Here at Capital Captions we work with some of the best subtitling software on the market. Like a lot of software packages, subtitling software also has it’s free applications if you are looking to save money. But did you know that there are many subtitling software packages that can also do the job for a fraction of the price. In today’s post we’re going to take a look at some of the most important aspects of the subtitling software and the difference it can make to the quality of your subtitles.

As the saying goes, all things are created equal, except in most cases they’re not. So, let’s take a look at a few subtitling software packages and compare their pros and cons to see whether they can be comparable to premium subtitling software packages. 

Subtitle Edit

With Subtitle Edit you can create, edit and synchronize your movie subtitles. This software allows its users to adjust the start times of their subtitles to easily synchronise them with their video. Subtitle Edit is a free open source software package for people to download. 

Pros

• Allows user’s to create, adjust and sync their subtitle lines 
• You can visually sync and adjust your subtitle lines with their start and ending positions
• Merge and split your subtitle lines
• Work with translation in two separate video windows for a like-for-like comparison

Cons:

• Doesn’t work with reading speeds
• Not compatible for all broadcast formats
• Imports most subtitle formats but does not intelligently work with line splits in .txt imports

Subtitle Workshop

Subtitle Workshop is a free piece of software that allows its users to create, edit and convert their text based subtitle files. 

Pro’s:

• Easy to use interface makes it ideal for beginners. 
• The interface is user friendly, customizable and supports multiple languages. 
• Supports style tags and colour tags within the subtitle text. 
• Has an integrated video player allowing you to customize and preview your subtitles in full screen mode.

Cons:

• Can be awkward importing transcripts to work with, and require a lot of manual line splitting
• Some versions require a k-lite codec to work with .mp4 files
• Limited checks on overlaps, reading speeds, duration limits, etc…

Aegisub Subtitle Editor

With Aegisub you can create, edit and export your subtitles in almost all the major formats. Aegisub also supports a number of well known audio formats too.

Pro’s:

• Aegisub comes equipped with advanced features such as subtitle synchronization and a translator function. 
• It allow the user to easily drag the subtitle lines anywhere in the video. 
• You are able to resize, clip and rotate your subtitles on the video. 

Cons:

• Limited checks on overlaps, reading speeds, duration limits, etc…
• Does not support many broadcast formats 

As you can see from the three subtitle software packages that we have just looked at, they are all very good in their own rights, however if you are after that professional look to your subtitles, using free software just will not be able to deliver that. The fact is, free software is free for a reason, they have the basic functionality of subtitling software but without the control and finesse that you would likely need in order to produce professional looking subtitles.

Remember, if you are looking to subtitle your movie or video, don’t settle for anything less that the best subtitling software available. The difference between a free piece of software and the very best premium software can be enormous when it comes to productivity, effectiveness and the quality of your work.

At Capital Captions we never compromise on quality. Our level of work is second to none and we pride ourselves on this. If you would like more information on our subtitling services or are looking to get a quote for your videos, why not request a quote today and see the difference we can make.