Subtitling · German
German subtitling and captioning
Professional German subtitles and captions, timed to the frame and positioned around shot changes. Open captions, closed captions and SDH, in whatever format your platform needs.
About German subtitling
Premium German subtitle solutions
We produce German subtitles and captions for audiences across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and German-speaking communities worldwide — for television, film, corporate video, eLearning and social.
German is a demanding language to subtitle. Long compound words and sentence structures that hold the verb until the end mean a literal translation rarely fits the line length or the reading speed. Our subtitlers condense without losing meaning, which is the whole craft.
Every project is handled by native German subtitlers working to professional timing standards, with templates created and checked in-house rather than farmed out.
Which do you need?
Open captions, closed captions or SDH
Three different deliverables that people often ask for by the wrong name. Here is the short version.
Open captions
Burnt inPermanent German subtitles in the picture: no player setting, no switch, nothing for the viewer to find.
- Always visible
- Brand font and colour, at the size and position your edit needs
- Delivered as a finished video file
Closed captions
SwitchableA separate file the viewer can turn on and off, and that can carry several languages at once. The standard for YouTube, Vimeo and the streaming platforms.
- Viewer controls them
- Multiple languages from one video
- Indexed by search engines
SDH
AccessibilitySubtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing: dialogue plus speaker IDs and the sound effects and music cues that carry meaning.
- Speaker identification
- Non-dialogue audio described
- Meets accessibility requirements
Subtitles or captions? The two terms are often used interchangeably. Strictly, subtitles translate the dialogue for viewers who can hear the audio, while captions are same-language and add speaker labels and sound cues for viewers who cannot. We produce either — translated German subtitles or same-language German captions and SDH — in whichever form your platform and audience require.
What we subtitle
German subtitling for every kind of content
German subtitling turns up across very different projects — from compliance-driven corporate training to festival documentaries and social ads. These are the formats we handle most, each with its own conventions.
Corporate & training video
Internal comms, onboarding and product training subtitled for global teams and LMS delivery.
eLearning & online courses
Timed, readable subtitles for course platforms, MOOCs and instructional video.
Documentary & factual
Festival, broadcast and streaming documentaries, including interview clean-up and on-screen text.
Advertising & social
Burnt-in captions for muted autoplay on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and paid social.
Streaming & OTT
Platform-spec subtitle and caption files for VOD, OTT and broadcast delivery.
Accessibility (SDH & closed captions)
Same-language SDH and closed captions to meet WCAG and accessibility requirements.
Events, webinars & conferences
Recorded talks, town halls and webinars captioned for on-demand viewing.
E-commerce & product video
Short product and explainer videos captioned to lift conversion and reach.
How it works
The subtitling process in a nutshell
Subtitling is not translation with timecodes bolted on. Each stage exists because skipping it shows up on screen.
Template
We transcribe the original and build a timed template, setting where each subtitle enters and leaves against the picture.
Translation
A native German subtitler adapts the dialogue to fit the line length and reading speed — condensing where the language expands.
Timing
Every subtitle is cued to the frame and repositioned around shot changes, so nothing straddles a cut or covers on-screen text.
Quality check
A second linguist reviews the file against the video for accuracy, readability, timing and house style.
Delivery
Your files in the formats your platform needs, or a finished video with the subtitles burnt in.
Our standards
The specs we work to
Readable subtitles are a matter of measurable limits, not opinion. These are the defaults we apply to German unless your style guide says otherwise.
Maximum per line
37 for broadcast delivery
Maximum on screen
Bottom-weighted, centred
Reading speed
Lower for children's content
Minimum duration
Seven seconds maximum
German runs roughly 10–20% longer than English, so hitting these limits is where the subtitler earns their keep. We condense, we do not truncate.
Deliverables
Professional subtitle formats
We adapt your existing translations into subtitle format or create subtitles from scratch, in German, English or any other language.
Standard text-based
Compatible with most platforms and players.
