Subtitles that read like cinema
Accurate, perfectly timed subtitles and captions in more than 60 languages, written by professional subtitlers, not automatic tools, for films, series, courses and social video.
Take your video to every audience
Video is not tied to one place, and audiences respond better when it speaks their language. Subtitles let a film made in one country reach viewers everywhere, quickly, and at a fraction of the cost of dubbing with voice actors.
Subtitles and captions in several languages widen your viewership: people who would never watch because of the language, and people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Television and streaming
- Cinema and documentaries
- Web, social and e-learning video
What is subtitling?
Subtitling adds translated text to video or audio so viewers who do not understand the original language can follow it. It also clarifies words that are hard to hear, when actors mumble or switch languages mid-sentence.
Good subtitles also carry cultural details a non-native viewer would miss, and they make content accessible to people with hearing impairments: the whole story, a few clicks away, for everyone.
We write subtitles by hand, not with automatic tools, so they read like cinema, not like a robot.
Which kind of subtitles do you need?
The right output depends on where the video will play and who will watch it. Many projects need more than one: a subtitle file for streaming and a burned-in version for social media.
| Subtitles | SDH captions | Burned in | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it shows | Translated dialogue | Dialogue, speaker names and sound cues | Translated text fixed in the picture |
| Can be switched off | Yes | Yes | No |
| Best for | Streaming, YouTube and e-learning | Accessibility and broadcast | Social media and ads |
| Delivered as | SRT, VTT or your platform's format | SRT, VTT, SCC or STL | A new video file |
Who needs subtitling?
Any video with an international audience, and any audience that includes people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Businesses
Product and brand videos that show your offer to customers in their own language.
Film and TV producers
Films, series and documentaries launching in international markets and festivals.
E-learning platforms
Courses and talks that must teach learners who speak many languages.
Tech companies
Tutorials and product demos on your website or YouTube channel.
Marketers and creators
Social media videos, which are often watched with the sound off.
Events and webinars
Recorded conferences, keynotes and webinars that keep working after the live day.
How subtitling works
From your video files to subtitles that are ready to publish.
- 01
Collect videos and scripts
Send us every video file, plus scripts, style guides or reference material if you have them.
- 02
Languages and quote
Tell us the languages and dialects you need; within an hour you get a quote with the scope, a cost breakdown and the delivery date.
- 03
Transcription
We transcribe the dialogue to create the master script the subtitles are built from.
- 04
Translation and timing
Subtitlers translate and condense the dialogue, and time each subtitle to the speech and the shot changes.
- 05
Review in the video
A second linguist watches the subtitled video to catch errors, misspellings and timing issues.
- 06
Delivery
You receive the files in the formats you chose, or the video with the subtitles burned in.
The Nile once flooded every summer.
كان النيل يفيض كل صيف.
The whole valley waited for it.
وكان الوادي كله ينتظره.
For millennia its flood fed both banks.
طوال آلاف السنين كان فيضانه يروي الحقول على ضفتيه.
For millennia
طوال آلاف السنين،
its flood fed both banks.
روى فيضانه كلتا الضفتين.
Today one dam at Aswan holds it back.
واليوم يحتجزه سد واحد عند أسوان.
The rules of a readable subtitle
Subtitles are read in seconds while the viewer is also watching the picture. That is why subtitling has strict rules for space and time, and why a good subtitler condenses the dialogue without losing anything important.
We follow each platform's and broadcaster's specifications, and adapt the limits to the language: Arabic, for example, has its own reading speeds and punctuation rules.
Arabic subtitles: the details viewers notice
Arabic subtitles fail in small ways that viewers notice at once: a Latin question mark on the wrong side of the line, an English comma, numbers that jump out of place, or a dialect that does not match the audience.
We use Arabic punctuation, check every line inside the player, where right-to-left text and numbers can break, and agree with you on Modern Standard Arabic or a local dialect before the first line is written.
The craft behind good subtitles
Timing and space
Two lines, a limited number of characters and a few seconds on screen: every subtitle has to fit and stay in sync with the speech.
Condensing without losing meaning
Subtitles are a condensed version of the dialogue; the skill is keeping every piece of crucial information.
Natural language
Clear, coherent lines that sound natural, with punctuation adapted to the screen.
Culture on screen
Jokes, references and names adapted so the audience laughs in the right place.
Beyond dialogue
A video speaks through more than its dialogue. We translate everything the viewer needs to follow it.
