{{short description|Captioning website}} {{Infobox website | name = Amara | logo = | logo_size = 189px | logo_caption = <!-- or: | logocaption = --> | logo_alt = The logo of amara, hands embracing letters. | screenshot = | screenshot_size = <!-- default 300px --> | caption = | screenshot_alt = | collapsible = <!-- set as "on", "y", etc, otherwise omit/leave blank --> | collapsetext = <!-- collapsible area's heading (default "Screenshot"); omit/leave blank if collapsible not set --> | url = {{URL|https://amara.org/en/}} | commercial = | type = Localization management and crowdsourcing | registration = | language = English | num_users = | content_license = <!-- or: | content_licence = --> | owner = nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization | author = | editor = <!-- or: | editors = --> | launch_date = | revenue = | alexa = <!-- {{increase}} {{steady}} {{decrease}} [http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/example.com ##] (US/Global MM/YYYY) --> | current_status = active | footnotes = | background = <!-- for collapsetext heading; default grey (gainsboro) --> | programming_language = }}
'''Amara''', formerly known as '''Universal Subtitles''', is a web-based non-profit project created by the Participatory Culture Foundation that hosts and allows user-subtitled video to be accessed and created. Users upload video through many major video hosting websites such as YouTube, Vimeo,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://recombu.com/digital/article/vimeo-japanese-language-support-captions-subtitles |title=Vimeo upgrades captions and subtitles in bid for accessibility |last=Hopping |first=Clare |date=2014-11-03 |website=Recombu |access-date=2016-06-30 |archive-date=2015-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151213120329/https://recombu.com/digital/article/vimeo-japanese-language-support-captions-subtitles |url-status=live }}</ref> and Ustream to subtitle.
It uses crowdsourcing techniques to subtitle video as well as having a paid service for professionally created subtitles. Users of the project and service include Mozilla, PBS, Khan Academy, Netflix, Twitter, Coursera, Udacity,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.udacity.com/2012/11/join-udacity-translation-project.html|title=Join the Udacity Translation Project!|last=Dekena|first=Gundega|date=2012-11-08|website=Udacity blog|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2016-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320091216/http://blog.udacity.com/2012/11/join-udacity-translation-project.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and Google.<ref name=Summers2013>{{cite web |url=https://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/02/06/amara-launches-a-free-version-of-its-crowdsourced-subtitling-platform-for-youtube-users/ |title=Amara launches a free version of its crowdsourced subtitling platform for YouTube users |last=Summers |first=Nick |date=2013-02-06 |website=The Next Web |location=Amsterdam |access-date=2016-06-23 |archive-date=2016-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328073535/http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/02/06/amara-launches-a-free-version-of-its-crowdsourced-subtitling-platform-for-youtube-users/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Most companies listed have "teams" organized by Amara on the website that focus on translation and caption of videos. Amara claims that it lowers the cost of captioning and translation by at least 95 percent because of their volunteer-based system.<ref name=Crotty2012>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2012/08/31/amaras-wiki-style-translation-platform-enables-global-expansion-of-education-startups/ |title=Amara's Wiki-Style Translation Platform Enables Global Growth Of Education Startups |last=Crotty |first=James Marshall |date=2012-08-31 |website=Forbes |access-date=2016-06-23 |archive-date=2022-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728060933/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2012/08/31/amaras-wiki-style-translation-platform-enables-global-expansion-of-education-startups/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The software for the Amara platform was previously open source software under the GNU Affero General Public License. In January 2020, Amara announced that the platform would become proprietary and closed source, citing that it wanted to have more control over how it is deployed and used, and protect its work from being used by for-profit companies in means that are "inconsistent with its values".