Video translation rates depend on a number of factors, such as the language to be translated to and whether voice-over, subtitling, or transcription is required.
Translation of audio-video materials is an involved, complex process. Businesses with international audiences as well as producers, can benefit from the service to effectively deliver their message to their target audience.
The translation rates provided here are based on the industry standard in the UK. But this is an applicable guide to the entire market since the UK is an international hub of audiovisual production.
How to Estimate Video Translation Rates
The translation service rate may seem to be complicated. Here are the major factors that influence the price of the service.
Video Length
The length of the video that needs to be translated is a major determining factor for rates. Videos are measured in minutes, and the number of words spoken within a minute is usually 100 to 150.
Video recordings can be of different types, such as product descriptions, presentations, and commercials. The number of words that are said per minute depends on the type of video.
This is one of the reasons why translation rates are based on the number of minutes in a video.
Number of Words
The number of words in the video that need to be translated influences video translation rates.
The recording often first needs to be transcribed (check out our transcription services). This will allow you to calculate the number of words accurately. Then, translation costs will be calculated based on the number of words in the video, contributing to the overall cost of the video translation rates.
Translation for Subtitling or Voice-Over
There are several ways to approach the localization of audiovisual content. Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll need to begin with a good-quality transcription.
The rate for translation will depend on whether you choose voice-over services or subtitling services for localizing your content.
Subtitling involves translating the audio in your video into another language and adding it as captions to the video.
Subtitles can be open captions, closed captions, or SDH subtitles. Each type of subtitle involves a different process and will have different costs.
If you choose voice-over for your audiovisual content, a script will be prepared based on the transcription file.
A voice-over actor will then record the audio in your target language over the original audio.
A professional recording studio is required for recording, along with top-notch sound equipment, sound engineers, and software.
Typically when considering video translation rates, voice-overs rates tend to cost more than subtitle rates because of the different skills and equipment required.
Examples of Typical Translation Fees
Video translation rates are typically calculated either per word, based on the transcript, or translation rates per minute based on the run time. Cost varies based on the difficulty of the language to be translated, the nature of the translation, and the word count.
Here are a few examples of typical costs.
Translation Rates per Word
| GBP | EURO | USD | |
| Translation Rates per Word | £0.145-0.20 | €0.18-0.30 | $0.20-0.32 |
Translation Rates per 1000 Words
In some cases, costs are also calculated per 1000 words, particularly when dealing with a longer project. Here are the standard translation rates per 1000 words.
| GBP | EURO | USD | |
| Translation Rates per 1000 Words | £145-200 | €180-300 | $200-320 |
Transcription Rates
For audiovisual translation, the project starts with creating a transcription of the video, which has to be accounted for in the overall video translation rates.
Transcription rates are generally calculated per minute; it is also common to calculate the translation rates per hour. The total cost will depend on the length of your video.
| GBP | EURO | USD | |
| Transcription Rate per Minute | £8-10 | €10-13 | $12-15 |
Subtitling Rates
Once the transcription is created, the costs for localizing your video will depend on whether you choose to create subtitles or voice-overs for your video.
Subtitling rates are also calculated on a per-minute basis. Refer to our subtitling rates guide for more information.
| GBP | EURO | USD | |
| Subtitling Rates Per Minute | £13-20 | €17-20 | $19-22 |
Voice-Over Rates
If you choose voice-over service for localization, the final cost and video translation rates will depend on whether it is a broadcast or non-broadcast video, the nature of the video, and many other factors. Most of the time you’ll need to account for the BSF, or “Basic Studio/Session Fee”, plus any additional usage rates on top of that fee.
Our voice-over rates guide provides a detailed understanding of how the rates are calculated. Voice overs in the context of video translation rates are generally calculated per hour, half day, or full day.
| Pounds | Euro | USD | |
| Per Hour | £300-400 | €350-500 | $390-550 |
| Half Day | £900-1200 | €1050-1500 | $1170-1650 |
| Full Day | £1800-2400 | €2100-3000 | $2340-3300 |
Video Translation Rates per Language
Different languages have different price points due to factors such as language complexity, voice artist availability, and translation resources required.
If your project involves rare language combinations such as Dutch and Finnish, there may be fewer language professionals available. This means that the rates will be higher.
Similarly, if you hire professional translators from countries with a higher cost of living, like Japan, the video translation rates will be higher.
Translation Services in Over 300 Languages
GoLocalise offers a comprehensive suite of services for audio video localization in over 300 languages. Other than translation, our team offers transcription, voice-over, and subtitling services.
With everything available under one roof, GoLocalise has the ability to take care of your entire project from start to finish.
