What are CPS and CPL?
For anyone making subtitles for their videos, CPS and CPL are very important. But what are they? Let us explain!
Maria Zenagui Glaïli avatar
Written by Maria Zenagui Glaïli
Updated over a week ago

What does CPS and CPL mean?

CPS is the acronym for 'Characters Per Second.'

CPL means 'Characters Per Line'

Why are they important?

When adding subtitles to a video, the subtitle speed (or 'reading speed') is measured by the number of characters per second. If you want your subtitles to be readable by your audience, it's important to set the correct CPS for each caption.

Is there a maximum CPS I should set per caption?

We recommend that you try to keep your CPS to a maximum of 20CPS per caption.

There is no set rule on CPS. It depends on the industry and country you work in. Some industries set their CPS at 14. Others have a CPS rate of 17 and in some countries it can be up to 40 CPS per caption. Netflix, for example, sets their CPS at 20.

What is a 'character'?

A character is text you type in your caption. So any letter, number or symbol you use in your caption will be counted as a character.

Does that include spaces?

No, spaces are not counted as part of your CPS.

Where can I see my CPS and CPL on the Subtitle editor?

You can find them for each caption on the Text Editor section of the Subtitle editor.

Why is my CPS /CPL box in red?

If the CPS box is red, it means that your caption might not be readable for the viewer. You can try to shorten your caption or create a new one to split the text between two captions.

What does it mean if my CPS/CPL box is grey?

This means we believe that your caption is readable for your viewers. Nice work!

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