Subtitle Translation Services
Subtitle translation turns the spoken dialogue in a video into timed subtitles in another language, then delivers them as a subtitle file the player accepts. Espresso Translations is a subtitle translation company with 2,000+ linguists working across 150+ languages: translation starts at $0.10 per word, standard projects are delivered in 2 to 3 working days with 24-hour express available, and a second linguist checks every file under ISO 17100. Subtitling starts at $5 per video minute, with the exact figure set by how much dialogue the video carries, the languages you need and the turnaround, and your itemized free quote arrives within 1 hour.
ISO Certified 17100
Native Translators
Transparent Pricing
Twice Proofread
150+ Languages
Quote in 1 Hour
Request a Translation Quote Now
We’ll get back to you within 1 hour
What is a subtitle translation service? A subtitle translation service translates the dialogue in a video and delivers it as a timed subtitle file — SRT, VTT, STL or TTML — that stays inside the line length and reading speed a viewer can follow. Espresso uses professional subtitlers who are native speakers of the target language rather than automatic captioning, works in 150+ languages under ISO 17100, and delivers standard projects in 2 to 3 working days. Subtitling starts at $5 per video minute, the exact quote depending on dialogue density, the languages and the turnaround, and an itemized free quote arrives within 1 hour.
What Does Our Subtitle Translation Service Deliver?
Subtitle translation is the work of converting spoken dialogue into written text that has to be timed as well as accurate, so it combines linguistic expertise with technical precision. A subtitle that reads correctly but appears late, runs past two lines or moves faster than the eye can follow will still spoil the video. Professional translators translate the spoken dialogue, set the timing, and control line length, characters per line and reading speed so the text stays in sync with the original audio.
Projects go to native speakers of the target language who work in audiovisual translation, not to general document translators and not to a bilingual colleague on your own team: reading two languages is a different skill from writing a line that fits the seconds it holds the screen. A subtitle is not a transcript — the translator condenses speech so the meaning, the humor and the tone survive the cut. A second linguist then checks the file under ISO 17100 before delivery.
Subtitles, captions and SDH are three different things. Subtitles assume the viewer can hear the audio track and carry the dialogue, usually in another language. Captions carry the dialogue in the original language for viewers watching with the sound off. SDH adds speaker names, sound effects and music cues so viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing follow the whole scene.
Can I translate subtitles directly from a video or for platforms like YouTube?
Yes to both. If you have no subtitle file, send the video itself and the transcription step is included: we produce the timed text and then translate it, rather than asking you to prepare anything first. If you already have an SRT or VTT, we translate that and keep the existing timings. For YouTube, the file comes back in the format the platform ingests, so you upload it against the video and select the language; the same applies to Vimeo, Wistia and the usual broadcast specifications, and we can supply a burned-in version where the platform does not accept a separate track. Accepted sources include MP4, MOV, AVI and WMV alongside SRT, VTT and ASS. Pricing starts at $5 per video minute, with the exact figure confirmed in the quote.
| Type | What the text carries | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Subtitles | Translated dialogue only | Viewers who can hear the audio track but do not speak the original language |
| Captions | Dialogue in the original language | Viewers watching with the sound off |
| SDH | Dialogue plus speaker labels, sound effects and music cues | Viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing |
| Burned-in subtitles | Text rendered permanently into the picture | Social platforms that strip a separate subtitle file out of the upload |
Espresso delivers subtitle files in all major formats: SRT for YouTube and social platforms, VTT for HTML5 web players, STL for broadcast, and TTML, SCC or DFXP for streaming delivery. An SRT format file carries plain text and time codes only, while broadcast and streaming formats also carry positioning and styling. Every file is validated against the target platform before it reaches you, so you can rest assured it will load.
| Format | What it holds | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| SRT | Plain text plus time codes | YouTube, Vimeo, social platforms, most web players |
| VTT | Text, time codes, basic styling | HTML5 players and websites |
| STL | Text, time codes, positioning | Broadcast delivery |
| TTML / DFXP | Text, timing, positioning, styling | Streaming platforms |
| SCC | Caption data for broadcast encoders | US broadcast and closed captioning |
Every subtitle translation project runs under a signed NDA with encrypted transfer and restricted access. A dedicated Project Manager runs the entire process from upload to delivery, confirms the file format, and is quick to respond to technical questions. Unreleased films, corporate training and healthcare media are handled on the same terms.
Which Video Content Do We Provide Subtitles For?
From feature films to compliance training and social campaigns, our video subtitling service covers video assets for every major industry, platform and multilingual audience.
What Subtitling Services Does Espresso Provide?
