Do You Speak Vimeo? What Vimeo's New International Features Mean for You

Vimeo’s new caption and subtitling tools, powered by Amara, offer a free self-service editor to create captions or subtitle files, or the option to purchase professional-grade captions and subtitles through Amara’s network of translators. Creators who opt for the professional-grade service can choose from basic audio transcription to full service captioning and translations for their videos.

Amara, according to their website, “the best subtitling toolset in the world,” offers a way for content creators to translate and caption their work in the most accessible, user-friendly way possible.

Their tiered plans, (there is no free option) offer a one-stop shop for subtitling, traditionally a time-consuming, occasionally prohibitively expensive task. And, according to Vimeo CEO Kerry Trainor, “As our global audience continues to expand, Vimeo will continue to launch tools and services to better connect video creators and sellers with viewers worldwide.”

Vimeo itself currently has three tiers of membership -- a PRO membership, for $199 per year, now includes Amara's captioning services and Vimeo's own VOD component, which lets users name a price for rental or purchase, as well as pick regions in which to offer their content. Currently, the site is translated into Japanese, French, German, and Spanish languages and accepts a total of 11 currencies for subscription services (US Dollar, Euro, British Pound Sterling, Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar, Japanese Yen, Russian Ruble, Swiss Franc, New Taiwan Dollar, Swedish Krona and Danish Krone).

Whether or not this plan to take over the world comes to fruition is yet to be seen, of course, but its goal of connecting more filmmakers with audiences they would not ordinarily reach is a laudable goal, as well as (hopefully) a profitable one.

Source: Vimeo Blog