Video is today's main communication format: a product demo, an online course, a corporate presentation, a YouTube channel, a social media clip, a webinar recording. But a video that does not speak the audience's language loses a large share of its views in the first seconds. Moreover, most videos are watched on mobile without sound, which makes subtitles not an extra but an essential element. Audio and video content localisation solves these two tasks at once: the material becomes accessible to a new language audience and works correctly on every platform.
What audio-video localisation covers
- Transcription: an exact text record of the audio with time codes, speaker identification and, where needed, the marking of sound effects.
- Subtitles: text translated into the target language that appears on screen in sync with the speech.
- Closed captions (CC): subtitles that also describe audio information (music, noise, tone) for the hearing-impaired audience and meet accessibility standards.
- Voiceover and dubbing scripts: text adapted into the target language that takes timing and lip movement into account and is ready for the voice artist or the studio.
- On-screen text: titles, graphics, interface captions in demo videos, which are often more visible than the subtitles.
- Metadata: the video title, description, chapters, tags and thumbnail text for YouTube and other platforms.
- E-learning: video lessons of courses, interactive elements, tests and the text resources of SCORM packages.
Professional subtitling standards
The subtitle is the most constrained genre of translation: the viewer must read the text in seconds and see the frame at the same time. That is why in subtitling we keep strictly to the technical parameters:
- Characters per line: usually 37-42, a maximum of two lines, taking the width of the Georgian alphabet into account.
- Reading speed: 15-17 characters per second for a standard audience, fewer for children's or educational content.
- Duration: a minimum of 1 second and a maximum of 6-7 seconds on screen, respecting shot boundaries.
- Line break logic: a subtitle is split at a semantically logical place, not in the middle of a phrase.
- Condensation: speech is often much faster than the reading speed allows. The translator keeps the meaning and shortens the form, so that the viewer does not lose essential information.
We prepare subtitles in every main format: SRT, VTT (WebVTT), ASS/SSA, SBV, TTML/DFXP, as well as files compatible with Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut. Where needed we also produce a video with burned-in subtitles, styled (font, colour, position) according to the brand guide.
Transcription: the foundation everything stands on
A quality subtitle begins with a quality transcription. Automatic speech recognition (ASR) speeds up the work, but for Georgian, for subject-matter terminology, accents and several speakers the error rate remains high. Our process puts the automatic record through a full editor's check: terms, names, numbers, time codes and speaker changes are verified by hand. Apart from localisation, the finished transcription is also useful for SEO: the text version of a video is indexable content for search engines.
Voiceover scripts: text that fits the time
A script localised for voiceover differs from an ordinary translation in that every phrase has a time budget. Georgian text is 20-30% longer than English, while the voice artist has to fit into the pace of the original. So we prepare the script:
- with time codes for every phrase, marking pauses and emphases;
- with condensation of the text where the original does not fit the time in the target language;
- with pronunciation instructions for foreign names, brands and abbreviations;
- with lip-sync adaptation for dubbing, where the beginning and end of a phrase must match the lip movement;
- with tone and register notes ("friendly, dynamic", "formal, reassuring"), so that the voice artist conveys the brand voice correctly.
Where needed we cooperate with professional voice artists and studios, or prepare the script for the client's chosen voiceover partner.
Product demos, webinars and online courses
In the B2B field the largest part of video content concerns the product: interface demonstrations, feature overviews, training modules, customer webinars. Here terminological consistency is critical: "Settings" in the subtitle in one form and "Settings" on screen in another confuses the viewer. That is why we link audio-video localisation to the terminology base of the product interface and documentation, so that the video, the app and the help centre speak one language. For online courses we separately process interactive elements, tests and certificate templates.
Accessibility and platform requirements
Closed captions (CC) are not only for the hearing-impaired audience: they help with watching without sound, perception in a noisy environment and understanding foreign accents. Many international companies also set accessibility standards (WCAG) as a corporate requirement. We prepare captions that describe sound effects, music and speaker changes, and check that the file meets the requirements of YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn, LMS platforms and corporate video hosting.
Process and deadlines
We start the project by receiving the video material, the existing script (if any) and the terminology. Transcription and subtitling for a 10-minute video are, as a rule, ready in 1-2 working days, and a voiceover script needs 1 additional day. The finished file goes through a double check: linguistic (translation accuracy, terminology) and technical (synchronisation, reading speed, format validity), by viewing it together with the video in a real player. For serial content (a YouTube channel, a course library, monthly webinars) we offer a subscription model with uniform style and terminology.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between subtitles and closed captions?
A subtitle is a translation of the speech for a viewer who hears the sound but does not know the language. Closed captions (CC) also describe audio information (music, effects, speaker changes) and are intended for the hearing-impaired audience and for watching without sound.
In which file formats do you prepare subtitles?
SRT, VTT, ASS/SSA, SBV, TTML/DFXP and formats compatible with editing software. Where needed we also produce a video with burned-in subtitles in the brand's styling.
Do you use automatic speech recognition?
We use automatic transcription to speed up the process, but every record goes through a full editor's check. For Georgian and subject-matter terminology the automatic result alone is not enough.
Can you organise the voiceover too, or do you only prepare the script?
Both. We prepare a script equipped with time codes and pronunciation instructions for your studio, or provide the full process together with partner voice artists and studios.
Do you localise YouTube video titles and descriptions?
Yes. The title, description, chapters, tags and thumbnail text are localised according to the search behaviour of the target market, so that the video is found by the new language audience.