Translated and Multilingual Subtitles
Espresso translates subtitles from the source video into more than 150 target languages, synchronized with the original dialogue and formatted for the platform you publish on. Subtitlers localize humor, idiom and cultural references, and can deliver subtitles in a variety of different languages from one source file so the video reaches a global audience.
Closed Captions and Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Espresso produces closed captions and SDH subtitles that carry dialogue, speaker identification, background sound and music cues. SDH is available in English, Spanish, French and dozens more languages, so an international audience and viewers who rely on captions take the same information from the video.
Live Subtitling and Real-Time Caption Services
Espresso provides live subtitling for conferences, webinars, broadcasts and corporate events, with captions appearing in real time as the speaker talks. Respeakers and caption specialists handle the live session, and the replay is delivered afterwards as a clean, fully timed file.
Subtitle File Formats and Technical Delivery
Subtitles are delivered either as a separate file the player loads — soft subtitles, which the viewer can switch off or change language on — or burned in, rendered permanently into the original video content, where the viewer cannot turn them off. Soft subtitles suit streaming and broadcast; burned-in subtitles suit social platforms that strip subtitle files out of an upload. Espresso delivers either, or both from the same set of timings.
How Much Does Subtitle Translation Cost at Espresso?
Subtitle translation starts at $5 per video minute, and that price covers transcription and translation, the spotting in between, and the finished subtitle file. Where a project lands above that figure depends on how much dialogue the video carries, the language pair, the subtitle format and the deadline, because a ten-minute interview and a ten-minute montage are not the same amount of work. Send the video or audio, plus the transcript if you have one, and an itemized quote based on the real content comes back within 1 hour.
If you already have a transcript, the translation is quoted on its word count at the standard $0.10 per word, which usually suits dialogue-heavy training, e-learning and corporate video. If you do not, Espresso starts by transcribing the audio into a timed transcript.
Four things move the price. Language pairs matter, because common combinations cost less than languages with few available subtitlers. Terminology matters, because legal and medical content needs expert translators who work in the field. The delivery format matters, because a plain SRT file is less work than a styled broadcast package. And the deadline matters, because 24-hour express has to be resourced on the day.
Turnaround time is agreed before the work starts. Standard subtitle translation projects are delivered in 2 to 3 working days, with 24-hour express available when a release date is fixed. A feature-length film or a series in several languages takes longer, and the exact date is confirmed in the quote. Upload the video, tell us which platform and languages meet your needs, and the free quote comes back within 1 hour.
How can I translate subtitles online?
Send the video or an existing subtitle file through the secure form, say which target languages and which output format you need, and the free quote comes back within 1 hour with the price and delivery date fixed before you order. From there a subtitler transcribes and translates the dialogue, times each line to the speech, and a second linguist reviews the file under ISO 17100. You get back an SRT, VTT, ASS or burned-in version, timed for your own player. Subtitling starts at $5 per video minute. Automatic caption tools will generate a draft in seconds, and they mistime line breaks, miss overlapping speakers and translate idiom literally — which is visible to every viewer who speaks the language.
How Does Our Subtitling Process Work, From Video Files to Delivery?
Provide Us With the Video and Your Requirements
Provide us with the video, any existing transcript or subtitle file, the target languages, the subtitle format you need and the deadline. The Project Manager checks dialogue density, audio quality and the platform specification before confirming a workflow built around your specific needs.
Receive Your Quote Within 1 Hour
The quote is built from the runtime, the language combination, the subtitle formats you need and the deadline. It states the price, the delivery format and the delivery date, and it reaches you within one hour. Nothing starts until you approve it.
Transcribe and Time the Original Audio
If no transcript exists, a translator transcribes the dialogue and times it against the picture — the step subtitlers call spotting, where every subtitle is given an in point and an out point, aligned to a shot change wherever the edit allows. When you supply an existing subtitle file, this extra step is skipped and translation starts at once.
Translate, Synchronize and Review
Professional subtitle translators translate the dialogue, condense it to fit the time on screen, and hold every line inside the line length and reading speed limits, taking into account timing against the shot changes. A second linguist then reviews the whole file under ISO 17100.
Deliver the Required Subtitle Format
Espresso delivers the translated subtitles as a file in the format you asked for — SRT, VTT, STL, TTML, SCC or DFXP — plus burned-in versions where the platform needs them. Files are ready to upload straight to a streaming service, a social platform, a broadcast system or a corporate learning platform.
Why Does Subtitle Translation Need More Than Timing Software?
Automatic subtitling software and online translation tools produce a timed draft quickly, and on a clear single-speaker recording they get most of the words right. What they miss is everything around the words: who is being addressed, what a joke depends on, which of two possible meanings the picture settles, and how much text a viewer can actually read before the shot cuts. Machine output also tends to translate line by line, so a sentence split across two subtitles loses its grammar.
