How to Add Subtitles to iPod Movies With QuickTime Pro

If you create videos for the hard of hearing or for audiences who speak more than one language, you'll need to insert subtitles so that they can follow what's happening on the screen. QuickTime Pro makes it relatively easy to add subtitles with a simple text editor.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Create a text file with your subtitles in any text editor. Use the return key to separate subtitles and save the file in TXT format. Open the text file in QuickTime Pro, select all of the frames and copy the text to the clipboard. Choose "Add to Movie" from the Edit menu to paste the text track into the movie timeline.

2. Export the new text track. Choose "Text to Text" for the Export format pop-up menu. Click on the Options button and select "Show Text, Descriptors, and Time." Your file will export with the code you need to synchronize your subtitles to your movie.

3. Delete the old text track. Select "Show Movie Properties" from the Window menu. Select the text track and click "Delete."

4. Open the exported file in any word processor or text editor. You will see a beginning time stamp ([00:00:00.00]) followed by information on each subtitle. Drag the playback slider in the QuickTime movie to the point where you want the first subtitle to begin. Note the time and replace the beginning time stamp with the new time stamp in the text file (e.g., "00:00:02.00" to start the subtitle at 2 seconds into the video).

5. Queue your movie to the point where you want each subtitle to stop playing. Type the time into the time stamp on the line immediately following the subtitle text. When the times are added to the file, save it.

6. Add the subtitles to the movie. Open the text file in QuickTime, select the entire timeline and copy it to the clipboard. Go to the movie file and return the playback head to the beginning of the movie. Use "Add to Movie" to paste the new text file into the movie.

7. Export the movie. Choose "Movie to iPod" from the Export format settings. QuickTime will flatten the movie and burn the subtitles directly onto the video (which means they can no longer be edited as text). Save your original file in QuickTime format in case you need to edit or add additional subtitle tracks.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use the same method to create opening titles and end credits.
• If you want to change other parameters to position and color the subtitles, reference the descriptor tag information on the Apple web site.
• Don't paste the text track with "Add to Selection and Scale" or you might throw the times off. Don't use the Paste command or you will merely insert the text as new frames.
• Make sure the playback is set to the beginning of the movie before you add the finished subtitle file. If the playback head is anywhere else, the subtitles will play back from that point.