A subtitle editor is a type of computer software that lets users create and edit subtitles. These subtitles are superimposed over, and synchronized with, video. Subtitles can literally make the difference between being immersed in a movie or only watching the screen, trying to keep up with developments. Good subtitling does not distract but actually enhances viewing pleasure, and even native speakers can find subtitles useful, not only where the individual is hearing-impaired.
A subtitle is a text representation of the dialog, narration, music, or sound effects in a video file. Subtitles are available in multiple formats.
Mangled subtitles can anger viewers. Fortunately, there is a good range of open source software that lets you make subtitles with Linux. These editors help you preview how the subtitles appear on the video, and listen to the dialog. Additionally, they offer the ability to make entering and editing text easy, with good control over text formatting and positioning.
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The software featured in this article also offer an easy way to perform a number of different editing jobs, besides adding and removing subtitles. They each boast a good feature set, and are all released under an open source license.
Let’s explore each of the applications.
| Subtitle Editors | |
|---|---|
| Subtitle Edit | Versatile and feature-laden editor for video subtitles |
| Gaupol | Editor for text-based subtitle files |
| Aegisub | Highly customizable tool for creating and modifying subtitles |
| Subtitle Composer | Editor that supports basic and advanced operations |
| Subtitle Editor | GTK+2 tool to edit subtitles |
| Subtitld | Edit, transcribe and create subtitles |
| Jubler | Author new subtitles - convert, transform, correct and refine |
| Gnome Subtitles | Video subtitling for the GNOME desktop |
| subedit | Command-line editor written in Bash |
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Gaupol is my choice app.