GoLocalise offers Zulu transcription services for audio and video files for business and individual purposes. Our expert team of transcribers will create a text version of your video or audio file, and we can also translate and/or voice over your transcript.
We are your reliable Zulu transcription company!
No, this isn’t a trick question and you might be surprised how many people get this wrong. In simple terms, transcription is the process of listening to audiovisual content and writing down what is heard.
Seems simple enough, so what exactly is the part that confuses people?
We used GoLocalise to voice several of our films in Vietnamese. The service was friendly and professional. Being able to attend the recording sessions gave me confidence; the sound engineer had taken a lot of time to familiarise himself with our films and scripts, and the voice talents were incredibly competent and good at adapting to any changes in the scripts as we recorded. The whole process was incredibly smooth and I felt in safe hands.
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Many people confuse transcription with translation.
If you need a text version of your audiovisual content in a language which is different to the original language of your source material then you need translation (which, by the way, we can also help you with).
If you’re simply in need of a written transcript in the same language as your original audiovisual materials, that is transcription and you’re in the right place.
A voice-to-text method that captures everything spoken, including interjections, signs of emotion (coughs, sighs, chuckles), false starts, and thought process shifts. It’s useful for reference during editing, but not ideal for finished, polished content.
This captures the speech exactly as it’s spoken, omitting filler words but without correcting grammar or sentence structure. It’s useful when accuracy is needed, but without polishing the final result.
Filler words, false starts, and mispronunciations are eliminated, with grammar corrected. This creates a refined document that reads more like proper text, ideal for publishing or any public-facing material.
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There is often confusion between transcription and translation. If you need a version of your audiovisual content in a different language, the you you require translation (which we can also assist with). However, if you simply need a written transcript in the same language as your original content, then transcription is what you need — and you’ve come to the right place.
Take a podcast, for instance. By providing a text version of your audio content, search engines like Google can easily index and include it in their search results. When people search for keywords related to your subject matter, they’re far more likely to come across your material. This not only boosts your visibility but also significantly increases traffic to your site, expanding your reach and enhancing your online presence.
Journalists, bloggers, and other content creators often rely on quotes and citations to back up their arguments. When faced with two equally credible sources, one of which has already been transcribed, the transcribed version is much more likely to be chosen. Having your content available in written form makes it far easier for others to reference and quote, increasing the chances of your material being used in a variety of publications and discussions.
Creating high-quality audiovisual content, whether a podcast or a video, is both time-consuming and expensive. Why restrict it to just one format or platform? With a transcript, you can repurpose your content into a range of new formats, such as blog posts, social media updates, or short teaser clips that can attract new audiences. This process not only drives more traffic to your site but also ensures that your original content continues to serve a variety of purposes, maximising its value and impact.
One of the most important benefits of transcription is the increased accessibility it provides, particularly for people with hearing impairments. Without a written transcript, your audio or video content remains completely inaccessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. Providing a transcript ensures that everyone, regardless of their hearing ability, can engage with your content, helping to make your message more inclusive and far-reaching.
In the UK alone, there are approximately 550,000 Polish speakers, along with over a million speakers of languages such as Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Urdu. For many second-language speakers, especially when the content involves complex topics or colloquial expressions, following along with audio in a non-native language can be challenging. By providing a written transcript, you give these audiences a valuable resource to help them understand and engage with your content more effectively, bridging the gap between language barriers.
Creating your audiovisual content, whether that's a podcast or a video of some kind, is often an incredibly time-consuming and expensive process. So why use it for only one purpose? You can use a transcription to repurpose your materials into a blog or social media post, to drive traffic to your website, to use as a teaser to bring people to a full-length podcast, and many more uses too.
Yes, and no. GoLocalise specialises in anything audiovisual so of course if you’re in need of a full subtitling service we can absolutely help with that too, and in fact transcription is an integral part of the process when creating a same-language subtitle file.
The main difference here would be that subtitling also requires very precise technological know-how so that the resultant subtitles follow subtitling conventions and don’t prove to be distracting to the viewer.
A transcription by default won’t necessarily follow these guidelines and is better suited for other purposes, such as the ones listed above.
So, whatever your reason for transcribing your audio or video content in Zulu, we’re happy to help.
Whether it’s to make your Zulu podcast more accessible to people with hearing impairments, for use as a starting point for a video localisation project, or for any other reason, our experience in these fields has made us the top choice for clients all over the world who want to get more out of their audiovisual content.
Our transcriptionists specialise transcribing Zulu content, but also other audiovisual content from many other languages, consistently ensuring high-quality results.
