Video translation & subtitles
Make your videos understood in Türkiye, and bring Turkish videos to your Chinese team
Corporate films, product demos and Douyin / TikTok short videos are the most direct way to open up the Turkish market, but local viewers will only watch to the end with accurate Turkish subtitles or voice-over. Yeni İpekyolu (New Silk Road) offers transcription, translation, time-coded subtitles and Turkish voice-over, and also prepares Chinese subtitles for training, meeting and partner videos from Türkiye.
Make your videos understood on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok
Without Turkish, viewers scroll past in seconds
Turkish users are heavy users of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and video is an important way to discover new brands and products. For B2B companies, factory tours and product demo videos let distant buyers see production capacity directly. But if a video is only in Chinese or English, many viewers move on within a few seconds. Adding Turkish subtitles or voice-over makes the content genuinely useful for local viewers.
The reverse direction matters just as much. If headquarters can’t understand Turkish partners’ promotional videos, industry meetings and news, information is left to second-hand reports. Chinese subtitles let headquarters see the situation in the Turkish market directly.
Transcription, translation, timing and an SRT file
The first step is transcription: speech in the video is turned into time-coded text. The second is translation: the text is condensed and segmented to suit subtitle reading speed. In the third step, timing is done so each subtitle appears and disappears at the right moment; finally, an SRT file is exported or the subtitles are burned into the video.
In voice-over projects, the translation is turned into a script suitable for reading aloud, and the length of each section is matched to the footage. After the voice artist records, the sound team mixes the recording with the background audio. A preview is sent before delivery, and the final files are prepared after your approval.
If Chinese text stays on screen, Turkish viewers feel left out
One common mistake is translating speech word for word into subtitles; the subtitles get long and viewers can’t keep up. Another is leaving on-screen Chinese text as it is; Turkish viewers who see lots of Chinese text conclude the content isn’t meant for them. Some companies also overlook music rights, and the video is muted or removed on overseas platforms.
In terms of tone, Turkish viewers generally prefer a warm, measured style; overly hyped sales language can backfire. Images and expressions related to religion or nationhood should be handled with care. We point out anything that may be inappropriate during translation.
For voice-over, send a background track without speech
Yeni İpekyolu offers two-way Chinese–Turkish transcription, subtitle translation, timing, Turkish voice-over and on-screen text replacement, and can adapt Chinese short videos for Turkish platforms. For the accounts where videos will be published, we can work together with our short-video marketing services. Confirming music and image usage rights is your responsibility.
Please prepare the video source file or a high-resolution link, the script if available, the publishing platform and aspect ratio, and your preferred voice-over tone. For voice-over, share a background track without speech if possible; for on-screen text replacement, share the project file.
Teams publishing promotional videos and watching Turkish videos
Companies publishing promotional and product videos
Factory tours, product demos and installation training videos are prepared for websites, trade fairs and dealer training. Turkish dealers and installation teams understand procedures far more easily from videos in their native language. Correct technical terms also reduce after-sales questions.
Brands running Turkish short-video accounts
Content that does well on Douyin is adapted into Turkish for TikTok and Instagram Reels. Short videos move fast, so subtitles must be short, and text in the first few seconds is especially important. A literal translation of the spoken script is usually too long and needs to be condensed and rewritten.
Chinese teams who need to understand Turkish videos
Turkish partners’ promotional videos, industry meeting recordings and news are prepared with Chinese subtitles for headquarters. Decision-makers at headquarters can see the original content directly rather than a second-hand summary. If needed, a Chinese transcript or summary alone can also be provided.
Subtitles, voice-over and on-screen text replacement
Transcription
Chinese or Turkish audio is turned into time-coded written text. The transcript on its own can also serve as meeting minutes or an archive document. Sections with heavy accents or poor recording quality are flagged.
Subtitle translation and timing
Segmented and timed to reading speed, and delivered as SRT, VTT or ASS. Because Turkish is longer than Chinese, subtitles must be condensed without losing important information. Characters per line and on-screen duration are kept at levels viewers can read comfortably.
