I have dozens of concert DVDs and I would like to add their subtitle data to this website. However, I have to ask first about the ratings. If the main feature is a concert, does it mean that the lyrics have to be subtitled or is it enough if the speech between the songs is subtitled? And how to deal with DVDs that have English subtitles for non-English speech, but not English subtitles for English parts?

Here's an example: Shakira - Live and Off the Record

The main feature is the concert. Lyrics aren't subtitled. When Sharika speaks Spanish between the songs, it has English subtitles, but when she speaks English, it isn't subtitled in English. The DVD also includes a documentary, which is subtitled the same way than the speech during the concert.

So, should this DVD be rated as Partly subtitled or Not subtitled?

Hello,

The ratings are all about accessibility of the DVD content. So any spoken content that is not subtitled is inaccessible - and this applies to lyrics as well.

Supposing you had no way of understanding the lyrics without subtitles - you'd be pretty frustrated. And having "the bits in between" subtitled when the lyrics are not - its just rubbing salt into the wound, twisting the knife, etc.

These music DVDs should definitely rated "not subtitled" unless all the lyrics are subtitled.

In the example you give, obviously the subtitles are to translate the non-English dialogue, and not to make the content accessible, so this one is definitely a "not subtitled" but please do give as much info as possible in the comments field when you submit the rating.

Hope this makes sense.

Kind Regards,

Mat
Webmaster, dvd-subtitles.com