What a subtitler does
A subtitler turns speech into short lines of text that match the picture and the sound. The job has five parts. One person can do all five. Many people do only one or two.
| Part | What you do | What a public rulebook says |
|---|---|---|
| Transcription | Write down what people say and who says it. | Netflix does not expect a subtitle template to be word for word. |
| Spotting and timing | Choose when each subtitle appears and when it leaves. | Netflix asks for templates timed to the shots and the audio. A subtitle stays on screen for at least 5/6 of a second and at most 7 seconds. It has 2 lines at most. |
| Translation | Turn the template into your language, in the space and time you have. | A template is the base for translation into other languages. Netflix requires notes in English that explain jokes, idioms, and cultural references. English templates may not exceed 17 characters per second for adult programs. |
| SDH | Add speaker names and sound cues for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. | In US English, Netflix puts speaker names and sound effects in brackets. |
| Quality control | Check a file against the style guide and the delivery specification. | Netflix says timed text made for it should follow its style guides unless Netflix advises otherwise. |
Every client has its own rules, and the rules change. Read the subtitle QC checklist for the limits that most clients check. Read the SDH guidelines and the comparison of subtitles and closed captions for the accessibility side of the work.
Subtitling differs from document translation in one way: you cannot use all the words you want. The text must fit the time and the screen, and a viewer must read it while the picture moves.
Skills you need
- Strong writing in the language you translate into. AVTE, the European federation of audiovisual translators, tells newcomers to translate only into their mother tongue and to read widely.
- A deep understanding of the source language. You must catch jokes, slang, and references. AVTE also warns against pivot translation: translating through a third language, such as English, when the original is in another language.
- Cutting text without losing meaning. Reading speed limits force you to cut. The limit depends on the client, the language, and the audience.
- Technical basics. You need to read timecodes, understand frame rates, and know the main subtitle file formats.
- Skill with a subtitle editor. See the software section below.
- Business skills. In a 2022 to 2023 AVTE survey, 95% of the 1,966 audiovisual translators who answered were freelancers. AVTE reminds newcomers that freelancers also do bookkeeping, taxes, client contact, and job applications, and that nobody can translate all day, every day.
Education is not one fixed path. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree. That statement covers all translators in the US, not only subtitlers.
Training
Training teaches the craft and the tools. It does not guarantee work. A media services executive quoted on the AVTpro site says that translators now take similar tests for each provider, and that AVTpro offers one central test in their place. Subtitling is also a popular choice: in the 2025 European Language Industry Survey, subtitling was the most popular specialisation among the students who answered.
| Programme | Type | Length | What the public page says |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Leeds, Audiovisual Translation and Localisation MA | Master's degree | 12 months full time, 24 months part time | Core modules cover audiovisual translation, accessibility, and localisation. The course asks for a bachelor's degree, and applicants may take a translation test. Course page. |
| Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Màster Universitari en Traducció Audiovisual | Master's degree | 60 ECTS credits, in person or online | Covers dubbing, subtitling, voice-over, subtitling for deaf viewers, and video game translation. You translate into Spanish or Catalan. Programme page. |
| University of Surrey, Translation, Interpreting and AI MA | Master's degree | 1 year full time, 2 years part time | Includes an optional audiovisual translation module on subtitling, dubbing, audio description, and live subtitling. Students use Subtitle Edit. Course page. |
| University of Surrey, TRAM498 Audiovisual Translation | Short postgraduate course | Not stated on the page | Seminars and practice with software. You need a first degree or professional experience, and you must pass an aptitude test. Check the page for dates. Course page. |
| OOONA GoSub courses | Online courses | Self-paced | The Subtitle Translation course has 24 lessons, 19 tasks, tutor feedback, and a certificate of completion. It assumes you already translate from English into your mother tongue. Course page. |
| AVTpro certification (run by OOONA) | Exams | Not applicable | Has a Subtitling Basics exam, a Subtitle Translation certification, and a Subtitle Creation certification. Its home page names 13 language combinations, all from English into another language. Its exam form listed 15 on 2026.10.13. AVTpro. |
OOONA sells the software that its courses and exams use. Treat its course pages as a seller's pages. Universities describe their own courses, so also check how current graduates found work.
