𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: 4 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘴🕒
Streaming services have become part of our daily lives ever since Netflix burst onto our screens in 2007.
Now, whenever we need entertainment, we’re used to having thousands of films and TV shows at our fingertips. Today, more streaming services are competing for our attention than ever before, with the likes of Apple TV+ and Disney+ spending millions on lavish launches designed to get us tuning in.
But we only have so much free time for these services to compete for. The past decade has already seen the rise and fall of streaming services like DisneyLife and Playstation Vue. Their failure to create a competitive product, facing issues with pricing, marketing and availability of content, meant they simply couldn’t break into the market.
The question on everyone’s lips is how we can find out which streaming service will stand the test of time and win our watch hours?
In this blog, we’ll discuss the role subtitles will play in the so-called ‘streaming wars.’
Streaming services’ teething pains
While these streaming services spend millions on acquiring and promoting content, they’re consistently underestimating the demand for subtitles on their platform. Subtitling problems have often been the sign of teething pains. Let’s start off with the example of Disney+.
When it came out in the US, amongst a flurry of 4- and 5-star reviews for the platform and its original content, there was strong criticism of the quality of subtitles on Disney+. The most blatant example came from Disney’s Star Wars spin-off series The Mandalorian.
It was one of the most expensive shows ever made at a budget of £15 million per episode, with a savvy marketing strategy that kept the show’s secrets and spoilers well under wraps. But despite the initial hype, there was a flurry of frustration about the quality of the subtitles on the show. It’s concerning to see that, even in one of the biggest original shows on any streaming service this year, subtitles have not been regarded as a priority.
Where are we at now?
Let’s have a look at some of the big players in the streaming game to see how they use subtitling solutions.
Disney+
Since the UK launch in March 2020, the subtitle availability has generally been viewed positively.
You can adapt caption preferences, such as text style and caption style to customise based on your preferences.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ comes with customisable subtitles, such as font size, colours, backgrounds, opacity and other subtitle display characteristics. That way, viewers can avoid some of the common complaints about subtitles on streaming services – such as clunky blocks of text obscuring the action.
There is also very high subtitle availability.
Not only that, if you prefer SDH (Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing), you can set Apple TV to list them instead of standard subtitles.
Netflix
The streaming giant is generally considered the gold standard and the benchmark for subtitling these days.
Netflix offers:
- Consistent subtitle coverage
- Separate subtitle and caption tracks
- Generally strong quality standards
When it comes to languages, Netflix does it well. It was widely praised for its use of the Welsh language in the binge-watching-worthy hit ‘The Crown’, with long-time campaigner Dafydd Iwan saying the programme is ‘incredibly useful’ for promotion of the language.
Additionally, for House of Guinness, Irish subtitles were provided.
Given that the series was made possible by Irish actors and the brewery in Dublin is a huge part of Irish history, it made sense to use Irish subtitles.
“The Irish language is such a vital part of the country’s culture and identity, and making the series accessible in this way allows us to celebrate that heritage and reach those viewers who prefer to watch as gaeilge.”
– Steven Knight, creator of House of Guinness, told BBC News NI
How does the Media Act impact things?
The Media Act 2024 created the framework for UK regulation of accessibility on major video-on-demand (VOD) services such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, ITVX and Channel 4 Streaming.
Following that, Ofcom proposed a new accessibility code requiring major streaming services to ensure that at least 80% of their catalogue is subtitled, alongside targets of 10% audio-described content and 5% signed content.
Now, the regime is still being finalised and phased in, but the 80% standard will certainly help keep service providers accountable.
An opportunity for businesses
Head of VoiceBox, Sophie Muller, believes it’s a chance for streaming services to stand out above the rest.
“With customisation, general quality, SDH subtitles and the coverage, the subtitle standards are currently pretty high,” said Sophie.
“But I think providers who go above and beyond will certainly reap the rewards.
“For example, say if providers went to 100% coverage with good quality human subtitling, I’m sure that deaf, hard of hearing audiences and people with tinnitus would want to explore their coverage more. And that’s where brand loyalty comes from.
“As I’ve spoken about a lot, there are 18 million people with hearing loss in the UK. The spending power of disabled households (the Purple Pound) is £274 billion. If platforms get it right, there is a huge market for them.
“Not only that, as stats show, many fully hearing audiences now prefer subtitles, too. So, everyone wins.”
Conclusion
Hopefully you now have a better picture of some of the subtitling from streaming services.
To increase the reach of your video content and make it more accessible, why not look into subtitling services from VoiceBox? See why we have thousands of subtitling projects under our belt. Get in touch with us today for a quote.