Real-Time Subtitling: Tackling Complex Challenges in Live Captioning

As multimedia content becomes increasingly global, accessible and available in real-time, the demand for effective live subtitling solutions is at an all-time high. For media, streaming platforms and broadcasters, real-time subtitles are no longer just a feature—they’re a necessity. Real-time subtitles and captions improve accessibility, help meet regulatory requirements and enhance engagement for global audiences by breaking down language barriers and aiding those with hearing impairments.

While many companies specialize in AI-driven transcription and subtitle generation, Deviqon Labs approaches live subtitling from a broader perspective. Our expertise lies in creating custom workflows, integrating advanced technologies and addressing specific client needs beyond what typical SaaS platforms might offer. This positions us as an ideal partner to teams managing complex video workflows—from OTT and broadcast to corporate, educational and event-based platforms—helping them implement AI-driven subtitles within cohesive, end-to-end systems optimized for efficiency and accuracy.

At Deviqon Labs, we’re diving deep into these challenges together with top experts in the field—such as Scott Kellicker, streaming video engineer and product specialist at Blank Canvas Video—to expand real-time subtitling capabilities for our clients. By combining our workflow and integration experience with Scott’s deep subtitling expertise, we aim to make real-time subtitles faster, more accurate and more adaptable to the needs of modern media.

By leveraging AI, integrating flexible frameworks and optimizing processing pipelines, we’re developing solutions that make real-time subtitles faster, more accurate and more adaptable to the needs of modern media.

Why the Demand for Live Subtitling is Growing

Several factors drive the need for efficient and precise live subtitling. A September 2025 AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that one in three U.S. adults “always or often” use subtitles or closed captions when watching TV or movies, underscoring how captions have become part of everyday viewing rather than an accessibility afterthought (AP News, Aug 29 2025). Younger audiences in particular—about 4 in 10 under 45—report frequent subtitle use, compared to roughly 3 in 10 among older viewers.

The poll further reveals that viewers turn on subtitles for many reasons: 55 % say it helps them catch every word, 40 % use them to better understand accents or foreign content and around 30 % rely on them in noisy environments or while multitasking.

These habits mirror a broader market shift: real-time captions are now essential not only for accessibility and regulatory compliance but also for improving comprehension and engagement across increasingly mobile, multitasking audiences.

The Technical Challenge: Transforming Soundtrack to Subtitle

Delivering accurate, real-time captions requires handling a complex process: transforming live audio into synchronized subtitles with minimal delay. Traditionally, this process has been time-intensive and prone to errors, especially when handling fluctuating audio conditions or complex language processing.

To address this, a fully automated approach integrating AI-based speech recognition and subtitling capabilities would allow the seamless generation of captions directly from live audio. This transformation, while challenging, has significant implications for those in broadcasting and streaming, where real-time accuracy is crucial. Such a setup would not only reduce costs by minimizing the need for human transcription but also streamline workflows for high-demand environments, allowing content producers to focus on delivering the best viewer experience.

Enhancing Frameworks like FFmpeg for Subtitle Generation and Insertion

While many tools provide basic support for subtitles, few offer real-time subtitle generation capabilities directly from audio. As a widely-used tool, FFmpeg already supports subtitle embedding and conversion, but modifying FFmpeg to handle live audio-to-text transformations is a game-changer for video workflows.

To meet this challenge, Deviqon Labs works closely with specialists like Scott Kellicker, whose experience helps refine quality thresholds and define the user experience for live subtitles.

“The difference between comprehensible and unusable captions can be small. If more than 2% of the words are incorrect, the captions start to become useless. The key is understanding the expected experience in detail and developing a solution to match, ” says Scott Kellicker, founder of Blank Canvas Video and subtitling specialist working with Deviqon Labs. “What are the input and output language requirements? What domain jargon is important? What are acceptable accuracy versus latency tradeoffs? Where can the captions be placed on screen? These considerations must be addressed for a successful solution.”

