StreamLive ProTranslate subtitles to Arabic, right to left done properly
Translate subtitles to Arabic in StreamLive Pro: pick Arabic as the target, check the right-to-left lines and fonts, then burn the captions or export an SRT.
To get Arabic subtitles for a video, upload it in Translate and subtitles, choose the spoken language as the source and Arabic as the target, and start. The speech is transcribed, translated a whole sentence at a time, and timed back to the speech. Arabic is one of the 25 languages included on every plan, the trial and Creator included. Have someone who reads Arabic check the result before it goes out.
Before you start
- Arabic is on every plan. Creator and the trial translate into 25 languages, Arabic among them; Pro and Studio into all 143. Minutes per plan are on the /pricing?lang=en; the trial includes 10 translation minutes, for videos up to 10 minutes long.
- Correct the source first. If the video is in Hebrew or English, fix the transcript before translating: every misheard word becomes a wrong Arabic word. See Fix names and terms in a transcript.
- A native reader. Machine translation reads fluently even where it is wrong. Someone who reads Arabic should watch the video with the captions on.
- Which Arabic. The target is one language, Arabic. If your audience expects a particular dialect or register, the reader should adjust the wording.
Steps
- Upload the video. Open Translate and subtitles and press Upload new video for translation, or use Translate existing video for a video already in your account.
- Set the languages. In Translation settings choose the spoken language under Source language (or Auto-detect) and Arabic under Target language.
- Pick a caption look. Choose a Caption style. You can change it later in Templates.
- Start. Press Start translation. Whole sentences are translated and then split back into timed lines, so the Arabic follows Arabic word order.
- Review the Arabic lines. In Subtitles, click a line to hear the original and correct the Arabic text. If a line is wrong, look at Transcript first: the cause is often in the source.
- Lock recurring terms. Add names and terms to the project Glossary so the next translation keeps them the same.
- Export. Press Export: MP4 — Burned-in subtitles for networks that show only the picture, or SRT — Subtitles for YouTube and editors.
Right to left in Arabic captions
Arabic has the same direction problems as Hebrew, plus joined letters that need a font made for them.
| Check | What goes wrong | How StreamLive Pro handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Punctuation at the end of a line | Shows at the start of the sentence | Every Arabic line in SRT and VTT starts with an invisible right-to-left mark; burned captions set the direction explicitly |
| A Latin name or number inside a line | Words around it reorder | Same direction handling; still read these lines once |
| Font | Letters do not join, or boxes appear | The render server has Arabic fonts; a font you upload must contain Arabic |
| Line length | The translation is longer than the speech allows | Split the line, or shorten the wording |
If a line looks right in our editor and wrong in another app, the file is fine and the app lays it out differently. Burned-in captions avoid that, because the direction is fixed in the picture. More: Hebrew captions in the wrong direction (the same causes apply to Arabic).
Hebrew to Arabic, and to more languages
From a Hebrew video you can make Arabic captions directly. For a video in several languages, correct the Hebrew once, then translate into Arabic, English and the others one by one; each target is its own version and its own file. On YouTube each file becomes its own language track: Upload SRT captions to YouTube. Which languages your plan includes: Which languages can I translate to.
What can go wrong
- "This language is not included in your plan." Arabic is in the 25 included languages, so this appears for other targets on Creator and the trial. Choose another language or see the /pricing?lang=en.
- Not enough minutes. Each run uses minutes equal to the video's length; see Out of translation minutes.
- Captions under the network's buttons. In a vertical video, move them up using the safe-zone guide before you render.
- Arabic letters not joined. The chosen font lacks Arabic. Pick another template or font.
- A name translated as a word. Fix it with find and replace and add it to the Glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Can I translate subtitles to Arabic on the trial?
Yes. Arabic is one of the 25 languages included on the trial and on Creator. The trial includes 10 translation minutes, for videos up to 10 minutes long.
Can I translate a Hebrew video straight into Arabic?
Yes. Choose Hebrew as the source and Arabic as the target. Correct the Hebrew transcript first, so errors are not carried into the Arabic.
Does the punctuation come out on the right side in Arabic?
Our SRT and VTT files start each Arabic line with a right-to-left mark, and burned captions fix the direction in the picture. Check a few lines in the player you use.
Does StreamLive Pro dub the video into Arabic?
No. It makes Arabic captions; the speaker's voice stays. There is no dubbing or voice cloning.
Can viewers see Arabic captions during my live broadcast?
No. Live captions and translation are not available. Translate the recording after the broadcast.
Keep reading
Open vs closed captions: burned into the picture or sent as a file the viewer can switch off. What each is good for, which networks take which, and how to make both.
My transcript came out in the wrong languageTranscript in the wrong language? Auto-detect decides from the opening of the video and keeps that choice. Set the source language yourself and run it again.
Edit captions on the timelineEdit captions on the StreamLive Pro editor timeline: move a line, drag its edges to retime it, split it, change its text on the video, and shift the lines after it.
A weekly Torah class online: live, Shorts and a podcastHow to run a weekly Torah class online: a weekday live, scheduling ahead, Shorts with Hebrew captions, translation for students abroad and a podcast episode.
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