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Speechmatics and Limecraft have teamed up to create a cost-effective automated solution for making closed captions and translated subtitles
Machine learning and automatic speech recognition (ASR) specialist Speechmatics has partnered with cloud-based video production workflow provider Limecraft to automatically produce same-language and translated subtitles. The partnership leads to significant cost savings for producers and distributors, and dramatically increases the value of content.
By incorporating Speechmatics’ ASR technology into the Limecraft Flow solution, producers can automatically transcribe their audio and video. Limecraft then uses the transcript to create broadcast-grade subtitles.
Using a specialised Natural Language Processing (NLP) service to complement Speechmatics’ leading speech-recognition technology, Limecraft Flow automates the spotting process (the start and end times for each of the subtitles), taking into account the rhythm of the edit and any applicable styling and timing rules. Allowing for editing, and given the nature of the content, customers report 50% to 75% cost savings compared with their current workflow.
By adding machine translation to the pipeline, Limecraft Flow also enables automatic translation of those subtitles into any other language, allowing producers and distributors to create different language versions at a fraction of the cost. By doing so, producers can now address a global market without the spending burden of several costly and time-consuming translation operations.
Maarten Verwaest, chief executive and founder of Limecraft, says: “The proliferation of VoD and mobile distribution services has caused an explosion in the market for language services, and a considerable part of the market is subtitles created by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“We’ve tuned our solution to a point where it creates subtitles that come close to perfection. Given that the ASR engine is at a core part of the offering, we tested various options from various providers, and Speechmatics’ technology outperformed them all.”
James Page, product owner at Speechmatics, adds: “We’re proud to partner with Limecraft and provide our industry-leading ASR technology to enable their customers to ultimately drive valuable business outcomes. We see this partnership as further testament to the quality of our technology.”
Speechmatics and Limecraft will be exhibiting Limecraft Flow at IBC 2019 from 13 to 17 September, on stands 8.E17 and 10.F42 respectively
SPEECHMATICS
Speechmatics has used its decades of machine learning and research expertise to develop automatic speech recognition (ASR), available securely on-premises and in private or public clouds. The technology can be used for real-time or pre-recorded audio and video files, pushing the boundaries of speech recognition innovation and industry-leading language coverage.
We’re continually developing technology that can help customers across a variety of industries accurately understand and transcribe spoken words, from call centres and financial enterprises to broadcast providers and beyond.
To find out more about Speechmatics, click here
LIMECRAFT
Limecraft is a cloud-based MAM and workflow automation platform used by producers, post facilities and broadcasters to store, organise and dispatch content. Limecraft automates tasks like ingest, rough-cut editing, transcription and subtitling, cutting production costs and reducing cycle time. Limecraft Flow helps users maximise accessibility and the proliferation of content, by automatically creating
original-language subtitles and translating them, so original content producers can now create additional versions at marginal cost, maximising the exploitation potential of their work.