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.amara.org/2020/01/13/why-we-are-closing-amaras-source-code/|title=Why We are Closing Amara's Source Code -|date=2020-01-13|website=Amara Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-14|archive-date=2020-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114171322/https://blog.amara.org/2020/01/13/why-we-are-closing-amaras-source-code/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Grant== The MacArthur Foundation issued a grant of $100,000 to the Participatory Culture Foundation in December 2010 specifically to support Amara, referencing looking to assist producers of online documentaries and other video creators in both translating and subtitling their productions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.macfound.org/grantees/632/ |title=Participatory Culture Foundation |website=MacArthur Foundation |access-date=2016-06-30 |archive-date=2017-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819150534/https://www.macfound.org/grantees/632/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.macfound.org/press/from-field/supporting-translation-and-subtitling-online-videos/ |title=Supporting Translation and Subtitling of Online Videos |website=MacArthur Foundation |access-date=2016-06-30 |archive-date=2017-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819150819/https://www.macfound.org/press/from-field/supporting-translation-and-subtitling-online-videos/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Mozilla and the Knight Foundation invested a total of 1 million dollars into the project in 2011, citing support of global translations and the open web.<ref name=Heim2012>{{cite web |url=https://thenextweb.com/media/2012/05/10/knight-foundation-and-mozilla-invest-1m-in-crowdsourced-video-translation-project-amara/ |title=Knight Foundation and Mozilla invest $1m in crowdsourced video translation project Amara |last=Heim |first=Anna |date=2012-05-10 |website=The Next Web |location=Amsterdam |access-date=2016-06-23 |archive-date=2016-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531203017/http://thenextweb.com/media/2012/05/10/knight-foundation-and-mozilla-invest-1m-in-crowdsourced-video-translation-project-amara/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=MozillaAnn>{{cite web |url=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/grants/universal-subtitles.html |title=Universal Subtitles Grant |date=2011 |website=Mozilla |access-date=2016-06-23 |archive-date=2016-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223044900/https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/grants/universal-subtitles.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Mozilla awarded a grant of $100,000 in 2011,<ref name=MozillaAnn/> while the Knight Foundation provided $250,000 in 2012.<ref name=KnightGrant>{{cite web |url=http://www.knightfoundation.org/grants/20114145/ |title=Amara - Grants |date=2012-01-01 |website=John S. and James L. Knight Foundation |access-date=2016-06-23 |archive-date=2022-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728060935/https://knightfoundation.org/grants/20114145/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Amara first hosted a "Translation Party" with ''PBS NewsHour in'' order to attempt to translate an interview into as many languages as possible on December 23, 2010,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://about.amara.org/2010/12/23/translation-party-pbs-newshour/ |title=Translation Party: PBS NewsHour |last=amarasubs |date=2010-12-23 |website=Amara - Blog |access-date=2016-06-30 |archive-date=2015-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910180626/http://about.amara.org/2010/12/23/translation-party-pbs-newshour/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/word-nerding-just-got-easier |title=Geeking Out on Words Just Got Easier |date=2010-12-23 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-US |access-date=2016-06-30 |archive-date=2016-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108164523/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/word-nerding-just-got-easier/ |url-status=live }}</ref> then gained a partnership with ''PBS NewsHour'' in 2012 with a focus on translating videos to languages other than English.<ref name=Sreen2012>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/translate-this-a-campaign-in-every-language |title=Translate This: A Campaign in Every Language |last=Sreenavasan |first=Hari |date=2012-04-03 |website=PBS NewsHour |access-date=2016-06-23 |archive-date=2016-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427060350/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/translate-this-a-campaign-in-every-language/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Amara has been utilized by educational web start-ups Khan Academy and Coursera in order to allow for subtitles on public educational videos, with Coursera CEO stating that it was important to making accessible content to learners who did not have English as a first language.<ref name=Crotty2012/> In 2013, Amara released a feature that allowed users to connect their YouTube accounts to Amara and create subtitles for free that would show on both platforms. The website released an improved subtitling platform with this feature.<ref name="Summers2013" />
