Subtitling
One can find subtitles in various video formats: from films and podcasts to videos and online courses. This type of audiovisual aid contribute to accessible and international communication, making your message available to a wider range of potential customers. A distinction between two types can be made:
... are written in the same language as the original voice.
... translate the spoken content into another language. Thus, making the audiovisual content available to an international audience.
POST-EDITING
I also offer post-editing of machine-generated subtitles. In this process, I optimize them in terms of content, language, and technical aspects, focusing especially on timing, readability, and visual alignment.
Good to know
Subtitles are not a word-for-word transcription of the spoken content! This especially applies to intralingual subtitles. Due to readability reasons, subtitles need to be shortened and linguistically adapted. Subtitles help increase accessibility, inclusion, reach, and efficiency.
Background
Subtitles for typical film and television formats consist of a maximum of two lines, each containing between 37 and 42 characters (including spaces and punctuation). This limitation is based on the fact that viewers can only process an average of up to 18 characters per second when accompanied by the ongoing visual content. Therefore, the text must be highly condensed to reduce cognitive load and support comprehension, especially during fast-paced dialogues or complex visual scenes.
Acknowledgement
Translators are legally considered the authors of their texts. Therefore, it is common practice to include an acknowledgment. In the case of subtitles, the credit typically appears in the credits of your video, for example: “Subtitles by: Paula Karlsböck Oya.”
This form of attribution is mandatory for film and TV productions for copyright reasons, either in the opening or closing credits. For other formats, such as social media videos or reels, the acknowledgment can be flexible and agreed upon on a project-specific basis.
PRICING
The cost of subtitles is generally based on the length of the audio material (per audio minute (AM)). In addition, the amount of source text and the desired scope of subtitle versions (e.g., multiple language versions or accessible formats) also play a key factor.
As a guideline:
Interlingual – from 7€/AM
Intralingual – from 5€/AM