May 5, 2024
You might think adding subtitles to your video content is an optional step rather than a necessity. While this might have been true a couple of decades ago, subtitles have witnessed a surge in demand and popularity, especially with the rise of video content consumption. Surveys and studies often show that younger generations, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, spend more time engaging with digital media like videos, TV shows, and movies compared to older generations. In our post-pandemic world, approximately 58% of people use digital video to learn new skills, and a staggering 91% of consumers want to enjoy more online video content from brands. With video content being the most popular type of content across all fields, providers are in a competitive race to offer the best viewing experience, and subtitles emerge as a crucial tool to significantly enhance viewer satisfaction. Captions Vs Subtitles You may have come across the terms “captions” and “subtitles” a lot, and you’re probably wondering whether they’re interchangeable or represent different concepts. Let’s clarify: Captions are timed-text that represents the spoken audio. They’re provided in the same language as the audio, and they’re often referred to as Intralingual Subtitles. Captions can be either open or closed. Open captions are part of the video, and you can’t turn them off. On the other hand, closed captions are provided in a separate text file; this means they’re searchable, and viewers can enable or disable them as desired. Subtitles are timed-text that present the spoken audio in a different language. They’re known as Standard Subtitles, Interlingual Subtitles, or Translated Captions. Since subtitles are basically captions translated into another language, they could be open or closed as well, although the open type isn’t as common. Subtitles may only include the spoken text with no sound cues, but when sound cues are included, they’re often termed as SDH Subtitles (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing). What do the statistics say? If your ultimate goal is to expand your content reach, boost viewer retention, and enhance engagement, then subtitles are your magic solution. Remarkably, 50% of Americans use subtitles “most of the time.” That number jumps all the way up to 80% for Gen Z. As for your viewer retention, subtitles' magic is pretty much as effective. 80% of viewers are more likely to finish a video if it includes subtitles. Subtitling your video content also contributes significantly to overall viewer engagement and brand memorability, as 37% of viewers said that subtitles encourage them to turn the sound on, accompanied by a 10% increase in “ad memory quality”. Wondering about the magic behind these statistics? Let's delve into a few reasons: Accessibility and Inclusivity Inclusivity considerations are paramount when publishing video content. Whether you’re a production house unveiling new titles or a marketing agency crafting promotional videos, curating captions for your videos ensures accessibility for all. In fact, captions were originally designed to help people with hearing difficulties access and engage with video and audio content. Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) all require captions for multimedia, as a measure to prevent discrimination against those with hearing impairments. Providing captions for your video not only fulfills legal obligations but also taps into a vast segment of potential consumers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) , there are 466 million individuals affected with hearing impairments, with projections of 630 million by 2030. Silent Viewers A couple of decades ago, people would only watch video content in theaters or on TV. But now we can watch video content anywhere, anytime on our smartphones, tablets, or laptops. This change in content channels has also carried a change in consumers’ behavior, habits, and preferences. When in public places, approximately 69% of people watch videos with the sound off, which makes subtitles their primary means to of engagement. Even in private settings, an overwhelming 92% of individuals reportedly watch videos on mobile devices with the sound off. Subtitles play a pivotal role in enhancing the experience for this substantial segment of silent viewers, encouraging them to turn on the sound and fully immerse themselves in the content. Better Comprehension I remember watching the 2019 movie The Lighthouse, which featured deliberately complicated archaic language as part of the narrative. If it wasn’t for subtitles, I’d have missed a huge part of the original dialogue. I have also watched other works where background dialogue or on-screen text played a pivotal role in the plot progression. With all the sound effects and motion happening on the screen, subtitles were there to save the day and make sure that I don’t miss any of the thoughtful nuances. Subtitles don’t only work for the kind of works that feature outlandish language or quiet plot-pertinent dialogue, but they also increase viewer overall concentration and immersion in the story. Notably, 42% of viewers say that they use subtitles or captions to increase their concentration, facilitating prolonged viewing sessions. Not Everyone Understands Your Language When planning to get your content global, you can’t simply target prospects who speak your language as their second tongue. People view their worlds through their mother tongues, and localizing your content will help such global consumers connect with your story. Offering translated subtitles enables global audiences to resonate with your story on a deeper level. In fact, research by the European Commission found that internet users in non-English speaking countries are more likely to engage with content that is available in their native language or has translated subtitles. There’s a huge list of translated works that achieved ground-breaking success in their localized markets. Such a list would be much longer if we included works that received global recognition once the producers decided to invest in subtitles. A great example would be the 2017-2020 German TV series Dark , which was trending literally in every part of the world during its broadcasting. Even though the narrative was extremely sophisticated, with a lot of ambiguities and though-provoking scenes, global audiences managed to deeply connect with the story through its translated subtitles. Improved SEO Since your video and audio content aren’t provided in text format, they cannot be read by search engines. But closed captions are great ways to overcome this obstacle because they act as text representations of your video content, clarifying keywords, and paving the way for greater visibility and discoverability. The Global Nature of Our Modern World Our world is now connected more than ever. People’s interests are no longer restricted to their local environments, but they extend to global current trends, foreign lifestyles, and remote cultures. It’s not rare to come across an Egyptian lady with a great passion for French fashion, or a Saudi teenager who’s particularly drawn to Canadian music. I myself have a brother who has zero interest in local politics, but he exclusively consumes American talk shows. Humans are free souls, constantly seeking inspiration and improvement. If your product or story is inspiring, thoughtful, and stimulating, then it will definitely find its consumer regardless of their language, ONLY IF you appropriately invite them to your table. There are endless opportunities for your content to inspire people all around the globe. You just have to meet them halfway by presenting your story in the language they understand best. Ready to Transform Your Content? If you’re looking for captions and subtitles that accurately capture the essence of your story, consider reaching out to me . With extensive experience in providing English and Arabic subtitles and transcriptions across diverse content genres, including movies, e-learning courses, and promotional videos, I'm equipped to bring your vision to life. Explore a glimpse of my portfolio here .