Tips for synchronize your subtitles to your video: Use Aegisub software
Video has gradually become the key content on the Internet. Cisco estimates that video will account for 82% of global Internet traffic by 2020, compared to 70% in 2015. It is therefore impossible to miss this content in marketing strategies. In order to stand out and make its video content relevant, one solution stands out from the others: subtitling obtained through audio to text transcription.
Authôt allows you to get a .srt file from your video in one click. The subtitles are automatically synchronized with the audio. However, it is recommended to rework the synchronization manually in order to comply with the different subtitling rules. We invite you to read this tutorial to guide you step by step through the use of the free Aegisub software.
We remind you that our teams offer you additional services for synchronization and subtitling of your video.
Aegisub software user tutorial: key steps
First of all you need to install Aegisub on your computer, you can download it via this link: http://www.aegisub.org/. Once the software is running you can open it to synchronize your subtitles to your video.
Once Aegisub is open you must proceed in this order:
1) Video tab > Open a video – choose a video in your computer
2) File tab > Open subtitles – choose the subtitle file of the video
If a window like this appears:
Click on NO
Once all this is done, you should see your video appears at the top left, with the subtitles below. Make sure you have the sound waves on the right. You can use it later to set the subtitle. If you don't have them, you can go to Audio > Waveform Display.
1) Adding and deleting a subtitle
On Aegisub, it is very simple to add or remove subtitles.
To add a subtitle, simply right-click on a subtitle line and choose Insert Before/After.
To delete a subtitle, right-click on the subtitle and click on Delete lines.
2) Some shortcuts
Position your mouse over a subtitle and click on the Space button, this will allow you to play the subtitle with the corresponding audio. Position your mouse in the text of a subtitle and click Shift + Enter, this will add a line break in the subtitle (N).
3) Modification of the text
If there are errors or elements that you want to change this is quite possible on Aegisub. To edit the text of a subtitle you must click on the corresponding subtitle and make the change in the text box (1).
Once your text has been modified, add N to move to the line (recall the shortcut Shift + Space).
4) Changing the position or duration of subtitles
It is important to note that subtitling involves a technical part called spotting of subtitles. This means that it is necessary to calculate when the subtitles appear and disappear from the screen so that there is synchronization with the sound.
To change the duration or position of a subtitle, you have two options.
a) Move the red (2) and blue (3) bars and click on the green check (4) to confirm.
b) Change the start (5) and end (6) time values of the subtitle, it is longer but more accurate.
To verify that the subtitle matches the sound and/or video, you can:
– Start the entire video with the play button on the left (7).
– Just start the duration of the subtitle with the play button in red brackets (8).
– Start the duration of the subtitle, while having the possibility to modify it at the same time, with the play button in blue brackets (9).
In addition to sync audio to text, subtitle cutting is essential. In this way, the separation of the two lines must not interrupt a unity of meaning. Moreover, it is not necessary to separate a noun from its adjective in two lines, nor a noun and a verb, on the contrary, it is necessary to proceed to a natural separation in order not to lose the meaning of the sentence.
Finally, it is necessary to check that there are not too many characters per line, which is indicated on the right (10). It is recommended not to exceed 35 characters per line (i.e. letters, signs or spaces). For example, ARTE sets the bar to a maximum of 30 characters per line. It is also necessary not to exceed 2 lines of subtitles.
You also have to check that there is not too much character per second, this is indicated in the CPS column (11). Aegisub signals you with a color code when the CPS is too high. The column will turn pink to red when the CPS exceeds 15, so it is advisable to follow these recommendations, which are intended to make it easier to read the subtitles.
Tip: You can ensure that two subtitles do not overlap with the tab Automation > Select overlaps.
Once these 4 steps are done, don't forget to save your subtitles in the File tab.
That's it, you're ready to synchronize like pros thanks to Aegisub!
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