How to Add Captions to a Video: Free Step by Step Guide
To add captions to a video, turn the speech into text with an auto-caption tool or a transcript, check every line against the audio, and time each line to when it is spoken. Then either burn the captions into the video in an editor, or upload a caption file such as SRT or VTT to the platform, for example in YouTube Studio under Subtitles.
Checked October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Captions put the spoken words of a video on screen. They help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, viewers who speak another language and anyone watching with the sound off. There are two kinds. Burned-in captions are part of the picture, so they show everywhere, on every platform. Caption files, such as SRT or VTT, sit next to the video and the viewer can turn them on or off. This guide covers the steps that work in any tool, then shows how to add free automatic captions in the Infinall AI Editor, which runs the speech step on your own computer.
| Method | Best for | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Auto captions in a video editor, burned in | Short social videos and ads watched on mute | Check spelling and names; the captions cannot be turned off later |
| Caption file (SRT or VTT) uploaded to the platform | YouTube and longer videos | The platform controls the look; timings must match the final edit |
| Platform automatic captions | Quick captions on YouTube with no extra work | On YouTube they come only in the video's default language, and you should still review them |
| Typing captions by hand | Very short clips or exact wording | Slow for long videos; easy to get timings wrong |
| Infinall AI Editor captions | Styled, animated captions made on your computer at no credit cost | Needs a laptop or desktop and a clip with speech |
How to Add Captions to a Video: Free Step by Step Guide
Decide: burned-in captions or a caption file
Burn captions into the video for short social clips and ads, where many people watch on mute and the look of the text matters. Use a caption file for YouTube and longer videos, where viewers can switch captions on or off. You can do both: burn in short styled captions for the feed and upload a full caption file where the platform accepts one.
Get the words as text
Use automatic captions from your editor or platform, a transcript from a transcription tool, or your original script. Automatic speech recognition is fast, but it still mishears names, brand words and numbers. If you have a script, start from it, since it already has the correct spelling.
Check every line against the audio
Play the video and read along. Fix misheard words, product names and punctuation. Add short sound notes such as [applause] or [music] where they help, which YouTube also suggests so viewers know what is going on in the video.
Time each caption to the speech
A caption file holds the text plus timestamps for when each line should show. Make each caption appear when the words are spoken and leave the screen when the speaker moves on. Most auto-caption tools set the timing for you, so you only nudge lines that come in early or late.
Keep each caption short
Split long sentences into short lines that can be read in one glance. Vertical videos need fewer words per line than widescreen ones, because the frame is narrow. Break lines at natural pauses, not in the middle of a name or a phrase.
Style and place the text
Use a plain, bold font, a high-contrast colour and an outline, shadow or background box so the text reads on any footage. Keep captions clear of faces, the product and the parts of the screen where the app shows buttons and the post caption. Check the placement with a safe zone tool before you export.
Export or upload, then check on a phone
For burned-in captions, export the video and watch the exported file on a phone with the sound off. For a caption file, upload it to the platform. In YouTube Studio, choose Subtitles in the left menu, select the video, click Add language, then under Subtitles click Add and pick Upload file.
How to add captions to a video in Infinall AI
Captions live in the Infinall AI Editor, which works on a laptop or desktop. Open AI Editor, import your video and click the video or sound clip on the timeline. Choose Captions in Editor sections (or open Local Auto-Captions in the Effects view of the inspector). Pick the Spoken language. The list includes English, Hindi, Spanish, French, German and others.
Next, pick a look. There are six: Punch for talking head and business, Blaze for gaming, Wave for music and sing-along, Clean for professional and minimal, Pop for fun and energetic, and Bold for high impact. You can leave Let AI pick the look on, and the app chooses where the captions sit and which look suits the footage, or turn it off and choose yourself.
Choose Make subtitles. The speech step runs on your computer and your audio is not uploaded. The first time, the editor downloads a small speech model of about 40 MB. Read the list of what it heard, then choose Add subtitles to video. Each caption becomes a normal text clip on the Captions row, so you can fix words in Editable Captions, change the font, size, colour and outline in Text Properties, or split captions into one short line at a time with Make all single-line, which suits vertical video. When it looks right, export the video from the editor.
If you already have a subtitle file, choose Import SRT / VTT as Text and each line becomes an editable text clip. If you only need the words as text, the Transcribe tool on the Audio tab turns an audio or video file of up to 50 MB into a transcript that keeps the timing of each line.
How to add captions to a video for free
Many editors and platforms offer free automatic captions, and YouTube creates automatic captions with speech recognition when they are available. In Infinall AI, making subtitles from a clip, editing captions, importing an SRT or VTT file and exporting the video all cost no credits, on the Free plan as well as Pro. The only paid step is the optional Let AI pick the look switch, which shows its approximate price on the switch itself: turn it off to keep captions free. Transcribe on the Audio tab uses credits, charged by the length of the audio.
The Free plan gives 1,000 credits every month with no card. Pro costs $10 for the first month, then $30 a month or $299 a year (in India, Rs 999 for the first month, then Rs 2,899 a month or Rs 33,999 a year) and gives 3,000 credits a month. One credit is one US cent. You do not need Pro for captions.
Common mistakes
- Posting automatic captions without reading them, so brand names and numbers are wrong.
- Long lines that cover half the frame or change too fast to read.
- White text with no outline or background on a bright video.
- Captions placed where the app's buttons or the post caption cover them.
- Editing the video after making a caption file, so the timings no longer match.
- Leaving out sound notes when a sound matters to the story.
If you already edit in a full desktop editor or a phone app you like, its own caption feature may be all you need. Infinall AI helps most when you want styled captions on your computer without uploading the audio, inside the same place you make and schedule the post.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between captions and subtitles?
Both put spoken words on screen. Captions are usually in the same language as the audio and may include sound notes such as [applause]. Subtitles usually translate the speech for viewers who speak another language. Many tools, including YouTube, use the two words together.
How do I add captions to a video on YouTube?
Sign in to YouTube Studio, select Subtitles from the left menu, choose the video, click Add language and pick the language. Under Subtitles, click Add, then upload a file, use auto-sync or type the captions by hand.
Are captions in the Infinall AI Editor free?
Yes. Making subtitles from a clip, editing them and importing an SRT or VTT file use no credits on Free or Pro. Only the optional Let AI pick the look switch has a price, shown on the switch.
Can I add captions on my phone in Infinall AI?
No. The AI Editor needs a laptop or desktop. On a phone it shows a message asking you to use a computer.
Does Infinall AI upload my audio to make captions?
Not for captions in the AI Editor. The panel runs on your computer and your audio is not uploaded. The optional Let AI pick the look step sends a few pictures from your video to choose the placement and look.
Sources and checks
Every price, rating and number on this page comes from the source pages below, checked October 2026. Prices and plans change often, so confirm on the vendor's own page before you buy.
- Infinall AI: captions and transcription, checked October 2026
- Infinall AI: text, text animations and captions, checked October 2026
- Infinall AI: export your video, checked October 2026
- Infinall AI: plans and prices, checked October 2026
- YouTube Help: add subtitles and captions, checked October 2026