Adding Subtitles to Videos
- Anna Bonazzi
- Jordan Galczynski
What are Subtitle Files?
Generally, subtitles are stored in a separate file from the video. Video systems like Kaltura and Youtube use both a video file and a subtitle file to produce the subtitle experience you are used to.
The two subtitle file formats you are most likely to work with are .srt and .vtt. Both contain the same data (the text to display and the timestamps corresponding to each line of text) in a slightly different format.
Creating Subtitle Files
Although there are numerous options for creating subtitle files, the recommended program is Aegisub (http://www.aegisub.org/ ).
Using Aegisub
Aegisub’s site contains detailed documentation on its use, but the basic steps are as follows:
In the “Video” menu bar, choose “Open Video…”
Select the video you want to add subtitles to.
In the subtitle box, set the time that the subtitle should start displaying and the time that it should stop displaying, in the boxes circled below.
In the large text box, enter the text for the subtitle for this timestamp.
Click the green check box button to confirm this subtitle.
Repeat this process for each piece of text to display.
Viewing All Subtitles
As you go, you can see all created subtitles and play the video with them to ensure the timings are correct. The set of created subtitles will appear in a window like the one shown below.
Notes:
Clicking on a subtitle will let you edit it.
CPS stands for characters per second. This is a quick metric to determine if there is too much text for users to read in the time that the subtitle is on the screen. A red box indicates that this may be the case.
Saving Subtitles in Aegisub
When you are done creating and editing your subtitles, you will want to save your subtitles in a useful format.
Go to the “File” menu.
Select “Export Subtitles…” (not “Save Subtitles”).
In the window that pop up, select “Export…”
Choose a file name ending in “.srt” and save.
While you may select “Save Subtitles” as well, this is unnecessary and does not replace the export step.
Adding Subtitles to YouTube
If you want to upload a video to YouTube with subtitles, you may use the .srt file created with Aegisub.
Sign in to the Youtube account you would like to use to upload videos.
Click the circle in the top right and click "YouTube Studio" from the dropdown menu.
A new page will appear.
For each video:
Click the "Upload video" button:
Drag the video file from your computer to the window that pops up.
Give the video a title and description.
Select an audience ("No, it's not made for kids")
Click "More options" at the bottom of the window.
For language, select the language of the subtitles.
Right beneath this, click "Upload Subtitles/CC".
Choose "With timing".
Upload the .srt subtitle file corresponding to the video.
Click Next twice.
Select the appropriate Visibility.
Click "Publish".
Adding Subtitles to Bruinlearn Videos
Here are some steps to follow if you want to upload a video and add your own subtitles to it in a Bruin Learn course page, assuming you have your own video file and your own subtitle file (.srt or similar).
Go to the Media Gallery tab of the course page where you want the video. Click on + Add Media.
Select Add New → Media Upload
Select the video to be uploaded from your computer.
Enter the video’s title and any other necessary details, then click on Save, and finally click on Go to Media. Don’t worry about the subtitles yet, we’ll add them in a moment.
On the bottom right corner of the video menu, click on Actions, then Edit. Don’t click on Captions! That’s a feature to request automatically generated subtitles (an amazing feature but it won’t allow you to use your own subtitles file).
Go to the menu bar at the bottom of the video. Click on Captions, then Upload caption file.
Select the language of the subtitles you’re uploading, then click on Browse and upload the .srt file from your computer. Finally, click on Save.