Use case
Subtitles for creators and social video
Feeds distribute by engagement, not by language. That means your video reaches people who do not speak your language long before you plan for it, and almost all of them decide whether to stay with the sound off.
Two different problems that look like one
- Silent autoplay. Most feeds start with the sound off, and the viewer decides within a second or two. Same-language captions solve this, and they apply to your existing audience.
- Language. A clip that travels beyond your own language reaches people who cannot follow it at all. Translated subtitles solve this, and they apply to an audience you do not have yet.
- They need different things. The first is a captioning job in the language you already speak; the second is a translation job. Both start from the same transcript.
A workflow that does not eat your week
Caption in your own language first
Run the clip with the original spoken language selected. This is the version most of your audience sees, and it is the one that matters most.
Review the captions
Correct names, product terms, and numbers. This is the version most of your audience sees, so it is the one worth the time.
Pick one or two languages to test
Start with wherever your analytics already show viewers you cannot serve. Running every language at once tells you nothing about which was worth it.
Post the burned-in version
Feeds mostly do not read subtitle files. Burned-in text survives re-upload, download, and reposting.
What matters in a vertical frame
- The bottom of the frame is occupied by usernames, buttons, and progress bars, and each platform occupies it differently. Leave clearance.
- Less horizontal room means different line breaks, not just smaller text.
- Short clips are dense. Reading speed becomes the binding constraint faster than it does in longer video. See subtitle timing and reading speed.
- Check on a phone. A desktop preview flatters text that is unreadable on the device most people will actually use.
What you get from one job
- An MP4 with the subtitles burned in, ready to post.
- An SRT you can upload where a platform accepts subtitle files.
- A plain TXT transcript, which is what turns a clip into a caption, a newsletter section, or a blog post.
- The original-language files too, so you always have the master copy.
Try it on your next clip. 50 free credits, about ten minutes of video, no card.
Continue with Google50 free credits. No credit card needed.Frequently asked questions
Which language should I subtitle in first?
Your own. Same-language captions serve the audience you already have, most of whom are watching without sound. Translation is the second move, not the first.
How do I know which languages are worth translating into?
Look at where your views already come from. Feeds push clips past language boundaries on their own, so the demand usually shows up in your analytics before you plan for it.
Will burned-in subtitles survive reposting?
Yes. The text is part of the picture, so it survives downloading, re-encoding, and reposting. A separate subtitle file does not travel with the video.
Can I edit the subtitles before posting?
Yes, on the Pro and Studio plans. You can fix wording and timings in the editor, trim the clip, and reburn.