When you are a content producer or distributor, you may want to make subtitles in other languages as part of the localisation process. This way you increase the reach and accessibility of your subtitles to audiences that do not speak the original language.

Before you start

Please make sure your production is provisioned with credits for using translation services. Ensure that you have sufficient access permissions to start translation services. In case you are experiencing any issues, please contact your local account manager or support@limecraft.com.

There are three options available to you for creating translated subtitles. Auto-translate that uses machine translation services, creating your subtitles and importing them as a SRT or STL file, or creating the translated subtitles manually in the subtitling app. 

1. Machine translation with Limecraft

Machine translation of the content actually happens in the transcriber app. Ensure a high quality transcript of the original language at first to guarantee highest possible quality of your translated subtitles. You can read more about it in this section

Once the source language transcript is ready, create a new translated version based on it in your target language. Please refer to the steps explained here. When the translated version is ready, you can continue in the subtitling editor and select the first option 'Take text from the (target language) transcript and generate timing via spotting rules.



2. Import existing subtitles as SRT / STL file

You can import separately prepared subtitles in SRT or STL file format.  Choose the second option in the subtitling editor 'Open an existing SRT / STL subtitle file'.


A dialog will invite you to select the subtitle file, and the subtitle template will be displayed provided there are no formatting errors.


Then go to the dropdown menu above the subtitles and use "+ Add a new language" as follows.


The subtitle app will display a new overlay where you start typing the destination language. The original subtitles are still available, they are not displayed in here. As soon as you start typing 'fr...' because you're looking for 'French' an auto-suggest function comes to help.

Now pick the desired language and hit "AUTO TRANSLATE", and wait a few seconds before the magic happens.


The translated subtitles are displayed side by side with the subtitle template for review and QC. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure to add more languages.



2. Manual subtitling to target language

To start creating your translated subtitles from scratch navigate to the Subtitle Editor, click on 'Add a new language'.


A window opens where you can pick the language of your choice, select if you want the timing to be taken from the original subtitles and whether you want to then proceed to manually translating or starting from scratch.



With the option of taking the timing from the previous subtitles, two subtitle templates open side by side, giving you the option to translate and compare with the source subtitles. 

The option of starting writing subtitles from scratch you get the option of selecting a subtitle preset if there are more than one configured in your production. 

This option opens up an empty editor where you can create your own subtitles from scratch.