The Video Boom: The Remarkable Rise of Streaming Content

From Apple TV+ to Zoom, video platforms have experienced phenomenal growth since the beginning of the pandemic.

Viewing of video content has surged since March 2020. Audiences have sought entertainment from the likes of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+; human interaction via Zoom; information and escapism through YouTube; and community from Instagram and TikTok.

For example, Netflix has seen its subscriber numbers soar to 208 million worldwide. Meanwhile, an astonishing one billion hours of video are now watched on YouTube every day, resulting in billions of views.

Video popularity was, of course, on the rise before the pandemic, boosted by the rollout of high-speed broadband and mobile 4G networks.

But the past year and half has accelerated the trend. In fact, it’s safe to say that video now plays a central role in people’s lives, and not just for entertainment purposes.

More than Entertainment

At home, fitness videos keep us in shape, educational videos teach us new skills, product videos help us choose what to buy, and explainer videos tell us how to use our new purchases.

At work, corporate messages are now routinely delivered via video, products are marketed by video, and conferences and events have gone virtual.

Both B2C and B2B companies have embraced video to communicate with their customers, clients, and staff. They recognize that, when done well, video is a powerful way to spread a message that is easily accessible to a large audience.

Many also report that video provides a proven return on investment, often performing better than text and images. That’s because video delivers substantially more engagement than other types of content. Research shows that social video generates many more shares, and that viewers retain more of a message when they watch it in video form.

It’s no surprise that 86% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool—up from 61% five years ago. In fact, 91% of marketers feel video is more important for brands in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Creating Video for All Audiences

Against this background of explosive video growth, TransPerfect is seeing rising demand for its video localization services. To ensure video content resonates with people all over the world, companies need to make it as accessible and engaging as possible.

Even before the pandemic, TransPerfect anticipated the growth of video, having seen its clients start to create more and more content in the medium. In fact, TransPerfect has provided localization services for video for over 25 years. As well as expanding its geographical reach to 47 studios around the world and investing in cloud-recording technology , TransPerfect invested in MediaNEXT, its own cloud-based platform for subtitle translation, review, and management.

What about MediaNEXT?

MediaNEXT allows clients to review subtitles, scripts, audio, and localized masters in a cloud-based, secure environment. Clients can comment, edit, and approve in real time. The platform also harnesses the power of AI to save money, meet tight deadlines, and translate high volumes of content. For voiceover and dubbing, TransPerfect launched StudioNEXT, its cloud-recording platform that allows actors, directors, and clients to collaborate and record from anywhere in the world.

MediaNEXT and StudioNEXT have helped many clients localize video content for international markets. For example, Monster Energy recently came to TransPerfect with three weeks to subtitle more than 100 videos into Spanish and Portuguese. Monster Energy and TransPerfect worked collaboratively through the platform to manage reviewers and timelines, reducing turnaround time by 50%.

Additionally, documentary platform CuriosityStream worked with TransPerfect’s MediaNEXT to service its 15 million+ linear and digital consumers around the world. So has Red Bull Media House, which has localized over 450,000 minutes of content over the past three years using TransPerfect’s MediaNEXT platform.

To learn more about MediaNEXT, contact us here or via medianext@transperfect.com.