The short answer
Before publishing a localized product video, check the approved product facts against the spoken translation, captions, and visible text. Then watch the final export on the destination player, with sound on and off. Record the exact file version and reviewer decision. A successful export confirms that a file was created; it does not confirm that the translation or product information is correct.
Start with a one-page release sheet
Choose one target audience and language before creating versions. “Spanish” is not a complete brief if the wording, currency, measurements, or offer differs by market. Record the intended wording and have a fluent reviewer check it. The website’s display language is not the source language of your video or the language of a generated voice.
Keep the original video, approved transcript, terminology list and final outputs together. If the edit changes later, treat the new export as a new version: a cut can invalidate timing that was correct in the previous file.
Source file/version:
Target language and market:
Destination/player and aspect ratio:
Approved product terms and numbers:
Output MP4 and caption filename:
Reviewer and review date:
Issues found / corrections made:
Decision: hold or approved for publication1. Verify the source, permissions, and scope
Use footage, music, product imagery, and voices you are authorized to process and publish in the intended way. Record permissions privately; do not publish consent documents or customer identifiers in a case study. If a permission is unclear, resolve it before submitting the file.
For Recast Studio, prepare Chinese or English speech within the current limits: up to 90 seconds, 200 MB, and 1920 pixels on the longest edge. Upload a file; importing a YouTube URL is not available. Supported targets are English, German, French, Japanese, and Spanish, with up to four targets per job.
Listen to the source before processing. If two voices overlap or a number is hard to hear, get a clearer recording or resolve the transcript first. Do not ask the translation to guess a product fact.
2. Compare names, numbers, units, and claims
Create a short list of facts that must survive the translation unchanged in meaning. Include model identifiers, quantities, dimensions, compatibility, exclusions and any qualifications on the offer. Ask the reviewer to compare all three surfaces: spoken words, captions, and the product image.
For example, if the approved script says a pack contains two lids, check that neither the voice nor captions says three. This is a QA example, not a report about a real Recast customer. Where units are converted, verify the arithmetic and the precision the product owner approves; do not round a fit-critical dimension casually.
- Names and model codes: same item, consistent spelling, understandable pronunciation.
- Numbers and units: correct quantity, decimal separator and unit; no omitted negatives.
- Claims and limitations: no extra capability, guarantee, certification, or unsupported superlative.
- Offer and destination: correct market, currency and landing page; no expired call to action.
3. Review the translated audio against the action
Play the full export at normal speed. Listen for clipped words, unnatural pauses, abrupt changes between speakers, and instructions arriving before or after the action they describe. Recheck a corrected line in context: replacing one sentence can affect the transition to the next.
Recast preserves the original presenter and product rather than replacing them. Dubbing does not change mouth movements; lip-sync is not included. If synchronized mouth movement is a requirement, that needs a different supported workflow, not a wording change in the release notes.
A fluent target-language reviewer should judge whether the result is understandable and appropriate for the audience. Listening to how smooth a voice sounds is not a substitute for checking what it says.
4. Check captions and the picture separately
Review the exported caption text and timing against the final video, not just a preview of its first lines. Confirm that the first and last cues appear, that lines are readable, and that text does not cover the product detail being demonstrated. If captions are needed to communicate relevant sounds or speaker changes, review those as well.
Keep a separate caption file when the destination supports it. If you need permanent text in the image, test the burned-in output itself. Font coverage is finite: missing characters or unsupported symbols need correction, not an assumption that any successful download must look right.
Inspect packaging, screen recordings, labels, diagrams and titles already in the source picture. Recast does not automatically translate that on-screen text. Decide whether it needs editing, an explanatory caption, or a reshoot. Check the chosen output ratio for a cropped product or cut-off label.
5. Test the final files in the destination player
Play the actual file you intend to publish on a phone and a desktop. Try sound on, sound off, caption selection and seeking near the end. An editor preview can hide problems caused by the destination’s processing or supported subtitle features.
Check the destination’s own format requirements. For example, YouTube documents basic UTF-8 SRT support without style markup. That is a platform-specific rule, not a promise that every site accepts or renders the same file in the same way.
| Release check | Hold the release if… |
|---|---|
| Facts | A model, number, unit, claim, or instruction has changed meaning. |
| Audio | A line is missing, unintelligible, or attached to the wrong action or speaker. |
| Captions | Required text is missing, unreadable, mistimed, or covering essential detail. |
| Picture | Untranslated labels conflict with the message, or framing hides the product. |
| Playback | The destination cannot play the export or expose the intended caption track. |
| Approval | Permissions or target-language review are still unresolved. |
6. Save the approved version and its limitations
Record who reviewed the file, what changed, which output was approved, and any limitations that remain. Use an explicit filename or version identifier so an older export cannot accidentally replace the corrected one. Keep a clean master and the editable caption source.
For a public before-and-after case study, publish only authorized clips and verified observations. If you measured processing time or cost, keep the run details that support the number. If you did not run an audience experiment, do not describe the localization as a proven sales improvement.
This checklist is an editorial release process, not a certification of accessibility or legal compliance. Adapt it to the product, destination and requirements your team is responsible for.