How to add AI subtitles to videos

Quickly add subtitles to videos and slideshow presentations for free using AI and make videos stand out. Subtitles make videos easier to follow on mute, accessible to viewers with special needs, and inclusive for a global audience when available in multiple languages with the AI subtitle generator.

There's no need to hire an expensive freelancer to create a video transcript either. Automatic subtitles transcribe a video in seconds using AI-powered technology. No matter the video genre, save time, money, and boost accessibility in videos for school, work, or social media.

Let's learn how to add subtitles to videos while exploring the top benefits of subtitles with the Clipchamp video editor.

How to add subtitles to video for free

Step 1. Import your video

To import your own videos or audio, click on the import media button in the your media tab on the toolbar to browse your computer files, or connect your OneDrive.

Note: to use the subtitle generator, make sure the video has a voiceover or a song with lyrics to detect. 

Drag and drop the video onto the timeline.

Step 2. Add subtitles using automatic captions

To add subtitles to the video, click on the captions icon in the video preview to turn on autocaptions. Alternatively, click on the captions tab on the property panel, then click transcribe media button.

A popup window will appear offering transcribing with AI options. Here, you can select which language you would like to use and filter any profanity and offensive language by checking the box. When you’re ready to generate subtitles, click on the transcribe media button.

Once the subtitles are generated, they'll appear as a transcript in the property panel and on the video preview window.

Step 3. Edit transcript and customize the appearance

Replace misspelled text

While our subtitle software is highly accurate, there’s a small chance that some words may be misspelled. Read through and click on the automatic transcript and type over the existing word to replace it with the correct spelling.

Personalize the font, color, alignment, and size 

To edit the appearance of the subtitles, click on the captions on the video preview. This will open up different options on the property panel. Next, click on the text tab on the property panel. Here, you can edit the font, size, alignment, and colors. You can explore advanced text settings such as letter spacing and shadows, which can increase the accessibility of your video.

Step 4. Save video with subtitles  

Before saving the video, don't forget to download the SRT transcript file by clicking on the download captions button in the captions tab on the property panel. The captions will download to your device.

Make sure to preview by clicking on the play button. You can also set the video up with automatic subtitles or transcripts. When you’re ready to save, click the export button and select a video resolution.

For more help, check out our how to add subtitles to video YouTube tutorial.

How to add subtitles to Instagram videos

1. Import the Instagram video or create a new video using stock footage.

2. Click on the captions tab, then click on the transcribe media button.

3. A popup window will appear. Click on the transcribe media button to create automatic subtitles for the video. 

4. Click on the export button to save your Instagram video with subtitles in 1080p HD video resolution.

How to add subtitles to YouTube videos

1. Import the YouTube video or create a new video using stock footage.

2. Click on the captions tab, then click on the transcribe media button.

3. A popup window will appear. Click on the transcribe media button to create subtitles for the video automatically.

4. Click on the export button to save your YouTube video with subtitles in 1080p HD video resolution.

How to remove or turn off subtitles on videos

1. Click on the captions tab on the property panel.

2. Click on the turn off autocaptions button in the captions tab.

3. The video will now have no subtitles.

You can also toggle on the hide captions in video button if you only want an automatic transcript without captions. For more help, check out this autocaptions tutorial.

Five reasons to add subtitles to videos 

• Improve video accessibility: adding subtitles to videos creates inclusive content for audiences, like the deaf or hard of hearing communities by providing visual text that mirrors spoken dialogue.

• Increase watch time on social media: subtitles help viewers understand the video content, even without sound. This reduces drop-off and encourages people to stay longer, which can help improve retention. This helps increase watch time if you’re growing a YouTube channel.

• Overcome any language or accent barriers: voices in videos aren’t always easy to follow, especially when there are different accents or languages. Subtitles help non-native speakers understand the content clearly and stay engaged.

• Boost your videos searchability and SEO: subtitled videos provide additional text for search engines and platform algorithms to crawl. This can help content rank higher in searches and reach a wider audience on platforms like YouTube too.

• Enhance viewers learning: subtitles are the perfect way to help improve learning and comprehension in educational videos like tutorials and PowerPoint presentations. Automatic subtitles let users watch, listen, and read all at once, particularly if they don't have headphones or are listening from loud surroundings.

Now that you've mastered subtitles, learn about the best fonts for social media, or how to create an AI voiceover in a few clicks.

Start editing today with Clipchamp for free or download the Microsoft Clipchamp Windows app.