Tips for Successful Audio Localization

Localizing your Audio project can be a daunting task. Professional audio localizations involve much more than simple translation. Audio localization requires unique attention to detail and consistency in voice talent casting, script formatting, recording methods, linguistic quality assurance, and audio post production. With a bit of preparation, however, you can ease the localization process enormously. Here are our several tips to keep in mind to help you avoid some common localization pitfalls when gearing up to begin your audio localization.

Translate the audio script

Translating the audio script is the first and crucial step of audio localization. Only finding appropriate transcriptionists qualified as experts in any terminology of the targeted industry could meet the highest levels of quality assurance.
Simply writing down the words that are going to be spoken and recorded will make it much easier for the voice actors to know what their lines are. Translating this script into the target language also must be done before any recording can begin. And making punctuation guidelines available is also very important, because if there are specific words that require a certain pronunciation, then this will need to be noted for the voice actors.

Set appropriate format

An audio script must strictly comply with formatting guidelines in order to ensure that the recording proceeds fluently, smoothly and efficiently, and so that text can be easily extracted and reintegrated after translation. XML is often a good format.

Keep animations adaptable

Animations should be easily adaptable to target languages and not specific to source language. Do not animate each individual letter of a word, as those animations will need to be redone for each foreign language.

Make audio cues flexible

When using audio cues, be sure that the cues automatically adjust according to longer or shorter translated audio.

Choose the right voice talents

Active in the casting professional voice actors from the beginning. Cooperate with your language provider by outlining character profiles with first names, gender, ethnic background, age and basic personality traits. Meticulous profiling will help you avoid embarrassing and expensive casting blunders.

Ask for project-specific samples

If budget allows, get voice-over artists to record a small sample of your translated script - this is the best way to ascertain if they are appropriate in the role.

Include timing cues for audio dubbing

For recordings, time is the crucial consideration. When preparing video for audio dubbing, include timing cues in the source language script for easier studio production and reintegration of localized audio. And placing time-stamps on the script is helpful to indicate when the speaker is supposed to say particular sentences or phrases.

Keep synchronization adaptable

Synchronization of text such as closed captions with the audio should be easily adaptable for new languages, for example through the use of cues to prompt text movement. But if you are producing audio for Flash recordings, try to limit synchronization of animations with audio. Because each foreign language has a different timing, so the animations need to be re-synchronized by native speakers in each language

Provide a pronunciation guide for the recording

If you read a document aloud, you soon realize that some words can be pronounced in several different ways. Determine in advance if, for example, a company name acronym should be pronounced in English or the target language. Some of the rules for pronunciation come from common usage but some are company specific. Your studio should go over the original scripts and list any terms that could be ambiguous. Translators and reviewers need to answer these questions before the recording.

Edit the audio recordings

You should make adjustments to the speaker's volume and tone. Also, any unwanted sounds like breathing, hiccups and coughs, or background noise should be removed from the recording.

Finalize script before production

Be sure that the audio script is approved and final before audio production begins, because changes to the audio recording can be very costly to project schedule and budget.

Quality assurance

A localization engineer to be checked for quality and prepared for delivery in the desired format should review the finished product. In-country linguists should review the final recording before you give your stamp of approval.

A successfully localized audio can be the key to driving your business into new language markets. Arm yourself with a translation partner that knows how to navigate the cultural and technological challenges of taking your project multilingual. Check out our Audio Localization Services to see how we can help you with your audio translation needs.