Create Subtitles and Captions for Your Videos #indepth
I used to work in corporate video, and we often had to subtitle a video for foreign markets. It was a time-consuming process. The most difficult languages for me to work with were Chinese and Arabic because it wasn’t always clear how to line up the characters with the dialogue on-screen. That was 25 years ago, and since then, the world has gotten a lot smaller.
Laws now require that all video broadcast on television in the United States be closed captioned. If you’re making videos for the web, you don’t have the same legal requirements, but there are many benefits to adding subtitles or captions. We’ll explore why you should add subtitles or captions to your videos, as well as how to do it efficiently using the latest tools.
In this Article
- Why Add Subtitles or Captions to Your Videos?
- The Difference between Closed Captions and Subtitles
- How to Add Subtitles to Your Videos
- Transcribing your content
- Creating subtitles and captions
Tutorials for Trint, Stanza, Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, and DaVinci Resolve - Captions Social Media
- Final Thoughts
- References
Why Add Subtitles or Captions to Your Videos?
here are multiple reasons subtitles can help your video gain reach and appeal to a wider audience. Additionally, the Americans with Disabilities Act may require that your videos contain captions. More on that below.
Aside from legal requirements, captioning provides numerous benefits:
Reaching Hearing-Impaired Viewers
10% of Americans are deaf or hard of hearing with 20% of Americans reporting some degree of hearing loss.[3] Additionally, one in eight people in the United States (13% or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations.[1]
Reaching Viewers Who Watch Without Sound
A staggering 74% of Facebook videos are viewed without sound![4] Viewers often watch in quiet environments where they don’t want to disturb others, like in bed or at work. Others are in noisy environments where they can’t hear the audio.
Improving Comprehension of Content.
Captions help viewers better absorb information. This is particularly beneficial for non-native English speakers, individuals with learning disabilities, and viewers struggling with heavy accents in the audio.
Attracting Foreign-Language Speakers
Not everyone is a native English speaker. For perspective, English has approximately 380 million native speakers, while Spanish has 486 million, and Mandarin Chinese has about 1.3 billion.[2] Many people find reading easier than listening, making subtitles a useful tool for language learning and comprehension.
Increasing Viewer Engagement
According to Duke University, 40% more time spent watching captioned videos, and 80% more people watch the video to completion vs 40% for videos without.[3]
Improving SEO and Search Rankings
YouTube suggests sections of your video based on Google searches when subtitles are used. Google can index video content, complete with timestamps, based on your captions, improving discoverability.
When is captioning required?
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act mandates that any content previously broadcast on television must have closed captions. Additional U.S. laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the FCC’s regulations, further enforce video accessibility.
The Difference between Closed Captions and Subtitles
Captions and subtitles both display on-screen text but serve different purposes:
- Subtitles: Typically a translation of a foreign language that can be turned on or off.
- Captions: Designed for hearing-impaired viewers, often including descriptions of dialogue, sound effects, and music.
- Closed Captions: Can be turned on or off using the button.
- Open Captions: Always visible and embedded in the video file.
Open Captions vs Closed Captions: What’s the Difference? [CC]
Ahmed Khalifa gives a thorough explanation of the differences between the types of captioning.
How to Add Subtitles or Captions to your Videos
Adding captions involves two main steps:
Transcribing your content
If you have a script, transcription is easy—just copy and paste! If not, here are your options:
1. Manual Transcription
If you have more time than budget, you can transcribe manually. Just be sure to spell-check!
Hot Tip! Use Google docs to transcribe it for you.
Here are some great tips on transcribing your video from Ofer Tomash at Tomedes.
2. Use AI-Powered Transcription Software
- Trint: A powerful AI-driven transcription tool that turns speech into text quickly and accurately. It also allows you to edit and export subtitles easily.
- Telestream Stanza: A robust captioning solution designed for professionals, offering high-quality automated captions and subtitle editing features.
- Ulti.Media Transcriber — Simple, reliable transcription that just works.
- Digital Anarchy Transcriptive Rough Cutter : A popular option for AI-powered transcription within Adobe Premiere Pro.
Spotlight on Trint: More Than Just Words on a Screen
Meet Trint transcription software, the newest addition to our lineup. Imagine transcribing an event, meeting or interview live as it unfolds in as many as 40+ languages – and collaborating with remote colleagues in the moment as you create your content, all in real time.
Or have you got your call recorded? Then upload your audio or video file, and within minutes, you’ve got a searchable, editable transcript.
Trint’s AI engine offers impressive accuracy even with tricky accents or industry jargon. Plus, its built-in editing features let you polish transcripts without juggling multiple apps.
Need subtitles? Trint has you covered there too, supporting multiple languages for global reach.
How To Trint – Transcribing with Trint
3. Hire a Professional Service
Many professional transcription services exist online, offering high accuracy and various subtitle format options.
Adding Subtitles and Captions: Tutorials
Create closed captions for video in seconds with Trint
Trint integrates with several popular NLEs and software.
Mastering Captioning & Subtitling with Stanza: A Tool Built by Captioners, for Captioners
Many non-linear editing systems (NLEs) include built-in subtitle tools or support plugins:
- Adobe Premiere Pro: Features a robust captioning workflow with customizable subtitles.
- Avid Media Composer: Offers subtitle creation tools, especially useful for broadcast projects.
- DaVinci Resolve: Includes integrated subtitle support with style controls.
- Final Cut Pro: Supports captions and SRT file import.
- Edius & Vegas Pro: Both offer captioning options and plugin support.
- Plugins: Tools like SUGARfx Subtitles, FxFactory Caption Burner, LetsMotion Subtitle Pro, Motion Subtitle Maker for Resolve and FCP X, and pt_ImportSubtitles help streamline the process.
Create Multiple Language Subtitles in Premiere Pro – Dual Caption Display!
Avid Media Composer’s Transcript Tool: Streamline Subtitles and Captions
Key Code Media dives into the powerful new Transcript Tool and Subcap features in Media Composer 2024.
DaVinci Resolve 19 – Add SUBTITLES in the FREE vs PAID Version like a Pro
Christian Eggbauer explains how to add subtitles manually in the free version, and how to generate subtitles using AI in the paid version of Resolve Studio.
Creating Subtitles for Social Media
Social platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok support automatic captions, though results vary in accuracy. AI-generated captions will likely improve significantly over time.
Final Thoughts
Adding subtitles and captions enhances accessibility, engagement, and searchability. Whether you need to meet legal requirements, improve comprehension, or boost viewer retention, captioning is a must-have feature for video creators. With powerful tools like Trint, Telestream Stanza, and AI-driven transcription, the process has never been easier. Get started today and make your content more accessible to all!
References
- Quick Statistics About Hearing, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
- The 10 Most Spoken Languages In The World, James Lane, babbel.com, January 24, 2025.
- Captioning, Web Accessability, Duke University.
- Is it true that 85% of people watch videos without sound on Facebook? by David Grégoire, Closed Captioner, March 13, 2024.
Posted by Michele
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