Leave your project to the experts at GoLocalise so that you can relax and be assured of getting top-notch results
Every single detail will be analysed, studied and looked after so that you do not need to worry.
Some would say it’s not too classy to blow our own trumpet… but we just like to point out two very important details.
We have achieved ISO 9001 Quality Management certification in recognition of our consistent performance and high standards, and ISO 14001 Environmental Management because we care about our planet!
And if you are still curious and want to know more about us, why not have a look at our studio page.
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Don’t leave your important communication to chance. Make sure your message is clearly understood by your audience and choose GoLocalise for your next voice over project. Check out our latest case studies.
We have thousands of passionate and professional voice over artists ready to work with you. Meet some of them in our blog stories.
No matter the type of voice you are looking for, we’ll either have it in our books or find it and source it for you. We’ll organise a casting and ensure you get the perfect voice to suit your needs.
You will also benefit from having your own dedicated project manager – a single point of contact – to guide you through your project, answer any questions you may have and make things a whole lot easier.
Your project will be in the safe hands of one of our multilingual project managers. They will guide you through every step and ensure you understand the process.
Our industry has a tendency to use lots of technical jargon but your dedicated project manager will be on-hand to untangle the mess and explain all you need to know to ensure you only pay for what you need.
If you need help in choosing the right voice over talent to deliver your message then just ask your project manager.
From booking our voice over recording studios to ensuring you project is delivered on time in your chosen media, relax and let your experienced project manager take care of everything.
You will receive unparalleled attention to detail and customer focus at competitive prices. You’ll wish everything was as easy as a GoLocalise voice over agency!
Your most discerning customers will thank you for choosing our modern state-of-the-art recording studios. Every detail has been carefully thought through for your comfort, leaving you to simply focus on what matters most – the voice over session.
Your recordings will sound beautiful and crystal clear thanks to our high-end studio sound-proofing and audio equipment, i.e. ProTools HD and Neumann microphones.
Maximise your budget by reducing the need for retakes with the help of our experienced in-house sound engineers who will professionally capture and edit your audio.
And for those recordings in languages which neither you nor your client speak, we’ll bring a qualified pro to your session to add that essential ingredient.
To make you feel right at home, we provide high-speed Wi-Fi Internet and air-con is available. And last but not least, we have the biggest cookie jar you’ve ever seen, that’ll make your custom brew taste even sweeter!
Josie Gallo
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Designer at Atlas Knowledge
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Sales and Marketing Director at Epipheo
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Producer at Education First
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Animator at Pixel Circus
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Zulu or isiZulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority (over 95%) of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa (24% of the population) as well as being understood by over 50% of the population (Ethnologue 2005). It became one of South Africa’s eleven official languages in 1994. According to Ethnologue, it is the second most widely spoken Bantu language after Shona. Like many other Bantu languages, it is written using the Latin alphabet.
Zulu migrant populations have taken it to adjacent regions, especially to Zimbabwe, where Zulu is called (Northern) Ndebele. Xhosa, the predominant language in the Eastern Cape, is often considered mutually intelligible with Zulu. Maho (2009) lists four dialects, central KwaZulu-Natal Zulu, northern Transvaal Zulu, eastern coastal Qwabe, and western coastal Cele.
The Zulu, like Xhosa and other Nguni people, have lived in South Africa for a long time. The Zulu language possesses several click sounds typical of Southern African languages. These click sounds are not found in the rest of Africa. The Nguni people have lived together with other Southern tribes like the San and Khoi.
English, Dutch and later Afrikaans had been the only official languages used by all South African governments before 1994. However in the Kwazulu bantustan the Zulu language was widely used. All education in the country at the high-school level was in English or Afrikaans. Since the demise of apartheid in 1994, Zulu has been enjoying a marked revival. Zulu-language television was introduced by the SABC in the early 1980s and it broadcasts news and many shows in Zulu. Zulu radio is very popular and newspapers such as isoLezwe, Ilanga and UmAfrika in the Zulu language are available, mainly available in Kwazulu-Natal province and inJohannesburg. In January 2005 the first full-length feature film in Zulu, Yesterday, was nominated for an Oscar.
South African matriculation requirements no longer specify which South African language needs to be taken as a second language, and some people have made the switch to learning Zulu. However people taking Zulu at high-school level overwhelmingly take it as a first language: according to statistics, Afrikaans is still over 30 times more popular than Zulu as a second language. The mutual intelligibility of many Nguni languages has increased the likelihood of Zulu becoming the lingua franca of the eastern half of the country, although the political dominance of Xhosa-speaking people on national level militates against this.
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