Whether you’re looking to translate and subtitle your videos to reach a global audience, to make your media accessible for the hard of hearing, or you simply want to make foreign subtitles for your next giant blockbuster movie, there are some questions that you may have about the process, and what you can expect. Here are some FAQs when it comes to subtitling and translation services, and what Transcription City can offer you.
Can you create subtitles files that I can add to my videos?
Yes. At Transcription City, we can produce accurate and well written subtitles in a variety of formats depending on your needs. We can write English subtitles or translate subtitles with file extensions which include .srt, .ssa, .vtt and more. Just give us a call and we can arrange for you to receive your subtitle files in format which best suits your needs.
Can you create a variety of different foreign language subtitles?
Yes. We have a team of foreign language subtitles, linguists and translators, all working with different languages and within different specialist areas. Our most requested languages for subtitles are current English to French translation, English to Spanish translation, English to German translation and more. We employ linguists which specialise in medical, financial, property and legal translations and more, and will match your linguist to best suit your requirements.
What is the difference between subtitles and captions?
Subtitles include only words spoken in your videos, whereas captions includes all sounds relevant for viewers. If your goal is to reach foreign speakers and a global audience with your videos, you may think that subtitles are best for you, but if your video contains a lot of sound effects then you may look to adding captions in order to make your media accessible for the deaf or hard of hearing.
What is open captioning?
Open captions are subtitles or captions that are burnt on, and part of your video, with no option to turn them on or off. They can be used for titling sections of your video as well as for very small sections of translations. For instance, a video or film that is produced in English but features only a few minutes of French speech would likely have open captioning to allow the British audience to understand what was said. Open captions are also brilliant for ‘made-up’ languages, such as Elvish translation when watching the Lord of the Rings!
What is closed captioning?
Unlike open captions, closed captions can be turned on or off by the viewer of your videos, as needed. This is particularly useful as it gives viewers the option of switching captions on or off. Closed captioning can offer viewers the option of switch captions on or off in multiple languages.
Can you add styling to my subtitles?
Yes. We can burn on your subtitles or captions and/or offer certain types of subtitle files that include styling such as text size, font style, font colour and text positioning to best suit your video. If you do wish to have styling on your subtitles, however, you may be restricted on which subtitle or caption formats are available to you as some formats do not offer this option, such as .srt.
Well, that’s it, our most frequently asked questions on our subtitle translation, captioning and transcription services. If you have a video in French, German, Italian, Dutch or indeed, any other language, that you are considering having subtitled to appeal to a wider audience, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@hubspot.transcriptioncity.co.uk.
