Quick guide
Captions people can switch on, or captions that always show
Closed captions help people who are deaf or hard of hearing, people watching with the sound off, and anyone following along in a noisy place. YouTube, Vimeo, course platforms and most video players take them as an SRT or VTT file.
Social apps are different: many viewers never turn captions on, so captions burned onto the video reach more of them. Upload once and choose whichever you need, or both.
- SRT and VTT files for YouTube and players.
- Or captions burned onto the video.
- Timed from the speech, and every word can be corrected.
Common questions
What is the difference between closed and open captions?
Closed captions are a separate file, SRT or VTT, that viewers can turn on or off. Open captions are burned onto the video and always show. You can make either here.
How do I add closed captions to YouTube?
Choose Transcribe after you upload and download the SRT file. In YouTube Studio, open the video, choose Subtitles, then upload the file.
How accurate are they?
You read every line before you download, and can correct any word, so what viewers see is what you checked.
Is it free?
Yes. No account, no monthly plan, and no watermark on the full video.