Understanding the Art of Subtitling & Captioning
March 29, 2023
The main difference between closed captioning and subtitling lies in the types of translation they provide. Closed captions are designed to aid deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers by including sound effects and speaker identifications, while subtitles assume that the viewer can hear the other audio elements. The consumption of mobile video in public with the sound muted has aslo increased the demand for translation captioning.
Both closed captions and subtitles display the text version of spoken audio in a video, yet closed captions are typically provided in the same language as the video’s audio track. On the other hand, subtitles involve translating spoken dialogue into an alternate language to allow people to watch the video even though they do not speak the language.
Another point of distinction between closed captioning and subtitling is the manner in which they are delivered. Closed captions can be delivered as part of a video file, embedded directly within the media, or added dynamically with software applications. Subtitles, however, are typically provided as separate text files that must be synced with the appropriate video file to work properly.
Types of Language Translation Subtitling
Translation subtitling increases the accessibility of your messaging while enabling your target audience to consume video content even with the sound muted. In the industry, subtitling and captioning require specific skills that are both similar but unique. In general, there are two distinct types of translation subtitling:
- Intralingual – Intralingual subtitling is translated and displayed in the same language that is being spoken on the video. Even when subtitling is done in the audio language, they might differ. For example, very wordy content on the video could produce too many words on the screen for the viewer to read. Presentations that require ADA compliance must have closed captioning or intralingual subtitling. There are strict legal requirements for companies or agencies that receive federal funding as defined by ADA Compliance Laws.
- Interlingual – Interlingual subtitling is content that is being translated and displayed in one or more languages in addition to the spoken one. With audiovisual messaging being produced worldwide on the web, multilingual translation subtitling is vital for recreating people's voices and their communicative contexts. Interlingual subtitles allow any audience to be fully immersed in shared content whenever different cultures need to understand the nuances of language expressions.
By using both captioning and subtitling technologies together, you can make multilingual content more accessible to a broader range of viewers that are more language diverse audiences. Subtitles allow people to watch videos even when they don’t speak the language. With the growth of global video platforms, many organizations have seen real value in adding translation subtitles to make video content and other media messaging available in multiple target languages.
Providing the Ultimate Multimedia Localization Services
ProLingo provides the latest language localization services including multilingual translation subtitling and captioning. Multimedia localization is a revolutionary new marketing process for improving you capacity for global and all-inclusive communication. At ProLingo, we help clients elevate their multilingual messaging to a whole new level. With translation subtitling, the diverse voices of your world will be heard and appreciated without physical or language barriers. Multilingual subtitles allow you to capture every nuance of dialogue and convey the full meaning of your content by bringing viewers closer to the original context and intent. With subtitling and captioning, you can connect in languages of people from all over the world.
_____________________
ProLingo is fully prepared to help you take full advantage in improving your audiovisual presence with localized multilingual translations as well as ensuring ADA compliance for usability by deaf or hard of hearing individuals. For the most cost-effective solutions for multiple language content translation, interpretation, transcription, captioning and subtitling services, contact 800-287-9755 to speak with one of our language specialists.
