Smartcat Subtitle Editor: Universal Guide for All Types of Teams

Explore our interactive demo to learn how to use the Smartcat Subtitle Editor.

You can open the Subtitle Editor from different areas of your workspace, depending on your role and workflow:

1. Organizations and LSPs :

• You can access subtitle files from the Files, Tasks , or Overview pages in your project. Click on the subtitle file you want to work on to open it in the editor.

2. Freelancers:

• You can open the subtitle file by accessing the details of the incoming task

There are both languages in two parallel columns in Subtitle Editor, the source text on the left and the corresponding translation on the right shown in so-called “cues”.

In the Subtitle Editor, we prioritize dividing text into cues with specified durations rather than full sentences. This approach optimizes subtitles for readability, synchronization, and audience engagement.

Note that the source text is non-editable and serves as a reference for creating accurate translations.

On the far right, you'll find the preview area and the timeline panel. The timeline panel shows how subtitles are distributed over time, providing a clear visual representation of their placement and duration.

For organizations: To manage multiple target languages, click the “Language selector” and switch between versions.

The preview area lets you see how subtitles align with the video, while the timeline panel shows how subtitles are distributed over time, providing a clear visual representation of their placement and duration.

Below the preview area is the Settings section, where you can configure parameters such as CPS (Characters Per Second) limits, ensuring consistent quality across the subtitle file.

{Note: These settings are applied locally on a user’s level.}

All your work takes place on the right side of the Editor. Here you can add, edit and review translations. To make edits in the cue, simply click on its text and apply the necessary changes.

If the subtitles are not aligned with the video, you can easily adjust their start and end times to control their duration. Each cue has a CPS (characters per second) value, which indicates whether the reading speed is too high and whether the subtitles may not match the timing and need to be modified. CPS limit value can be changed in the Settings tab.

If you think a multi-line cue should be split into separate cues, no problem! Simply click the 'Split by lines' button, and it will divide the cue into the exact number of lines you have. Remember, to create multiple lines within a cue, press the Enter button.

To split a multi-line cue, click the Split by lines button. Press Enter to create multiple lines within a cue.

Need to merge cues, delete existing ones, or add new ones? It's easy! Just click the Dots button and select the desired option from the dropdown menu

For a faster experience, simply hover over a border and click the Insert cue button.

When you’re satisfied with a cue translation, mark it as processed. Don’t worry — it’s possible to continue editing the cue if you spot areas for improvement, right up until you click the “Mark Processed” file button in the control bar.

Track your progress by clicking on the Progress button, which will show how much of the file you have completed working on.

When you believe that the translation of the file is ready click the “Mark Processed” button in the control bar to finish working on the subtitles. Note that you can use this button even if no cues have been marked as processed.

If you’re not ready to finish the task, you can export the subtitle file by clicking the Download button above the language version and choosing your desired file type. Subtitle files can be exported in two file formats: SRT and VTT.

To get a video in another language (one of the target languages of the project) or dub with AI voice, simply select the desired language in the selector under the Preview section.

After that preview AI voices and select the appropriate one. Select another AI voice and preview your video with it.

Once you're happy with the result, click the Download button above the video preview.

You can choose the output parameters for the video:

1. Keep the selected AI voice

2. Burn-in subtitles in your chosen language onto the video

This allows you to create any combination of voiceover and subtitle languages in the final file.

After selecting your preferences, confirm and start the export.

You can preview the completed video with embedded subtitles. If everything looks good, click the Confirm button to save the final version to your computer.