Audio to Text

All you need to know about auto generated subtitles

Subtitles refer to written versions of spoken dialogue, narration, or other audio components in multimedia content such as videos or films. They typically appear at the bottom of the screen and offer a textual transcription of the audio in either the original language or a translated form.

Why do you need speech to text subtitles?

There are several purposes for the use of subtitles:

1. Accessibility: By making the content understandable for people who are deaf or have difficulty hearing, they ensure it is accessible to everyone.
2. Multilingual Support: Subtitles serve the purpose of translating or providing captions in various languages, thereby making the content accessible to a broader global audience.
3. Improved Comprehension: Subtitles can help enhance comprehension of the content, particularly in cases where accents, dialects, or complicated dialogues are involved.
4. Environmental Considerations: Through speech to text subtitles viewers can keep up with the dialogue even in noisy or distracting surroundings, like crowded public spaces, by using subtitles.
5. SEO: Adding subtitles to video content can enhance its discoverability by enabling search engines to index and rank it more effectively.

Using speech to text subtitles improves the approachability and practicality of multimedia material, thereby rendering it more comprehensive, understandable, and captivating to a varied viewership.

What is the difference between static and animated subtitles?

Adding subtitles to video content is crucial as it offers a text-based way of communicating information to the audience. Subtitles can be classified into two types - static and animated.

Subtitles that are static remain fixed at the bottom of the screen and do not move while a video is playing. These types of subtitles are typically used in conventional content such as documentaries and movies. Static subtitles provide a stable reference for text, which makes them simple and consistent.

While traditional subtitles are static and display the text on the screen, animated subtitles are more dynamic and involve movement, changes, or additional effects to the text during video playback. This type of subtitle is often used in creative, artistic, or youth-oriented videos to make the text more visually appealing.

How do audio to text subtitles work?

Automatic audio to text subtitles, which are also referred to as closed captioning, are generated utilizing speech recognition technology and natural language processing.

To start, spoken content from an audio or video file is uploaded. Then, an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system is used to convert the spoken content into written text.

Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) technology is capable of recognizing individual words and converting spoken content into text. In order to improve accuracy, the generated text can undergo Natural Language Processing (NLP), which can rectify errors, identify context, format the text for better readability, and add punctuation.

To ensure that the text in a video appears on the screen at the right time, timestamps are added to each line of text. Once the text has been finalized with timestamps, it is formatted and either included in the video file or provided as a separate subtitle file, with SRT being the most commonly used format.

The captions are commonly exhibited at the lower section of the display and can be modified based on the preferred font, size, and design.

What is an SRT file?

SRT files also referred to as SubRip Subtitle files, are a highly prevalent format used for saving closed captions or subtitles in video content. These files are written in plain text and can be easily read by humans. They contain timed lines of text instructing when specific content should be displayed on the screen while watching videos.

SRT files have gained popularity due to their compatibility with various video players and editing software. They prove to be a convenient and universal way of adding subtitles or closed captions to videos. One of their significant applications is translating subtitles into different languages while ensuring proper timing for accessibility. When you use Genny to auto-generate subtitles, you have the option to download them as an SRT file or hardcode them into your video.

What are hardcode subtitles?

Subtitles that are embedded into the video image during encoding are known as hardcoded subtitles, open captions, or burned-in subtitles. These subtitles cannot be customized or turned off by the viewer and are always visible at the bottom of the video frame.

Subtitles play a crucial role in videos, where they are a permanent and vital part of the content. This is especially true for foreign language films or videos that contain essential dialogues.

When should you use subtitles?

Including audio to text subtitles can improve accessibility, increase engagement, and enhance understanding. While there may be various reasons for doing so, the most prevalent ones are:

Subtitles can enhance the experience of various audiovisual mediums, and their usage should be determined by the objectives of the content and the requirements of the intended audience.

How do I make my own subtitles?

Creating speech to text subtitles can be done in a few easy steps:

1. You can use Genny to upload either a video in the mp4 format or a script in either .docx or .txt file format.
2. Click on the "Subtitle" icon.
3. You can choose between three ways of adding subtitles to your video: automatic generation, manual entry, or uploading an SRT file.
4. Choose your font, color, and style (animated or static.)

Once your audio to text subtitles are generated, and you complete your work, you can obtain your subtitles either as a distinct SRT file or as hardcoded subtitles within your video.

What is the difference between closed captions, open captions, and subtitles?

You can achieve the display of text on a video screen to convey spoken content through various methods, such as open captions, closed captions, and subtitles. Although they all aim to serve the same purpose, their characteristics and functionality set them apart.

To summarize, open captions are constantly visible and cannot be disabled, whereas closed captions are adjustable and frequently utilized for accessibility. On the other hand, subtitles are mainly used for translation or to improve comprehension and can be turned on or off by the viewer.