Multilingual Subtitles:
Pricing, Delivery, and Accessibility

Multilingual subtitles for a finished video are timed text tracks, commonly delivered as SRT or WebVTT files. A live event calls for text on screen while the audio is happening. These are different buying decisions.

If you need files to attach to a recording, use a subtitling vendor. MirrorCaption currently exports Markdown, plain text, and clipboard text, not SRT or WebVTT. If you need to follow a meeting as it happens, a live translation tool may fit.

This guide focuses on the recorded-video purchase: how to read a published price, ask for a delivery estimate, and specify accessibility requirements. For the live audio pipeline itself, see our real-time translated subtitles guide.

"Multilingual Subtitles" Names Two Different Jobs

A localization vendor can take a finished video, prepare source captions, translate and time the text, and deliver subtitle files for each requested language. Ask which of those steps are included in the quote.

Live translated text answers a different question: what is being said now? It does not automatically create a subtitle file for later distribution.

The practical test takes one question: does the audio already exist as a file? If yes, you want a subtitling vendor and this article's first half. If it has not been spoken yet, compare live captioning and translation services instead of ordering post-production files.

Worth naming the boundary precisely, because it trips up procurement teams: the recorded job is a translation deliverable, so it belongs with the rest of your localization stack. Our map of which multilingual translation tools actually do what covers where subtitling sits among the neighbouring categories.

What Multilingual Subtitles Cost and How Long They Take

Use a vendor's published prices as a starting point, then check the language and project details at checkout. Rev's global-subtitles page currently lists these per-video-minute tiers:

These are Rev examples, not an industry price range or a promise for your order. The service page also describes a range of $6.99–$15.99 in its FAQ, so verify the checkout total before budgeting. Longer runtime and more requested languages increase the work; technical vocabulary and review requirements may change the quote.

Rev's support page estimates subtitles at up to 48 hours for a 0–20 minute video and up to 96 hours for a 20–60 minute video, after English captions are complete. Videos over 60 minutes can take longer. It says language choice and whether you provide an English SRT can affect delivery, and its estimates are not guarantees.

Specify Captions When Accessibility Matters

The label on a file is not enough to judge accessibility. W3C distinguishes captions from translated subtitles by purpose, while noting that translated subtitles can include meaningful non-speech information. A dialogue-only translation may omit information needed by deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers.

Section508.gov advises that captions include dialogue, important sounds, and consistent speaker identification. Ask the vendor what the translated track contains, which viewers it is meant to serve, and whether the player presents it accessibly. Legal requirements depend on the content and context; do not infer compliance from the term “multilingual subtitles.”

The purchase order should state the intended audience, the required audio information in each language, and the playback platform. Review a sample file in that platform before accepting the deliverables.

Can a Player Show Two Subtitle Languages?

Usually a standard video player lets viewers select one subtitle track at a time. A custom player can render two timed text streams together, but that is a player feature to design and test, not a property guaranteed by every SRT or WebVTT file.

The WebVTT specification defines timed cues and positioning. MDN documents how HTML video uses text tracks. Neither source promises that a third-party player will offer a dual-language menu.

If dual-language display matters for training or language learning, ask the platform owner for a working sample with both tracks. Check overlap, reading speed, mobile screen space, and whether viewers can still choose captions independently.

When the Job Is Live, Not Recorded

Everything above assumes a finished file. If your audio has not been spoken yet, post-production quotes and file delivery dates do not answer the immediate need. You need translated text arriving while the person is still talking.

That's a genuinely different product, and it comes with a different set of trade-offs. Live output cannot receive post-production review before viewers see it. Some services offer a human captioner; others use automated recognition and translation. MirrorCaption's export is text, not a timed subtitle file. What you get instead is immediacy, which is the entire point when the value of understanding something expires the moment the meeting ends.

MirrorCaption does the live half. It runs in a browser tab, captures the audio of the meeting or stream tab alongside your microphone, and streams transcription and translation across 50+ selectable languages while the speaker is still going. Nothing joins the call as a participant. Browser audio capture depends on the device and browser. Original and translation sit side by side, so you can check a rendering that reads oddly against the source, which matters more than people expect when a phrase is polite in one language and a refusal in another.

We've written up the mechanism separately rather than repeat it here: how real-time translated subtitles actually work covers tab-audio capture, what the platform-native options from Zoom, Teams, and Meet cover, and why the attendee case is the underserved one.

Two related needs deserve separate guides. If your multilingual audio arrives as inbound phone calls rather than video, browser-based call center translation is the closer fit. And if what you actually need is the finished transcript afterwards in more than one language, our comparison of multilingual transcription software works through the tools that handle non-English audio properly.

MirrorCaption exports Markdown, plain text, and clipboard text. It does not produce SRT or WebVTT files. For a timed file attached to a recording, choose a subtitling service.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do multilingual subtitles cost per language?

Rev currently lists $6.49, $10.49, and $15.99 per video minute for different language tiers. Check your language and checkout price. Each requested language adds a separate subtitle deliverable.

Can you show two subtitle languages at the same time?

A custom player can render two language tracks together, but many standard menus select one at a time. Test the actual player and placement before promising a dual-language view.

Can translated subtitles serve deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers?

A dialogue-only translation is not enough when viewers need captions. W3C notes that translated subtitles can include non-speech information; specify meaningful sounds and speaker identification, then test the result against the applicable accessibility requirements.

How long does it take to subtitle a video into multiple languages?

Rev estimates subtitle delivery after English captions are ready at up to 48 hours for 0–20 minutes, up to 96 hours for 20–60 minutes, and longer above 60 minutes. Language and source-caption availability affect timing; confirm the estimate at checkout.

Can I get multilingual subtitles for a live meeting?

Yes, with a live captioning or translation service. MirrorCaption streams translated text in a browser tab across 50+ selectable languages and exports Markdown or plain text afterwards; it does not export timecoded SRT or WebVTT files.

Choose the Deliverable First

For a finished video, specify each language, the file format, the audio information each track must include, and the player that will display it. Compare a vendor's checkout price and estimated date rather than treating a sample rate as a market quote.

For a live meeting, decide whether the priority is immediate understanding or a reviewed, distributable recording. MirrorCaption serves immediate translated text and text export. A subtitling vendor serves the timed file you can attach to a finished video.