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How to Use a Video Translator to Boost Your Reach


Creating video content means being on the constant lookout for new YouTube video ideas. Sure, you can always keep on creating brand-new content, but that can prove to be difficult to maintain in the long run.

Instead, using a video translator can be a cost-effective way to remove language barriers and attract an entirely new audience.

How To Translate Your Videos?

The simplest way to localize your videos is to use the tools offered by YouTube. Log into YouTube Studio, and select Subtitles from the left menu. You will then pick the video you want to translate, language you want to translate to, and confirm your selection. Next, enter the translated title and description, then publish.

Even though this process is fairly easy, the quality of subtitle translations can vary and numerous inaccuracies can be a turn off for viewers. Ultimately, this could prove to be counter-productive.

You can hire professionals to dub your videos, but it is typically a costly and time consuming process that may not be cost-effective to all video content teams.

A more affordable option would be to get a video translator app that can subtitle your videos in a more professional and accurate manner than the tools offered by YouTube.

Choosing a Translator for Videos:

If you’re looking for a translator for videos, there are many options available online. Some are a lot better than others, and it’s crucial that you choose the right one for your needs.

We recommend sticking with a video language translator app that converts your subtitles into multiple languages accurately to save you time and money.

You’ll need to look at the video language translator app in detail, checking out all of the features. Consider the following:

  • How many languages does the video translator support?
  • Does it offer automatic video translation? This will save you so much time, as you can use AI to accurately generate subtitles in a different language rather than manually adding them in yourself.
  • What video file types does it support?
  • Is video-to-text translation available?
  • Does the tool have an online editor you can use to ensure your captions are synchronized and accurate?
  • Does the video translator support team collaboration?
  • What customer support is available?

Subly translates your video subtitles into multiple languages automatically and has a comprehensive editor you can use to sync captions and add cultural nuances,  making sure your video is understood by everyone watching. Plus it supports team collaboration and real-time feedback, so you can quickly make changes to ensure accuracy.

Easily turn your translations into blog posts, website copy, and other content for a multilingual audience. Subly’s video-to-text translation feature allows you to quickly generate translated versions of your video subtitles so you can reach people all over the world.

Are Video Language Translators Accurate?

When picking a translator for videos, you want to make sure that the output is accurate and reliable. Some video language translators aren't accurate, relying on outdated AI that doesn't understand the cultural nuances of the language it's translating into. Some free online video translators don't use real-life linguists to review the translations, meaning there could be mistakes in your subtitles.

It's vital you invest in a reputable video language translator that offers a comprehensive suite of features so that your videos can get the boost they deserve. Adding subtitles to your video can boost average watch time by 40%, and if you add accurate translations, you'll be sure to captivate a global audience.

The good news is, with Subly’s AI technology, you can trust your translations are correct as it uses machine learning and natural language processing to accurately convert the text into any language.

We're constantly working on our AI, adding in jargon, slang, and other nuances to ensure a natural-sounding translation. With our real-time feedback feature, you can quickly make changes to ensure accuracy. Plus, our team of linguists ensures each translation is culturally appropriate for your viewers worldwide.

Over 15,000 teams globally trust Subly with their video translations, turning hours of work into a few simple clicks. By using Subly, you can rest assured that your videos will be accurately translated so you can reach more people in more countries. You'll be able to increase engagement and improve watch time without sacrificing accuracy.

How to Use Subly as Your Video Translator?

There are many video translator options available but few are as reliable, quick and user-friendly as Subly, which offers translation to astounding 73 languages (and counting) in mere minutes.

The great thing about using Subly as your video translator is that Subly makes it extremely simple to make your content accessible to a global audience by speaking their language.

