How to make multi-language versions in Final Cut Pro

A multi-language version in Final Cut Pro is a copy of the project with its titles retyped, plus the captions in a new language role. Final Cut has a command for the captions. The titles you retype one at a time, in every copy. Translate titles does both from an exported FCPXML. It translates every Basic Title and caption into the languages you pick and gives you back an FCPXML with one project per language, ready to import.

Machine translation. Check with a fluent speaker before publishing.

The manual way: a snapshot for each language

1. In the browser, select the finished project and choose Edit > Snapshot Project (Shift-Command-D). Rename the snapshot with the language, such as "Main Edit ES".
2. Open the snapshot. Double-click each title in the timeline and type the translation in the viewer, or select it and change the text in the Text inspector.
3. A title with more than one text field, such as a lower third with a name and a job title, has a field for each. While you edit one in the viewer, press Tab to move to the next.
4. Do every title, then start again for the next language.

Why a snapshot and not Edit > Duplicate Project? A duplicate shares its compound and multicam clips with the original. Retype a title inside a compound clip in the Spanish project and the English one changes too. A snapshot gets its own copies of those clips, as Apple's guide to duplicating projects explains.

Translated text is often longer than the English, so check that each title still fits its frame. The W3C's article on text size in translation puts short strings at up to two or three times the English length.

Captions

Final Cut keeps captions in a role per language, and it can copy a finished set to a new language with the same timing.

1. Select the finished captions in the timeline.
2. Choose Edit > Captions > Duplicate Captions to New Language and pick the language. The copies appear in their own caption lane.
3. Double-click each copy (or select it and press Control-Option-C) and type the translation.

Apple's guide to multilingual captions covers the language roles. You can keep every caption language in one project and choose the role when you export, or keep each language's captions with its snapshot. For captions you already have as SRT files, see importing SRT into Final Cut Pro.

The CutConvert way: one project per language from the FCPXML

1. In the browser, select the project and choose File > Export XML.
2. Drop the .fcpxml or .fcpxmld on Translate titles. CutConvert reads it on your computer and lists every title and caption it found, with the project and timecode of each.
3. Pick the languages. Names, brands and anything else that should stay as it is go in Keep these words as they are. The first 10 items in one language preview free, on screen.
4. Check the review table. Every line can be edited, and the lines to look at are flagged: longer than the original, a font that may not have the new script's characters, or right-to-left text. Shorten asks for a shorter version of a line, and Export CSV gives you the table to send to your own translator.
5. Tick the box to confirm a fluent speaker will check the translations, download the FCPXML and choose File > Import > XML in Final Cut Pro.

You get one event with the original project and a project for each language, named after the original with the language and its code at the end. Each translated project starts with a marker named "Machine-translated: review before delivery". The projects use the same media as the original.

What comes across, and what doesn't

• Basic Titles keep their font, size, colour, position and the rest of their styling, with only the words changed. Words styled differently inside a title keep that style when the translation allows it; otherwise the line takes the first style and the report says so.
• Captions come back translated, each language in its own caption role.
• Other title templates aren't changed. Their text is listed in the translation report with each translation, for you to paste into the template's text fields.
• Fonts. A line is flagged when its font may not have the characters of the new script. You can turn on Swap fonts that lack these characters to use a Noto font for that script, which then has to be installed on the Mac that opens the project.

Only the on-screen text is sent to be translated. The FCPXML and your media stay on your computer.

FAQ

How do I translate captions in Final Cut Pro? Select the finished captions, choose Edit > Captions > Duplicate Captions to New Language and pick the language. The copies land in their own caption lane with the same timing. Double-click each one and type the translation.

Should I duplicate the project or make a snapshot? Make a snapshot (Edit > Snapshot Project) when titles sit inside compound or multicam clips. A plain duplicate shares those clips with the original, so retyping a title inside one changes it in both projects. A snapshot gets its own copies.

Which Final Cut titles are translated? Basic Titles are translated in place and keep their font, size, colour and position. Text in other title templates is listed in the translation report with each translation, for you to paste into the template's fields.

Does it work with .fcpxmld bundles? Yes. Drag the bundle onto the drop zone. If you use the file picker, open the bundle with Show Package Contents and pick Info.fcpxml.

How much does it cost? The first 10 items in one language preview free, on screen. One project costs $5 for one language, $9 for up to 3 or $15 for up to 10. Pro includes 10 translated projects a month with up to 5 languages each, and Studio includes 40 with up to 80.