Company
Date Published
Author
Albert Fang
Word count
1804
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Subtitles are a crucial assistive tool for the hard-of-hearing community, serving to translate media to other languages and providing accurate subtitles for video and similar forms of media. Many captioning services are expensive and require hosts to pay for subtitles by the minute, making it nearly impossible to afford; however, subtitle APIs offer pre-generated and accurate subtitling for hundreds of different videos and media services. Using a subtitle API allows users to read any spoken audio on a video at any given time, correlating directly to increased viewer engagement and more positive interactions. The best subtitle API varies depending on the specific needs of the developer, but top picks include Subtitles for YouTube, Scrap YouTube Subtitles, Subtitle Tools, Auto Subtitle, and Kyro Speech APIs. These APIs provide features such as automatic translation, editing, and conversion of subtitles, making it easier to integrate accessibility into video platforms. With pricing tiers ranging from free to several dollars per month, developers can choose the best API for their needs and budget.