Subtitle Translation

That makes subtitling a craft defined by its constraints. How many characters a line may hold, how many seconds it will stay on screen and how many characters a second can comfortably be read are all known in advance. The translator has to fit the meaning inside those limits. Cutting is not a loss here but the nature of the work; the real skill lies in judging correctly what can go.

When is it needed?

Subtitles are used across a wide range of material, from films and series to corporate promotional videos, from online courses to conference recordings. Being faster and more economical than dubbing makes them the preferred option for corporate and educational content in particular. They also let the content be watched when the viewer cannot turn the sound on – on social media, or in quiet surroundings.

Then there is the accessibility dimension. Subtitles prepared for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers convey not only the speech but also information such as music, sound effects and changes of speaker. Subtitles of this kind can be prepared even in the same language as the audio, and more and more organisations now ask for them as standard.

How the process works

Subtitling is a flow in which translation and timing cannot be pulled apart; treating them as separate steps is the commonest planning mistake there is. The order below is built so that the text comes into being together with its limits on screen: first we establish where the subtitles will sit, then the text is written to that frame. The state of the source video, and of any existing time codes, determines from the outset how long the work will take. The measure at every step is the same: the viewer should be able to follow the content without noticing that they are reading.

1. Source material and timing. The video, and a transcript if one exists, are received. Where time codes are not already available, the in and out points for each subtitle are established (spotting).
2. Translation and condensing. The text is translated to the line and reading-speed limits; cutting without damaging the meaning is the essence of this stage.
3. Line breaking. Sentences are broken at points that make sense and read easily; phrases left hanging are corrected.
4. Checking on screen. The subtitles are reviewed alongside the video; any that overrun, arrive late or disappear too early are corrected.
5. Export. The work is delivered in the subtitle file format requested; where needed, a version burned into the picture is prepared as well.

How it is delivered

Subtitles are usually delivered as a separate subtitle file, independent of the video and switchable on and off by the viewer. The common formats carry the time codes and the text together. Some projects instead call for the subtitles to be burned into the picture; then they cannot be switched off, but they look the same in every player. Which form is needed depends on where the video will be published, and it is settled at the outset. The technical limits the publishing platform sets for subtitles also bear on that decision: the same subtitles may be required in different formats and under different rules on different platforms.

What to watch for with this service

The commonest error in subtitling is translating the text as though it were prose and then forcing the timing to fit afterwards. When the limits are not taken into account from the start, you end up with subtitles that will not fit the screen or leave no time to read them. Translation and timing are not two jobs but one, done together.

The second point is how subtitling differs from transcription. Transcription writes down what is heard, as it is heard; subtitling cuts and reshapes it so that it can be read. A video can first be transcribed under our translation services and then turned into subtitles, but the two are not the same job. Cultural references, jokes and idioms also call for particular care in subtitles; a word-for-word rendering usually carries only the words, not the meaning.

Same-language subtitles and accessibility

Subtitling is not always a move from one language to another. Subtitles prepared in the same language let content be watched where the sound cannot be turned on, and they are becoming standard on more and more platforms. The version prepared for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers goes a step further: alongside the speech, it conveys who is speaking, the significant sound effects and the presence of music. Without that information, the meaning of a scene is left incomplete.

Subtitles of this kind require more decisions than ordinary ones. Which sounds go into the text, whether an effect matters to the plot, and how a change of speaker is to be shown are all settled in advance. Where several people are speaking on screen at once, distinguishing between them takes particular care. If accessible subtitles are wanted, this should be stated at the start of the project, because both the preparation and the timing differ from ordinary subtitling and adding them later is a good deal more work.

What determines the price

The cost of subtitling turns on the length of the video and on how densely it is spoken. Ten minutes of dense dialogue needs far more subtitles, and far more work, than ten minutes of a single speaker’s narration. Whether the time codes arrive ready also counts; a project that includes the spotting takes longer. A price therefore cannot be given without seeing the video and weighing up its length together with its content.

You can send us your video and the target language through the quote form. You will find our price bands on the pricing page and the languages we work in on our language pages.

Situations that come up often

• Leaving timing out of account. Translating the text straight through and trying to make it fit afterwards; the commonest and most exhausting mistake of all.
• Neglecting reading speed. Subtitles that are accurate but too long, leaving the viewer behind; cutting is not a preference but a necessity.
• Expectations about accessibility. Confusing subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers with ordinary ones; because they carry sound information too, they are planned separately.
• Format mismatch. A subtitle file the publishing platform will not accept; the target platform should be stated at the outset.

The information here is general in nature; current requirements should be verified before you apply. For definitive information, rely on the relevant institution’s own current announcement.