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Date:
April 18, 2022

The International Content Boom Has Made Subtitlers and Dubbers the Lifeblood of Streaming

  • 86% of Russian adults said they prefer to watch dubbed content over subtitled content, a view shared by the majority of respondents in Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
  • Roughly 7 in 10 consumers in China and South Korea said they preferred subtitles while watching content that’s not in their native language.
  • U.S audiences were more divided but showed a slight preference for subtitles (43%) over dubbing (36%).

In 2020, “Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho used his Golden Globe acceptance speech to call attention to the “one-inch tall barrier of subtitles” that kept some audiences — American moviegoers in particular — from enjoying the myriad content produced outside of their native languages.

Roughly two years later, audiences around the world are climbing that wall, thanks in part to hits such as “Lupin,” “Money Heist” and “Squid Game,” TV shows that have all become global hits on Netflix. “Squid Game,” from South Korea, clocked more than 1.6 billion viewing hours on the platform in its first 28 days, making it Netflix’s most-watched original of all time. The second season of “Bridgerton,” Netflix’s most-watched English language program, logged less than half of “Squid Game’s” total in the same amount of time.

Experts working within the localization industry say that the evolution of streaming has changed the game for foreign-language content, making shows and movies available at a speed and scale they’ve never been before.

“Our market has grown substantially in the last two to three years, and the fundamental reason for that is the explosion of direct-to-consumer streaming platforms,” said Chris Carey, executive vice president of marketing and corporate development at Iyuno-SDI, which provides translations, subtitling and dubbing services for major entertainment firms. “The content producers can reach those markets much easier than they could going through a pay-TV operator, which was sort of the gatekeeper to many of the international markets.”

The coronavirus pandemic, and the subsequent shuttering of movie theaters, forced some companies to turn to their back catalogs and release older programming in new markets — and languages. That, too, has provided subtitlers and dubbers with more work than they can handle.

“We used to worry about doing an episode a week for broadcast,” said Simon Constable, senior vice president of global language services at Visual Data Media Services. “Now, we’re getting eight episodes in a week.”

The demand, coupled with the challenge of sorting out cultural differences across markets, has placed more pressure than ever on those tasked with translating content for local audiences.

“If you don’t get the localization right in one or two of the episodes, the audience is not going to watch the whole series,” said Teresa Phillips, co-founder and CEO of Spherex, a technology company that helps content producers assess if their shows and films are culturally sensitive throughout hundreds of countries. “You really diminish the value of your investment.”

Add in supply chain issues and a lack of high-quality translators, and localization providers face obstacles much higher than the “one-inch tall barrier” that Bong Joon-ho mentioned. Compared to where international content was a decade ago, those can be good problems to have.

Language localization preferences are rooted in culture

Per a March Morning Consult survey of adults in 15 countries, consumer preferences for subtitles or dubbing largely fell along continental lines.

Respondents in Russia, Germany, Italy, Spain and France largely preferred dubbing when viewing content not in their native language, while roughly 7 in 10 adults in China and South Korea and a plurality of Indian and Japanese consumers said they liked to watch with subtitles more.

Translation preference is usually linked to historical context in each region. Europeans are likely used to dubbing since theatrical releases are required to be dubbed in the region, Phillips said, while in Asia, subtitles are preferred since “traditionally, the West has done a very poor job of translating the audio to make it more relevant.” Some native Korean speakers were not thrilled with the closed captions on Netflix’s “Squid Game,” though others were more accepting, pointing out that translating content across languages is a delicate art form. Phillips said the industry will have to continue improving at both methods of localization in order to meet rapidly accelerating consumer demand — and satisfy the multitudes of tastes across borders.

“We have to create an environment for the user where they can basically choose their own languages,” she said.

Supply chain issues hit localization providers
Launching in new countries with a full library of content, as services such as Disney+, HBO Max and Paramount+ have done recently, often means thousands of hours of programming must be appropriately localized. Companies simply don’t have enough translators who can quickly do the job.
“For subtitling, specifically, there’s been an issue with the lack of qualified translators in all of the main languages that have been targeted,” Constable said. “You have platforms launching in Europe right now, and they all, by and large, want the same territories, but there’s a limited pool of experienced subtitling translators in those territories.”

