Making content understandable for everyone is why subtitle translation exists. Day by day, our world gets smaller, our audience grows wider, and the need to communicate across language barriers becomes more pressing. That's why translating subtitles has become so crucial. And now we can reach millions more viewers and still keep the original flavor of our content.
The task of subtitle translation isn't simple, in fact. Let's take a closer look at why it matters and have some key benefits explained.
Why translate subtitles?
Translation of subtitles has long been a common practice, and for good reason! It offers many advantages that are indispensable for today's content creators.
- For example, subtitle translation breaks down language barriers, making any visual content more accessible and attracting new audiences.
- Translated subtitles can increase viewership and engagement among existing audiences, and they impact the reach and revenue of your project, YouTube channel, and other platforms.
- It's also useful in cases where there's a need to make the content easier to understand, such as when presenting the same video to audiences of multiple languages.
- Most importantly, subtitles increase accessibility for viewers with hearing impairments and those who can't watch with sound on.
Types of content that need translated subtitles
Subtitle translation will come in handy in a huge variety of media – in fact, in just about anything you can think of. But generally, we can highlight such content types as:
- Movies and TV shows;
- Clips on social media like YouTube, TikTok, etc.;
- Webinars, online courses, and other educational videos;
- Marketing content and advertising videos;
- Documentaries and podcasts.
Of course, you can also count the translation of subtitles in video games and other media.
Understanding the subtitle translation process
Subtitle translation is a crucial step in any project related to video localization, dubbing, voiceovers, etc. It's a multifaceted task that requires technical skills, linguistic expertise, and attention to detail.
However, subtitle translation is also a multi-stage process, as it includes not only translation but also adapting to time and technical constraints.
While it may seem simple to use machine translators or similar subtitle translation services, there are cases where the original text requires a deep understanding of both the original and desired languages, as well as potential cultural nuances.
If the subtitle translation project involves working on a large amount of text, it's usually better to delegate it to freelancers or use a translation agency. You can even use both services concurrently, just remember to give them different chunks of subtitle text.
Nowadays, using AI-powered translation tools is also an option. They can significantly speed up the subtitle translation process. However, when using them, remember that AI translation tools achieve high accuracy only when trained with a style guide and glossary. Additionally, whichever option you choose, you must ensure that the translation quality is good and that the subtitles convey the same information as the original.
Best practices for translating subtitles
The quality of translation depends not only on the information it provides, but also on its readability and synchronization with the video file. Thus, it's important to follow proven methods. Here are the key ones:
Optimizing text for reading speed and readability
- Line should consist of no longer than 35–45 characters for comfortable reading. It usually works for languages that use Latin case; subtitles in East Asian languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean should adhere to a character limit of around 16 characters per line.
- There should be no more than two lines on the screen.
- In terms of alignment, use centered or left-aligned ones. If there's a scene where multiple characters talk at once, you can place subtitles with different alignments to indicate who's saying what, but make sure not to overdo it.
- Font size and style are often determined by the intended video platform and the creative concept. A standard subtitle look is usually white text with black edges.
- Simplify complex sentences by shortening them, but in such a case, make sure you maintain the meaning.
Naturalness and adaptation
- Adapting text in subtitles is very demanding, as viewers tend to read more slowly than they listen. Therefore, translated subtitles should use language that is easy to read and follow, avoiding overly long or complex sentences. All in all, subtitles should sound similar to people's speech, unless otherwise required.
- If the text contains cultural references or specific humor, literal translations often don't work; therefore, it's better to adapt them to the target audience. To have the most accurate translation, you should research how the language works and what its cultural nuances are, or employ translators specialized in adapting subtitles for non-native speakers.
Technical requirements
- Consider the technical specifications of the file format (e.g., SRT, STL, SBV).
- Timing of captions has to fit the audio and video content for them to be completely understandable. The easiest way to synchronize them is to make text appear at the beginning of the speech and disappear right after it ends.
- Do not break a sentence that conveys key information in the middle; it can negatively impact viewers’ comprehension.
- Pay attention to punctuation too. Periods at the end may be optional, but question marks and exclamation marks are a must. Dashes and ellipses help convey intonation when it's needed.
Using auxiliary tools
- Work with efficient translators and editing software to streamline the process. AI-powered tools are a good option if you need to get work done quickly; just remember to choose the right tools and review the results thoroughly.
- To up the quality and readability of subtitles, use editors with multiple features. For a simple result, you can do everything in Notepad, but if you need to have more control and make various edits, they will come in handy.
Checking and testing
- Proofread the output carefully to avoid and fix mistakes, inconsistencies, and unnecessary word-for-word translations. If something sounds unnatural, it has to be rephrased.
- Test how subtitles appear in the video file; it's a crucial task to perform before publishing to ensure they are legible and accurately timed. It'll also help to see if subtitles obscure important details in the frame and place them accordingly.
Common challenges in translating subtitles
Unfortunately, translating subtitles is not as simple as simply replacing words from one language with those in another. Here are the key challenges translators face and how to solve them:
Length and time limit
Sometimes the original phrase is long, and in translation it becomes even longer (for example, when translating character-based languages to English). It makes it difficult to fit subtitles into two lines.
