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How to manage subtitles

Summary

Subtitles in alugha can be created from a transcript, imported from a file, or exported in standard formats. Per language. This page is a hub to the right article for whatever you need to do with subtitles.

Dub vs. Subs

Every language on an alugha project has two parallel tracks:

  • Dub, the spoken text (transcript / translation) that drives Text-To-Speech and the player’s audio.
  • Subs, the subtitle segments shown on screen in the player.

Switch between the two with the View menu in the dubbr toolbar (DUB / SUB).

After the AI pipeline (STT → Translation → TTS) you have a Dub on every language, but the Subs track is still empty until you create or import subtitles for it.

Three ways to get subtitles into a project

1. Copy Dub to Subs (no credits)

If you already have a Dub (from STT or Translation), the fastest path is to copy the Dub text into the Subs track. Tools → Copy Dub To Subs creates dedicated, editable subtitle segments per language.

See Create subtitles from your transcript.

2. Import an existing subtitle file (no credits)

Already have subtitles from another tool? Drop them in via Im-/Export → Import Subtitles. Supported formats: WebVTT, SRT, plain text. Voices in the imported file map to dubbr voice slots in the import dialog.

See Import subtitles into your project.

3. Auto-fall-back to the transcript

If a language has a Dub but no dedicated Subs, the alugha player automatically uses the transcript as subtitles. This is fine for testing, but dedicated subtitles look better. Shorter lines, better reading speed.

Exporting subtitles

Need a subtitle file for YouTube, another player, or a captioning provider? Export from Im-/Export → Export Subtitles:

  • WebVTT (.vtt). Web standard, supports speaker colours.
  • SRT (.srt). Classic format, works with YouTube.
  • Plain Text. Transcript without timestamps.

For WebVTT you can enable colour-coded subtitles per speaker voice. Export runs per language and per source. No bulk export.

See Export subtitles in WebVTT, SRT, or Text format.

Subtitles in the player

Once a language has published subtitles, viewers can pick them via the globe icon in the player controls. The picker shows two columns: Audio and Subtitles, the viewer can mix them freely (e.g. English audio + French subtitles).

For embeds you can force subtitles on by setting SUBTITLES in the EMBED OPTIONS tab to a specific language instead of None.

Subtitles vs. Closed Captions vs. Audio Description

Three related but different accessibility tracks:

  • Subtitles. Text of the spoken dialogue. For viewers who do not understand the spoken language.
  • Closed Captions (CC). Text of the dialogue plus sound cues (laughter, music, sound effects). For deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers in the same language.
  • Audio Description (AD), a spoken audio track that narrates the visual scene for blind and low-vision viewers.

Toggle CC and AD on each language tab via the Accessibility Options above the timeline (Enable Closed Captions / Enable Audio Description).

Subtitle best practice. Short version

  • Length. Aim for ~42 characters per line, max 2 lines.
  • Reading speed — ~17 characters per second is comfortable.
  • Duration. Minimum 1 second on screen, maximum 6 seconds per segment.
  • Splitting. Break at natural pauses, not mid-phrase.
  • After Copy Dub to Subs, expect to trim. Transcripts are usually too long for subtitle pace.

Where to go next

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More in Subtitles & Accessibility:

Automatically enable subtitles in embedded videos
Automatically enable subtitles in shared videos
Export subtitles in WebVTT, SRT, or Text format