Subtitle & Localisation Video Cost Guide UK 2024

TL;DR: Professional subtitle and localisation services for video cost £4–£18 per finished minute in the UK for timed subtitles, rising to £25–£60 per minute for burned-in foreign-language versions across 10+ languages. Getting this right is not optional — 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound, and 69% of non-native English speakers will not purchase from a brand that does not address them in their language. This guide covers every cost layer from SRT files to full multilingual localisation.

Subtitles, Closed Captions and Localisation: What Is What

The three terms are frequently conflated in briefs — and the confusion leads to incorrect scoping and budget shortfalls. Here is the precise distinction used in UK post-production:

• Subtitles: Text that transcribes or translates the spoken dialogue, timed to the audio. Assume the viewer can hear but may not understand the language. Standard for foreign-language distribution and on-demand platforms.
• Closed captions (CC): Subtitles that also describe non-speech audio (music, sound effects, speaker identity). Required under UK accessibility legislation — the Equality Act 2010 and Ofcom's Access Services Code mandate captions for broadcast content. Increasingly expected for online corporate content.
• Open (burned-in) subtitles: Permanently composited into the video frame. Cannot be turned off by the viewer. Used for social media autoplay (no-sound-default environments) and cinema exhibition.
• Localisation: The full adaptation of video for a target market — translated subtitles or dubbing, plus adaptation of on-screen graphics, date formats, cultural references and regulatory disclaimers. Not the same as translation.

The UK subtitle and captioning market was valued at £48 million in 2022 (PACT member survey), with demand growing at 18% per year driven by accessibility legislation and global distribution requirements.

Subtitling Workflow: From Transcript to Delivery

1. Transcription: The dialogue is transcribed verbatim, including speaker identification and time codes. AI-assisted transcription (Otter.ai, Whisper) has reduced this stage to near-zero cost for clear audio — but always requires human QC, particularly for technical vocabulary, proper nouns and accented speakers.
2. Subtitle spotting: A subtitle editor breaks the transcript into reading-speed segments (maximum 42 characters per line, 2 lines per card, minimum 1 second display time — the Netflix Timed Text Style Guide is the UK industry reference). Timing is locked to the audio.
3. Translation (if required): A professional translator renders the spotted subtitle file into the target language. For subtitle translation, the translator must also observe reading-speed constraints — a direct translation that exceeds the time allocation must be condensed without losing meaning. This requires a specialist subtitle translator, not a general translator.
4. QC (quality check): The completed subtitle file is played against picture by a second reviewer who checks timing accuracy, spelling, grammar, reading speed compliance and synchronisation.
5. Delivery and integration: Subtitle files are delivered as SRT, VTT, STL or EBU-TT depending on the platform (YouTube, Vimeo, broadcast, cinema). Burned-in subtitles require a Resolve or After Effects composite pass.

Tech Stack

• EZTitles / Cavena / FAB Subtitler: Professional subtitle authoring tools used in UK broadcast facilities. EZTitles is the most common for corporate and broadcast work.
• Descript / Whisper / AssemblyAI: AI transcription tools that reduce first-pass transcription time by 70–80%; output requires human editing for accuracy.
• DaVinci Resolve (Subtitle track): Native subtitle compositing and SRT/VTT export — widely used for burned-in subtitle passes in corporate video post-production.
• Smartling / Phrase (Memsource): Translation management systems (TMS) used for multi-language projects. Enable translation memory — previously translated phrases are reused automatically, reducing per-language cost by 15–35% on repeat commissions.
• Netflix Timed Text Style Guide (NTTSG): The de facto UK and global standard for subtitle formatting, reading speed and positioning. Even non-Netflix projects benefit from following these guidelines.

Pricing: Per-Minute Rates for UK Subtitle and Localisation Services

10+ Language Localisation: How to Manage Scale

Commissioning subtitles in 10 or more languages simultaneously requires a structured workflow to control cost and quality:

1. Master first: Produce and QC the English subtitle file completely before sending for translation. Errors in the master cascade into every language version.
2. Use a TMS with translation memory: If you produce regular video content, a translation management system (Smartling, Phrase) stores approved translations so repeated phrases — product names, legal disclaimers, CTAs — cost zero on subsequent projects.
3. Batch by language family: Assign related languages (ES/PT, ZH/JA, DE/NL) to the same translator or agency to leverage linguistic proximity and reduce per-language cost by 10–20%.
4. Separate subtitle translators from document translators: Subtitle translation requires specific skills in condensing language to reading-speed constraints. Standard document translators produce overlength subtitles that require expensive re-editing.
5. Centralise delivery format specification: Provide a single delivery brief to all translators listing exact format (SRT, EBU-TT, STL), character limits, frame rate and platform. Inconsistent formats across 10 languages double QC time.

Pre-Commission Checklist

• Confirm picture lock before commissioning subtitles — any edit change after subtitle spotting requires re-timing (charged at £150–£300 per version).
• Identify all target languages and platforms before the master is spotted — burned-in subtitles for social have different positioning requirements to broadcast SRT files.
• Supply a glossary of brand terms, product names and preferred translations for key vocabulary — this reduces translator queries and ensures consistency.
• Specify whether you need open (burned-in) or closed (file-based) subtitles for each language and platform combination.
• Confirm whether on-screen text elements (lower-thirds, title cards, graphic overlays) require translation — these are separate from dialogue subtitles and require a compositor to update.
• For broadcast distribution, confirm which Ofcom access service requirements apply (CC, audio description, signing) before committing to a delivery format.