Turkish voice-over
Narration or lip-synced voice-over is provided, with female, male and different tone options. The translation is first turned into a voice-over script suitable for reading aloud, and the timing of each section is adjusted. You can choose in advance from voice artists’ sample recordings.
On-screen text replacement
Text in credits, title cards and graphics is translated into the target language. The cleanest result comes when the project file is provided. If only the final video is available, it can be solved by placing new cards over the text.
Short-video localisation
Titles, hashtags and spoken script are adapted to Turkish users’ viewing habits. The fast-paced sales talk common in Chinese short videos can seem too pushy in Türkiye. We adjust the tone to the local style.
Service summary and requirements
| Turnaround | Depends on video length and service type |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Per video minute |
| Language direction | Chinese ⇄ Turkish |
| Service languages | Chinese · Turkish · English |
| Cities served | Mainly Istanbul; also Ankara, Izmir and other cities |
The final price and timeline depend on your documents and scope; we send a clear quote within 2 hours.
What you need to provide
- Video source file or high-resolution link
- Script or transcript, if available; it speeds up transcription
- Publishing platform and aspect ratio (landscape / vertical)
- Preferred voice-over tone or a sample video; for voice-over, an audio track without speech
Upload the video, approve the preview, receive the files
- 1
Upload the video
Send the video via a cloud link and state whether you want subtitles, voice-over or both. Also tell us the publishing platform and intended use. For confidential videos, a non-disclosure agreement can be signed before transfer.
- 2
Transcription and translation
The source text is extracted first, then translated; technical terms are clarified with you. If a script exists, it is compared with the actual speech and differences are corrected. Product names and models are written consistently.
- 3
Subtitles or voice-over recording
Time-coded subtitles are prepared, or the voice-over is recorded and synchronised with the footage. In voice-over, speaking pace is adjusted so the audio stays in sync with on-screen action. We check that subtitles don’t cover important information in the picture.
- 4
Preview and delivery
A preview is sent for your approval, and the final files are delivered after corrections. You can send correction requests by noting the timestamp in the preview. The final deliverable can be a subtitle file, a subtitled video or a voice-over track.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose subtitles or voice-over?
Subtitles are usually enough for social media short videos, since many people watch without sound. For training or advertising videos aimed at dealers and end users, voice-over is often better received. We make a recommendation based on purpose and budget.
Can you burn the subtitles into the video?
Yes. We can deliver a video with burned-in subtitles, or just an SRT file for you to upload to platforms such as YouTube. A separate subtitle file makes later corrections easier and also helps platforms recognise the content.
Does anything need to be done about the music in the video?
For voice-over, we need a music/effects track without speech. You need to confirm the rights to use the music on Turkish platforms. Music that can be used on Chinese platforms may not always be usable for Türkiye on TikTok or Instagram.
Can I add Turkish subtitles to a Douyin video and post it on TikTok?
Technically yes, but the result is usually not as good as a re-localised video. Turkish viewers aren’t used to Chinese-style sales talk, internet jokes and on-screen text; it is better to adapt the speech, titles and hashtags. After looking at the content, we can suggest which videos are suitable for adaptation.
Is it OK if there’s no original script?
Yes. We transcribe the speech first, then translate it. If the video contains technical terms or model names, it helps to share product documents for checking. Unclear passages are flagged and raised with you.
Can Chinese subtitles be made for Turkish meeting recordings?
Yes. Chinese subtitles or a Chinese transcript can be prepared for industry meetings, training sessions and partner promotional videos. In recordings with several speakers, speakers are identified. For content containing trade secrets, a non-disclosure agreement can be signed first.
Can subtitles be generated automatically with AI?
AI speech recognition and translation can be used as a first draft and speed up the work. However, automatic subtitles often make mistakes with technical terms, personal names and sentence segmentation, and the Turkish grammar can sound unnatural. We usually combine an AI draft with human review; for videos to be published externally, human review is strongly recommended.
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