On-screen text
Titles, signs, messages and captions inside the picture, subtitled or listed with timecodes for your editor.
Songs and lyrics
Translated for meaning and rhythm, wherever the rights and your brief allow.
Forced narratives
Subtitles that always show, for lines spoken in another language and for text inside the video.
Speaker names and graphics
Lower thirds, charts and slide text translated to match the subtitles.
Our subtitling formula
Excellence and affordability, in more than 60 languages.
Precision
Proofreading and quality assurance on every file, so every line is right.
On time
We work to your broadcast and release dates without lowering the standard.
Always reachable
Questions about the service or a specific file get an answer throughout the project.
Confidential
Unreleased footage stays private; nothing is shared without your consent.
Subtitle packages
Pick the level that fits your video; every package is quoted in advance, with no surprises.
Basic
A transcript and a translation, delivered as a ready-to-upload SRT file.
- Transcription
- Translation
- SRT file
Standard
Timed, proofread subtitles checked for quality, in the formats most players use.
- Transcription and translation
- Time sync
- Proofreading and quality assurance
- SRT, ASS, SUB and VTT files
- Final eye review
Premium
Everything in Standard, plus XML delivery and subtitles burned into your video.
- Everything in Standard
- XML file
- Subtitle embedding (burn-in)
- Final eye review
Tools and formats
Tell your project manager the format you need; we deliver exactly that.
Software we use
- Aegisub, Subtitle Edit, Subtitle Workshop
- EZTitles, CaptionMaker, Subtitler Pro
- Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro
- YouTube Studio, VisualSubSync
Video we accept
- MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV
- WMV, FLV, VOB, Ogg
- MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MJPEG
- Audio: WAV, PCM
Formats we deliver
- SRT, VTT, ASS, SUB
- SCC, MCC, TTML
- QT.TXT and plain text
- Burned-in subtitles
Standards behind every project
Our processes follow international standards for translation services, machine translation post-editing, quality management and cyber security, so every project is handled with the same care, whatever its size.
Standards are not a certificate on the wall for us: they decide who works on your text, how it is checked and how your files are protected.
What happens next?
From your request to the delivered files, in four clear steps.
Request a quote
As soon as you submit your request, a specialist starts analyzing your needs.
A reply within 30 minutes
The work steps and our price for your language pair, within thirty minutes in office hours.
Project green light
Once approved, the team splits the work into phases and sends you status updates throughout.
Delivery and follow-up
We aim to deliver early so feedback can be applied right away; the invoice comes with the delivery unless agreed otherwise.
Our valuable clients
We are proud of our place among the leaders in translation, and our focus is, and always will be, on you.
Questions
Something else? A project manager replies within thirty minutes in office hours.
Which subtitle formats do you deliver?
SRT, VTT and other common formats, or subtitles burned into the video.
Do you transcribe Arabic dialects?
Yes, including Egyptian, Gulf, Levantine and North African speech.
Can you subtitle into many languages at once?
Yes. We create one timed template and translate it into each language.
Do you provide accessibility captions?
Yes, SDH captions including speaker names and sound cues.
How is the price decided?
By the video's length and complexity, the clarity of the sound and how fast you need it. Ask for a free quote with no commitment.
Can you deliver in our broadcaster's format?
Yes. Specify the format when you order and we will match it; some specialist formats carry a small surcharge.
What is the difference between subtitles and closed captions?
Subtitles translate the dialogue for viewers who do not speak the language. Closed captions, or SDH, also describe sounds and speakers for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. We provide both.
Can you subtitle a video without a script?
Yes. Transcription is part of every package, so the video file alone is enough to start. A script helps with names and technical terms, if you have one.
Do you burn subtitles into the video?
Yes. Embedding (burn-in) is included in the Premium package and available on request with the others, for platforms that cannot load separate subtitle files.
How long does subtitling take?
It depends on the length of the video, the number of languages and the package. Your quote, sent within an hour, includes a confirmed delivery date.
Other services
All servicesVoice-over & Dubbing
Native voice talent for video, e-learning and ads.
Translation
Business, technical and legal documents in 60+ languages.
Human Translation
Fully human translation where nuance matters.
Certified Translation
Stamped, signed translations for official use.
Send the file. A project manager replies in thirty minutes.
A first reply within 30 minutes in office hours. On time, or refunded. A free review if you are not satisfied.