Subtitling in Belgium: CSA Regulations, RTBF Accessibility and Multilingual Streams

From corporate films to advertising campaigns, from online training videos to broadcast content, subtitling is one of the most in-demand language services in Belgium. TranslateBE provides professional subtitling in Belgium across all languages, formats, and platforms - SRT, VTT, SCC, and beyond - with certified linguists and fast turnaround.

Subtitling in Belgium: the multilingual challenge

Belgium's linguistic landscape makes subtitling here distinctively complex. A corporate video produced in French for a Brussels-headquartered company may need Dutch subtitles for its Flemish employees, English subtitles for international stakeholders, and German subtitles for clients in the German-speaking Eastern Cantons. Unlike most European countries, Belgium's subtitling projects routinely involve three or four languages simultaneously. TranslateBE manages these multilingual subtitling projects end to end - from transcript preparation through translation, timing, formatting, and final delivery in all requested formats.

Subtitling formats: SRT, VTT, and SCC

The choice of subtitle format depends on the platform and delivery context:

• SRT (SubRip Text): the most widely used format for web video, YouTube, and video on demand platforms. Human-readable, easy to edit, and supported by virtually all players.
• WebVTT (VTT): the standard for HTML5 video and streaming platforms. Supports additional features including positioning, styling, and chapter markers. Required by the WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standard for web video.
• SCC (Scenarist Closed Captions): the broadcast standard for North American television and used by some Belgian and European broadcasters for their international distribution outputs.
• EBU-STL: the European Broadcasting Union format used by Belgian broadcasters RTBF and VRT for playout systems.

TranslateBE delivers in all standard formats and can convert between formats as part of the project. We advise on the most appropriate format for your platform as part of the initial briefing.

Subtitling for advertising and corporate films

Advertising subtitling in Belgium requires particular sensitivity to brand voice, regulatory compliance, and timing. Belgian advertising content must often comply with regional broadcasting codes - the CSA(Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel) in Wallonia and Brussels and the VRM (Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media) in Flanders - which include specific requirements for subtitling of advertising content accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.

Corporate film subtitling - for internal communications, shareholder presentations, or training content - requires a different balance between accuracy and readability. TranslateBE's subtitlers are trained to condense technical content without losing meaning, maintaining reading speeds appropriate for a professional audience (typically a maximum of 17 characters per second) whilst preserving the documentary character of the original.

E-learning and video training localisation

Belgium's corporate training sector is a major consumer of multilingual subtitling. E-learning modules and video training content produced in French must be available in Dutch for Flemish employees - and vice versa. TranslateBE's e-learning subtitling service integrates with SCORM-compliant platforms, delivering subtitles in formats compatible with Moodle, TalentLMS, Cornerstone, and other major learning management systems. We also offer full audio description scripts for e-learning content aimed at visually impaired employees.