By focusing on the subtle details of a client's use case, a custom captioning solution can provide a superior viewer experience. Expanding FFmpeg’s capabilities to support on-the-fly subtitle insertion in live settings allows for a more integrated, open-source solution for broadcasters and content creators looking for real-time options.

We’re exploring how an optimized pipeline could combine FFmpeg’s flexibility with new subtitling technologies. Integrating these components into a single framework could make real-time subtitling as simple as adding a new step to the video processing workflow—maximizing efficiency and minimizing setup complexity.

Key Development Areas for the Future of Live Subtitling

Looking ahead, there are several critical development areas for live subtitling that Deviqon Labs is focused on:

1. Real-Time Speech-to-Text Conversion: Integrating advanced speech-to-text algorithms into live workflows is crucial. AI-based recognition models are becoming more accurate and efficient, making real-time transformation from soundtrack to subtitle increasingly viable. By bringing this capability to established frameworks, we can streamline live captioning and reduce reliance on third-party software.

2. Multilingual Options: As audiences become more diverse, live subtitle solutions must support multiple languages. We can help choose the best technology for the language needs

3. Enhanced Synchronization for Seamless Playback: Precise synchronization between audio and text is key for any live subtitle solution. Improving real-time synchronization methods within processing frameworks will reduce lag and ensure subtitles match spoken words closely, keeping viewers engaged and minimizing disruptions.

4. AI Integration for Contextual and Domain-Specific Accuracy: By integrating AI, subtitle systems can become smarter, recognizing context-specific terms, technical jargon and even tone. For example, a solution tailored for sports broadcasting might recognize team names, player stats and common terminology to enhance accuracy. This level of precision is critical for creating a seamless viewer experience, especially in fast-paced live environments.

Complementing AI-Driven Subtitling Solutions: Deviqon’s Role as a Strategic Partner

We add value through:

• Customizing and Tailoring Workflows: AI-generated subtitles can be enhanced by ensuring precise synchronization, adapting to multilingual requirements and aligning with specific client infrastructure. This approach allows us to build flexible, resilient solutions that fit seamlessly into clients’ larger multimedia ecosystems.

• Filling Gaps in Standardized AI Platforms: Our focus extends beyond transcription to include crucial elements like media pipeline integration, audio handling in complex environments and precise synchronization. This gives clients the confidence that their live subtitling solution will meet unique technical demands without compromise.

• Enabling AI within a Strategic Framework: We offer consulting, integration and deployment expertise, making AI-driven subtitling part of a cohesive, optimized workflow. For companies needing high-quality, low-latency subtitles with custom features, Deviqon provides the strategy and support that turn AI capabilities into real-world, scalable solutions.

Embracing the Future of Live Captioning

While some broadcasters may work with established providers for their standard live subtitling needs, Deviqon Labs is positioned to complement these solutions with custom development and advanced technical integration. By tailoring workflows and adding flexibility, we offer a strategic advantage for media companies looking to augment their capabilities, meet unique technical requirements, or explore emerging technologies like AI-driven subtitle generation and complex synchronization. This comprehensive approach allows us to address the rapidly evolving demands of live captioning while setting our clients up for future success.

As recent polling confirms, subtitles are no longer optional for a small group of users—they’ve become a default viewing preference for millions. This growing normalization reinforces the importance of scalable, real-time subtitling workflows that bring together the right mix of expertise, technology and collaboration.

At Deviqon Labs, we are committed to creating forward-looking solutions that tackle these challenges head-on, equipping our clients to deliver accessible, engaging and compliant content to audiences around the world.

Our adaptable approach allows teams managing complex video workflows to enhance their existing operations or build out new workflows that align with specific goals. In this way, Deviqon Labs acts as an enabler, helping media companies realize the full potential of AI subtitling by embedding it within a complete, purpose-built framework.

By focusing on a unified approach that leverages both existing frameworks and cutting-edge technology, we’re helping our clients achieve a new standard in live subtitling—one that meets the needs of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.