There are often debates about which localization option is the most appropriate between subtitling and dubbing/voice over. The most suitable option depends very much on your audience, the nature of your content and the goal you want to achieve. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages.

Subtitling advantages are multiple but its main characteristics are the advantage of keeping the original voices from the content as well as its attractive cost.

There are many cases where dubbing or voice over would be more suitable but there is no need to unnecessarily spend a significant amount of money in dubbing a content if it can work very well with subtitles and provide the same level of enjoyment to the audience.

Although subtitles are not a substitute to dubbing/voice over when this is the most adapted option for a particular content and audience, subtitling can however, if produced effecively at a high quality, be an amazing alternative for your localization strategy, if your budget does not allow to opt for a dubbing/voice over option.

When it comes to subtitling, the main concerns people usually have is about the obstructive nature of subtitles and whether this would affect the audience's enjoyment of the original content. These are completely valid concerns, however the enjoyment of the content depends essentially on the quality of the subtitles, as the aim is to let the audience enjoy and understand your content without realising they are reading.
 
Our mission is in fact to enhance the content. There is no point in having a great original content if the subtitles can't showcase its quality.

Our experienced subtitlers understand very well the mechanisms of subtitling and the audience's perspective, which is why they have a really talented editing mind as well as being agile linguists.There are several factors we take into account, such as reading speed, positioning of the subtitles, the language used etc. which affect the fluidity of the subtitles and the audience's enjoyment, as a result.
As well as great linguistic skills, subtitling require to have great editing skills, and a great sense of rhythm as subtitlers need to associate two visual elements together. From the linguistic point, the difficulty resides in expressing the same message by using less words - this can be challenging but completely possible with the right level of linguistic experience.

If you are familiar with subtitling, it is likely you already know if this option is most suited to your project and we would be pleased to find the best solution to help you achieve your goal. Please contact us, we will be happy to discuss your requirements. 
If you are new to this localization method, or if you are unsure about whether subtitling is a good option for your content, please feel free to contact us; we will be delighted to discuss your project and advise you on the most suitable option for you.

E-mail: info@nativspeakers.com
Tel.+44 (0)7570 790250.