Subtitles
Also called subs, video subtitles
What are subtitles?
Subtitles are text shown on screen that transcribes or translates the dialogue and narration in a video. They assume the viewer can hear the audio, so they usually cover speech only. Subtitles are often used to translate a video into another language, and the term is also used loosely for any on-screen captions.
The strict distinction is with closed captions, which are written for viewers who cannot hear and also describe sounds such as [music] or a door slamming. In everyday social media use, people say subtitles and captions interchangeably.
Subtitles can be delivered as a separate file, such as an SRT file that viewers can switch on and off, or burned into the picture as open captions that always show.
Why subtitles matter
A large share of social video is watched with the sound off, in public, at work or late at night. Subtitles let those viewers follow the message instead of scrolling past.
Translated subtitles open a video to new markets without reshooting it. Subtitle files also give search engines and platforms text to understand, which can help discovery on YouTube.
How to add subtitles to a video
- Generate a transcript with a speech-to-text tool or from your script.
- Correct names, product terms and numbers by hand.
- Split the text into short lines of about 32-42 characters, one or two lines at a time.
- Time each line to the speech and export an SRT file.
- Upload the SRT to platforms that support it, or burn the subtitles in for platforms that do not.
Subtitles FAQ
What is the difference between subtitles and captions?
Subtitles transcribe or translate speech for viewers who can hear. Captions, especially closed captions, are made for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers and include sound effects and speaker labels. On social media the words are used interchangeably.
Do subtitles help with views?
They help people watching without sound understand the video, which tends to keep them watching longer. Platforms do not publish a direct ranking boost for subtitles.
Related terms
Closed captions (CC) are text versions of a video's speech and key sounds that viewers can turn on or off, made for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
Open captions are captions burned into the video picture, so they always show and cannot be turned off. They are the norm for social video.
An SRT file is a plain-text subtitle file listing numbered captions with start and end times. Most video platforms and players accept it.
Animated captions are on-screen captions that appear or highlight word by word in time with speech, common in Reels, TikTok and Shorts.
A caption is the text that goes with a social media post. It adds context, tells a story, invites action and helps the post be found in search.