As a business owner, you might know how important captions are for your videos.
Well, they are not just important- they are critical!
80% of American users are likelier to watch an entire video with captions. (Source- Newton Technologies)
However, there’s a slight difference between captions and subtitles. And since you're creating videos, you should be aware of it.
Captions in a video are the transcriptions of the audio content, including dialogue, sound effects, or identification of the narrator. They’re invaluable for individuals with hearing impairments and benefiting viewers in noisy environments.
Subtitles, on the other hand, are textual translations of the audio content in a video. They help understand the dialogue and narrative of a video in a different language, bridging language barriers and allowing for broader international viewership. This means that by adding subtitles to your video in different languages, you're giving people around the world the ability to watch and consume your content.
So whether you’re a social media content creator, a marketer, or a business owner, you’ll require an ideal online video subtitle translator that can accurately subtitle your videos in multiple languages.
But with so many options, how do you choose the best one for your needs?
Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered!
Stay with us as we’ll compare the top online video subtitle translators, exploring their features, ease of use, and translation accuracy.
Well, here’s the short answer- Verizon and Publicis Media did a joint study and found that up to 80% of viewers are likelier to finish a video with subtitles.
And here’s the kicker- half of them prefer subtitles because they watch videos on mute. Can you believe it? That’s not all. There are a plethora of other benefits too!
When you add subtitles, you’re not only improving the viewing experience but also increasing the chance of your videos ranking higher and being discovered easily.
That’s right… But how’s that possible?
The text in your subtitles improves your videos’ search engine optimization (SEO), making them more discoverable on platforms like Google and social media. In a world dominated by video content, being searchable is an absolute game-changer, and subtitles are the secret sauce that makes it all possible.
Over 100 million individuals daily watch videos on YouTube (Source- TextMaster).
Just imagine this…
By translating your videos and adding English subtitles, you can boost your search rankings and attract English-speaking viewers from all walks of life, whether English is their native language or not.
Subtitles help you expand your reach and connect with new audiences who speak and understand a different language than yours.
Let me paint a scenario for you!
Imagine you’re a realtor in the US who wants to capture the Spanish-speaking population in your state through your videos. Now, you should understand that a huge population speaks Spanish in the United States. If your videos only have English captions, you’re missing out on a golden chance to connect with these individuals, and sadly, their engagement might slip away.
But if you add subtitles in Spanish, you make your videos accessible and relatable to those people, opening doors to more potential clients.
Similarly, if you’re an online course creator aiming to offer your course to students from around the globe, adding subtitles in multiple languages can be a game-changer for you! It breaks down language barriers and can welcome students worldwide to enroll in your course.
It’s like giving your content a passport to global appeal! Isn’t it phenomenal?
Another significant advantage of adding automatic subtitles to your videos is its cost-efficiency. Instead of hiring a translator or expensive translation services, using automatic subtitle services can cut down the need for additional expenses.
Online subtitle translators can generate accurate subtitles quickly and efficiently, saving you both time and money.
Adding more to it, here’s what a YouTuber, who makes travel videos, has to say about adding subtitles to his videos-
You won't believe how things have changed in recent years. Subtitle translations used to be limited to big players like Netflix or Disney.
But guess what…
It has become a powerful strategy for marketing and content teams looking to enter new markets or reach larger audiences. Exciting, right?
Here are just a few video types in which you can add subtitles in multiple languages to reach audiences worldwide-
Kapwing is one of the best online subtitle translators for adding subtitles in multiple languages to your videos. While it offers a free version, remember that it comes with a watermark.
To add subtitles, click “Create New Project” and upload your video. Kapwing allows you to directly upload your video from your laptop or desktop, google drive, or by pasting the video link.
Once your video is uploaded, head over to the left-hand side and click on the “Subtitles” button. From there, click “Automatic Subtitles” and watch as Kapwing generates subtitles for your video magically.
Before it begins, the platform will prompt you to select the original language of your video and the language in which you want your subtitles to be generated. Don’t worry if you want to translate your subtitles into multiple languages later; it’s doable! However, be aware that upgrading your plan will be necessary, as the free version only allows 10 minutes of subtitles.
Kapwing claims their automatic subtitle translations are up to 90% accurate, and we found the same in our testing. They use Google Voice Recognition technology and are constantly improving accuracy.
Kapwing offers two pricing plans:
While Kapwing is undoubtedly a powerful tool, it may not be the most beginner-friendly platform, especially if you create long-form videos. Some users have reported a few bugs while editing or adding subtitles to longer videos. Therefore, we wouldn’t recommend it for complete beginners or individuals working on extensive video projects.
The second online subtitle translator in our list is Flixier. It’s super-easy to start using the platform, as it doesn’t even ask for email verification before logging in. How convenient is that?
Flixier integrates seamlessly with various software platforms, including YouTube and Twitch. Take a look at the image below, and you’ll see just how easy it is to upload your video and add or translate subtitles.
Once your video is uploaded, click the “Subtitle” button, followed by the “Auto Subtitle” button. Voila! Flixier will start generating automatic subtitles for your video.
But the real game-changer is Flixier’s ‘Automatic Language Detection’ feature. It cleverly identifies the language used in your video and confirms it with you. If it somehow detects an incorrect language, no worries! You can manually change it with ease.
After generating the subtitles, you can review them and make any necessary corrections, such as fixing misspelled words. Flixier displays your subtitles on the right-hand side, perfectly aligned with their timestamps.
Once you’re satisfied with your subtitles, you can download them in multiple formats, including SRT, TXT, or VTT.