Dubbing presents even more problems, as not only are translators needed, but the process also depends on studio and actor availability. Making substitutions and bringing in replacements when necessary is often not possible.

Mazin Al-Jumaili, vice president of talent management and business development in the EMEA region for ZOO Digital Group PLC, said it’s vital to retain the same actors and translators for a project and to keep them on call until it’s completed for the sake of consistency. But that same talent is frequently needed for additional projects on the same timeline.

“There’s a strain on the whole acting community and the local language writing community,” Al-Jumaili said. “But the viewing public is very, very conscious of changes, and they’ll be straight on social media if something doesn’t match their expectations and the quality aspirations of that region.”
Constable said providers have fail-safe methods to check the quality of a translation. The ubiquity of social media, however, can elevate even the tiniest of mistakes into public relations crises. “The barrier to entry for feedback is so low because social media is there and it can be out in an instant,” he said. “It means you’ve continually got to tighten up your game.”

Hiring sprees, machine learning could ease the translation burden
With no expected slowdown in demand, companies are launching training programs and investing in recruitment at universities, hoping to find translators from nontraditional backgrounds who can help handle the influx of work. It won’t be an overnight fix.

“To give people the skills that we need, it’s going to take some time,” Constable said.

Computers might be able to assist. Machine translation can assist with the translation process, Al-Jumaili said, though the technology is not yet sentient enough to accurately translate all the nuances of a script. Deepfake dubbing — creating technology that emulates a human voice — has also been discussed in the industry, though the practice has many ethical considerations.

“This is a very sensitive subject because people have ownership of voices in local languages,” Al-Jumaili said. “There’s always someone who’s going to be the approved Tom Cruise voice in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, so you need to be really mindful of trying to emulate those voices who have established actors associated with them.”

These solutions are clearly needed sooner rather than later, with experts saying this demand is expected to become the norm. Content produced in one country, spoken in the language of another country and then watched by millions of consumers in a third country is the reality of entertainment consumption that streaming has enabled. That one-inch barrier is finally coming down, even in markets such as the United States, where it’s historically been insurmountable for some consumers.

“I don’t see a plateau, certainly not this year, next year or two, three, four years from now because of the great content being produced, and the ease of subscribers to be able to find something they like from a different culture,” Carey said. “We’re really only just scratching the surface.”

Source: Morning Consult

Related Insights

The Future of Advertising: Why Cultural Intelligence Matters More Than Ever

In today's borderless media landscape, where streaming platforms deliver films and TV shows to over 200 countries instantly, advertisers face a critical challenge: ensuring their ads resonate with diverse audiences while maintaining cultural sensitivity and brand safety. Traditional advertising approaches, relying on demographics, basic localization, and keyword filtering, often fall short. These methods fail to capture the emotional and cultural nuances of different markets, leading to misplaced ads that miss the mark.

To navigate these challenges, brands must go beyond surface-level strategies and adopt a deeper understanding of how content resonates emotionally and culturally across markets. This is where innovative approaches come into play, offering a way to not just reach global audiences, but truly connect with them on a profound, culturally aligned level.

Emotional Arbitrage: The Key to Better Ad Targeting

A groundbreaking approach called "emotional arbitrage" is revolutionizing how brands connect with global audiences. This strategy identifies moments of cultural tension and resolution within content, enabling advertisers to strategically place their messages for maximum impact.

When viewers encounter cultural dissonance—a scene that challenges their deeply ingrained values—they unconsciously seek resolution. Research indicates that brands offering this resolution through culturally aligned messaging achieve significantly higher engagement, recall, and positive sentiment.

Consider a scene in a TV show where a young woman defies her family's expectations by pursuing a career in the arts. In some cultures, where familial respect and tradition are paramount, an ad for an educational institution that helps young people find their passions might be appropriate. Conversely, in cultures prioritizing individual expression and self-discovery, an ad for a bank that helped a young woman open a clothing store featuring her designs could resonate more effectively.

By strategically placing ads that align with cultural expectations, brands can forge deeper emotional connections with viewers, ensuring their message is not just seen, but genuinely felt.

AI-Driven Solutions: The Next Frontier of Cultural Intelligence

Imagine a technology that can analyze video content, not just for keywords or demographics, but for the subtle nuances of cultural and emotional context. This technology could identify moments of tension, humor, sadness, or joy, and pinpoint exactly where an ad would resonate most effectively with a specific audience. Such AI-driven solutions are transforming the advertising landscape, empowering brands to tailor their messages with unprecedented precision and cultural sensitivity.

