Video creators know that to create an engaging video, they must pull out all the stops to make it pop.
But did you know that adding subtitles to your video can help increase engagement, too?
It can!
If you’re at the end of editing your video project, don’t hit export just yet. You need to make sure you know how to add subtitles to a video. And, you know, actually add them to your video before sharing it with the world. 😉
If you’re not sold on the idea of adding text to your content, let’s look at why it’s a good idea to add subtitles to your video.
Why It’s A Good IYouTube Shortsdea to Add Subtitles to a Video
Just so we’re clear, most video content creators use the words “captions” and “subtitles” interchangeably now. But that wasn’t always the case. Officially, “captions” encompass all of the sounds within a video.
For example, if you watch a Tiktok video with captions enabled, you might read “[birds chirping” to indicate birds singing or “[engine revving]” to describe a revving engine in the background.
Subtitles, though, are direct translations of the dialogue or narration in your video. You’ve likely seen subtitles featured in TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. They are quite popular and for a good reason: increased engagement. 🔥
Also See: AI Description Generator tool for Yotube
Here are five more reasons you should add subtitles to a video.
- Accessibility: Subtitles help make your video content accessible to all audiences, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Attract More Viewers: 57% of Americans say they watch video content in public places. Adding subtitles to your video allows this demographic to watch your content without disturbing their neighbors.
- Improve SEO: If you’re a B2B marketer, “improving SEO” is forever at the top of your content marketing strategy. Including subtitles in your video content can help with Google’s search engine indexing. Plus, videos have a higher chance of ranking in Google, like a 50x greater chance.
- Improve Comprehension: 27% of people watch videos with subtitles for better comprehension. Plus, subtitles can help content creators with thicker accents get their point across to their audience.
- Improve Watch Time: 42% of people say they watch videos with subtitles to increase their concentration, meaning they can watch a video for more extended periods.
4 Best Ways to Add Subtitles to a Video
Adding subtitles to a Instagram Reels or Youtube video sounds like it could be a complicated process. But would you believe me if I told you it’s really not that complicated?
It’s really not that difficult, I promise! 😉
You will need access to video editing software to attach subtitles to MP4. Here are four of the best video editing apps to use for adding subtitles to your content.
SubMagic: best way to add subtitles to video (overall)
SubMagic is the best video editing app on the market. (And we’re really not just saying that either. It’s true! 🧡)
SubMagic is a web-based AI tool for content creators, and you can edit your videos, including adding subtitles to your video, in under two minutes.
Really, it’s that simple. Simply upload your video to the app and let AI generate your captions. Then, you can edit your video in any way that you want to help increase engagement.
Pros:
Cons:
- Not currently available as an app
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CapCut
CapCut is another video editing app that makes adding subtitles to your video content easy. Once you upload your video to the app and tell it to add subtitles, it will generate time-stamped subtitles.
Plus, if you want to manually edit your subtitles, like if a generated name is misspelled, you can easily do that.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Available as a mobile app or web-based application
- Offers auto-captioning
Cons:
- Frequent updates and glitches
Veed
If you want to add subtitles to your video quickly, Veed is another excellent option. Veed is a video editing software that instantly generates subtitles in over 100 languages.
Unlike SubMagic, though, you’ll need to tell Veed to generate subtitles. It does not automatically create subtitles at the initial upload of your video content.
Pros:
- Available in over 100 languages
- Intuitive user interface
- Quickly edit your subtitles
Cons:
- It doesn’t automatically generate subtitles
- Frequent crashes and bugs
Kapwing
Backed by the power of AI, Kapwing can help you quickly auto-generate word-for-word subtitles and transcripts.
All you need to do is upload your video content to the app, select the caption style, and let Kapwing write the subtitles. And, if there’s a mistake in spelling or words, you can easily edit the text to match the spoken audio.
Pros:
- Web- and cloud-based editor
- Easy-to-use interface
- Supports over 70 languages
Cons:
- Can lose projects due to bug glitches
- Customer service is lacking
Looking for more ways to add subtitles to your videos? Check out these other AI captioning alternatives.
We know SubMagic is the best AI subtitling editing software, though. Here’s how to add subtitles to a video using SubMagic.
How to Add Subtitles to a Video with SubMagic
Adding subtitles to a video takes only a quick minute or two with SubMagic.
Let’s go! 🚀😉
1- Record Your Content
Before you can add subtitles to your content, you need to spend some time recording awesome footage. Or, if you want to mash a couple of videos together from other sources, you can do that, too.
However you get your footage, just save it in an easily accessible folder. This will make editing more straightforward (and faster!) when you know exactly where you’ve saved your video clips.
2- Go to SubMagic.co
Next, hop over to SubMagic in your favorite browser. Don’t forget that you can use SubMagic on your phone’s browser, too. For this tutorial, though, I’ll show you step-by-step screenshots of how to add subtitles to a video using my laptop.
3- Log in to SubMagic or Create an Account
Did you know you can edit your videos for free with SubMagic? You can, and it’s so easy to do.
If you don’t yet have an account with SubMagic, click the “Try for free” button in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. Then, follow the instructions to set up your account.
Or, if you’ve already signed up, log in to your account to start your project.
4- Click “Create”
To start a new project, click the “Create” button in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.
5- Upload Your Videos
Now, it’s time to upload your videos to SubMagic. Click on the box labeled “Click or Drag/Drop one or multiple videos.” From there, select the video files you want to upload. Alternatively, if your video files are hanging out on your desktop, you can drag and drop them into the box for upload.