To solve it, try shortening sentences while preserving their meaning and using shorter synonyms that provide the same meaning.
Synchronization between audio and video
The translator may not always view the video, which is why subtitles may appear too early or late, fail to match the actor's facial expressions, or obscure important details, such as text on the screen.
As such, it's better to use software with video previews and check the timing after translation.
Translation of humor, idioms, and cultural references
A literal translation of a joke or phraseological unit may be, and often is, unclear to some audiences.
You should replace them with analogs from the target language or, if there is no exact equivalent, explain it through context.
Technical terms and proper names
Sometimes, there can be inconsistent terminology and its formatting in the translation. This is because the names of brands, films, and games may have an official translation, remain without translation, or require transliteration.
To avoid errors, check established translations for the terms.
Formats and encodings
Subtitles may "break" due to using incorrect formats or those incompatible with the player or device, or due to encoding problems, when, instead of the text, empty blocks or weird characters are displayed.
To fix it, convert the subtitle file to the required format using editing software and ensure that it is saved in UTF-8 encoding.
Tight deadlines and high volume of content
For an average user who wants to translate one or a few videos, this is not an issue. However, in a professional environment where you may work on multiple subtitle translation projects at a time, it can become a problem.
Using CAT tools and translation services alleviates the workload. But, generally, the best way to achieve high-quality results is to work in specialized software, test subtitles in video, and involve native speakers for checking.
How to translate subtitles: A step-by-step guide
Do you have a subtitle file that needs translation? Or perhaps you have a video that you'd like to add translated subtitles to? Either way, it's a swift process with our subtitle translator! This powerful tool can automatically create subtitles in over 130 languages in just a matter of minutes, which helps speed up the process and makes it an ideal tool for multilingual translation projects.
Research the language and cultural nuances
First, check the original text or audio to see if its meaning can be translated as is, or if you need to look up some information to translate it properly. Depending on the source material, it can involve basic cultural research (such as adapting honorifics) or digging up more niche information regarding specific situations.
If you don't speak the original language well, you may research it after translating subtitles if they end up having some weird-sounding parts.
Translate the text to other languages
When you're ready, open Clideo's Subtitle Translator and click "Choose file" to add the video file, or import it from cloud storage – to do so, simply hover over the downward arrow on the right side of the button and select the one you use.
Once the clip is uploaded, you're prompted to select the method you want to use for adding subtitles to it.
- "Auto subtitles" automatically generates closed captions;
- "Add manually" allows you to write down the text yourself;
- "Upload.SRT" is for adding a file with a transcript, if there is one.
If you choose the first option, you can specify both the original language and the target language for translation right away. However, I suggest generating the subtitles first to ensure they are accurate and appropriately structured for your content needs. So, choose not to translate at this step.
Edit and proofread subtitles
On the next page, the generated text will appear in boxes on the right side. If all the texts of your uploaded or generated subtitles look good, simply click "Translate".
In the next window, select the target language.
After that, look carefully through the translated captions to check if there are mistakes or some unnatural-sounding parts. Correct them, if any. You can also save the translated subtitles in TXT or SRT format if you plan to reuse them anywhere else.
Format the subtitles according to technical specifications
To change the appearance of captions, go to the "Styles" tab. There, you will find several ways to edit the text, like choosing its font and size, changing the color of subtitles and their background, and setting the alignment.
To adjust the time period when a certain part of subtitles appears, drag its sidebars in the timeline or put the specific time point on the left side of the text box.
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Review and finalize the subtitles
Play the video to verify if translated subtitles look suitable for your needs and appear correctly. To finally embed closed captions, click "Export video" at the bottom right.
Once the processing is complete, you can review the final result and download it to your device or cloud storage.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can Google Translate translate subtitles?
Yes, but you would have to copy every line or a few at a time. There is also an option to upload a text document, but the available formats are limited and do not include subtitle formats.
What types of content need subtitles?
TV series, movies, vlogs, educational clips, etc. Generally, if the content is intended for a wide audience, captions are almost always necessary. Plus, they improve SEO.
How to create subtitle translations?
Get the original subtitles (.SRT, .ASS file, or text transcript), translate and synchronize their timing using dedicated tools or editors. After proofreading, export the translated subtitles to the desired format.
What is the best subtitle translator?
A human one. While machine translators and AI tools will significantly speed up the process, without the proper training, they may confuse the context or pick the incorrect meaning for some words. Therefore, it's best to verify the translation and correct any potential errors.
How to add translated subtitles to a video?
Usually, when viewing in the player, they can be turned on if they share the same name and destination as the video. As for embedding subtitles, dedicated tools or subtitle editors have an option to create closed captions.
Conclusion
Good subtitle translation has a perfect balance between accuracy, readability, and synchronization. And if the content is very complex, the help of professional translators may be the best choice. Automation greatly speeds everything up, but after using it, human verification is essential.
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