How to add captions to a video
Captions make a video easier to follow in a noisy room, with the sound off, or in a second language. Here is how the main options work and how to pick one.
Why captions matter
- Many people watch with the sound off, especially on a phone in public.
- They help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- They make it easier to follow fast speech or an unfamiliar accent.
- Text on screen can keep attention on a short video.
Burned-in captions vs subtitle files
Burned-in (open) captions are part of the picture. They always show, look the same on every platform and can be styled, but viewers can't turn them off. These are the usual choice for Shorts, Reels and TikTok.
Subtitle files (.srt or .vtt) are separate text files with timings. Viewers can switch them on and off, and platforms such as YouTube let you upload them in several languages. These suit longer videos.
Quorvid gives you both: captions burned into the video, plus .srt and .vtt files for upload.
Make captions easy to read
- Use a large, clear font with strong contrast against the picture.
- Keep each line short, about one short phrase at a time.
- Keep captions inside the safe area so app buttons don't cover them.
- Highlight each word as it's spoken if you want a lively, karaoke-style look.
Get the timing right
Captions only work if they match the voice. Quorvid takes the timing from the voice itself, so every word is timed to the narration. For uploaded videos, it transcribes the speech with word-level timing first.
Check before you publish
Automatic transcription can miss names, brand words and unusual terms. Watch the video once with captions on and fix anything that is wrong.
Right-to-left languages
Languages such as Urdu and Arabic need letters joined and text flowing from right to left. Quorvid builds those captions correctly. Read more on the Urdu video generator page.
Three styles in Quorvid
Bold (large, highlights each word), Minimal (smaller, thin outline) and Classic (plain subtitle bar). Switch between them with one setting when you create a video.
Frequently asked questions
Both are plain subtitle formats with timings. SRT is the most widely supported, and VTT is common on the web.
For Shorts, Reels and TikTok, yes. For longer YouTube videos, uploading a subtitle file is often better.
Quorvid adds captions to videos it makes, including clips cut with Shorts from video and dubbed videos. Uploaded videos are transcribed when you use those tools.