What is the Difference between Subtitles and Captions?

We all have seen them while watching videos, a stream of words that flow at the bottom of a video. Some call them subtitles, and some call them captions. While the functionality is the same, subtitles and captions have a difference.

Here is what the difference is.

The terms subtitles and captions are used interchangeably for words that appear on the screen. They both have the same function of making viewers understand the video’s content. The subtle difference between subtitles and captions is in the audience whom they are targeting.

Captions
Captions are to accommodate people with hearing difficulties or who are hard deaf. In captions, not just the spoken words, the audio elements in the video are also presented in a text form.

For example, if a dog is barking in the background, the same is displayed in the captions like this - [Dog is Barking]. Similarly, if a character is crying, the captions present it like this - [Crying out of agony].

Subtitles
Subtitles are predominantly to accommodate foreign audiences who are not well-versed in a language. The text can be either a translated text or a native language text.

In subtitles, only the spoken words in the audio are presented in the text. The other audio elements are excluded. As such, subtitles are not an appropriate format for viewers with hearing problems.

Why Should You Invest in Subtitles and Captions?
With captions and subtitles, you can reach numerous audiences. They are great tools for audience engagement and content retention. Also, they are an invaluable SEO asset.

Subtitles go a bit further and open your video content for the world audience. They have a high ROI too.

Are you wondering where to start with subtitles? Worry not. CHL Localization, the best provider of subtitling services in Mumbai, is here to help. From the entertainment industry to other sectors, CHL provides subtitling services to all. Not just in Mumbai, the agency also provides subtitling services in Chennai.

If you are interested to know more about the services of CHL Localization, please click here.