The Rise of Subtitling: From Niche to Necessity

Subtitling has become a booming business in the streaming age, with a cultural shift leading to increased subtitle usage among viewers. This has created a massive task for companies providing captioning services, fueling a market valued at nearly $170 million in the US. Major Hollywood captioning companies rely heavily on freelance subtitlers, with platforms like Rev leading the charge. Subtitlers are paid per minute of output, with rates varying based on difficulty. The subtitling process requires creativity and subjectivity, as well as knowledge of pop culture and specific style guides. The global nature of content has also increased the demand for subtitles in multiple languages. While AI is used to speed up the transcription process, human editors are still necessary for accuracy and nuance.