6- Rename Your Video File
Pro tip: rename your video file now to reflect your project. This will make your video file easier to find if you decide to re-edit the video.
7- Select a Language for Your Subtitles
SubMagic supports over 50 different languages. Before you click upload, choose the language of your recorded audio so that the AI magic can translate and generate your captions.
8- Click “Upload”
Now that you’ve named your file and chosen your language, it’s time to upload your video! Click the “Upload” button.
The neat thing about SubMagic is that it automatically generates subtitles once you upload your video. There’s no need to click extra buttons. AI does it for you!
Depending on the length of your video, you might need to wait a minute or two for the upload and subtitle generation to finish. It doesn’t take long, though, I promise!
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9- Click on “Captions”
Now, it’s time to review your subtitles and edit if necessary. Click on “Captions” to see a time-stamped transcript of your audio.
10- Edit Any Misspellings
SubMagic’s AI is pretty accurate, but sometimes, the spelling of words, like names, might be wrong. Review your subtitles and correct any misspelled words.
To correct a mistake, click on the word you’d like to edit and retype it.
11- Click on “Style”
Now, the extra fun part. Click “Style” to change the text’s font, size, and color. Play around with the themes and stylings until you find something you like.
If you’re a B2B brand, keeping your captioning and subtitles the same for your videos to create consistent branding is a good idea.
12- Finish Editing Your Video
SubMagic doesn’t just automatically add subtitles to your videos. With SubMagic, you can:
Take advantage of the other editing features to really make your video stand out from the rest.
13- Export Your Video
With the final touches added to your video, it’s time to export it! Click the “Export” button in the upper right corner of your screen.
Depending on the length of your video and the speed of your Internet connection, it might take a minute or two for your video to export. If you need to walk away from your desk or set your device down, you can.
SubMagic will send you a reminder email when your video is ready to download.
14- Download Your Video
When your video is ready, click the “Download” button underneath your project to download a copy of the video file.
15- Share to Your Social Media
Great! Now, your video is ready to share with your audience. Just head over to your favorite social media app, upload your video, and hit “Post.” Don’t forget to use the #submagic hashtag to share the news about your favorite video editing app. 🧡
5 Tips for Adding Subtitles to a Video
Adding subtitles to a video is easy with the right software. Here are five tips to keep in mind to help you insert subtitles to your video and make your content stand out from the rest.
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Tip #1: Choose a Good Editing Software
SubMagic is clearly the best video editing software. But, for good measure, the first tip is to pick a good, solid video editing software you know how to use. Some editing software is not very intuitive or user-friendly. In others, it takes a while for captions and subtitles to generate.
Plus, you’ll need to keep subscription costs in mind, too. Are you planning to edit lots of videos? If so, it might be beneficial for you to sign up for a subscription plan. Or, you can try SubMagic for free. 😎
Tip #2: Consider Subtitle Placement
Adding subtitles to your video is a great way to increase user engagement and keep your audience on your videos longer. But, if you’re not careful, subtitles might get in the way of your content and become distracting.
Be mindful of where you place your subtitles so they don’t detract too much from your overall content.
Tip #3: Choose Your Font Choice Wisely
You need to think about the color and size of your font before choosing any option to edit your video. If your font is too small, it will be hard for your audience to see. If it’s too large, it’ll detract from your footage. Play around with the font size until you get it just right.
Keep in mind, too, that the color of your font matters. Fonts that are too light or dark in contrast to the video are hard to see. Choose something that stands out against the background of the video.
Tip #4: Keep Your Subtitles Consistent
Whether you’re editing your video to stay consistent with your company branding or creating a cool video for your audience, keep the font size and colors consistent throughout the entire video.
Fonts that are constantly changing are confusing and complicated to follow. You don’t want to lose engagement with your followers because of inconsistent fonts throughout your video.
Tip #5: Preview Your Video Before You Export It
This tip is probably a no-brainer. But before you export and download your video, play the video through several times to review it. You’ll want to pay attention to the subtitles to ensure everything is spelled correctly and in its proper place.
It is a good idea to step away from your project for a few minutes to give your brain time to reset. This will help you find any not-so-obvious mistakes with fresh eyes. Once you’ve completed your final review and are satisfied with your project, export it and share it with the world! 🚀
Frequently Asked Questions: How to Add Subtitles to a Video
Why should I add subtitles to my video?
Adding subtitles to your video is a great way to make your content accessible to all audiences. Plus, adding subtitles helps increase comprehension and keeps your audience engaged and watching your video longer.
What is the difference between subtitles and closed captions?
This is a great question. Closed captions provide a textual representation of all audio in a video clip, meaning if there is music in the background, that will be described in the form of a text.
Subtitles, though, assume that the viewer can hear the background noise. Subtitles usually only translate the dialogue of a video clip.
Do I need editing software to add subtitles to a video?
Yes, you will need editing software to add subtitles to a video. There are various video editing apps available for you to use. Some of those apps require a subscription to the program.
Others, like SubMagic, you can try for free.
Can subtitles be edited after they’ve been added to my video?
Yes, you can edit subtitles after they have been added to your video. With SubMagic, simply review the time-stamped transcription and edit any words that are misspelled or out of place. And you can adjust the timing, font, and formatting, too.
Which is the best software to use to add subtitles to a video?
SubMagic, of course. 😉 SubMagic automatically (and quickly) adds subtitles to your video with no extra work on your part.
Plus, SubMagic’s video editor offers extra editing options to spice up your video. Try it for free today.
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