Subtitle Translation vs Localization: Key Differences

It is safe to say that almost all audiences know what subtitles are. In fact, 80% of people prefer to watch content with subtitles. Having subtitles is not just for accessibility, but also for engagement. A company found a 7.32% increase in their YouTube views after adding and localizing subtitles. Subtitles keep the audience watching, and localized subtitles bridge a piece of content to a global audience.

Although there are various ways of localizing content, such as dubbing and captioning, subtitle localization is the most accessible among all. Out of people who localize their content, 61% of them use subtitle localization compared to only 12% who use dubbing. Whether it is because of poor audio quality, to avoid disturbing the people around them, or to keep them focused while watching, having subtitles on your content is a major plus for your audience.

When it comes to reaching a global audience, subtitle localization is key. It allows a wider and more diverse audience to engage and fully understand content. But what are the differences between subtitle translation and localization? Do they serve the same purpose? Keep reading to find out, as this article is going to dive into the world of subtitle translation vs. localization.

Subtitle Translation vs Subtitle Localization

Subtitle Translation

Subtitle translation can be defined as the word-for-word or direct conversion of dialogue into another language. The main focus of subtitle translation is its linguistic accuracy, while the cultural context is often overlooked. Some content works better with subtitle translation, such as technical, educational, or straightforward content where cultural nuances are less crucial. One common example is tutorial videos that can be translated directly for a global audience.

Subtitle Localization

On the other hand, subtitle localization goes further than translation. It adapts dialogues to suit cultural, regional, and emotional contexts while maintaining some level of linguistic accuracy. The key point of subtitle localization is maintaining the integrity, tone, and intent of the original work while making it relatable and accessible to a global audience. Subtitle localization is crucial for films, TV series, or content that focuses on cultural nuances for storytelling.

Read More: Reach a Global Audience with Localized Miniseries

Key Differences

Here are several key differences between subtitle translation and localization and how it affects their output.

Linguistic Focus vs Cultural Relevance

Subtitle translation, as mentioned previously, focuses on direct translation with high linguistic accuracy. To some degree, cultural nuances are also considered in subtitle translation, but the main focus remains on linguistic accuracy to ensure the intended message is delivered to the target audience. This often leads to a lack of flexibility and failure to deliver the emotional tone of the original work.

Subtitle localization, on the other hand, is a step further. It takes subtitle translation and adds cultural nuances as its main focus. It aims to adapt the original meaning to the target audience’s language while maintaining its cultural relevancy. This ensures the target audience can fully immerse themselves in the content and to some degree, relate to it. Localization makes sure the text is culturally appropriate and respectful to the target audience.

Tone and Emotion

Considering that subtitle translation’s focus is on its linguistic accuracy and not on conveying cultural and emotional aspects of the work, the result is often stiff and emotionless. However, this still gets the job done as its focus is on delivering the intended message accurately. Its quality of converting dialogue from one language to another with minimal deviation from the original work is perfect for specific kinds of content, something technical such as educational or a tutorial.

Other than delivering the message without distortion, subtitle localization also focuses on the original work’s cultural nuances, such as humor and cultural sensitivities. This helps with ensuring the target audience can resonate with the content, both emotionally and contextually. It is often seen in localizing jokes or slang words by replacing them with a culturally relevant one in the target language – which ensures proper message delivery while carrying the intended vibes along with it. This is crucial in localizing films and TV shows, where cultural nuances are oftentimes relevant to the storytelling.

Flexibility

Based on its purpose alone, subtitle translation has less flexibility compared to subtitle localization. To fulfill high linguistic accuracy, subtitle translation has very little room to wiggle and choose words to deliver the message without tainting the original work. This results in a rigid, direct, and factual translation.

Unlike subtitle translation, subtitle localization has more flexibility in its method to deliver the message. Bringing cultural nuances and emotions into consideration, subtitle localization allows creative adjustments to bring the same energy as the original work, hence resulting in a slightly less accurate linguistic aspect yet a more immersive and culturally relevant translation.

Read More: The Success of Vietnamese Game Publishers in the Global Market

Why Localization Is Often Preferred

There are several reasons why subtitle localization is often preferred. Though it depends on the kind of content, subtitle localization is done more often due to several reasons:

• It bridges cultural gaps and creates an engaging and immersive watching experience.
• It grows relatability for the global audience, which enhances engagement.
• It helps avoid cultural insensitivity, misinterpretation, or misunderstanding.
• It fosters the overall relationship between content makers and a global audience.
• It broadens the content’s global appeal and marketability.

Challenges and Tools in Subtitle Translation and Localization

Whether it is subtitle translation or localization, each comes with its own challenges. Finding a perfect balance between accuracy and creativity is a big one to face – making sure the original message is delivered without distortion while maintaining relatability to the target audience takes a lot of practice and knowledge.

Another hurdle to get over is time and budget constraints. More often than not, localizing takes a big chunk of time and budget since it requires working with linguists, translators, and cultural experts to ensure a high-quality localization. It requires extensive research and a strong commitment to producing quality. With the advancements in technology, there are several AI-powered tools to help kickstart a localization process. Some of them are:

• Translation tools such as Google Translate or DeepL;
• Subtitle editor such as Subtitle Edit and Aegisub. It is crucial to keep in mind that technology can never replace human expertise in subtitle localization. However, using technology can certainly be useful when combined with human expertise to create a seamless and efficient localization process.

Conclusion

Both subtitle translation and localization are important in growing accessibility for global audiences to enjoy various media and content in their languages. Translation focuses on linguistic accuracy, while localization takes cultural nuances and emotions into consideration. Both have their own uses for different types of content, but localization is preferred due to its flexibility and relevancy. As the global media grows, many audiences around the globe are looking for more content to enjoy. Subtitle localization opens this door and allows audiences from anywhere around the world to enjoy content from everywhere. Through understanding the difference between subtitle translation and localization, we as audience and content makers can better appreciate the processes that make content universal.