Lesson 06: Subtitles (YouTube)

All the main application functions work well with any MP3 file. However the presence of subtitle file has several advantages:

• If a fragment of your audio is not clear, you do not need to switch to another application to look at the text;
• You can train your writing and application will check you with the help of subtitles. See more at Bookmarks and Grades.

Let’s have a look at how the main window changes if a subtitle file is opened:

First, a subtitles area appears underneath a waveform diagram. Depending on whether "Show always" button is switched on or off the application behaves differently.

• "Show always" is switched on:
  
  Subtitles are shown at all times corresponding to the selected sound fragment.
• "Show always" is switched off:
  
  To see subtitles for the selected fragment – either press "S" (Show Subtitles) key or click in the subtitles area. Subtitles will disappear when you move onto the next fragment. Also you can hide them either by pressing "S" key again or by right clicking in the subtitles area. I suggest you study in this mode as it trains your hearing better. See more on Learning Methodology page.

Subtitle file can have a table of content. In this case "Go" button becomes available. Also notches appear on the progress bar, showing headings’ positions.

This application supports two formats of subtitles:

• WorkAudioBook HTML format:
  
  Subtitles format specially designed for this application. It is fully compatible with HTML format of web pages. Files should have "html", "htm" or "txt" extensions.
• SRT (SubRip) format:
  
  The most common subtitle format for movies. Files should have "srt" extension.

Secondary subtitles. Apart from the main subtitles, you can open additional ones. For example, if you learn Russian and you have a sound track of some Russian movie and subtitles in Russian and English, you can open English subtitles as primary, and Russian as secondary. In this case, if you doubt your translation of a Russian phrase, you can look into the version translated by the professional. To open secondary subtitles, click "Open" > "Open Secondary Subtitles File.."

If subtitles file’s name matches with the name of the MP3 file, for example, there is a file named "SomeBook.html", "SomeBook.htm", "SomeBook.txt" or "SomeBook.srt" in the same folder with "SomeBook.mp3" file – then the application will open such files automatically together with opening the MP3 file. If the name of a subtitles file differs from the name of the MP3 file – you can open it separately with the help of "Open" button, after MP3 is opened. Please, pay attention, that the "SomeBook.html", "SomeBook.htm" or "SomeBook.txt" files should have a specific markup according to WorkAudioBook HTML format, not just to be an arbitrary text files.

You can change phrase searching algorithm when subtitles are present:

• Use "Exactly as subtitles" or "Use subtitles as hints" mode if subtitles file contains a high-quality correspondence between the timing of subtitles text and audio.
• Use "Subtitles don't affect phrase selection" mode, if the correspondence is inaccurate.

There are several options:

• If you are studying English, then you can download several audiobooks to which I and other users have created subtitles.
• If you have movies with the audio tracks in the language you are studying, plus you have the SRT subtitles files – you can extract the audio tracks in MP3 files. See more on Audio tracks from Movies page.
• From video on YouTube. See more on Audio tracks from YouTube page.
• And last, but not the least, if you have the text of an audiobook, then you can:
  • Create subtitles in Subtitles Editor
  • Copy text into Notes for File
  Then, you can share the results of your work with other people and make the world better! :)

How to use the application:

• Creation of subtitles
• Basic functionality
• Learning methodology
• Bookmarks and grades

Also:

• Download application
• Where to get audiobooks