Broadcast & professional
For broadcasters, post houses and streaming delivery specs.
Burnt-in video
Delivered as video, with the German subtitles already in the image.
Need a different format? Convert SRT, VTT and more with our free subtitle converter →
| Where it's going | What we deliver |
|---|---|
| YouTube, Vimeo & LMS platforms | SRT or VTT closed captions |
| Netflix, Amazon & broadcast | IMSC, TTML or EBU-STL to platform spec |
| Instagram, TikTok & paid social | Burned-in captions in MP4 (open captions) |
| Premiere, Final Cut & DaVinci Resolve | SRT / VTT that import straight into your edit |
Not sure which you need? Tell us the destination platform and we deliver to its exact spec.
German specifics
Mastering cultural adaptation in German subtitling
German is spoken across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and each market has its own vocabulary and conventions. Swiss Standard German, for instance, drops the ß entirely — a detail that a local audience notices immediately.
The language also asks a lot of the subtitler structurally: compound nouns run long and the verb often lands at the end of the sentence, so you cannot split a subtitle wherever it happens to fill up. We break lines at natural syntactic points, which is what makes them readable at speed.
On top of that, German draws a clear line between formal and informal address (Sie and du). Getting that register wrong changes how your brand sounds, so we agree it before a single line is timed.
Since 2008
Subtitling & captioning
100+
Languages covered
ISO 9001 & 14001
Certified processes
24–48h
Typical turnaround
Subtitling rates
Professional German subtitling
Best when you handle the video yourself and just need the caption file.
- Timed template
- Native German subtitler
- Quality check pass
- SRT, VTT or your format
A complete managed service, delivered ready to publish.
- Everything in Subtitle file
- Burnt-in video or multi-language captions
- SDH on request
- Dedicated project manager
Priced by runtime, language pair and turnaround, and backed by our Price Match Promise. Send us your video for an exact, no-obligation quote.
Not sure what your German subtitles will cost?
Send us the video — or just its running time — and we come back with an itemised quote: running time, languages and output formats priced line by line, with nothing hidden. No obligation, and if you find a like-for-like price lower, we will match it.
- Free, itemised quote
- No obligation
- Price Match Promise
Trusted by global brands
We’ve worked with the GoLocalise team on countless video projects and have always had the same consistent, great experience. Not only are they responsive and quick on turnaround, I can always trust the VO will be done right – they are always 100% clear with communication and ensure their talent is prepared to record by asking necessary questions upfront before recording. Highly recommended and will definitely work with them on future projects.
It was a pleasure to work with David and the team at GoLocalise. David gave me lots of help and advice, guiding me through my first subtitling project. He really knows his stuff! The experience was completely pain-free. I would not hesitate to recommend GoLocalise – outstanding work at a good price.
We have used GoLocalise on a regular basis for projects in a number of languages. The service we receive is great. The team is always friendly and professional. The voiceovers we receive are of a very high quality and the turnaround is extremely quick. We are very happy to recommend GoLocalise to other businesses.
They’re reliable, adaptive and obsessed with quality. And while you can never be 100% guaranteed of perfection, you can be sure GoLocalise will go the extra mile to get it right every time. Whether that’s hiring extra resources, hopping on multiple calls or even changing their internal processes, they’ll do what it takes. We’ve worked with them now for over 5 years and we are truly thankful to have such a strong localisation partner for our business.
Subtitling we've delivered
Have we done something like yours?
Return of the Goat II
Subtitling · European French — a different language from yours, shown because the process is the same
Related services
The rest of your German project
German translation
Audiovisual translation adapted to the timing of the original.
Learn moreGerman voice over
Native German voice actors, recorded in broadcast-quality studios.
Learn moreGerman transcription
Verbatim or clean-read transcripts, with timecodes and speaker labels.
Learn moreAll subtitling services
SDH, closed captioning and YouTube subtitling across 100+ languages.