==Name change== Amara announced an official name transition from Universal Subtitles on April 5, 2012. The announcement cited the growth of the platform and increased potential to branch out of subtitling by using a less specific name. The name was chosen for several unspecified associations, but the announcement mentions the Spanish verb ''amar'' (to love) and that the word in Sanskrit means eternal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://about.amara.org/2012/04/05/universal-subtitles-is-now-amara/|title=Universal Subtitles is now 'Amara'|last=amarasubs|date=2012-04-05|website=Amara - Blog|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2015-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930154223/http://about.amara.org/2012/04/05/universal-subtitles-is-now-amara/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Partnership== Taghreedat and Amara announced a partnership on August 30, 2013, in order to expand Arabic outreach through collaboration and increasing accessibility. The Amara interface was translated and integrated completely in Arabic as a result.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://about.amara.org/2013/08/27/our-new-arabic-language-partnership-with-taghreedat/|title=Our new Arabic Language Partnership with Taghreedat|last=nprpculture|date=2013-08-27|website=Amara - Blog|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2015-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929070113/http://about.amara.org/2013/08/27/our-new-arabic-language-partnership-with-taghreedat/|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 14, 2013, Amazon Smile listed Amara as one of its options for donation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://about.amara.org/2014/12/03/amazon-shoppers-heres-an-easy-way-to-help-amara/|title=Amazon shoppers: Here's an easy way to help Amara|last=amarasubs|date=2014-12-03|website=Amara - Blog|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2016-09-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910051230/https://about.amara.org/2014/12/03/amazon-shoppers-heres-an-easy-way-to-help-amara/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Educational platform== Ensemble Video, a multi-focused video company, partnered and integrated their service with Amara's subtitling editor on October 27, 2015, being the first higher-education educational platform to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://notes.ensemblevideo.com/news-making-video-accessibility-simpler-than-ever/|title=NEWS: Making Video Accessibility Simpler Than Ever|date=2015-10-27|website=Notes from Ensemble Video|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2016-09-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910122259/http://notes.ensemblevideo.com/news-making-video-accessibility-simpler-than-ever/|url-status=live}}</ref> On October 17, 2014, Amara launched a new homepage design,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/Amara.Community/posts/630616147058327|title=Amara|website=Facebook|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2022-07-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728060933/https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FAmara.Community%2Fposts%2F630616147058327|url-status=live}}</ref> and on April 7, 2015, Amara switched its platform to a new API.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://about.amara.org/2015/04/07/the-new-api-is-here/|title=The New API is Here|last=pcfben|date=2015-04-07|website=Amara - Blog|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2016-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623185938/https://about.amara.org/2015/04/07/the-new-api-is-here/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Awards== Amara received a Tech Award in 2011 in the Equality category.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thetech.org/tech-awards-presented-applied-materials/2015-laureates/past-laureates |title=Past Laureates |website=The Tech Museum of Innovation |date=2015-09-01 |access-date=2016-06-30 |archive-date=2016-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702232048/http://www.thetech.org/tech-awards-presented-applied-materials/2015-laureates/past-laureates |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=The Tech Museum of Innovation|title=The Tech Awards laureate 2011: Universal Subtitles|date=2011-11-02|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adx9xU3Y7jY|accessdate=2016-06-30|archive-date=2022-07-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728061109/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adx9xU3Y7jY|url-status=live}}</ref> The FCC presented the Advancement in Accessibility Award to Amara on October 28, 2011.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.fcc.gov/document/genachowski-and-copps-present-aaa-awards|title=FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Joins Commissioner Michael Copps to Honor Innovators in Accessibility Communications Technologies|date=2011-10-28|website=FCC|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-date=2021-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730095330/https://www.fcc.gov/document/genachowski-and-copps-present-aaa-awards|url-status=live}}</ref> It received the ninth Intercultural Innovation Award, a combined effort from the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group, in 2011 for "bridging the gap" between languages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://interculturalinnovation.org/amara-universal-subtitles/|title=AMARA (Universal Subtitles)|website=The Intercultural Innovation Award|access-date=2016-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115191102/http://interculturalinnovation.org/amara-universal-subtitles/|archive-date=2014-01-15|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==See also== * Comparison of subtitle editors * OpenSubtitles
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}}
Category:501(c)(3) organizations Category:Film production software Category:Software-localization tools Category:Subtitling