* There is a growing demand for translating audio content into other languages
As much as the Internet has broken down barriers by making the distribution of content insanely easy one serious barrier remains: Language.
Online machine translation of text has helped immensely (e.g. Google’s Language Tools, and Altavista’s Babelfish), but translating the spoken word outside of controlled environments is nowhere near ready for even casual use let alone prime time. Given the explosion of Internet video, however, the demand for translating audio content into other languages is huge and growing.
So not unreasonably assuming that this task isn’t going to be done by machines in the near future we’re left with humans to do the job and the easiest way to make the dialog in a video understood in multiple languages is to use subtitles. Today’s Web application, dotSUB, provides a platform and tools for subtitling videos online as well as a catalog of subtitled work.
DotSUB, which was launched late last year and is in beta, explains itself thus: “Any film, in any language can be hosted at no cost on our site and made available for Web viewing for non commercial purposes on the terms outlined in our license agreement. Once dotSUB obtains or creates a time-stamped transcript of the film, it becomes available for possible subtitling using our browser based tools. The resulting creation of a subtitled, derivative work, in one or more languages, is then added to our catalogue for online viewing and potential future distribution.”
Crucial to the dotSUB service is the permission requirement. Permission is necessary from the film’s rights holders to allow others to create derivative works with dotSUB, and the filmmaker, and rights holders jointly holding the rights to the derivative works created.
At present a business model is being developed, but it is planned that revenue from derivative works will be shared somehow between dotSUB, the original rights holders and the translator.
To submit a video you need to register (currently free) and submit your video in a supported format along with a time-stamped transcription.
With these two elements uploaded the video can be put online, then anyone who is interested can begin translating (see the dotSUB demonstration). The user interface is an effective design that does make the translation process about as easy as it could be for both amateur and professional translators.
Fundamental to the success of dotSUB is the idea that there are people who are reasonably proficient in two languages out on the ‘Net who care about the videos enough to want to translate them. This should make the service of great interest and value to political, social, and environmental activists and possibly to amateur commercial filmmakers looking for new markets.
The challenge for dotSUB will be how to insert its service into the online mainstream that will provide content for dotSUB’s translation service as well as the channels to distribute its output.
For dotSUB to really gain traction it will have to throw a lot of money at building a catalog that is deep and broad enough for consumers to care about, while also showing video owners that there’s a real payback in terms of exposure and/or revenue if they get involved with dotSUB.
