Subtitling prices in the UK — English, foreign-language and translated subtitling from £6 per minute plus VAT.

Video subtitling prices

Video subtitling is priced per minute of video plus VAT, with a minimum charge for short videos. English subtitling starts from £6 per minute (minimum £80). Subtitling in another language starts from £10 per minute, and translated subtitling — turning a foreign-language video into subtitles in English, or the reverse — starts from £16 per minute. If you already have the transcript or translation we can create the subtitle file from it for less, and subtitles can be delivered as a file (such as .srt) or burned into the video. Longer videos qualify for volume discounts.

Absolute Translations provides English subtitling, multilingual subtitling and translated subtitling — as well as captioning (SDH and closed captions) — all created by professional human subtitlers rather than automatic captions alone. Subtitling adds timed on-screen text to a video, delivered as a subtitle file (such as .srt) or burned into the picture, in the same language or translated. Our strength is the multilingual side: turning a foreign-language video into accurate subtitles, either in the same language or translated into English (or English video into another language), across more than 200 languages. Because the work is done by professional human subtitlers, the timing, reading speed, line length and meaning are all handled properly, and any translation reads naturally.

Subtitling is priced per minute of video plus VAT, with a minimum charge for short videos. You pay the greater of the minutes times the per-minute rate, or the minimum charge, so a very short clip is charged at the minimum. There are three main types:

What you need	From (minimum)	Per minute from
English subtitling (English video into English subtitles)	£80	£6
Same-language subtitling (foreign video into subtitles in the same language)	£75	£10
Translated subtitling (foreign video into subtitles in another language, for example into English)	£100	£16

All prices are plus VAT. Common foreign languages are at the lower rates; less common languages are higher, and rare languages and dialects are quoted individually. Subtitles are timed by nature, so there is no separate timecode charge as there is with transcription.

Choose by what you are starting with and what you want back:

Need	Choose this	Starting price
English video, English subtitles	English subtitling	From £6/min + VAT
Foreign video, same-language subtitles	Same-language subtitling	From £10/min + VAT
Foreign video, translated subtitles (or English into another language)	Translated subtitling	From £16/min + VAT
Captions for the deaf and hard of hearing, in any language	SDH / closed captions	From £8/min + VAT
You already have the transcript or translation	Subtitle file creation from your text	From £9/min + VAT
Subtitles burned permanently into the video	Burn-in (hard-coding), add-on	From £80 per video (up to 22 min), then £3.50/min

This is what we do best. If your video is in another language, you have two options.

Same-language subtitling. We create subtitles in the video's original language, with no translation. For common languages this starts from £10 per minute (minimum £75). Less common languages are higher, and rare languages and dialects are quoted individually.

Translated subtitling. We translate and subtitle the video, so a foreign-language video gets subtitles in English (or the reverse). For common languages this starts from £16 per minute (minimum £100). If you want both the original-language subtitles and translated subtitles, that is two files, from £18 per minute.

Already have the transcript or translation? If you supply the text, we can create the subtitle file from it for less, because we are only doing the subtitle engineering — spotting, timing and formatting. Same-language subtitling from your transcript starts from £8 per minute; translated subtitling from your translation starts from £9 per minute. These rates are already reduced, so volume discounts do not stack on top. This reduced rate does not apply to English-to-English subtitling, which is already at our lowest rate. Subtitles are delivered as .srt by default, or .vtt and other formats on request.

You can have the subtitles as a separate file or permanently embedded in the video.

Subtitle file (.srt or .vtt). A separate file delivered alongside the video. The viewer or platform — YouTube, Vimeo, a broadcaster, a media player — can switch it on or off, and it can be swapped for other languages. Best for most online and broadcast use.
Burned-in (hard-coded) subtitles. The subtitles are permanently embedded in the video picture and cannot be turned off. Best where the platform will not display a separate file, or for social clips that must show subtitles automatically. Burn-in is an add-on: £80 for a video up to 22 minutes, or £3.50 per minute for the whole video once it runs to 23 minutes or more (so a 30-minute video is 30 × £3.50 = £105). For a single video it is quoted per video; for several files it is quoted on their combined length. Burn-in does not receive a discount.

We also provide SDH and closed captions — subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, which add speaker labels and sound descriptions such as [door slams] or [music playing] for accessibility and compliance — in multiple languages, from £8 per minute plus VAT.

Language — common languages sit at the lower rates; rarer languages and dialects are quoted individually.
Translation — whether the subtitles need translating, and whether you want both the original and translated subtitles.
Who supplies the text — if you provide the transcript or translation, we can create the subtitle file at a reduced rate.
Length of the video — the price is per minute, so longer videos cost more overall, though they may qualify for a volume discount.
Burn-in — whether you want the subtitles burned permanently into the video, which is an add-on.

Subtitles are timed by nature, so, unlike transcription, there is no separate timecode charge. Sending us the video, or describing it, lets us confirm a fixed price rather than an estimate.

Longer videos qualify for volume discounts, and our standard new-customer and priority discounts also apply. None are automatic; each is confirmed in your quote.

Foreign-language and translated subtitling: 10% for videos over 30 minutes, 15% for 60 to 119 minutes, and up to 20% for videos over 120 minutes.
English subtitling: 5% for videos over 60 minutes, 10% over 90 minutes, and 15% over 120 minutes.
New and regular customers: a new-customer introductory discount from 5% (up to 15%) on a first order, and a priority-customer discount of 10% for regular clients, as on our other services.

