How to add captions to a YouTube video

Know what kind of text you are adding

Text burned into your edit is part of the image. A caption track is attached to the video and can be switched on by the viewer when available. You can use both, but they are not interchangeable: make sure they do not cover each other.

Prepare a list of names, abbreviations and technical terms mentioned in the recording. They deserve a second listen. If you saved a script, use it as a reference rather than a finished transcript: you may have said something different while recording.

Add or review the track

1. Open the video in Subtitles

   In YouTube Studio, open Subtitles and select the video you want to work on.

2. Choose the language

   Add the language being spoken, then choose an available way to provide the track, such as a file or text.

3. Check wording and timing

   Play the video while reading. Correct mistakes and check that each phrase appears when it is spoken.

4. Publish and test

   Save or publish the track through Studio. Open the player, enable captions and check the finished result.

Do a proper editorial pass

Listen especially carefully to negatives, numbers and instructions. Changing “do not mix it” to “mix it” is not a small stylistic error. When several people speak, help identify the speaker if the image does not make it clear.

Include relevant sound information, such as an alarm or laughter that changes the meaning of a scene. Avoid excessively long blocks and reread each line break. Punctuation should make the meaning easier to follow, rather than copy every pause for breath.

• Correct names and quantities.
• Text synchronized with enough time to read it.
• Important sounds represented when they contribute meaning.

When automatic captions are missing

Not every video receives an automatic transcript immediately. Language, audio quality and processing can affect availability. You can prepare your own track using the options in Studio instead of waiting without a plan.

Automatic translations need checking too. If you publish a track in a language you do not know, arrange a competent review before treating it as finished. The final test is simple: watch a section without sound and ask whether it retains the meaning of what you were saying.