The Role of AI in Translation, Globalization and Localization

READ MORE: Global Automated Dubbing Service Market to Hit Sales Value of US$ 189.80 Million by 2030.

Is “automated dubbing” the next Google… your path to riches with an early investment? Probably not. But it would seem that this field is on the cusp of something… well, bigger than it is now.

A report from Indian global analytics and advisory company Astute Analytica sees a revenue rise from US$117 million to almost US$190 million by 2030 for the worldwide “automated dubbing” field.

Automated dubbing is the practice of quickly translating audio from one language to another. The target audio might be from a television program or movie, a speech and or can be a webinar, something educational… well, you get the idea. Digital technology is making rapid translation easily available, and a number of service providers have come forth.

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The service is not quite in real time, and the business model is not based on immediate translation, yet. It can also include subtitling, often offered as a cheaper alternative or even as part of a package of services.

Localization

Astute Analytica sees “localization” as a large driver of this growth.

This shouldn’t be surprising since the company is based in India, a multilingual country where translating TV shows and movies (and more) into other languages is already a big business.

India has two “official” languages, Hindi and English, along with over 20 more semi-official regional and national languages, at least 14 distinct languages rate 14 million or more speakers.

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National business success can depend on getting a text or audio quickly translated and deployed into other languages. This practice is called “localization” by Astute Analytica and others.

Globalization

As digital technology spreads, making the world more intimate and accessible, the need and desire for translating texts and audio only increases. In the bigger picture, the globe is just a larger version of India and international business ambitions and success can depend on translation yet again.

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Using that mindset, frankly the sub-$200 million number might be a little low. Astute Analytica’s methodological prognostication looks to simply assume continued growth at the same pace, making a nice stairstep rise. Yet, it would seem that this is one of those industries that could grow exponentially and break out suddenly.

For 2021, Astute Analytica points to, obviously, the film/TV industry as the big customer along with advertising and the “game” industries. “Other” fills in the gap. following along. It would seem that all these groups will only grow but “Other” might be the dark horse with strongest future growth being there — education, religious and political organizations, NGOs of all types, plus business/corporate communications of all types.

As it notes, “Automated dubbing is an important tool for content producers who want to reach global audiences. It allows them to quickly and efficiently create localized versions of their content, without sacrificing quality or creative control.”

The film and television clients clearly require “quality” services. “Content localization is a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. In order to produce high-quality dubbed versions of films and TV programs, dubbing service providers must have access to skilled voice artists and translators, as well as state-of-the-art recording facilities,” the report explains.

So, Where’s The Money?

It adds, “Astute Analytica’s Media’s analysis of the dubbing services industry reveals that the leading players in the market are those that have invested heavily in these areas.”

Those leaders are VideoDubber, Straive, AppTek, Papercup, vidby and My Dubbing; holding about 60% of the market, according to the report. Several of these companies are working on multiple applications with surprising angles.

The use of automated dubbing services is particularly prevalent in children’s programming, where localization is key to success.

In fact, Astute Analytica estimates that nearly 65% of all children’s programming dubbed into other languages is done using automation.

Film and television are responsible for half the revenue, more if you add in partner-in-crime advertising. “The video segment is expected to generate over 52% revenue of the automated dubbing service market by 2025. This growth can be attributed to the increasing popularity of online videos and the need for accurate and localized content.”

“It was found that the North American film and television industry is the largest user of automated dubbing service market, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. As consumers around the world increasingly demand content in their native languages, the industry is turning to automation to meet this demand,” the report explains.

Furthermore, “While traditional post-production methods can be costly and time-consuming, automated dubbing can significantly reduce both costs and turnaround times. In addition, automated dubbing can help broadcasters and content creators reach new markets and expand their global audience.”

An expected market of strength for automated dubbing is children. The report says, “the use of automated dubbing services is particularly prevalent in children’s programming, where localization is key to success. In fact, Astute Analytica estimates that nearly 65% of all children’s programming dubbed into other languages is done using automation.”

It adds, “For kids’ shows in particular, it’s imperative to have high-quality dubs that capture both the visual and emotional aspects of the original. With automated dubbing, content producers can be confident they’re delivering a top-notch product to every market.”

Interestingly Astute Analytica thinks that watching video on a smartphone is a driver. Perhaps that makes some sense for dubbing, in that phone watchers are probably more adventurous in product selection, international in outlook and in need of vocal dubbing, since reading subtitles is likely an impossible endeavor on a small screen.

Podcast translations would also appear to be a fruitful market though it, along with many applications mentioned, might run into rights and distribution issues.

Of course, this market might find itself being hollowed out by open source software and/or the proliferation of artificial intelligence-powered translators.

Read the full report online here.