“Quality control serves to maintain the production values of the original work, prevent errors from distracting the audience, and ensure consistency across multiple episodes or series.” (from Knowledge Deck, an AI aggregator of all the knowledge in the world)

As films, TV shows, and digital content have the power to reach increasingly diverse audiences, the challenge of maintaining accuracy, cultural relevance, and emotional resonance in translations has become critical. Netflix's internal research has shown that dubbed versions of shows tend to be more popular than their subtitled counterparts, indicating a strong viewer preference for high-quality dubbed content. Additionally, according to Netflix’s Kelly Luegenbiehl, VP of International Originals for Europe, Turkey and Africa, “People say they prefer the original, but our figures show they watch the dubbed version.”

Quality translations begin with 5 key principles

Dubs with high-quality translations have a broad range of benefits that require their own blog post for a full exploration. For this article, we’re focusing on practical steps to create high-quality dubbed content. 

1. Understand the source material

Before launching the translation process, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the source material. This means not only a thorough comprehension of the language but also an appreciation of the cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, humor, and emotional undertones. To start, you’ll need to identify the speakers in the original and segment them, which can be difficult to do manually. Deepdub does both automatically, using technology to first accurately differentiate between various characters’ voices in the source and then automatically breaking down the dialogue into meaningful segments. Both of these are vital to maintaining the integrity of the original performances and ensuring that each character’s dialogue remains consistent and true to their on-screen persona. 

Deepdub-dubbed foreign language film Swarm is a perfect example, with the film’s producer, Lukasz Siódmok, explaining, “Deepdub's tech truly brought our characters to life, ensuring their voices were spot-on in our four-character film.”

2. Use professional and native translators

If you don’t speak a certain language, how can you be sure your dub is high quality? The complexity of translation and dubbing requires skilled professionals who are not only fluent in both the source and target languages but are also native speakers of the target language. They’re more adept at picking up subtle nuances and ensuring that the translated dialogue feels natural and authentic to native ears. Moreover, their understanding of cultural sensibilities can help avoid unintentional offenses or misunderstandings. 

Deepdub understands and acts on this principle, which is why we use only professional language adapters who are experts in linguistics and translation to help maintain the original tone, humor, and intent of the content, ensuring it resonates well with the target audience.

3. Don’t just translate; localize

Literal translations often fail to convey the intended meaning or emotional impact due to cultural differences. Best practices in dubbing emphasize adaptation over direct translation. This means creatively modifying dialogue when necessary to preserve the original's intent and emotional impact. When Deepdub’s clients use our AI-led ASR *Automatic Speech Recognition) technology, they get an automated analysis of the entire context of the dialogue, not just individual lines to ensure precise transcriptions that recognize and replicate the flow of natural speech.

4. Ensure quality control through the production process

Quality control is vital in the dubbing process. This includes multiple rounds of revisions and incorporating feedback from various stakeholders, including linguistic experts, cultural consultants, and test audiences. Feedback loops help identify areas where translations might be improved for clarity, accuracy, or cultural relevance, ensuring the final product meets the highest quality standards. Consider using terminological glossaries as another way to keep dubs consistent, especially across multiple episodes of a series. Use our glossaries to ensure precision and consistency in terminology across translations.

5. Ensure your localizers follow best practices

Languages evolve, and so do cultural trends and sensitivities. Translators and dubbing professionals should continually educate themselves on linguistic changes and cultural developments. This ongoing learning process can greatly enhance the relevance and resonance of dubbed content with target audiences.

Localize your content so it feels original

Maintaining high standards in dubbing transcends mere translation. It demands a commitment to authenticity, where the nuances of language and culture are respected and reflected. Through rigorous quality assurance, embracing technological advances, and valuing the input of native speakers, dubbing can achieve a level of excellence that not only preserves the original's integrity but also enhances viewer experience across the globe.

At Deepdub, we’re committed to empowering the creation of translated and localized content that sounds as though it was created in the audience's own country. The proof is in the adaptation, and we’ve done a lot of it. Take a look at our pool of examples, and talk to us about your dubbing localization needs.