How to Contribute

Montage Subtitle Translator is an open-source project built and maintained by people who care about subtitles and film. There are plenty of ways to help out, from fixing a typo to contributing code or resources the project needs.

Donations

We don't accept monetary donations.

We started this project out of a love for subtitles, wanting more people to enjoy the films and shows they love, regardless of the language. We want to keep exploring ideas and improving the tool without money dictating the direction of the project.

We also want to keep Montage Subtitle Translator free for everyone. No paid plans, no API key hassle, and no complicated setup just to translate subtitles.

If you were thinking of donating, thank you for your kindness. While we can't accept monetary donations, you might consider supporting a nonprofit working to improve people's lives, fight poverty, expand access to education, protect human rights, care for the environment, or help other living beings. We care about these causes, too, and appreciate anyone who chooses to support them.

There are other ways to support the project directly. We welcome technical help and resources that meet our actual needs. The sections below explain where help would be most useful.

Documentation and Translations

Spotted a typo, an unclear explanation, or outdated information? Help us fix it.

Help translate or review the project's interface and documentation so more people can use the tool in their own language.

Report an Issue

Something not working as expected? A confusing explanation? A step that could be simpler? Let us know.

You don't need to figure out the cause or come up with a fix first. Tell us what happened, which subtitle file you were using, and what you were doing when the problem occurred. Screenshots and reproduction steps are also helpful, if you have them.

For privacy or security issues, please contact us privately. Avoid publicly sharing vulnerability details or sensitive information that could be exploited.

See Feedback for instructions.

Suggestions and Ideas

Have an idea for improving the tool? Tell us about it.

It could be a feature you'd find useful, a workflow that could be simpler, or an idea from another project worth exploring. Even a small suggestion can help us see what could work better.

Code Contributions

The project is released under the MIT License. Bug fixes, performance improvements, and changes to existing features are all welcome.

You don't need to understand the entire codebase to get started. Pick an area that interests you, explore how it works, and ask questions when you get stuck.

Start with the GitHub repository.

Spreading the Word

A recommendation can go a long way. Share the tool with a friend, mention it in a relevant community, or write about your experience using it.

There's no need to oversell it. Honest feedback—what works, what doesn't, and where the tool fits—is far more helpful than exaggerated claims.

Helping Out in the Community

The project also needs help with the everyday work that keeps a community running.

That might mean answering users' questions, organizing issue reports and feedback, maintaining community documentation, or helping with other routine tasks. Take on whatever fits your schedule and interests; there's no set time commitment.

DeepL API Credits

DeepL is one of the translation engines we'd like to offer through the project. The technical work is done, but we lack the resources to offer it as a free service to everyone.

We want the tool to remain free regardless of people's ability to pay. When considering a new translation engine, we have to look beyond translation quality and account for the ongoing costs of using and maintaining it.

If you have DeepL API credits available that you could contribute to the project, please get in touch. They could help us offer better translations to more users.

AI and LLM Resources

We'd also like to offer subtitle translation powered by large language models (LLMs). By our estimates, running this service at scale could cost 50 times more than our current NMT solution. We simply can't afford to offer it to everyone for free yet.

We're particularly interested in hearing from companies and organizations that provide LLM or NMT services. API credits or computing resources capable of handling tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of subtitle lines per day would make a real difference. If your organization could help, please get in touch.

We also use AI tools during development. API credits, technical expertise, or other resources that help us use AI in development and maintenance are welcome.

Other Resources

Beyond translation engines and AI services, the project may also benefit from hosting, infrastructure, technical services, software, and equipment.

Have something that might be useful? Get in touch, and we can see if it fits our needs—helping us keep the service reliable and the development smooth.

Join the Community

You don't need to write code or take on an ongoing commitment to be part of the community.

Share your experience with the tool, exchange ideas, or just drop by for a chat. It's a place to connect with others who are interested in subtitles, translation, and open-source software.

Contributors

We'd like to recognize the people who have put their time and effort into the project.

We'll update this list as the project grows. If you've contributed but aren't listed here, please let us know.

Our thanks also go to all the individuals, organizations, and service providers who have helped Montage Subtitle Translator along the way.

A Final Note

Thanks to everyone who uses, shares, or helps build Montage Subtitle Translator.

We hope to keep improving the tool and make it easier for more people to enjoy the films and shows they love, even when those works aren't available in a language they understand.