The Importance of Subtitle Translations In 2022

Subtitles are an incredibly important part of increasing the accessibility of digital video media. As a result of this the translation of these subtitles further increases accessibility and allows video media to be consumed by a wider audience. This is the case not only for reaching people who do not speak the language of the video but also for those who have some form of hearing impairment. According to the World Health Organization there are 1.5 billion people who have some form of auditory impairment. That is almost 19% of the entire human population. This is a considerable number of consumers who would potentially be alienated from consuming video media if it is not subtitled or if these subtitles are not translated into a language which they can understand. 

Accessibility 

The importance of accessibility has become more noticeable in recent years thanks to a drive toward inclusivity particularly toward people living with disabilities. Subtitles go a long way toward making content accessible both for people with hearing impairment and for people who do not understand the language of the video. With an increasingly globalized world reaching different parts of it has become easier than ever. However, effectively communicating with people can still be a difficult task and language barriers do not make this any easier. One of the ways that language barriers can be overcome in video media is through the inclusion of subtitles. These simple lines of text act as a bridge between people of different cultures and backgrounds. 

A leading authority in this field, Circle Translations points out that “…with over 7000 languages spoken in the world, the importance of subtitle translation cannot be overstated especially in terms of accessibility…”

The most well crafted, informative and entertaining video media can fall flat if it is not accompanied by subtitles in a number of different languages. This has the potential to considerably expand the reach of consumer content and access people and markets which were previously inaccessible. 

Even for people who speak the language of the video subtitles in their first language can greatly improve their comprehension of the video’s content. This is the case because subtitles can be easier to understand than the spoken word especially if the spoken word is rapid, uses unfamiliar words or jargon or is spoken with an accent which may be unfamiliar to the person watching the video. 

Some consumers also prefer to watch video content with subtitles even if they understand the language which the video is produced in. This is the case because some people can gain a greater understanding of the content of the video by reading subtitles while they watch the video. People differ in their learning styles and some people find that subtitles are more beneficial for both their concentration and retention of content. Video producers can therefore appeal to a wider audience by including subtitles, particularly subtitles which are translated into the home language of the consumer. 

Improved SEO 

Subtitles on video content can improve the SEO of the video. This is the case because search engines such as Google index the videos subtitles which makes it more accessible for the search engines. This in turn increases the likelihood of viewers discovering the video which can help a business or individual have a greater reach for their content. Translating subtitles into multiple languages will similarly increase the SEO of video content as the video can be discovered more easily by people using languages other than the language which the video uses. This is a win for both producers and consumers as producers can reach broader and more diverse audiences while consumers can have access to a wide range of content which was previously inaccessible to them. 

Final Thoughts 

Translating subtitles into other languages is so important in 2022 because of the tremendous increase in accessibility which this creates. Finding the best translation company with real human operatives is important given that AI has not yet closed the gap. 

Numerous providers like CircleTranslations (A top rated provider), Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, RWS, Transperfect and Keyword Studios operate in this space. Properly subtitled content can reach a far broader audience than content without subtitles and can substantially increase the populations which a video can have. 

With an increasingly global community subtitle translation has never been more important or more necessary for those who wish to have as great an audience as possible for their content. Additionally, subtitle translation can improve the SEO of video content and facilitates this content connecting with a greater number of people from a greater number of backgrounds.