DotSub: Breaking Language Barriers with Subtitles

Videoblogs like Alive in Baghdad show the power of letting people speak in their own voice—and language. However, adding subtitles so that your core online audience can understand what these voices are saying adds a layer of technical complexity to video production.

A technically simpler way to subtitle your videos is the service DotSub…

Set up a free DotSub account and then you can submit your video and add subtitles in any language.

I first heard about DotSub from Kristen Taylor, the community manager for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. She used DotSub to subtitle her Aug. 7 video introducing the Knight News Challenge Garage. (More about that later. It’s a service that should interest news orgs because news orgs can apply for News Challenge grants, too.)

As Kristen’s video shows, subtitles can also help if you’re using online video to connect with people who are not native speakers of your language—whether abroad or right in your community. Sometimes it can be helpful for people who are learning a new language to see text as well as hear the words.