The guide to translating subtitles 

Let’s explore various methods for video creators to translate subtitles online.  

In our digital age, video content has become a powerful medium for communication, entertainment, and education. The online video space is getting more and more competitive, and creators are constantly looking for ways to reach a global audience. With this, the need for accurate and accessible subtitles in different languages has grown significantly. The number of ways to create translated subtitles online has also increased thanks to new technology and new competitors entering the market.  

Let’s explore various methods to translate subtitles  

1. Manual Subtitle Translation 

One of the most common methods for translating subtitles is manual translation. This method involves the use of professional translators who are fluent in both the source and target languages and who possess linguistic expertise, cultural understanding, and a strong ability to maintain accuracy.  

These professionals work on translating speech word-by-word as well adapting the translated text to fit the timing and constraints of the video. Manual subtitle translation ensures high-quality translation with little errors. However, it can be a time-consuming process. Many online manual subtitle translation services require at least 2-3 days of turnaround time and can charge over $5.00/minute of video ($250 for 50 minutes). Video creators who have longer videos can expect excessive costs and a long wait to receive their translated subtitles.  

Is manual subtitle translation right for you? 

• Do you need 100% accuracy in your translated files or are you ok with making a few edits yourself?  
• Can you wait up to a week to receive your translated subtitles back? 
• Do you have a budget? 
• Do you have the time to search and find the right professional translator for your language pairing? 

2. Crowd Sourcing 

Crowdsourcing is one of the least common methods of translating subtitles as it involves engaging a community of volunteer translators or viewers to contribute to the process. Through this method, video creators upload their video to a crowdsourcing platform and allow participants to translate various sections of subtitles. This method harnesses the power of collective intelligence and is particularly useful for large-scale projects or content with multiple languages.  

While crowdsourcing is more cost-effective than paying professional translators, it can result in varying quality levels due to the diverse backgrounds and language proficiency of contributors. Quality control measures must be taken to mitigate this, and editing and proofreading is required to check for errors.  

Consider if crowd-sourcing translated subtitles is right for you: 

• Are you willing to proofread the work once completed? 
• Are you fluent in the languages to evaluate the translation accuracy? 
• Are you willing to wait a few days for the translations to be made? 
• Are you willing to monitor and organize contributors? 
• If you are translating into multiple languages, do you have the time to organize and edit each subtitle file for each language? 

3. Automated Subtitle Translator 

Machine translation, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), offers a more efficient and automated solution for subtitle translation. An automated subtitle translator, such as SubCaptioner, utilizes advanced algorithms and neural networks to analyze and translate text. This subtitle translation tool can quickly generate translations for multiple languages, saving the creator time and effort.  

Automated subtitle translators are also cheaper than manual subtitle translation and require no planning or scheduling. Video creators can upload their content 24/7 to the SubCaptioner platform to receive translated subtitles whenever they need them. 

While machine translation is one of the more convenient options, it can be slightly less accurate than manually translated subtitles. Depending on the quality of the audio, machines can sometimes have difficulty interpreting speech correctly and then translating that speech with a natural language flow. Although AI technology can typically create translated subtitles with accuracy upwards of 90%, those looking for 100% accuracy may need to review and edit their files after they have been processed.  

Consider if automated subtitle translations are right for you: 

• Are you looking for an immediate turnaround? 
• Does your original audio have lots of background noise or poor-quality speech that might make it hard for the machine to detect? 
• Do you need 100% accuracy and are you willing to make a few edits to the translated text yourself? 
• Are you working on a tight schedule with a small budget? 

4. Hybrid subtitle translation 

In recent years, hybrid approaches that combine both manual and automated methods have gained popularity. These methods leverage the strengths of both human and machine translation to achieve efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness.  

For example, video creators can utilize an automated subtitle translator, such as SubCaptioner, to generate initial subtitles which can then be reviewed and edited by either the creator or a professional translator. This method can reduce the time and cost associated with manual translation services while also maintaining a high level of accuracy and quality.  

Consider if hybrid subtitle translations are right for you: 

• Do you need highly accurate translated subtitles on a budget? 
• Are you willing to make a few edits yourself, or pay someone else to do it? 
• Are you willing to wait a short time for edits to be made? 

Video creators have a range of options to translate subtitles for their videos. Choosing the right method depends on budget, time constraints, desired accuracy, and the volume of content to be translated.  

While manual translation services have dominated the market over the years, AI-driven automatic subtitle translations are beginning to take over the market with their ability to detect and translate human speech accurately and affordably.  

SubCaptioner is an online automated subtitle translator that can accurately and quickly translate subtitles for only $0.25/min for each language. Video creators simply create a free account, upload their audio or video file to their projects page, and then add-on each additional language they need translated into transcriptions and/or subtitles. SubCaptioner delivers translated files in just minutes so that video creators can meet their project deadlines on time and without any extra hassle.  

Get started today by creating a free account here.