets.
Growth in international markets continues to drive more products, services and multimedia that need to be adapted to local cultures and languages. Many current job openings for Localization Managers go beyond ability to define, plan, budget, oversee localization executions and highlight importance of vendor management expertise. Corporations have been streamlining localization cost through better information authoring and internationalization processes, it’s time to get an A/V vendor to further streamline your media localization. Common Sense Advisory(CSA) 2011 localization predictions highlights how Audio/Video cost can be an opportunity for Localization Managers evaluating vendors.
Three Highlights, From CSA’s 2011 Localization Predictions
- Project managers at global organizations face an identity crisis.
- Fiscal scars trigger spending sobriety
- Video and audio skills create localization stars.
How Many Localization Vendors Are Enough?
Efficiency in procurement ethos is to look for one stop agency or managing a mix of vendors with the goal of trimming vendors gradually. Factors in answering how many localization vendors are enough are organization’s language needs, regional office culture, ISO certification needs, industry and existing translation agency capabilities.
Most global corporations have mature localization sourcing models featuring a mix of language service providers mainly ranging from Single Language Vendors (SLV) to Multiple Language Vendors (MLV). Some corporate media needs are only for Spanish translation, and lend themselves well to the one stop Spanish agency, a single language vendor framework. If they have an industry aligned need, then Spanish medial translation or Spanish law translation are SLVs aligned to specific industry's that can meet a company need but won’t work for a conglomerate with multiple language needs.
If a corporation needs are regional like Arabic or Chinese, Japanese and Korean (CJK) a CJK Multiple Language Vendor would meet all needs. The global localization industry valued at US $23 Billion, features MLVs of various sizes that offer full global localization capabilities. CSA estimates over 23,000 LSPs in 149 countries with the Largest LSPs like Lionbridge, SDL, TransPerfect operating as public and private entities with annual earnings exceeding US $400 million.
Sending audio and video content for translation is easy and hassle free with the right audio/video agency, expand your vendor mix by adding an Audio/Video production house or studio to meet your corporate videos usage. Production house or studio services all voice over, dubbing, subtitling and captioning needs below retail translation fee for corporate narration, audio books, apps, automated in store announcement systems, telephone hotlines, IVR recording, e-learning programs.
Selecting Audio/Video Translation Vendor
- Industry & Content Goals Alignment
- Experience and Expertise
- Voices Quality Control
- Dedicated Project Managers
- Communication
- Infrastructure and Security
Before selecting one vendor, pick two or three possible candidates for an audio/video translation partner. Like many translation agencies, audio and video vendors work with freelance contractors, the value is in their quality control. Narrow your candidates by sending out sample projects to multiple studios and grouping the responses by price and turn around time.
For the final selection consider experience, expertise, project management, communication, voice quality control, infrastructure and security to match with your business content goals. And just like any long term partnership, groom your vendor to better understand your business communication is key to leverage better return on investment.
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