EXPERT COURSE

Vertical Videos:
Captioning & Subtitling
for Social Media

Vertical video, the dominant video format

Short, mobile-first content like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts is how millions of people connect, learn, and have fun.

Reach a global audience

The key is to use strategic, powerful subtitles.

Subtitles are no longer just an accessibility feature. They are an effective tool for social media engagement.

Even when the sound is turned off, they still get our attention, make messages clear, reinforce branding, and make sure the content is understood by people of all languages and cultures.

However, vertical video subtitling is an art form with unique guidelines, not just a straightforward transcription process.

Best practices for subtitling vertical videos

This course gives you the knowledge you need to fill in the gaps on this particular topic:
  • We'll explore  specific techniques for optimizing text for mobile viewing, from condensing and segmentating content for quick reads to perfecting character limits, line counts, and visual elements like color, font, and alignment.
  • This course will equip you with the necessary skills to improve viewer retention by using Subtitle Edit, a widely recognized industry tool, to style, time, and burn-in subtitles.
Conditions: Please read our course and subscription plans terms and conditions carefully. With your registration, you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted our conditions and agree with them. 

If you have any questions, please visit the FAQ section (for courses or subscription plans) or get in touch with us.

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  • This course includes:
  •     Expert: Maria Barros, Subtitling Expert and Translator
  •  Life access to contents
  •  Live Activities
  •  Q&A session and in-webinar text-chat
  •  In English
  •  Completion certificate
  •  Money back guarantee
  •  Course Program
  •     When: November 25-26 2025 (18.00 CET) - 2h/day
  • You will master the skills to successfully deal subtitles and captions in vertical videos
  •    Duration: 2 sessions of 120 min (approximately)

Want to help your clients connect with a wider
social media audience? Let's go vertical!

Module 1
Module 2

Module 1

  • The foundations of vertical video subtitling
  • AVT and its evolution on social media
  • Key specificities of AVT for social media
  • Strategies for conciseness (elimination and condensation)
  • Rules for breaking lines and subtitle blocks
  • Core subtitling principles for vertical video
  • Social media video specifications
  • YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels

Module 2

  • Technical subtitling standards
  • WPM (Words Per Minute), CPS (Characters Per Second), CPL (Characters Per Line), and FPS (Frames Per Second)
  • Guidelines – a real-life example
  • Legal and ethical considerations
  • Future trends
  • Subtitle Edit: introduction, installation, codecs, and initial program settings
  • Importing video and generating subtitles (with an ASR) and manual edition
  • Using spell check and find and replace
  • Burning-in subtitles and optimizing file size for social media
  • Customizing font, color, and background boxes

Course and coach description

Ready to make your vertical video content even better with great captions or subtitles?

Maria, a passionate subtitler, is eager to share the essential skills for this profession.

You will not only learn how to use an industry-standard tool like Subtitle Edit to create engaging subtitles for vertical videos, but you will also learn everything there is to know about the world of vertical videos.

Course Overview:
This course covers the specific challenges and great opportunities vertical video offers. Discover how captions and subtitles can increase viewer engagement, improve accessibility, and maximize content retention across all your social media platforms.

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for individuals interested in gaining proficiency in subtitling vertical video content.

Aspiring subtitlers: Anyone who wants to start a career in this field or learn how to make professional subtitles for vertical videos.

Translators and linguists: Professionals in the language industry who want to expand their service offerings and specialize in subtitling for social media.

Resources and Requisites

Linguistic skills:
  • A good English level is required.

IT resources:
  • A computer with speakers as well as a stable internet connection are necessary.
  • The course focuses on the Subtitle Edit, a free and open-source tool. This application is exclusively available for Windows operating systems.

Availability:
  • You can attend this course from wherever you want.
  • Life access to the contents of the course and extra contents when you acquire your place.
Meet

Maria Virgínia Barros

Maria Virgínia Barros has a degree in modern languages and literature from the University of Porto and a postgraduate degree in specialized translation and CAT tools from the Porto Executive Academy.

Over the years, she's worked as a language specialist, refining her translation and subtitling skills for clients who want their international videos to connect across cultures.

She believes that when a job is done well, the viewers just experience the story without realizing they are reading captions or subtitles.

Her love of poetry, which she explores on her blog Sítio da Saudade, has sharpened her attention to detail and her commitment to finding the perfect turn of phrase.

Subtitles, when done effectively, become a seamless layer, allowing viewers to fully absorb the content.

That's why she developed these online courses: to share what she's learned and help you build a rewarding career in this creative, dynamic field.
Maria Virgínia Barros - Course creator and host.
Click on the image to know more about Maria
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