To fill this knowledge gap, this article aims to examine and analyze the different practices that are closely associated with Persian amateur subtitling. Despite the upsurge of this phenomenon in the Iranian context, there is limited literature and research on Persian non-professional subtitling. In Iran, to get around the 'cultural gate-keeping' policy advocated and strictly enforced by the state in the national media system, from the early 2010s onward, numerous Persian-language websites have embarked on a new initiative whereby original, especially American tv series and films are made available for download together with their Persian subtitles.

This is partly because a growing number of audiences worldwide now watch TV series and films with subtitles by amateur subtitlers, which are freely shared online, and Iranian viewers are certainly included. The number of studies addressing non-professional or amateur subtitling or fansubbing has increasingly multiplied over the past years, underlying its relevance in the present world. This study has proven the importance of carrying out usability tests with end users when developing specific software, as well as the challenges faced by subtitlers in new audiovisual media such as 360º content. To respond to the needs of subtitling this type of content, a first version of a subtitle editor has been developed and presented to twenty-seven professional subtitlers who have tested the tool and reported the correspondent feedback on usability and preferences. The focus of the study is on virtual reality and, therefore, the main challenges of subtitling 360º content are presented. Then, a review of main immersive environments (3D, augmented reality and virtual reality) and their implications for subtitling has also been introduced.

In this article, an updated review of current subtitling technology is presented to contextualise the study. New audiovisual media are appearing, such as 360º videos, and the necessity of subtitling this type of content to make it accessible is emerging. Subtitling has become one of the most important audiovisual translation modes and cannot be understood outside the context of the technology that makes it possible.

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