Subtitles used to be a nice extra for movies. But viewing habits have changed in recent years. Especially younger audiences rarely watch anything without subtitles, as The Guardian, IndieWire, and CBS News have noted.
Let’s take a look at the reasons why it can make sense to keep subtitles enabled all the time. After that, we’ll show you how to add subtitles to your favorite movies with Audials.
Why is it practical to view video content with subtitles?
Catch every whisper and explosion
Modern sound mixing often buries voices under booming soundtracks or special effects. Subtitles act like a spotlight for dialogue, cutting through the noise to make every word crystal clear.
Master complex plots
Whether it’s a mumbling detective, a character with a thick accent, or a sci-fi villain using complex terminology, seeing the text ensures you catch every name and plot twist without straining your ears.
Stay in the zone
Visual text helps lock in your focus. You’ll find yourself staying more immersed in the story because you aren’t constantly trying to decipher what was just said.
Watch on your terms, anywhere
Life doesn’t always happen in a silent home theater. Subtitles give you the freedom to enjoy your content regardless of your surroundings.
Silence is golden
Watch your favorite series at night without waking the house or watch on the train without headphones. You catch everything, even when the volume is zero.
Conquer the noise
In a loud gym, a busy café, or on a roaring plane, audio can easily get lost. Subtitles save the day, keeping you connected to the content when your ears can’t compete with the environment.
Multitask like a pro
Cooking dinner, watching the kids, or glancing at messages? Subtitles ensure you don’t miss a beat even if your attention drifts for a second.
Break down language barriers
Subtitles are more than just text on a screen; they are a gateway to inclusion and learning.
Essential accessibility
For the deaf and hard of hearing community, subtitles (and SDH) are central to the entertainment experience, ensuring equal access to culture and information.
Learn as you watch
Trying to master a new language? Reading along with the original audio is a powerful way to improve pronunciation, expand your vocabulary, and pick up on idioms naturally.
Global understanding
For non-native speakers, subtitles provide a safety net, making it significantly easier to follow fast-paced dialogue and cultural references.
How to add subtitles during streaming recording
Install and start Audials One.
Open Video Streaming in Audials One on your Windows PC, select your streaming service, and choose how Audials should capture the subtitles. You can choose the desired subtitles language, too. Start the recording, and before long you’ll have the video saved on your PC with matching subtitles.
You have three options:
- Search: Audials searches the internet for the right subtitles for you. They’re saved as a separate .srt file, so you can remove them later or replace them with different ones.
- From the streaming service: You can also save subtitles directly from the streaming service as a separate .srt file.
- Burn in (render): If captions are displayed in your streaming service, Audials can record them as part of the video. In that case, they can’t be removed afterward.
You can remove these subtitles anytime and add different ones.
Finding subtitles for an existing video
Already recorded a video? You can add subtitles afterward.
Step 1: Find your video in Audials under Video → My Videos. Open the three-dot menu for the video and select Edit file.
Step 2: In the Subtitles tab, start a search and choose the ones that fit.
Step 3: When you watch the movie in Audials, you can show or hide subtitles by clicking the eye icon.
