Video subtitling is the process of adding text so that a video displays the spoken dialogue or narration synchronized with the corresponding audio. Subtitles can also include translations of the spoken content into another language or additional explanatory text to enhance understanding.
Subtitling differs from transcription in that it involves:
- Timing: Subtitles must be carefully timed to appear and disappear in sync with the audio.
- Formatting: Subtitles are typically concise to ensure readability, often simplifying or summarizing dialogue when needed.
- Localization: Subtitling can adapt language, cultural references, and idiomatic expressions to suit the audience.
Subtitles serve multiple purposes, including improving accessibility for the hearing impaired, enabling understanding for viewers who speak a different language, or allowing viewers to watch videos in sound-restricted environments.
Video subtitling steps
- Video subtitles are created from the transcription of the spoken word
- Length: ensure that the text conforms to the length of the audio.
- CPS: ensure that the text scrolls at a readable rate according to specifications, typically 24 cps.
- Spellcheck and grammar check. Text will apply normal grammatical rules where possible including capitals and full stops. With certain exceptions. The spoken word does not necessarily follow rigorous grammatical rules.
- Review to ensure the text conforms to the required parameters that it flows.
We now use Subtitle Edit, which has better functionality than Aegisub, more shortcuts and a more intuitive interface.
Video subtitling projects
We have worked for producers of documentaries for Netflix and French Television who more and more wish, or are required, to produce their material with subtitles. This is advantageous for viewers in France, but subtitles also allow French companies to export their material to English-speaking countries.
Subtitles are now also attached to video, increasingly for use by visually impaired or hard-of-hearing users. Subtitles are used to ensure compliance with EU legislation to provide access to hard of hearing and deaf people.
We deliver subtitles in SRT format, or encrusted into the video, are subject to estimate.
See examples of our Video Editing Projects.
Examples of Video Subtitling
This is a video subtitled by us which discusses the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Assess) management method.
This mind map shows the themes covered:
Areas of speciality
We translate documents in the following areas of speciality, but the source material can also be video. We can transcribe the video speech to text, translate it and then apply to the source video, in effect translating the video.
- Supply Chain and Management
- Information Systems
- Industrial and Technical
- Tourism translation for a specialist Paysdoc
Source and output formats
We accept source for video subtitling in French or English. We may transcribe in one or two steps. If in two steps, we can supply the intermediate source language transcript and its translation. We can supply either the fully edited video with embedded subtitles, or just the SRT file.
- Video or audio source
- Time coded transcription delivered in SRT format,
- Non-time coded transcription in a Word file
We accept video or audio in any format on hard disk, key, optical, by transfer or FTP.
Prices for video subtitling
See the prices of our translation services