Subtitling

Subtitling is the process of creating and displaying a timed - text version (transcript) of the on-screen dialogue. Subtitles have been around since the 1930’s when silent films transitioned into films with spoken audio. In localization, subtitling is a localization method of replacing and displaying original language dialogue with another language version text to address a foreign audience.  Subtitles (as the name suggests) are usually displayed at the bottom of the screen and can either be embedded in the video or be turned on or off at the user's discretion. Subtitles are designed for hearing users and only cover spoken text. Not to be confused with captioning where not just dialogue but also all non-dialogue audio (laughing, door slamming) is displayed on the screen for viewers with hearing loss. 

When to use subtitling

Subtitling is a cost-effective alternative to voice over or dubbing but different to other methods of localization requires the viewer to watch the screen. With subtitles, viewers can hear (and learn) the original language, actors' (celebrity's) voices and engage with your content in noisy environments. Subtitling however needs to consider certain aspects like vocabulary and reading skills (reading time) of program's target audience. That's why it's not a preferable localization method for kids' content. Subtitles also require the viewers to have visual access to the screen in order to follow the action.

Subtitling for hearing viewers

It is intended for hearing viewers that don't understand the original language. Includes only the dialogue translation and the translated text is positioned in the bottom middle of the screen.

Subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH)

It is intended for viewers with hearing impairment. Besides the original or translated dialogue, it also includes speaker IDs and sound descriptions. It could be placed anywhere on the screen to reflect the source of the sound. Combines both a subtitle and a caption content into a translated single file.

Let's tell your story

GoPhrazy provides subtitling services in 150+ languages for the needs of your TV, film, theatrical, web or other audiovisual material. Let's engage your foreign language audience and tell your story by conveying the authentic experience with your content through any medium, platform and format!

Our subtitling department is set up to work on a wide range of subtitle formats. Some of the most common formats used are pac, sub, xml, stl, sst, fab, and srt. However, upon request we can also work with any media input and subtitling format output, depending on your individual preferences.