What is a subtitle? 

A subtitle is a text translation of the source language of the video that viewers can see on screen and that is time-linked to a certain point scenes within the video. 

Why should we include subtitles and captions in our videos?

They allow sharing videos with a larger audience, including deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers, and viewers who speak another language. 

Subtitling golden rules

Wait, wait. I still have not shown you my new dress. (52 characters)

Wait, I still haven't shown you my new dress! (45 characters)

Wait till you see the dress. (28 characters)

Oh my God, are you guys okay? (29 characters)

OMG, are you guys OK? (21 characters)

6 seconds

Subtitles should not be on the screen for more than 6 seconds (otherwise the reader starts re-reading the subtitle) or for less than 1.5 seconds (otherwise the reader will not have enough time to read it). 

Between one subtitle and the next, there should be a small gap where nothing is shown on the screen (0.125 seconds)

• Adaptation is needed (transform the spoken word into written word). You need to remove all “junk words” because you are not translating word-by-word, but conveying meaning. For example: 

Speech: Speed wins is kind of  a great concept. 

Subtitle: Speed wins is a great concept.

• Subtitles must appear on the screen when the person starts speaking and disappear when the person stops speaking. 

• Subtitles should be as invisible as possible: they should not distract the audience from what is happening on screen. Color and size help with this. Recommended fonts are Arial or Sans Serif, and only white should be used (occasionaly yellow too, if more than one person is speaking at the same time). 

Only if absolutely necessary, you can use some effects to assist reading, such as shadow, outlines, or black/grey background. 

Frequently asked questions 

1. Where do you insert subtitles? At the bottom of the screen (1/3), aligned to center, in horizontal position.

2. What if the line is too long? If the speech is too long and you have to divide it into two lines, beware of dividing semantic and grammatical units (set expressions, adjective+noun, etc.) 

3. What do you do if there are idioms and word games? You should come up with a culturaly appropriate expression in the target language that matches the original's meaning and purpose. 

4. How do you describe non-speech elements? Sounds should be in brackets (Birds chiming), (rain droping), and relevant information for the story in claudators [in Chinese], [music in the background]... Ponder the relevance of non-speech information you introduce -is it really relevant for the audience and does it provide necessary information?  

If you still need help you can check the following experts' guidelines: 

• BBC Subtitle Guidelines http://bbc.github.io/subtitle-guidelines/

• TED Talks https://www.ted.com/participate/translate/guidelines

• Amara https://about.amara.org/2011/08/09/best-practices-for-subtitling-videos/ 

How do you add subtitles or captions to an existing video? 

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.

2. From the left menu, select Subtitles.

3. Click the video that you would like to edit.

4. If you haven't selected your detault language, it will ask you to do so. Click Add language and select Catalan as your default language.

5. Then, under subtitles, click Add.

6. Select Pause while typing to allow you time to write properly. 

7. Select Type manually and copy-paste the subtitles you have already created as you watch the video. Remember to set the correct timing to sync the voices with your subtittles. 

8. Don't forget to add text like [applause] or [thunder], so that viewers know what's going on in the video. 

9. Remember to click Save and close.

Setting the timings can take a few minutes. While you wait, you'll be brought back to the video tracklist. Once it's ready, your transcription will automatically be published on your video.