The process of translating your videos with Subly consists of 4 steps:

  • Drag and drop or upload your video from your device, or simply paste a YouTube link
  • Clicking on the video will take you to the editor where you can add automatic subtitles, or alternatively upload an SRT file with already existing subtitles, or type them in manually; you might need to make some changes and corrections to automatic subtitles but you can easily do that in seconds
  • On the left hand side of the screen, pick translation option, then select language(s) and create translation; you can translate your subtitles  to multiple languages at once and save hours of time  
  • Once the translation is done, click the blue button on the top right and choose to download your translated subtitles as an SRT, VTT, or TXT file to your device; you can also download your video with or without subtitles in an aspect ratio of your choosing

That’s it. Now that your video is translated to as many languages as you choose, you can reach out to more potential viewers than ever before.

Pros and Cons of Using a Video Language Translator:

There are many perks to using a video language translator over hiring a translator for videos. Video translators are usually faster and cheaper than hiring someone to do the translations for you. Just upload your video and let the translator take care of the rest.

Here are some other pros:

  • They usually offer a variety of languages to choose from.
  • Most video language translators offer real-time feedback so that it's easy to make changes and ensure accuracy.
  • You can edit the captions with ease.
  • You can easily convert your translations into multiple formats.

However, there are some downsides to consider:

  • The quality of the translation will depend on the quality of the language translator you use.
  • Some viewers might find language subtitles distracting, which can detract from their experience.

You can avoid these cons by using a reputable video translator like Subly. Subly’s algorithm is informed by real-world linguists so that your translations are accurate and ensure a high-quality viewing experience. Subly also offers an intuitive interface that makes it easy to make changes and customize subtitles on the fly.  

Why Use a Video Translator?

Though it may seem like the whole world speaks English, there are actually more Mandarin Chinese and Spanish speakers in the world.

Only around 5% of the world’s population speaks English as their first language. In comparison, Mandarin Chinese is spoken by approximately 12% of the world’s population and Spanish by 6%.

Furthermore, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian and Japanese are cumulatively  spoken by close to an additional 19% of the world’s population.

It is estimated that 15% of the world’s total population speaks English (10% of which speak it as a second language). That means that approximately 85% of the entire world population, that's roughly 6.5 billion people, doesn’t speak English at all!

In other words, if your web content is accessible only to those speaking English, it’s not fully accessible to most people in the world.

Common Sense Advisory research shows that more than 72% of consumers spend most or all of their time on websites in their own language.

According to a 2020 survey by CSA Research of 8,709 global consumers in 29 countries, an astounding 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language. What’s more, 65% prefer content in their language, even if it’s of poor quality.

This is particularly important when it comes to YouTube, a truly global platform with more than 2 billion users worldwide, 74.8 billion monthly visits, and 720,000 hours of new videos uploaded every day.

Interestingly, most of these videos are not in English. In their analysis of all popular channels on YouTube, Pew Research Center found that the vast majority of their individual videos were in a language other than English.

Who Translates Their Videos?

What all these stats mean for web content creators in practical terms is that translating your videos can bring in a considerably wider audience from previously untapped markets, which dramatically increases the ad revenues you can earn from your platforms.

Not to mention potential merchandise sales alone can easily return the investment required to translate your videos.

Mr. Beast, one of the most popular and richest YouTubers in the world (boasting 145 million subscribers as of April 2023), who built his brand on stunts, pranks, and cash giveaways, also has a Spanish, Portuguese, French and Hindi language channels where his translated videos racked up over an additional 90 million views.

And he’s not the only one. Other popular YouTubers have also followed suit, including children's entertainment channels such as Like Nastya (105 million subscribers), Ryan’s World (35 million subscribers), as well as comedy duo Dude Perfect (60 million subscribers).

But it’s not just high-profile YouTubers who can benefit from localization. Translation of product videos, reviews, tutorials, interviews, demos, and presentations also presents opportunities to boost your reach.

The importance of using a video translator to boost your reach can’t be overstated. The truth is that most internet users prefer content in their own language, and the most popular video content creators are already using that knowledge to increase their views and ad revenues without having to create brand-new content.

Hiring professional translators to subtitle or dub your videos may not be cost-effective for every video content creator but using an affordable video translator such as Subly is a small investment that could help you attract a wider audience and monetize your channel more effectively in the long run. That is what puts Subly hight on the must-have social media tools for any content team.

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