Translate subtitles from Spanish to English with every cue's timing intact.
To add English subtitles to a Spanish video, pick the file here, create your account and upload the video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe the Spanish, translate the captions into English keeping the timing of every cue, and you download the SRT, the FCPXML or a clip with the English captions burned in.
Free on the 3-day trial- English captions with the same timing as the Spanish
- Translated SRT and FCPXML for your editor
- Vertical clips with English captions burned in
- Transcript, chapters and hooks in English
- Cancel anytime in the app, no fee
You create the account now and upload this file in the next step. Translation is on the Studio and Agency trial, 3 days or 1 hour of media; the Pro trial doesn't translate.
How to translate subtitles from Spanish to English
- 01
Upload the Spanish video
A video or audio file, or a YouTube link. We detect Spanish on our own and transcribe it with timing for every word.
- 02
Choose English
Pick English from the 9 languages and translate the captions, the content or both. We email you when it's done.
- 03
Download or burn it in
Download the English SRT or FCPXML, or render a vertical clip with the translated captions in one of 235 styles.
Who needs English subtitles on a Spanish video
Spanish-language content travels further with English subtitles. The people who ask for it most are Latin American creators and schools selling a course to a wider audience, producers who receive interviews in Spanish and cut them in English, churches sharing a message with English-speaking partner congregations, and brands using a customer testimonial on an English site.
In FilmScribe, translation starts from the recording. We transcribe the Spanish, sync every cue, then translate those synced captions into English. That's why each English cue comes in and goes out exactly where the Spanish one did, with no retiming by hand.
- A Spanish course you want to sell to English speakers
- A Latin American YouTube channel growing an English audience
- A Spanish interview you need to log and cut in English
- A sermon in Spanish shared with an English-speaking partner church
- A customer testimonial recorded in Spanish for an English site
What the translated SRT looks like
Only the text changes. The same cue that showed the Spanish line shows the English line, from the first second to the last. The SRT comes with TV, Netflix and YouTube presets and your project's frame rate, and the FCPXML drops the captions straight into Final Cut.
Beyond the captions, we translate the full transcript, the chapter titles and the hooks, with the same speakers and timestamps. If you edit in English and the interview was recorded in Spanish, you can log it by reading instead of waiting for someone who speaks the language.
English usually runs shorter: that helps reading speed
As a rough rule of thumb, Spanish runs 15 to 25 percent longer than the same content in English. Going the other way works in your favor: the English line usually fits the original cue with room to spare. The usual TV and streaming reference for adult viewers is 17 to 20 characters per second.
Still, run the SRT through our free reading speed checker, because a fast speaker is still a fast speaker. And fix names, brands and technical terms in the Spanish transcript before you translate, since the fix carries into the captions. The table shows the same line in a 3 second cue.
| 3 s cue | Characters | Per second |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 59 | 20 |
| English | 48 | 16 |
More than English subtitles. Your Spanish video, ready for an English-speaking audience.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How do I add English subtitles to a Spanish video?
Upload the video or paste the YouTube link, let the Spanish transcript finish and choose English. We translate the captions and keep every cue's timing. Then download the SRT, the FCPXML or a clip with the English captions burned in.
Can I translate a Spanish SRT file to English?
Not directly. In FilmScribe, translation starts from your video or audio, not from a standalone SRT: upload the recording and the translated captions keep the original timing. If you only need to change an SRT's format, use our free subtitle converter.
Does it work with Mexican, Argentine or Castilian Spanish?
Yes. We detect Spanish on our own and transcribe it whatever country the speaker is from. What affects the result most is audio quality: a close microphone and little noise count for more than the accent.
Do the English subtitles stay in sync?
Yes. We translate captions that are already synced, so every English cue comes in and goes out at the same time as the Spanish one. Local expressions and jokes deserve a final review, watching the video with the captions on.
Which plan includes Spanish to English translation?
Studio and Agency. Their trial already includes translation, for 3 days or 1 hour of media, and it starts with a card on file. Cancel in the app before it ends and you pay nothing. Pro transcribes but doesn't translate.
Do I have to keep the window open?
No. Translation runs in the background and we email you when it's ready. Each translation stays saved with the file, and you can delete and redo it whenever you want.
Your Spanish video, with English subtitles. Timed to every line.
Upload the recording or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe the Spanish and translate the captions into English, ready to download or burn into a clip.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.