Accessibility and Legal Compliance in the UK

The UK Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustment for disabled people, which includes providing accessible video content. Ofcom's Broadcasting Code mandates specific captioning quotas for licensed broadcasters — 100% of programming must carry subtitles on BBC One, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. While these quotas apply to regulated broadcast, the duty of care argument increasingly applies to corporate publishers, particularly in financial services, health and public-sector communications. The UK government's Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 explicitly require public-sector video content published online to carry captions. Private-sector organisations with ESG commitments or global distribution are rapidly following suit.

Hiring a UK Subtitle and Localisation Provider

• Verify membership of the UK Subtitlers Association (UKSA) or accreditation with ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) for translation-heavy projects.
• Ask for a sample: supply 3 minutes of your video and request a subtitle file. Check reading speed compliance (no more than 17 characters per second) and timing accuracy against the audio.
• Confirm turnaround SLAs: standard UK delivery for a 5-minute video is 2–5 working days per language. Rush (24-hour) delivery adds 50–80%.
• For 10+ language projects, ask whether the provider uses a TMS with translation memory and whether you retain access to your translation memory asset.
• Clarify revision policy: one round of text revisions is standard; additional rounds cost £80–£200 per language per round.

FAQs: Subtitles and Localisation for Corporate Video

What is the difference between SRT, VTT and STL subtitle formats?

SRT (SubRip Text) is a plain-text format universally supported by YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn and most video players. VTT (WebVTT) is the HTML5 web standard, functionally similar to SRT with additional styling options. STL (Spruce Subtitle Format) is used for broadcast and DVD authoring. EBU-TT is the European broadcast XML standard. For corporate online distribution, SRT is sufficient for 95% of use cases; request VTT additionally if your videos are embedded on a website with custom styling.

Does AI transcription replace human subtitlers?

AI transcription tools (Whisper, Otter.ai, AssemblyAI) achieve 85–95% word accuracy on clean audio with a standard British or American accent. Accuracy drops to 65–80% for accented speech, technical vocabulary, proper nouns and overlapping speakers. AI output always requires human QC before delivery — typically 20–40 minutes of editor time per hour of content. For broadcast or legal content, human-first transcription remains the standard. AI reduces cost but does not eliminate human expertise.

How many characters per line should subtitles have?

The Netflix Timed Text Style Guide (the UK industry reference) specifies a maximum of 42 characters per line, with a maximum of two lines per subtitle card. Reading speed should not exceed 17 characters per second (CPS) for adult content or 13 CPS for children's content. Exceeding these limits forces viewers to choose between reading subtitles and watching the picture — a failure of the subtitle design.

What is burned-in subtitle production, and when do I need it?

Burned-in (open) subtitles are permanently composited into the video frame — they cannot be turned off. They are required for social media platforms where autoplay defaults to no audio (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), for cinema exhibition, and for markets where platform-level subtitle display cannot be guaranteed. Each language version requires a separate video export, making burned-in subtitles the most expensive delivery format for multi-language projects.

Can I localise on-screen graphics at the same time as subtitles?

Yes, and it is more cost-effective to do so simultaneously. On-screen text — lower-thirds, title cards, infographic labels — requires a compositor to update the motion graphics or open source files. If you use the same post-production studio for graphics and subtitles, the compositor can update all text elements in a single pass per language, avoiding multiple rounds of video export. Separating the two tasks typically doubles the turnaround time and adds 20–35% to cost.

How much does it cost to subtitle a 30-minute training video in 5 languages?

A 30-minute training video in 5 European languages would typically cost: English spotted master (£180–£360) + 5 × translation (£240–£480 per language = £1,200–£2,400) + QC (£300–£600) = £1,680–£3,360 total for SRT file delivery. Add £750–£2,000 for burned-in compositing across all five languages if required. A translation memory system reduces per-language cost by 15–35% on subsequent projects if similar vocabulary is reused.

What accessibility standards apply to corporate video in the UK?

The UK Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 require public sector websites and apps to carry accessible video content including captions. The Equality Act 2010 applies a reasonable adjustment duty to all organisations. For private-sector corporate video, there is no mandatory captioning quota outside of licensed broadcasting — but Ofcom's voluntary accessibility guidance and BS 8878 (web accessibility) provide a clear framework. Legal risk from non-accessible content is low but reputational risk — particularly for ESG-committed organisations — is significant and growing.

How do I handle right-to-left languages (Arabic, Hebrew) in burned-in subtitles?

RTL languages require specific compositor configuration in DaVinci Resolve or After Effects. Subtitle text must be rendered with Unicode RTL support, correct Arabic shaping (contextual letter forms) and right-aligned positioning. Not all compositors have experience with Arabic or Hebrew text rendering — verify this capability explicitly before commissioning, as incorrect rendering produces unsellable deliverables. Specialised Arabic subtitle tools including EZTitles Arabic and FAB Subtitler handle RTL natively.

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