Unlocking Real-Time Multilingual Subtitles with TTML

When it comes to real-time captioning and subtitle workflows, few formats offer the flexibility and industry compatibility of TTML (Timed Text Markup Language). As a recognized standard supported by major broadcasters, OTT platforms, and accessibility tools worldwide, TTML plays a central role in enabling multilingual workflows for live video. Videolinq now supports TTML output as part of its expanding closed captioning and subtitling toolkit, bringing near-instantaneous transcription and translation to customers with demanding, global-scale needs.

TTML is particularly useful for organizations that need high accuracy and low-latency subtitle delivery across multiple languages. By integrating TTML with Videolinq’s speech-to-text (STT) pipeline, customers can now transcribe live audio into captions in real-time, translate them into dozens of languages using GenAI, and output the results in a structured format compatible with advanced broadcast systems, cloud playout platforms, and OTT environments. This makes TTML ideal for global live events, corporate town halls, academic institutions, and any use case requiring precise, synchronized subtitles in multiple languages.

Real-Time Editing

One of Videolinq’s most powerful differentiators is the ability to edit GenAI-generated captions and translations in real-time, a feature available for closed captions (CEA-608/708), open captions (burn-in), and VTT manifest outputs. Customers can select from multiple delay settings, ranging from sub-second to several seconds, introducing a buffer that allows operators to monitor and correct captions before they appear. This hybrid publishing model, which combines machine speed with human oversight, is especially valuable for high-stakes broadcasts where accuracy, brand reputation, or regulatory compliance are crucial.

While TTML output is designed for ultra-low latency and is delivered in real time without an editing buffer, it’s ideal for fully automated workflows that prioritize speed, such as syndication to OTT platforms or integration with broadcast playout systems.

To further enhance accuracy, Videolinq’s captioning engine supports custom dictionaries and speaker recognition. Customers can upload specialized terminology relevant to their field - be it legal, medical, technical, or political - to improve transcription fidelity. The system continuously learns and adapts, recognizing frequently used phrases and proper names, resulting in smarter, more reliable captions with every session. For organizations working in complex subject areas, this ability to fine-tune the GenAI engine ensures consistent, professional-grade results.

Sub-Second TTML Output

A unique advantage of Videolinq’s implementation is sub-second TTML output, which is crucial for applications where latency could otherwise disrupt the user experience. For example, broadcasters delivering international news coverage can now push live spoken content through Videolinq’s platform, generate English captions, and instantly output TTML in multiple target languages such as Spanish, French, Japanese, or Arabic. These outputs can then be ingested by third-party platforms, such as Amagi, Harmonic, or AWS Media Services, to power multilingual playout.

Major media companies, such as the BBC and France Télévisions, have long utilized TTML to power their live subtitle and translation workflows, particularly during global events like the Olympics or international political summits. In the corporate world, companies like Microsoft and IBM use TTML-compatible systems for multilingual captioning during product launches, developer conferences, and internal meetings streamed across different regions.

Beyond the broadcast space, Videolinq’s TTML output is also invaluable for hybrid and onsite conference use. Organizers of multilingual events can now stream live content, send it through Videolinq for AI-generated real-time transcription and translation, and display subtitles in mobile apps or on screen using TTML-rendering systems. The solution is scalable, cloud-based, and can be deployed globally, offering support for both centralized and localized deployments depending on data sovereignty needs.

TTML is just one of the many output formats supported in Videolinq’s evolving real-time captioning suite. Customers can also generate CEA-608/708 closed captions for broadcast video, open captions (burned into the video), and HTML subtitle layers that display directly in mobile apps or on web players, an increasingly popular solution for conferences and onsite meetings. Additionally, Videolinq supports VTT manifest generation, enabling seamless integration of multilingual subtitles with third-party video players, such as Video.js, JW Player, and Brightcove.

Conclusion

With this wide range of output options, customizable delay settings, editable AI workflows, and domain-specific learning tools, Videolinq is helping businesses, broadcasters, and event organizers reach wider audiences, reduce translation costs, and deliver content in the native language of their viewers, live, and at scale.