You’ve worked hard on your latest video, and you’re finally ready to upload it to YouTube. But before you hit that publish button, there’s one more thing you should do: add subtitles. You might think, “Do I really need to add subtitles in YouTube videos? Won’t people just understand what I’m saying?”
The answer is no, not everyone will understand what you’re saying. In fact, according to a recent study by the World Health Organization, nearly 5% of the world’s population has hearing loss. That’s 430 million people!
Not just that, but even if people can hear you, they might not understand you. This is especially true if your video is in a different language than the viewer’s native language. Even if English is the viewer’s first language, they might still have trouble understanding you if you have a strong accent or speak quickly.
Subtitles solve these problems and more. Here are 7 reasons you should publish your YouTube video with subtitles.
Reach More Audience
Many factors may restrict the reach of your video. The person who wants to watch the video might not understand your language. Maybe even if they know the language you speak, they might still have trouble following how you talk. Maybe they are in a position where they can't turn on the volume. For example, if they are at work or in a library. It could even be that their device's audio is messed up! In any of these cases, subtitles will help you reach more audiences as they will understand your video even if they can't hear it. It's also an inclusive way of reaching people with hearing disabilities.
Improved SEO
Search engines can't watch or listen to your videos, but they can read. This is where YouTube videos with subtitles come in handy. By adding subtitles to your videos, you are giving search engines more information to work with. When you upload a subtitle file alongside your video, YouTube reads the text and indexes it for search. This means that your video is more likely to show up in search results when someone enters relevant keywords. This will help your videos rank higher in search results, which means more people will find and watch your videos. In any of these cases, subtitles will help you reach more audiences as they will understand your video even if they can't hear it. It's also an inclusive way of reaching people with hearing disabilities.
Greater Engagement
Subtitles make it easier for viewers to follow along with your video, which means they are more likely to watch the entire thing. The longer someone watches your video, the more engaged they are. Engaged viewers are more likely to like, comment, and share your videos. They are also more likely to become subscribers. So not only will subtitles help you reach more people, but they will also help you engage with the viewers you already have. According to a study by PLYMedia, 80% more people watched a video till the end when subtitles were enabled. Even Facebook has reported that adding captions to videos can increase views by 12%. 4. Better Understanding Many times it's hard for the audience to keep up with the audio. This is especially true if you are speaking quickly or using industry-specific jargon. With subtitles, viewers can read along and make sure they are understanding everything correctly. They can also rewatch parts of the video if they need to. This ensures that your viewers are getting the most out of your content.
Better Understanding
Many times it's hard for the audience to keep up with the audio. This is especially true if you are speaking quickly or using industry-specific jargon. With youtube subtitles, viewers can read along and make sure they are understanding everything correctly. They can also rewatch parts of the video if they need to. This ensures that your viewers are getting the most out of your content.
Increased Retention
Youtube subtitles can also help viewers remember the information shared in your video better. This is because subtitles allow viewers to process both the audio and visual information from the video at the same time. Research has shown that people retain information better when they process both visual and auditory information simultaneously. So by adding subtitles to your videos, you are helping your viewers remember more of what they watch.
More Shares
Youtube subtitles also make your videos more shareable. This is because subtitles make it easier for people to understand and share your videos with their friends. If someone comes across a video that they can't understand, they are less likely to share it. But if they come across a video with subtitles, they are more likely to share it with someone who they think will understand it. This means that adding subtitles to your videos can help you reach an even wider audience. As more people watch and share your videos, the chances of becoming a successful channel rise significantly.
It's Easy to Add Youtube Subtitles!
Contrary to popular belief, it's actually very easy to add subtitles to a YouTube video.
How to add subtitles on YouTube videos?
YouTube has a built-in tool that allows you to create and upload subtitles for your videos. You can also use third-party subtitle tools like Subtitle Edit or Aegisub. These tools make the process of creating and editing subtitles for your videos relatively easier and seamless.
With the help of Translate by Humans’ multilingual subtitling services, adding subtitles is a piece of cake. We have native translators with 5+ years of experience who can create subtitles in over 180 languages and dialects. You get a dedicated project manager aiding you from start to finish and the turnaround time is quick too! So, you can have your videos professionally translated and subtitled in any language you need – in the time frame you need without the hassle of finding and coordinating with native linguists in multiple languages.
All you need to do is upload your video and choose your desired languages. We will then reach out to native linguists with relevant industry experience, work with them to create subtitles for your video and deliver them to you.
What is Closed Caption vs. Subtitles?
Closed caption is the written version of the audio track for the videos that you can choose to view. It might also include descriptions of sounds (for example, “door opening” and “laughing”). The closed caption can be added only in the language of the audio. Whereas, subtitling refers to the translation of captions into another language different than the audio.
You may think that closed captions are enough to make your videos accessible to viewers. But there are actually several benefits of using subtitles over closed captions.
First, subtitles can be translated into multiple languages. This allows you to reach a global audience with your videos. Closed captions can only be displayed in only the audio language.
For example, if you’re a creator in the English language and your content also has a lot of Spanish-speaking fans, you can add English and Spanish subtitles to your videos using our service even if you don’t know Spanish yourself. This way, both English and Spanish speakers can watch and understand your videos.
Second, subtitles are more accurate than closed captions. This is because professional translators who understand the nuances of language create subtitles. Closed captions are created using automatic speech recognition software. This software is not always accurate, especially in complex words or dialects.
Finally, subtitles are more customizable than closed captions. With subtitles, you can choose the font, color, and position of your subtitles. This allows you to make your subtitles match your brand identity. Closed captions, on the other hand, are typically white and cannot be customized.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many benefits associated with adding subtitles to your YouTube videos. Subtitles make your videos more accessible, searchable, and watchable – regardless of whether viewers can hear audio. Adding subtitles is also relatively easy and only takes a few minutes using YouTube’s Video Manager tool. So what are you waiting for? Start adding subtitles to your YouTube videos today!
