Not Sure Which Languages to Choose?
So many countries speak French, over 20 fully or partially. The audience is 300 million people. But French isn’t the same everywhere. How do you translate YouTube videos for France, Canada, and Africa without messing it up? Let’s break it down.
France: Standardized French
When a creator reaches into French-speaking markets, France as a whole comes to mind first. Of course, because it’s the largest French-speaking market on YouTube, particularly in Europe.
But, let’s look at why this region is so desired as well. According to our data, which we collected from +3,000 creators, France’s current average CPM is $6,76, depending on a niche. Keep in mind that the data is changing dynamically, so for precise current numbers, reach out to us.
Even so, that’s more than South Korea ($5,73), Spain ($5,61), Hong Kong ($5,46), and Italy ($5,31), but lower than the US ($14,67) or Australia ($13,30).
Standard French (français standard) is expected. So spelling, grammar, and accent need to be consistent (which can’t be achieved with AI).
Canada: Bilingual Nuance
Canada’s French-speaking population is primarily concentrated in Quebec, but French is also spoken in parts of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Manitoba. Quebec French (français québécois) differs significantly from European French (not only in pronunciation but also in vocabulary, syntax, and idiomatic expressions).
But let’s also talk about money. Canada’s current average CRM is $9,93. Again, depending on a niche you choose. While it sounds tempting, it’s also important to keep in mind that Canada is bilingual.
Quebec French uses many Anglicisms and localized terms. Example: “parking lot” becomes “stationnement,” and informal slang is very different from France. Spoken Quebec French may drop certain endings or modify verbs in ways that are grammatically incorrect in France.
Certain words or expressions that are neutral in France may have different connotations in Quebec.
Africa: French Dialects
Now the most diverse region of spoken French is in the continent of Africa. There are 21 French-speaking countries in Africa. That is a large chunk of potential viewers. Each Francophone country in Africa has subtle variations when it comes to their French, influenced by indigenous languages, local slang, and regional culture, which makes the translating experience so unique and challenging in its own way.
Traditionally, let’s look at the current average potential CRM according to our data. In general, the CRM of African countries tends to be below $2, but keep in mind that the competition there is much less fierce, and therefore the potential to earn is high.
While “standard French” is overall understood, local expressions, slang, and phonetic variations dominate everyday speech. For example, West African French speakers may use words from Wolof, Bambara, or Hausa.
Testing Beforehand
Obviously jumping headfirst into the rich French-speaking language market sounds tempting, but before doing so, to avoid unnecessary trouble and possible disappointment, you want to make sure that the viewers want your content there and the market is worth it for your channel. How do you test the waters before committing? Simple.
1. Subs and Metadata
It’s the cheapest (and quickest) method to see if it’s worth committing to. You translate metadata (which can be done in seconds with our shiny tools), and you add French subtitles on your videos. Just make sure that the pacing is A-okay and the viewers can actually follow along without issues.
How can you tell if it’s working? Check out your YouTube Studio. If France, Canada, Benin, Central African Republic, Congo, Madagascar, Guinea, etc. have been popping up in your traffic sources - that’s your que.
2. YouTube’s Auto Dubbing
Although this feature gets hated a lot, it’s still a great testing tool. All it needs is three simple steps:
- Turn it on for French language.
- Wait a month.
- Watch the numbers.
If the viewership grows - full localization is next, if there’s crickets - save your time and money and look into different regions.
Avoid 5X Retention Drop
Given how diverse the French-speaking community is, translating everything through AI or Google isn’t an ideal solution to say the least. It sounds robotic and generic and, trust us, native speakers will be able to tell that there was no human effort involved. If you’re bilingual, you know how it is: what sounds perfectly well in English, might sound cringe in another language. And don’t get us started on literal translation, that definitely kills the vibe.
AI might be a tempting solution, but it has proven to be (time and time again) to be the wrong one by itself. Relying solely on the quick and easy AI might result in a x5 drop in viewership.
What to Do?
If you’re seriously considering tapping into the vast French-speaking market, you have two valid options to do so:
Option #1
Full pro-dubbing, which relies majorly on human professional translators (with AI for lip sync) and voice actors every step of the way.
What does it mean?
Well, a translator will need to check your scripts before you record, which includes pacing and timing. Plus, they would need to work closely with your voice actor. It might sound complicated, but it’s the baseline for the quality in-house dub team.
Option #2
Skip the boring parts and let us do it for you.
Since we have been working closely with dozens of YouTube channels, helping them translate and localize, we know our stuff. AIR Translate Lab can help you translate and localize into French, as if you had several French-speaking clones with different dialects making it.
We offer studio quality, voice actors who know your niche and understand industry slang, your audience and the general vibes your channel gives. And if you want, we can make them sound exactly like you would with the same tone and pacing.
While localizing, keep in mind that French isn’t a language of 1 single country, there are dialects and cultural differences to remember. Taking a shortcut here might actually backfire.
French-speaking viewers are incredibly diverse, but they share one thing in common: they respond to content that feels authentic. And if you want to achieve that, we’re here to help.
