Subtitles & translation
Translate subtitle files into another language while keeping the timing intact, so a finished edit can be published to a second audience without re-cutting it. Aixcut translates subtitles in a desktop Chrome or Edge workspace, from a file the project already holds.
STEP 01
Bring in the SRT or VTT you already have, or generate captions from the video first if none exist.
STEP 02
Run the translation and review each line, because a second pass is what catches names and idioms that were carried over literally.
STEP 03
Read each line at playback speed, shorten any that cannot be read in time, and export the same format you imported.
A subtitle file pairs each line with a start and end time. Translating should leave those times alone, so the translated version lines up with the same picture. If you retime and retranslate at once, you cannot tell afterwards which change caused a caption to appear late.
The same sentence is longer in some languages than others, and a line that read comfortably in the original can overflow once translated. Split long lines, cut filler, and keep a consistent reading pace rather than letting one caption carry four words and the next carry twenty.
SRT is the lowest common denominator and works almost everywhere. VTT is the web standard and is what browsers expect with HTML video. ASS carries styling information for players that support it. Export the format the destination can read instead of the one you happen to have.
Common questions about this task, its limits and how to judge the result.
Import the SRT or VTT, run the translation, review names and idioms, then export the same format. Confirm the timings were not altered.
It should. The translation changes the text while the start and end times stay attached to their original positions.
SRT for maximum compatibility, VTT for web players and HTML video. Check what the destination accepts before exporting.
Translated text is often longer than the original. Split the line or shorten the wording so it can be read in the time available.
Translation should leave each caption start and end time attached to its original position. Check the timeline and reading speed before export; exact format support follows the current workspace.