Software
Start with a free editor. Learn timing, line breaks, and file formats there. Then learn the tool your first client uses.
| Tool | Cost on 2026.10.13 | Runs on | Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subtitle Edit | Free and open source | Windows 10 or newer, macOS 12 or newer, Linux | Opens 380+ formats. Has a waveform and spectrogram, spell check, OCR for DVD and Blu-ray subtitles, auto-translate, and speech to text with engines such as Whisper. Documentation. |
| Aegisub | Free and open source | Cross-platform | Made for timing subtitles to audio and for styling them. It writes ASS files natively. Website. |
| OOONA Create + Translate | $30 for a one-month plan (Standard) | Online | Frame-accurate timing, an audio waveform, and live video preview. The Pro version adds shot change detection and custom QC checks. Has a free trial. Product page. |
| EZTitles | EUR 80 to EUR 100 a month to rent, or a one-time licence from EUR 1,720 | Windows workstations | A licence covers one designated workstation. The editions differ in the file formats they include. A seven-day rental of the Ultimate edition costs EUR 30. Pricing page. |
Prices are the price of software. They are not what you earn. For earnings, read the subtitle translation rates guide.
Studios and universities use more tools than these. Many agencies give you their own online tool, and you work inside it. Ask what the client uses before you buy anything.
Free tools on CaptionsHero
CaptionsHero has free SRT tools that run in your browser, with no upload. Use them to check practice files, fix timing, and convert formats.
The CaptionsHero editor has a waveform timeline, frame-accurate timing, and Netflix-style QC. The Solo plan is free. The editor imports and exports SRT and VTT only, so it does not cover TTML or other delivery formats. If you plan to lead a team later, see our comparisons with Subtitle Edit, Aegisub, OOONA, and EZTitles.
Build a portfolio and test files
Clients want proof that you can follow a style guide. A short, clean sample does this better than a long list of claims.
- Pick footage you may use. Netflix Open Content offers video masters for seven titles, and project files for five of them, under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The listed downloads include no subtitle files, so you make your own. Read the licence terms before you publish. Netflix Open Content.
- Follow a public style guide. Netflix publishes timed text style guides for many languages. Choose the guide for your target language and follow it line by line.
- Check the file. Run the free SRT validator and the CPS calculator, then compare your file with the QC checklist.
- Show a template and its translation. A reviewer can then see what you cut and why. Add your notes on jokes and references.
- Keep client work private. Ask for written permission before you show a client's file.
Ways to add a record
- TED Translators is a volunteer programme. On 2026.10.13, the page named 53,182 translators across 115 languages. You do not get paid.
- An AVTpro certificate comes with a seal for your website and a lookup page where clients can verify it.
- The Poool is OOONA's directory of media localization professionals. Freelancers can register at any time.
How to find work
You can reach clients through a company, through a directory, or on your own.
| Route | How it works | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies and vendors | You apply on the company's site. ZOO Digital, for example, has separate forms for translators into English, translators out of English, and subtitling agencies. ZOO Digital form. | At a 2018 conference, a Netflix manager said vendors, not Netflix, should own recruiting, training, and onboarding. Expect a vendor test. |
| Directories | Directories list members or registered professionals. See The Poool, the public member directory of ATAA in France, and the ITI directory in the UK. | Clients search the list. You do not apply to a single job. |
| Job boards | ProZ.com runs a translation job board. | Postings vary in quality. Read the terms before you accept a job. |
| Direct clients | You pitch companies and creators that publish video in several languages. | AVTE says clients often ask translators to sign their rights away, and that there is no reason to accept this. AVTE advice for newcomers. |
| Volunteer work | Programmes such as TED Translators take volunteers. | You gain practice and a record, not income. |
This guide gives no pay figures. The subtitle translation rates guide explains how clients pay and how to judge an offer.
What the market looks like
Sources show real pressure on pay and conditions. They also show demand for the work. No source promises you a living.
Pay and conditions
- AVTE's 2022 to 2023 survey covered 1,966 audiovisual translators in 35 European countries. About 61% reported an income equal to or below the median wage of their country. AVTE asked them to count a 35 to 40 hour week that includes time off and all admin work.