Now coming to the automatic subtitle translation feature… Yes, it allows you to translate subtitles into multiple languages.
Now, onto pricing. Flixier offers three options:
Based on our experience, it’s a reliable and cost-efficient subtitle translator for your videos. It’s ideal for those seeking a user-friendly interface and looking to quickly generate subtitles for short videos like on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts.
Happy Scribe is another powerful subtitle translator for videos with a unique pay-as-you-go pricing structure. It’s an excellent choice for new brands and content creators who are just embarking on their video-making journey and prefer to avoid monthly subscription charges.
Happy Scribe allows you to upload or import your video from your social media accounts. Once your video is ready, you can update your language preferences for automatic subtitles and generate them.
Happy Scribe offers two options for generating subtitles, each with its pricing and features:
What makes them unique is their ‘use my vocabulary’ feature. It allows you to input custom technical words or terms that may be challenging to transcribe. Think of your company name or your pet’s name. Once you’ve entered these words, the software remembers them and accurately transcribes them in future projects, saving you precious time and ensuring the correct spelling and recognition.
Here’s our experience with Happy Scribe’s machine-generated video subtitle translator. Unfortunately, we weren’t entirely satisfied with their turnaround time for generating subtitles. I mean, who wants to wait 4 minutes for subtitles in a video that’s less than 2 minutes long? Other online subtitle translators, we tried delivered in under a minute. Time is valuable, after all!
If you’re looking to translate your video subtitles, Happy Scribe once again gives you two options:
As discussed earlier, Happy Scribe offers a pay-as-you-go option instead of a monthly subscription. Here’s a breakdown of their plans:
We found Happy Scribe is not ideal for brands or content creators looking for quick and accurate automatic subtitles for their videos. The accuracy of their machine-generated subtitles is around 80%, which is way too less. For 99% accuracy, you’ve to go for human-made subtitles, which we guess most of you’ll find costly.
BIGVU is an overall video editing suite with an in-built teleprompter tool and automatic captioning and transcription features, which makes it go beyond being just a video subtitle translator. Furthermore, BIGVU comes with stunning theme that make creating professional videos a breeze.
There's a lot to unpack with BIGVU, but in this article we’ll guide you through how to add or translate video subtitles using BIGVU.
When you log in to the platform, you can import your video and add automatic subtitles. Alternatively, if you already have a video script, you can use the in-built teleprompter tool to record your video directly within the platform. In seconds, BIGVU will generate subtitles based on your script. It’s quick, efficient, and hassle-free.
Once your video is uploaded, you can select the language you want your subtitles to appear. The upload process takes just a few seconds. Now, you have to click “Generate Subtitles and Translations” to get automatic subtitles for your videos.
In a few seconds, BIGVU will generate automatic subtitles for your video, which you can edit ‘scene by scene’ as shown in the image below-
Now, you must doubt what scene-by-scene editing is and how it’s different from editing in a timeline, like other video subtitle translators. Let me explain…
Instead of editing on a long timeline, BIGVU lets you look at one short part of the video at a time. This makes it easier to add or change the words. You can even watch that short part of the video repeatedly to ensure the words are right. It’s great for people who don’t have a professional team to help them edit videos.
So now your captions are ready, and let’s say you want to translate them to multiple languages so you can cater to audiences who don’t understand your language. What you’ve to do is select the original language and the one you want the translation.
It’s as simple as that!
All these mind-blowing features make your video-making journey hassle-free, only if you’ve recorded your video or have a script ready to record.
What if you don’t have the script with you?
Surprisingly, here’s the bonus feature…
We understand how time-consuming it is to write a video script that engages your customers. So let’s say, even if you do not have any script ready to begin recording, you can try BIGVU’s ultimate AI Magic Writer for Video Script that can generate your script in a snap of a few seconds.
The BIGVU plans are as follows-
Well, in our opinion, more than the video subtitle translator, BIGVU is a complete video editing suite with 100s of different features that enhances your video-making journey. You must already be knowing how to record videos for TikTok or Instagram and get more visibility.
But…
With its incredible video editing features, BIGVU helps you cut down your production costs so that even if you’re a complete beginner, you can still create flawless videos to impress your audience.
Think about it: other online subtitle translators can only add or translate subtitles. But what comes after that? You still need different platforms to professionally edit and share your videos on your social media accounts. And let’s not forget the need for a professional scriptwriter to craft engaging video scripts.
That’s where BIGVU truly shines. It’s a one-stop solution that simplifies the entire video-making process, making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
To translate the subtitles of your video, go to an online video subtitle translator. Then upload your video and select the “translate subtitle” option. Select the preferred language and click enter. Your video subtitles will be translated.
You can translate your YouTube videos using Google Translate, which will be time-consuming. On the other hand, you can go with any affordable and reliable video subtitle translator, like BIGVU.
To translate the Spanish subtitles in your videos to English, upload your video source file to any video subtitle translator. Then select English as the preferred language for translation and hit enter. Your Spanish video will be translated into English.
To get your video subtitles into a text form, download your subtitles in Srt or Txt format from any good online subtitle translator.
So now, as we’ve seen, the top 5 software that helps you translate subtitles online, what’s stopping you from trying the one that meets your requirements? By considering factors such as accuracy, language support, ease of use, and customization options, you can select the most suitable translator for your specific needs.
Choose wisely and make your videos accessible with good-looking subtitles to a diverse audience, unlocking new opportunities for growth and impact for your brand.