Amara Subtitle Editor

To start subtitling the video:

1. Press TAB key to play or pause the video.

2. Press ENTER key to add a new subtitle cell:

3. Start typing along with the video.

4. The flyout on the right of the subtitle will show the number of characters in the current line. If a line is too long, press SHIFT+ENTER to insert a line break: 

5. To start another new subtitle, press the ENTER key.

6. It is best practice to periodically save the subtitles: click the Save button in the top right corner.

Always click the Save button before exiting the editor.

7. When you are done typing what you hear, click the Start syncing button on the left side to sync your subtitles to the timing of the video. While syncing:

   • Press TAB to play or pause the video;

   • Press DOWN ARROW key when the subtitle should start;

   • Press UP ARROW key when subtitle should end.

8. When all the lines are synced, click the Start reviewing button

9. After you've replayed the subtitled video and made sure that everything looks right, click the Publish button on the right panel.

Congratulations! Your subtitles are finished and marked as complete. After clicking Publish, you will be taken to your subtitle's page where you can view your revisions.

To see a list of your work on Amara subtitles, go to your Account page under your username menu in the top right corner and then click the Activity tab. 

Typically, you can only see a few subtitle cells at one time in the editing panel and the reference panel at the bottom of the Amara Editor. To view other subtitle cells, you can navigate up and down your subtitle set in two different ways:

1. Scroll with your mousewheel or with the scrollbar.

2. Use keyboard shortcuts:

• ALT + ARROW UP keys to move up;

• ALT + ARROW DOWN to move down.

Please note that you can navigate both the Reference and Editing panels at the same time, or just the Editing panel by itself. This depends on the status of the scroll lock button in the Reference panel.

If the Reference panel is locked (as in the screenshot above), both panels will move together as you scroll. If the Reference panel is unlocked, only the Editing panel will move.

At times you may need to focus more on the content of the subtitle cells, for example to ensure translations are consistent and accurate when comparing them to the original language. 

You can expand the left Reference panel and the center Editing panel and simultaneously reduce the amount of space for the video player. By expanding the panels, you can focus on comparing the translated text in the center Editing panel to the original language text in the left panel, without worrying about the timing or video playback, making it easier to catch errors and improve the overall quality of the subtitles.

Expand the Reference panel and the Editing panel by clicking on the Expand Editing Panel button in the Reference panel on the left side of the Editor: 

Before Expanding the Reference and Editing Panels

Before expanding the Reference and Editing panels, the video playback section takes up a large portion of the top of the Amara editor:

After Expanding the Reference and Editing Panels

After expanding the Reference and Editing panels, the video playback section is reduced and the Reference and Editing panels are expanded:

Click on the button again to return the Reference panel, the Editing panel, and video playback section to their default sizes:

The most common keyboard shortcuts for video playback control appear in the top right of the Amara Editor when you are in typing and syncing modes.

Click the See more shortcuts link to view advanced keyboard shortcuts for jumping forward and backward in the video, and keyboard shortcuts for other actions that you can perform in the Amara Editor, and your browser.

The video settings menu can be displayed by clicking on the gear icon on the video playback bar:

Playback Mode 

• Playback Mode is available for all users.

• Playback Mode is only available during the typing step.

  • If Playback Mode options are grayed out, click on 1. Type what you hear under the Subtitling steps panel to enable Playback Mode options.

Playback Modes:

• Beginner: Plays video for 4 seconds, then automatically pauses. Resume video playback by pressing TAB key.

• Standard: No automatic pausing; use TAB key to pause and resume the video.

• Magic: The video automatically pauses whenever you type for 4 seconds without a stop. When you pause typing, it skips 3 seconds back and resumes playback.

Playback Speed

• Playback Speed is only available to Amara Teams.

• Playback Speed can be changed during typing, syncing, or reviewing/endorsing.