How to add captions to a video

First decide which kind you need. Open captions are burned into the picture and always visible: right for Shorts, Reels and TikTok, where most people watch muted. Closed captions are a separate file (usually .srt) that viewers switch on: right for long-form YouTube, where they also power automatic translation.

This isn't just a style preference. When we classified 502 frames from nine top long-form YouTube videos, none had burned-in speech captions (read the study). On short-form, burned-in captions are the norm.

Method 1: styled, burned-in captions (Shorts, Reels, TikTok)

In PandaStudio:

1. Record or import the video. It's transcribed automatically on your computer, so it's never uploaded.
2. Fix any misheard words in the Transcript tab (names and jargon are the usual culprits). Captions use the corrected text.
3. Open the Captions tab, switch captions on, and pick one of the ten styles. Words highlight in sync as you speak.
4. Adjust position, words per line, colours and emphasis. Keep captions clear of the platform's buttons at the bottom of the frame.
5. Export. The captions are rendered into the video, so they show everywhere.

Or ask the built-in AI: "add bold captions in my brand colour, three words per line." For a batch of Shorts from one long video, see the AI clip maker.

Method 2: a caption file for YouTube (closed captions)

1. Create an SRT. Our free Transcribe tool runs in your browser (the file isn't uploaded) and downloads .srt or .vtt. Proofread names and terms.
2. In YouTube Studio, open Subtitles in the left menu and choose your video.
3. Add the video's language if asked, then click Add under Subtitles and choose Upload file.
4. Pick With timing, select your .srt, and publish.

YouTube also makes automatic captions, which you can review and edit in the same Subtitles page. They're a fine starting point, but uploading your own corrected file fixes misspelled names and gives better translations.

Other ways to add captions

• CapCut: auto captions with trendy styles, quick for phone-made clips.
• Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve: speech-to-text captions on a pro timeline, with export to caption files.
• Online caption generators: fast for one clip, but you upload the video and free tiers often add a watermark.

Caption tips that help retention

• Keep lines short: two to four words at a time reads fastest on a phone.
• Highlight the word being spoken or the key word, not every word.
• Place captions in the middle of the lower half, above the app's buttons.
• Always proofread names; a misspelled brand looks careless in a burned-in caption.

Questions