Smartphone and data plans are paving way for augmented online video platform and globalization is enhancing the audience reach. Whether you want to watch a video filmed in the Spanish language or you intend to see a documentary on the hunters living in the jungles of Amazon, the dialogues and bytes will always be an alien language. In such a scenario, do not let the diversity of the world stop you from experiencing creativity and imagination. In this blog, we are covering the best closed captioning software for you that can translate languages for you in real-time.

Pros and Cons of Closed Captioning

In comparison to open captioning, which is altogether steered by special technology, closed captioning has its own benefits and drawbacks. Talking about the pros, it authorizes users to choose whether they want transcription to be displayed or not. Also, it is comparatively easy to encompass different languages while displaying subtitles.

Some more advanced features include easy synchronization and upload to various media channels, generating derivative contents from captions, ability to modify the transcriptions after publishing and highly valued in SEO. The only drawback of closed transcription is lesser flexibility in subtitles styling and animation. And limited environments are not supportive to this technique.

Best Closed Captioning Software

More recently, in 2017, the Supreme Court provided succour to acclaimed Indian cricketer M.S. Dhoni when he was charged under the said provision for a painting carried on the main page of a business magazine along with his photo with a caption 'God of Big Deals' 7. Output Caption and Subtitle files to Vantage for DVB Teletext, DVB Subtitles, and video transcoding with CEA-608 and 708 to various media formats. Prepare captions and subtitles in various resolutions and frame rates including 4K, UHD, and 23.98 fps; Fix, troubleshoot, and legalize problematic caption file formats such as SCC.

In this blog, we are covering the 10 best video subtitle software of 2020 that you can customize and add to your videos.

1. YouTube

YouTube is the best video subtitle software in a stress-free manner. If you intend to make subtitles quickly and possibly in the easiest way, then you must try your hands on YouTube. The only issue with YouTube that you can translate languages only after it is uploaded. But you cannot overlook its best features like ‘Transcribe and Auto-Sync’ and “auto-generated closed captions” tools.

The ‘Transcribe and Auto-Sync’ tool allows you to use speech recognition engine of YouTube for your typed transcription. Here, the engine successfully matches the audio with transcripts while uploading titles. This saves you loads of time and energy. While “auto-generated closed captions” tool gives you automatic subtitles. However, this tool works well only the video has clear and slow speech.

You do not have to begin from scratch while using free YouTube closed captioning. But then the automatic generation of subtitles is not completely accurate and you must cross-check the details.

2. Play Media

The highest rated and most trusted closed captioning software that offers premium services in subtitling, transcription, and audio description. It follows a user-friendly approach to streamline editing and has adaptable API’s along with tons of video players integrated into the system. This software has flexible account system as well as lecture account system.

Some other advanced features are video search plugins, set of tools, separate billings for every department etc. It is the best tool for performing you job in lesser time, which in turn saves money and time. Quick implementation, nominal training and easy customization are its features and everything is online, and you do not have to download any software first.

3Play Media has won several awards for its continuous innovation and efficiency it offers in functionalities. It is compatible with most of the operating system but might disfunction, if the quality of video is below average.

3. Amara

If you are into documentary movies or short films or inspirational videos and want to add subtitles to them, then Amara is your savior. It is widely accepted for transcripting short videos and hence the perfect platform for start transcripting for the beginners. Amateurs can begin their journey of making transcriptions via this software for their super easy features and functionalities.

It is an online non-profit project, where you can type the transcription in the video. You can save your time by skipping forth and back according to the requirement. The software is easy to learn and use once you gain command on the keyboard controls. You can also manually synchronize the transcription to the audio via down and up arrows. This software is highly beneficial if you want to generate caption from scratch and translate dialogues into different languages. Just make sure that you use it when you are hosting videos online.

4. Aegisubs

It is a flexible software that allows caption designing and has wide array of options to customize the text. From fonts and size to outline and color of transcription, you can even rotate them as per the requirement and adjust accordingly on the screen. The “audio wave” feature of this software allows audience to replay certain part of videos and add subtitles.

You can also visualize, zoom in, zoom out the audio wave for targeting timestamp of captions. Timestamping allows you to replay videos and let you make modifications in transcription. However, this software has certain drawbacks too. You must download and install the software on your device and you cannot perform editing to an ongoing video.

Also, arranging Timestamp for captions is a tedious task here. Moreover, you must toil for keyboard shortcuts as they are available in menu only and then it is difficult to collaborate them with other software and devices.

Caption Contestmr. Mac's Virtual Existence Server

5. Divxland

The USP of this software that you can do transcription and put subtitles to the video in two separate session without any stress. This software is helpful if you prefer doing work in a hassle-free manner and step by step. But before you start using this software, you must create two separate files, one for video and another for transcription as .txt.

In the next step, begin synchronizing them by clicking the apply button while the video is playing. The software is completely free of cost and allows you to insert captions to the ongoing video on the timeline. However, you must download and install the software to make us of all the features. Also, it does not support OS version for Mac and is difficult to synchronize with others.

Talking about the biggest drawback and benefit. It is impossible to change or adjust the caption position on the timeline once inserted. This is so because the timeline does not have “caption bars”. While, you have the advantage to synchronize the titles in a particular time code.

6. Visualsubsync

With visualized “audio wave” and timestamping caption features, Visualsubsync is another amazing video subtitle software for adding subtitles to the video. It is a free software that allows you to aim for a particular portion of the video via the audio wave feature. You can also generate caption right away by choosing a timestamp by right-clicking it. This software is intuitive in nature and allows you to zoom in and zoom out by selecting the visualized “audio wave” and create real-time transcriptions.

However, this software has certain shortcomings too. For instance, you must download and install the software to use it for creating captions. Also, it is not compatible with iOS devices and has trouble working with OS version of Mac. Moreover, the software is hard to collaborate with other software and devices.

7. Jubler

The only difference between Jubler and Visualsubsync is that the former one supports OS version for Mac while latter does not. Otherwise, both the software have same features and interface that allows you to choose visualized “audio wave” as per the requirement. Like other software, you can also generate caption with timestamp feature directly.

Another feature that makes Jubler better than Visualsubsync is the level of flexibility it offers in terms of size, font family, outline and color. Also, you will find static “caption bars” on the timeline for only visualization as you cannot alter or even move it. The other benefits are same as selecting and using visualized “audio wave” and generating caption with certain timestamp directly. Coming to shortcomings, the software demands download, and installation and you will face difficulty collaborating it with other devices and software.