Subtitle Editor is a Free, open source software which runs on Linux and BSDs. It allows you to create or edit the subtitles of your videos or movies.

Have you ever received a movie or video in a foreign language and wished you could follow the conversations ? If yes, then here is an easy way to enjoy a movie or video no matter what language it is in. The trick is to add subtitles.

Adding subtitles to movies or videos means inserting relevant text of the script into the video at the exact moment it is spoken so that the person watching the movie/video, who does not understand the language, can follow the conversation.

To insert subtitles into movies or videos, you make use of a subtitle editor. There are numerous subtitle editing software available for Linux, Windows and Mac OSX. But one subtitle editor which I have found easy to use is the Subtitle Editor – which is a GTK+2 tool to edit subtitles. The software Subtitle Editor is available for GNU/Linux and BSD operating systems.

Subtitle Editor can be used to add new subtitles, or as a tool to transform, edit, correct and refine existing subtitle. This program also shows sound waves, which makes it easier to synchronise subtitles to voices.

In Ubuntu Linux, you install Subtitle Editor as follows from the command line -

$ sudo apt-get install subtitleeditor

Once installed, you can run Subtitle Editor by navigating through “Applications > Sound and Video > Subtitle Editor“. If you are using not Ubuntu, but an alternate Linux distribution, install the software using its equivalent package manager.

Subtitle editor interface

Subtitle editor interface

Features of Subtitle Editor

  • Really easy to use, intutive multiple document interface.
  • Internationalization support
  • Video player integrated in the main window
  • Can play and preview with external video player (you have to specify the video player. Mplayer is default).
  • Can be used for timing
  • Can be used for translating from one language to another.
  • Shows subtitles over the video
  • Integrated spell checker to correct spelling mistakes.
  • The resulting subscript can be saved in multiple file formats such as Sub Station Alpha, SubRip, MicroDVD, MPL2, MPsub, plain text and so on.

Please visit the Subtitle Editor Homepage to download the latest version.

Subtitle Editor can be used to – move subtitles; add 100 milliseconds each to the start, duration or end of your video; change the frame rate of showing the subtitles and so on. With the embedded video player (external), it is possible to simultaneously view, the video, the audio wave forms, and at the same time make subtle changes to the subtitles.

The subtitles text style can be customized with the fonts and colours of your choice which is another very nice feature of the Subtitle Editor.

Customize the look and feel of your subtitles.

Customize the look and feel of your subtitles.

Spell checker dialog in Subtitle Editor

Spell checker dialog in Subtitle Editor

I recently used the Subtitle Editor to add some transcript to a screencast I created; and it worked very well.

Once you have created the subtitle file for your video, you have to merge the subtitle file with your video using a different software. The output will be a video which shows the subtitles in sync.

You can use Totem player to play your movie or video showing subtitles. Check out – how to display subtitles in movies using Totem Player.

Subtitle Editor is – no doubt – a fabulous software which is ideal for creating, modifying and syncing  subtitles in any movies or videos.

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