Discounts do not apply to burn-in, to the reduced supply-your-own-text rates, to urgent or split jobs, or to rare languages and dialects, which are quoted individually.

Subtitling turnaround is confirmed with your quote, because it depends on the length of the video, the language, whether a translation is involved and the audio quality. We set a realistic date when we quote. As with our other services, an urgent job does not receive volume discounts.

Why choose Absolute Translations for subtitling

Professional human subtitlers, not automatic captions. Timing, reading speed, line length and meaning are all handled properly, and any translation reads naturally.
Proper subtitle engineering. Our specialists use professional subtitling software and follow industry readability standards — typically up to about 42 characters per line, a maximum of two lines on screen, and subtitles held long enough to read. This is why subtitling is more specialised than plain transcription: subtitles are timed, readable on-screen text, not word-for-word transcripts. Delivered as .srt by default, or .vtt and other formats, with optional burn-in.
Over 200 languages, including many rarer languages and dialects — a real strength for foreign-language and translated subtitling. See the languages we cover on our languages page.
Professional standards. Where a translation is involved it is produced under ISO 17100, and we work to ISO 9001. We are ATC accredited and an ITI member.
Trusted since 2001 and highly rated on Trustpilot.
Secure and confidential. Handling is GDPR-compliant, with linguists under confidentiality agreements.

You can read more about how the service works on our video subtitling services page.

To confirm a fixed price and turnaround, it helps to have:

the video file, or its length in minutes;
the language or languages spoken;
whether you need same-language or translated subtitles, and into which language;
whether you already have a transcript or translation;
whether you want a subtitle file (.srt) or burned-in subtitles;
your deadline.

Uploading a file does not commit you to ordering.

Send the file or the details, and we check the language, length and what you need delivered. We then confirm the fixed price and a realistic turnaround, and you decide whether to go ahead. There is no obligation to order.

These examples show how per-minute subtitling pricing adds up; your own quote depends on the language, video length, any translation, and whether you want a subtitle file or burned-in subtitles. Prices are plus VAT and shown before any confirmed volume discount.

Video	Language	Length	What was delivered	Price (+VAT)	Why
Social media clip	English	3 min	English subtitles (.srt)	£80	Minimum charge
Corporate video	English	20 min	English subtitles (.srt)	£120	£6/minute
Training video	French into French	15 min	Same-language subtitles	£150	£10/minute (common language)
Marketing video	Spanish into English	10 min	Translated subtitles (.srt)	£160	£16/minute
Webinar (client supplied the translation)	German into English	12 min	Subtitle file created from your translation	£108	£9/minute (supply-your-own-text rate)
Documentary	Italian into English	30 min	Translated subtitles, burned into the video	£585	£480 subtitling (£16/min) + £105 burn-in (£3.50/min)

These are illustrative figures calculated from our rate card. Discounts are confirmed in the quote, not applied automatically.

If you need spoken audio turned into text rather than on-screen subtitles, see our transcription prices; if you need a written document translated, see our translation prices.

How much does subtitling cost?

Subtitling starts from £6 per minute plus VAT for English video, with an £80 minimum charge for short videos. Subtitling in another language starts from £10 per minute, and translated subtitling, which turns a foreign-language video into subtitles in English or the reverse, starts from £16 per minute. You pay the greater of the minutes times the per-minute rate, or the minimum charge. The final price depends on the language, whether the subtitles need translating, the length of the video and whether you want them burned in. Longer videos qualify for volume discounts, confirmed in your quote.

How much does it cost to translate subtitles or subtitle a foreign-language video into English?

Translated subtitling starts from £16 per minute plus VAT for common languages, with a £100 minimum charge. If you want both the original-language subtitles and the translated subtitles, that is two files, from £18 per minute. This is a particular strength for us: we subtitle and translate video in over 200 languages and many dialects. If you already have the translation, we can create the subtitle file from it at a reduced rate, from £9 per minute. Rarer languages are quoted individually, and the price is confirmed as a fixed quote before you order.

What is the difference between a subtitle file (SRT) and burned-in (hard-coded) subtitles?

A subtitle file, such as an .srt or .vtt, is a separate file delivered alongside the video, which the viewer or platform can switch on or off and swap for other languages. Burned-in (hard-coded) subtitles are permanently embedded in the video picture and cannot be turned off, which suits social clips and platforms that will not show a separate file. Burn-in is an add-on, from £80 per video for up to 22 minutes, then £3.50 per minute, with no discount. We also provide SDH and closed captions for the deaf and hard of hearing, in multiple languages, from £8 per minute.

Do you subtitle videos in languages other than English?

Foreign-language subtitling is a core service, covering more than 200 languages and many dialects. Same-language subtitling, keeping the video's original language, starts from £10 per minute plus VAT, and translated subtitling starts from £16 per minute. We also provide multilingual SDH and closed captions, which add speaker labels and sound descriptions for accessibility, from £8 per minute. Every subtitle is created by a professional human subtitler who handles timing, reading speed and readability, so the result is accurate and easy to follow. Tell us the language and length and we will confirm a fixed price.

How do I get a subtitling quote, and how quickly can you do it?

You can get a subtitling quote by sending your video file, or telling us the length in minutes and the languages spoken, using our quote tool. We check the language, length and what you need delivered, then confirm a fixed price and a realistic turnaround before you order; uploading does not commit you to anything. Turnaround is confirmed with the quote, because it depends on the length of the video, the language and whether a translation is involved. Rush handling may be available, though urgent jobs do not receive volume discounts.