Learn moreSubtitling & captioning in more languages
Native subtitlers for corporate video, eLearning, streaming, documentary and advertising. Browse another language, or ask us about yours.
Subtitling we have delivered
Real projects, real deadlines, and the files that went live.
Subtitling · European French
Return of the Goat II
Elevating cycling narratives with multilingual subtitling.
Subtitling · Indonesian
Pathways: Hope After Suicide Loss
Bridging cultures through subtitling: a journey of hope.
Subtitling · English
‘Todos a la Cocina’ Cooking Show
Enhancing global reach through expert subtitling.
Most common questions
What is the difference between subtitles and captions?
In practice the words are used interchangeably, but there is a distinction. Subtitles assume you can hear the audio and translate what is said. Captions are written for viewers who cannot hear it, so alongside the dialogue they identify who is speaking and describe sounds that carry meaning. That fuller version is what we call SDH.
Should I choose open or closed captions?
Open captions are burnt into the picture and cannot be switched off, which is what you want for social feeds that play muted. Closed captions are a separate file the viewer controls, they can carry several languages at once, and search engines can read them. If your video lives on YouTube or a streaming platform, closed captions are usually the answer.
Why can't you just translate my English subtitles line by line?
Because German runs 10 to 20 per cent longer than English. A line-by-line translation overruns the character limit or the reading speed, and the viewer ends up missing either the subtitle or the picture. Our subtitlers condense the German to fit the same slot without losing the meaning.
What file formats do you deliver?
SRT, VTT, SSA, ASS and SUB for standard use; STL, TTML, DFXP, CAP and PAC for broadcast and streaming delivery specs; and finished video files with the subtitles burnt in. Tell us the platform and we will match its requirements.
Can you subtitle in German if my video is in another language?
Yes. We transcribe the original, build a timed template and have a native German subtitler work from there. It does not need to be an English source, and we can produce several target languages from the same template.
Do you handle SDH and accessibility requirements?
Yes. SDH adds speaker identification and describes the non-dialogue audio that matters to the story. If you are working to a specific accessibility standard or broadcaster spec, send it over and we will subtitle to it.
How much does German subtitling cost?
Pricing depends on the runtime of the video, whether we are creating subtitles from scratch or adapting an existing translation, the number of languages and the turnaround. Send us the video for an exact, no-obligation quote, backed by our Price Match Promise.
Can you also translate and record the voice over?
Yes, and doing it together usually works out better. When the same team handles translation, subtitling and voice over, terminology and tone stay consistent across every version, and we only build the timed template once.
Do you also add same-language German captions, not just translated subtitles?
Yes. As well as translating into German, we produce same-language German captions and SDH — the closed captioning many teams need for accessibility, social video and search. If your video is already in German and you simply want accurate on-screen captions or SDH, that is a core part of our German captioning service.
Can you start from a German SRT file we already have?
Absolutely. If you already have a transcript, script or a draft SRT/VTT, we can spot, time and quality-check from it rather than starting from scratch, which usually lowers the cost. If you don't, we transcribe the German audio first. Either way every file goes through the same linguistic and technical QA.
Will your German subtitle files open in our editing software?
All of them, in practice. German subtitles are delivered as SRT, VTT, STL, TTML and more, ready for Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Camtasia and the main online editors and players, or burnt into the picture as an MP4/MOV if a separate file is a nuisance.
Ready to subtitle your content in German?
Send us your video and we’ll come back with an exact, itemised quote.
The complete solution to localise your content
Voice over
- State-of-the-art studios
- Neumann microphones
- On-hand sound engineers
- 1,000+ voice actors
Translation
- 100+ languages covered
- Tailored to your needs
- Stringent quality control
- Dedicated project managers
Subtitling
- Experienced subtitlers
- Industry-standard software
- Burn-in and graphic editing
- Open and closed captions
Transcription
- Improve accessibility
- Reach a wider audience
- Boost SEO and video views
- Maximise video engagement