Category: Video

If it moves, capture it

Adding subtitles to videos

TL;DR

  1. Book a subtitles job
  2. Upload the subtitle files
  3. Test the subtitles

Why subtitle?

We want as many people as possible to enjoy and share our videos, so we should subtitle them whenever possible – this is why:

  • Subtitles make our videos easier for users to find in Google.
  • They make our content more accessible to deaf/hard of hearing users and to people who have English as a second language.
  • They are useful for watching a video with the sound down.

To create in house subtitles, see here for the guidelines

Book a subtitling job

Subtitles are built into the production cost of all First News commissioned videos, eg, Just The Job, so don’t forget to order them!

We use Access Subtitling to create our subtitle files. They have more than 20 years’ experience working for the BBC, Channel 4, etc, and are very nice people.

Drop an email to [email protected] for a quote and copy in [email protected]. When the deal has been done send the videos in a WeTransfer link.

Upload the subtitle files

Subtitles are sent to this shared folder on Steve Smith’s Google Drive. Contact him for access if you need.

Our subtitles are supplied in different formats for First News Live and Vimeo (.vtt), YouTube (.slt) and Facebook (.srt). For Twitter and Instagram use burned in subtitles.

Add a subtitle file to First News

Upload the .vtt subtitle file to the Media Library or click Add File in your post and navigate to the file on your computer.

Preview the post, then click the burger menu in the bottom left of the video and choose English as the subtitles.

Add a subtitle file to YouTube

Follow YouTube’s instructions, using the .slt format subtitle file.

That’s it for adding subtitles to videos for the mo

Video subtitling guidelines

Introduction

First News aims to be as accessible and usable as possible for every user. Our videos are subtitled for the hard of hearing, for people who have English as their second language or for anyone who wants to watch with the sound off.

  • First News subtitles are produced by Access Subtitling, who have 20 years’ experience working for all the major broadcast channels – BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky – as well as films and DVD. They have supplied the guidelines below for generating subtitles on First News Live.

Subtitle guidelines summary

  • Timing: At least two seconds for one line of text and at least 3.5 seconds per two lines of text.
  • Grouping: Keep a natural grammatical structure so the viewer can understand each subtitle line before it disappears.
  • Style: Generally use 42 characters per line, with a maximum of 44 to avoid awkward subtitle breaks or very fast subtitles.

Teach yourself subtitling in 5 minutes

  • Watch this news video with automatic YouTube subtitles.
  • Watch the same news video with the subtitles reworked.
  • Have a little discussion about any differences you notice.
  • Read this PDF: Introduction to subtitling (opens in a new tab).
  • Watch the original and reworked versions without sound again, making note of the suggested techniques.

How to use the subtitle files

  • Our subtitle files are supplied in a variety of formats, plus a copy of the video with the subtitles burned in. The main video platform is included in the file name, eg, YouTube_Banoffee pie.stl
  • Use these file extensions for these platforms:
    • First News Live – .vtt
    • Facebook – .srt
    • YouTube – .stl
    • Vimeo – .vtt
    • Twitter, Instagram – burned in subtitles
  • Read more about the importance of website accessibility.

That’s it for subtitles for the mo.

First News video specs

These are the recommended video settings for First News videos. They are what YouTube recommends and as used by First News Productions.

  • Container: MP4
  • Codec: h264
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Frame rate: 25fps
  • Resolution: 1920×1080
  • Video bitrate: 8-12Mbps
  • Audio codec: AAC, 48kHz, stereo
  • Audio bitrate: 384kbps

That’s it for video settings for the mo.