- In the same survey, 53% took less than three weeks of holiday a year. AVTE reads this as a sign that low income leads to long hours.
- A peer-reviewed article on the same survey says that precarity persists despite high education, and that experience has only a limited link to income. Nikolić, Tonković, and Díaz Cintas.
- In the 2025 European Language Industry Survey, almost one in four independent professionals considered ending their freelance career. The survey reports opinions, and its authors say it is not objective or verifiable.
Demand
- The same survey notes that third-party research reports voice-related services, which include audiovisual work, as thriving. It adds that these services are under-represented in its own results.
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 2% growth for interpreters and translators from 2025 to 2035. It calls this slower than average. The figure covers all translators, not only subtitlers.
What AVTE advises
AVTE tells newcomers to think long term, to avoid working for very little, and to plan time for non-translation work. It publishes calculators for freelancers. AVTE is an advocacy group for translators, so read its advice with that in mind.
Professional associations
AVTE encourages translators to organise through national associations and unions. The 2025 industry survey says associations should help members with guidance, training, and networking.
| Association | Where | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| AVTE | Europe | A federation of national associations of audiovisual translators. It publishes advice for newcomers, a survey, a statement on AI, and calculators for freelancers. avteurope.org. |
| SUBTLE | UK, with members worldwide | Founded in 2006 by freelance subtitlers. Members include self-employed professionals, students, and academics. Its site lists a Code of Good Subtitling, tips, a glossary, webinars, and a podcast. SUBTLE helped found AVTE. subtle-subtitlers.org. |
| ESIST | Europe, open worldwide | A non-profit association for screen translation. Anyone with an academic or professional interest can join. Its site links to the Journal of Audiovisual Translation and the Comparative Subtitling Project. esist.org. |
| ATA | United States | The American Translators Association has an Audiovisual Division with a newsletter, a blog, and a webinar series. ATA also offers a three-hour certification exam for translators. It is not a subtitling exam. atanet.org and the Audiovisual Division. |
| ITI | United Kingdom | The Institute of Translation and Interpreting offers training events and a directory for clients. iti.org.uk. |
| ATAA | France | An association of audiovisual translators. Its French page names more than 640 specialists in dubbing, subtitling, voice-over, and game translation, and lists them in a public directory. ataa.fr. |
On 2026.10.13, the AVTE member list named 24 associations. They are in Belgium (AudioVerba), Croatia (DHAP), Czechia (JTP), Denmark (FBO), Finland (SKTL and Kieliasiantuntijat ry), France (ATAA), Germany (AVÜ), Greece (Peempip), Hungary (SzíDoSz), Ireland (ATII), Italy (AIDAC and ACTA-TRAMITI), the Netherlands (Auteursbond Ondertitelaars Sectie and Samen1stem), Norway (NAViO), Poland (STAW), Portugal (ATAV), Spain (ATRAE), Slovakia (SSPUL), Slovenia (DSFTP), Sweden (Medietextarna), Turkey (ÇEVBIR), and the United Kingdom (SUBTLE).
How AI changes the work
Machine tools now draft transcripts and translations. Subtitle Edit has auto-translate and speech-to-text. EZTitles sells AI add-ons: it bills speech recognition by the minute and machine translation by the character package. A human still edits the draft, and that edit is the part of the job that is changing.
What the sources say
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says AI makes the work of translators more efficient, and that many of these jobs cannot be fully automated. It does not say AI cuts demand.
- The 2025 European Language Industry Survey says its participants blame the indiscriminate use of AI and machine translation to cut costs, even when output is poor. Independent professionals say large language companies do this more often.
- AVTE's 2024 statement on generative AI says it is not against new technology. It objects to translators acting as supervisors who patch up machine output to lower costs. It also says post-editing nearly always gives worse results. AVTE speaks for translators. Companies that sell post-editing hold other views.
- A 2024 article in the Journal of Audiovisual Translation argues that the field stays sustainable only if technology and human expertise work together, and that it must recognise the agency of translators. Orrego-Carmona.
What this means for you
Training now includes machine translation. Leeds names it among the topics of its optional modules, and the industry survey says post-editing is usually part of the core of a translation programme. Learn to edit machine output and to judge its quality. Decide in advance what terms you accept, and use the rates guide when you do.