Espresso pairs a team of experienced subtitlers with audiovisual specialists. They watch the whole video before translating, see subtitles in context against the picture, adapt jokes instead of rendering them literally, and keep the text comfortable to read. Every project follows ISO 17100 with a second-linguist review, which is what separates quality subtitle translation services from a machine draft.
150+
languages subtitled, so the subtitle file matches the target audience you are publishing to
2,000+
professional linguists worldwide, with a second linguist checking every subtitle file under ISO 17100
Which Related Services Does Espresso Offer: Transcription, Voiceover and Dubbing?
Subtitling usually starts from a video transcription and often ends up alongside a voiceover or a dub of the same video. If you need subtitles and a voiceover for one project, contact us and we will quote both together.
Video Translation Services
For complete video localization including dubbing, voice-over, subtitle translation, and on-screen text translation, see Video Translation Services.
Audio Translation Services
For multilingual voice-over recorded in professional recording studios, audio translation, and spoken content localization in more than 150 languages, see Audio Translation Services.
Audiovisual Translation Services
For combined subtitle translation, dubbing, localization services, and audiovisual adaptation, see Audiovisual Translation Services.
Digital Marketing Translation
For multilingual marketing videos, advertising campaigns, and social media localization, see Digital Marketing Translation.
E-Learning Translation
For multilingual e-learning courses, educational content, and LMS localization, see E-Learning Translation.
2,000+
Linguists
ISO 17100
Certified quality standard
1 hour
Free quote
150+
Languages Supported
What Else Do Clients Ask About Subtitle Translation?
How much does subtitle translation cost per video minute?
Subtitle translation starts at $5 per video minute, covering transcription, spotting, translation and the finished subtitle file. The exact quote depends on how much dialogue the video carries, the language pair, the subtitle format and the turnaround you need. Send the video, and the transcript if you have one, and an itemized free quote comes back within 1 hour.
How long does subtitle translation take?
Standard subtitle projects are delivered in 2 to 3 working days, and 24-hour express delivery is available when a release date is fixed. Feature-length films, series, and projects covering several languages at once take longer; the exact delivery date is confirmed in your quote before any work starts.
What subtitle file formats do you deliver?
Espresso delivers SRT, VTT, STL, TTML, SCC and DFXP, plus burned-in subtitles for platforms that strip subtitle files out of an upload. SRT suits YouTube and social platforms, VTT suits HTML5 web players, STL suits broadcast, and TTML suits streaming delivery. Every file is checked for timing, line length and reading speed before it is sent.
Can you subtitle content in multiple languages at the same time?
Yes. Espresso subtitles into more than 150 languages, and one project can produce subtitle files in several languages from a single source video. A dedicated Project Manager keeps terminology, timing and formatting consistent across every language in the set.
Do you provide SDH subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences?
Yes. Espresso produces SDH, the subtitles written for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, and closed captions. SDH adds speaker labels, sound effects and music cues to the dialogue, so a viewer who cannot hear the audio track follows what is happening. We produce SDH in the original language, or translated for international audiences.
Do you provide live subtitling for events and broadcasts?
Yes. Espresso provides live subtitling for conferences, webinars, broadcasts and corporate events, with captions appearing in real time as the speaker talks. Respeakers and caption specialists handle the live session, and a clean, fully timed file of the recording is delivered afterwards.
Can you work from an existing script or subtitle file?
Yes. Send an existing transcript, script or subtitle file and translation starts immediately, which removes the transcription step and shortens delivery. If nothing exists, a linguist transcribes the audio and times it against the picture first.
How do I translate SRT files?
Upload the SRT file and Espresso translates the text inside it while leaving the time codes untouched, so each translated subtitle appears exactly where the original did. The file comes back in SRT format, or in VTT, STL or TTML if you need a different one. Timings are adjusted only where a translated line no longer fits the reading speed.
Why should I use subtitle translation services?
A professional subtitle translation service gets three things right that a machine draft does not: the meaning survives being cut to subtitle length, the timing matches the picture, and the file is valid for the platform you publish on. Native speakers of the target language do the translation, and a second linguist checks the result under ISO 17100.
Do you subtitle for Netflix and other streaming platforms?
Yes. Espresso subtitles for streaming distribution and builds every file to the technical specification the platform publishes, covering format, reading speed, line length and positioning. Tell us the target platform when the project is set up so the delivery is built to that specification from the start.
How accurate are AI subtitle translations compared with human translations?
AI handles clear, simple dialogue reasonably well and is useful for a first timed draft. Human subtitlers are stronger wherever meaning depends on context: humor, idiom, tone, register, and lines whose sense is fixed by what is on screen rather than by the words themselves. Espresso uses human linguists throughout, with a second-linguist review under ISO 17100.
