YouTube is the largest video hosting platform in the world and traffic volume is only next to Google, as per Alexa. With thousands of hours of content being uploaded to YouTube every single day, you will come across at least one video that is not in your native language. While subtitles do make it easy to cross language barriers, they may not necessarily be in a language that you read and understand.
You wouldn’t want to miss out on fantastic and funny videos just because you don’t understand the language due to the lack of subtitles. Say you wanted to watch K-Pop, which seems to be all the rage these days, but can’t understand a word they are saying. This is where language translators come into the picture. In Chrome, you can use Chrome extensions to translate subtitles to the English language while watching YouTube.
Let’s begin.
1. Wisesub
Wisesub is a YouTube subtitle translator that will help you translate subtitles to hundreds of languages. There is support for many languages, and Wisesub makes it easy to read. After you download the extension and install it, open YouTube in Chrome and start a video preferably in a foreign language.
You will have to hover over the subtitle with your mouse to prompt Wisesub that you need help with translation. A new subtitle, in your chosen language, will appear just above the default subtitle now. You can also translate individual words instead of entire sentences.
While this works fine, the only caveat is that you will have to do it manually. Wisesub is more suitable for those who don’t need help with subtitles all the time, but only when they don’t understand something. Multiple lines of subtitles can obstruct the screen, especially big fonts. Wisesub also claims to support Prime and Netflix as well.
2. Subtitles for YouTube
Subtitles for YouTube offers a far better experience than what we saw above for those who often search for videos with subtitles. For example, you are listening to a song by Eminem and need help, Subtitles to the rescue. It will create an additional tab, Subtitles, right inside Youtube where you can search for or even upload your own .SRT files.
The extension sources the subtitles from OpenSubtitles.org and Amara.org — the popular sites for downloading subtitles for movies, songs, and TV shows in pretty much any language. Once you have found your subtitles, click on Apply to see it in sync at the bottom of the screen.
Under the Settings tab, you can choose your default subtitle language, and the extension will try and find the correct subtitle file automatically. If it fails, you can search or upload yourself.
3. Unitrans
Unitrans is another YouTube subtitle translator for Chrome that works as per your requirements. It is meant for folks who don’t need a translator all the time. Once download and install the extension in Chrome, you will be able to select your default language, and you can change it anytime you want.
When you can’t understand the subtitles while viewing a video, select the piece of text or entire sentence to translate it to your preferred language instantly. One thing that I am noticing with these extensions is that they are taking a lot of screen space which can look obtrusive. Unitrans also supports Amazon, Netflix, and TED sites.
4. DIY Caption Launcher
DIY Caption Launcher is an interesting tool that allows you to watch YouTube with subtitles and captions. And if you spot a mistake in the captions text, you can edit it as well. That way you not only enjoy the subtitles but also improve its quality for the others.
Begin playing any video on YouTube, and you can choose from a drop-down menu in the extension to either open subtitles in text or .SRT format. You can write or edit subtitles for videos that don’t have one. Clicking on individual phrases in the subtitle will move the video to the appropriate time automatically (time tags), so you can check and validate the data. Also works with Amara, YouTube’s transcription, and oTranscribe.
5. Two Captions
This is the last Chrome extension in the list that will translate YouTube video’s subtitles on the fly. As the name suggests, Two Captions will show two separate subtitles or captions when the video is playing. You will have to enable it every time you play a YouTube video.
Download the extension using the link below and play a video with subtitle in a foreign language. This time, I have chosen a video in English and have translated it in Hindi. When compared to other YouTube subtitle translator Chrome extensions, it looks better, and font size and type is more decent. No need to select text here.
Lost in Translation
More videos are being created and uploaded to YouTube than one could ever watch. A lot of this content is in different languages which restricts their reach. If you ever find a video in a foreign language, and with subtitles, use one of the extensions above to translate it.
Next up: Want to create a playlist on YouTube? Here is a great way to create one quickly and easily. Click on the link below to learn more.