Breaking the Rules, One Subtitle at a Time - Abeer Alfaify

Aug 21, 2026

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Subtitling functions as a core mode of audiovisual translation as streaming platforms dominate global entertainment consumption. Rapid growth has intensified the need for high-quality subtitles that sustain audience satisfaction and market accessibility. Yet academic conventions often diverge from professional industry realities, creating a research gap. This study systematically analyzes contradictions and inconsistencies in professional subtitling and captioning across six major streaming platforms in the MENA region using comparative mixed-methods content analysis to support theory refinement and practice-driven accessibility strategies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages34

Reading Time1 h 26 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Subtitling on streaming platforms

Standards vs. in-house guidelines

Research gap and study aims

International Journal of Linguistics and Translation Studies Volume 6, Issue 4, 2025 Homepage: [http://ijlts.org/index.php/ijlts/index](http://ijlts.org/index.php/ijlts/index) DOI: [https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlts.v6i4.634](https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlts.v6i4.634) Breaking the Rules, One Subtitle at a Time: A Comparative Analysis of Discrepancies between Theory and Practice in Professional Subtitling and Captioning Abeer Alfaify Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia [aalfaify@kau.edu.sa](aalfaify@kau.edu.sa) How to cite: Alfaify, A. (2025) . Breaking the Rules, One Subtitle at a Time: A Comparative Analysis of Discrepancies between Theory and Practice in Professional Subtitling and Captioning. International Journal of Linguistics and Translation Studies 6(3).92-125. [https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlts.v6i4.634](https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlts.v6i4.634) ARTICLE HISTORY Received: 16/09/2025 Accepted: 18/10/2025 Keywords: Subtitling, captioning, audiovisual translation, streaming platforms, Disney+, Netflix, translation norms.. Abstract Subtitling has increasingly become a central mode of audiovisual translation, particularly with the rise of streaming platforms as the predominant medium for global entertainment consumption. This rapid expansion has intensified the demand for highquality subtitling to ensure both audience satisfaction and broader market accessibility. However, despite the noticeable disjunction between established academic conventionsand the realities of professional subtitling practice, researchers have not sufficiently explored this in academia. The present study seeks to address this gap by conducting a systematic analysis of the contradictions and inconsistencies in professional subtitling and captioning practices across multiple domains within six major streaming platforms operating in the Middle East and North Africa region. Employing a comparative content analysis informed by established theoretical frameworks in audiovisual translation studies, the research adopts a mixed-methods design that integrates qualitative textual analysis with quantitative measures. Through this methodological synthesis, the study not only seeks to map the extent of divergence between academic research and industry practices but also aims to enable academics to develop theoretical frameworks to more accurately reflect contemporary subtitling and captioning realities, while simultaneously offering practitioners research-driven insights into misalignments and strategies for reconciling them through enhanced approaches to readability and accessibility. 1. INTRODUCTION Subtitling has emerged as a key form of audiovisual translation, particularly with the rise of streaming platforms as a dominant medium for global entertainment. Unlike conventional broadcast channels, international streaming services cater to massive and diverse audiences at once, spanning multiple regions and languages. This swift expansion has significantly increased the need for high-quality subtitling, where precision, consistency, and readability play a vital role in ensuring both viewer satisfaction and wider market accessibility. Some streaming platforms offer customizable subtitle and caption features, enabling viewers to adjust their viewing experience to accommodate individual preferences and accessibility needs (Bucaria, 2021). Nonetheless, these options are often restricted to modifications such as font size or colour schemes, omitting other critical elements that contribute to effective readability and accessibility. Therefore, the default set of subtitles and captions provided across platforms should conform to established standards of professional practice. Said standards were introduced by numerous scholars and researchers as a set of recommendations, later developed into widely accepted guidelines and conventions, to define best prac

FAQs

Why has high-quality subtitling become more important with streaming platforms?

Streaming services deliver content to massive, diverse audiences across regions and languages, increasing the impact of precision, consistency, and readability on viewer satisfaction and market accessibility.

What mismatch does the study focus on?

It examines contradictions between established academic conventions and the realities of professional subtitling and captioning practice, including technical and layout-related inconsistencies.

How is the research conducted across the streaming platforms?

A mixed-methods comparative content analysis is used, combining qualitative textual analysis with quantitative measures on a corpus drawn from six major platforms operating in the MENA region.

Aug 21, 2026

Upload by Noah