How AI-Powered Advertising Enhances Performance

By leveraging AI for cultural intelligence, brands can achieve:

  • Strategic Ad Placement: Ads are placed at moments when viewers are emotionally primed to engage, increasing effectiveness.
  • Brand Safety Assurance: Prevents ad placement in content that could be misaligned with brand values or culturally sensitive.
  • Higher Engagement & Recall: Ads become part of the storytelling experience, reinforcing brand messages rather than disrupting them.
  • Scalability Across Global Markets: AI-driven insights allow brands to optimize campaigns for diverse cultural contexts without manual intervention.
The Future of Culturally Intelligent Advertising

As digital content continues to transcend borders, understanding how different cultures react to media is no longer optional—it's essential. Advertisers that embrace cultural intelligence and leverage AI-powered solutions will not only protect their brand integrity but also forge stronger, more meaningful connections with global audiences.

In a world where content is universal but cultural experiences are unique, the brands that adapt will be the brands that thrive. The future of culturally intelligent advertising starts now. Click here to learn how SpherexAI can elevate your advertising strategy.

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Spherex Classification Tool Now Approved for Home Entertainment Content in Australia

The Albanese Government has updated the Spherex Classification Tool approval to include ratings for theatrical releases, home entertainment, and streaming content in Australia. Spherex was previously approved to classify online films.

The update underscores the Australian Classification Board’s confidence in Spherex as a tool to help Australian viewers make informed choices about the content they consume. This means Australians can now access a range of new films sooner than they might across all formats and windows.

Spherex has a longstanding relationship with the Australian Classification Board. Since 2020, Spherex has collaborated closely with the Australian Government to ensure its technology reliably generates classification decisions that meet Australian standards and viewers' expectations.

As the world’s only commercial provider of local age ratings, Spherex has successfully produced classification decisions for high volumes of online content in over 100 countries. Since 2018, Spherex has issued over one million age ratings for digital content, including films, TV shows, and trailers, distributed by its clients worldwide.

Spherex customers, including Umbrella Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, and Sugoi Co., rely on its AI-based platform to obtain local age ratings in Australia and significantly improve efficiency, cost reduction, and market reach.

Discover how Spherex's cutting-edge AI-based platform can streamline your content classification process and enhance your market reach while reducing costs.

Visit spherex.com today and see how we can support your content distribution needs.

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Spherex Featured in the DPP's IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report

Spherex was featured in the DPP’s IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report, a comprehensive look at how the M&E industry is meeting key customer demands. The report focuses on the topics of empowering creators, understanding audiences, engaging users, and innovating the newsroom. It also highlights many of the technical innovations seen at the recent IBC Show.

An article by Spherex’s CEO Teresa Phillips titled "Navigating Cultural Resonance in Global Media: The Art and Science of Culture Mixing" was featured in the report, exploring how Spherex is pioneering the future of culturally informed content.

Teresa shares how cultural mixing has become a critical strategy for creating content that appeals to diverse audiences in today's global media landscape. This phenomenon involves blending elements from different cultures to craft films and television shows that resonate globally while adhering to local regulations.

However, the process of culture mixing is fraught with risks. Superficial or stereotypical representations can lead to accusations of cultural appropriation or insensitivity, alienating audiences and damaging a company's reputation. For example, imposing Western concepts on Eastern content without proper context can feel inauthentic and jarring to local viewers. These missteps highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of cultural elements to ensure that content is respectful and engaging.

To address these challenges, M&E companies are increasingly turning to data-driven solutions. Platforms like SpherexAI utilize artificial intelligence to analyze visual, audio, and textual elements, providing insights into how well content aligns with cultural and regulatory standards across over 200 countries and territories. This approach helps media companies understand the "cultural distance" between a title's origin and its target market, enabling them to make informed decisions about global distribution.

By leveraging these advanced tools, M&E companies can go beyond traditional content localization. They can create media that actively engages and resonates with diverse audiences. As the industry continues to evolve, those companies that embrace culturally informed, data-driven approaches will be better positioned to succeed, fostering cross-cultural understanding and trust while delivering globally appealing content.

Download the report here.

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