{"id":8090,"date":"2021-09-22T05:50:54","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T05:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.veefly.com\/?p=8090"},"modified":"2026-04-08T12:40:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T07:10:43","slug":"how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/","title":{"rendered":"How to add captions to YouTube videos: A Step by Step Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boost Discoverability: Captions provide text for YouTube&#8217;s algorithm to crawl, significantly improving SEO.<\/li>\n<li>Accessibility is Key: Adding subtitles makes your content accessible to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.<\/li>\n<li>Muted Viewing: Many users watch on mobile in public places; captions ensure your message is heard without sound.<\/li>\n<li>Multiple Methods: You can use auto-generated captions, manual typing, or professional file uploads.<\/li>\n<li>Global Reach: Translating captions into other languages can exponentially expand your international audience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Imagine a scenario where your YouTube viewers are trying to watch your video in a noisy environment without headphones. They might not hear the audio clearly and may eventually stop watching your content. This means you miss crucial moments to build your loyal audience. In such instances, knowing how to add captions to YouTube videos can immensely help you retain your potential fans. It can also help viewers with learning disabilities or those who speak a different native language. Let&#8217;s dive deeper into why you should add captions to your YouTube videos and a few actionable steps to do so.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_72 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Why_must_you_essentially_add_captions_to_your_YouTube_videos\" title=\"Why must you essentially add captions to your YouTube videos?\">Why must you essentially add captions to your YouTube videos?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Enhances_Viewer_Experience\" title=\"Enhances Viewer Experience\">Enhances Viewer Experience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Potentially_Increases_Engagement\" title=\"Potentially Increases Engagement\">Potentially Increases Engagement<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Adding_Captions_makes_your_videos_Accessible\" title=\"Adding Captions makes your videos Accessible\">Adding Captions makes your videos Accessible<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Improves_YouTube_SEO\" title=\"Improves YouTube SEO\">Improves YouTube SEO<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Open_Vs_Closed_Captions_Which_is_the_ideal_choice_for_your_videos\" title=\"Open Vs Closed Captions: Which is the ideal choice for your videos?\">Open Vs Closed Captions: Which is the ideal choice for your videos?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Open_Captions\" title=\"Open Captions:\">Open Captions:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Closed_Captions\" title=\"Closed Captions:\">Closed Captions:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#How_To_Add_Captions_to_YouTube_Videos_Simple_Steps\" title=\"How To Add Captions to YouTube Videos? Simple Steps\">How To Add Captions to YouTube Videos? Simple Steps<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Steps_to_Add_Captions_when_uploading_a_New_YT_Video\" title=\"Steps to Add Captions when uploading a New YT Video\">Steps to Add Captions when uploading a New YT Video<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Steps_to_Add_Captions_for_Existing_YouTube_Videos\" title=\"Steps to Add Captions for Existing YouTube Videos\">Steps to Add Captions for Existing YouTube Videos<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#How_to_Upload_a_Captions_file_to_YouTube\" title=\"How to Upload a Captions file to YouTube?\">How to Upload a Captions file to YouTube?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#How_to_Add_Captions_using_Auto_Sync\" title=\"How to Add Captions using Auto Sync\">How to Add Captions using Auto Sync<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Typing_Manually_to_Add_Captions_to_YT_Videos\" title=\"Typing Manually to Add Captions to YT Videos\">Typing Manually to Add Captions to YT Videos<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Should_You_Use_Automatic_Captioning_by_YouTube\" title=\"Should You Use Automatic Captioning by YouTube?\">Should You Use Automatic Captioning by YouTube?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Final_Thoughts\" title=\"Final Thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Q1_How_can_I_add_subtitles_to_a_video_for_free\" title=\"Q1. How can I add subtitles to a video for free?\">Q1. How can I add subtitles to a video for free?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Q2_How_do_I_get_captions_on_YouTube_if_captions_are_not_available\" title=\"Q2. How do I get captions on YouTube if captions are not available?\">Q2. How do I get captions on YouTube if captions are not available?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Q3_How_can_I_add_translated_subtitles_to_a_video\" title=\"Q3. How can I add translated subtitles to a video?\">Q3. How can I add translated subtitles to a video?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Q4_Why_are_captions_unavailable_on_YouTube\" title=\"Q4. Why are captions unavailable on YouTube?\">Q4. Why are captions unavailable on YouTube?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/#Q5_What_is_the_difference_between_Subtitles_and_Captions\" title=\"Q5. What is the difference between Subtitles and Captions?\">Q5. What is the difference between Subtitles and Captions?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_must_you_essentially_add_captions_to_your_YouTube_videos\"><\/span>Why must you essentially add captions to your YouTube videos?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Adding captions to your YouTube videos can significantly increase the viewer-to-subscriber conversion. Here are a few prominent benefits of adding captions to your YouTube videos.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Enhances_Viewer_Experience\"><\/span>Enhances Viewer Experience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You never know what conditions your potential viewers will watch your video under. Adding captions beforehand helps address common hearing barriers, such as unclear audio, different accents, and unnecessary noise, thereby enhancing the video viewing experience for your fans.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Potentially_Increases_Engagement\"><\/span>Potentially Increases Engagement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"text-transform: initial;\">An enhanced viewer experience often leads to\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"text-transform: initial;\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.veefly.com\/youtube\/engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">higher engagement<\/a><span style=\"text-transform: initial;\"> with<\/span> your videos. Adding captions helps people understand what you&#8217;re trying to say, and they are likely to stay longer on your videos, engage with different aspects, and even share your content. According to an industry survey by Version and Publics Media, 80% of respondents said they are more likely to watch the entire video if captions are available.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Adding_Captions_makes_your_videos_Accessible\"><\/span>Adding Captions makes your videos Accessible<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When growing a YouTube channel, you cannot rely\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">solely on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.veefly.com\/youtube\/how-to-find-your-target-audience-on-youtube\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a single<\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.veefly.com\/youtube\/how-to-find-your-target-audience-on-youtube\/\">\u00a0target audience<\/a> that speaks your native language. The world&#8217;s second-largest search engine gives you the opportunity to reach a massive audience across various geographic locations. Videos with captions can help reach people who watch videos without sound or who have hearing issues.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improves_YouTube_SEO\"><\/span>Improves YouTube SEO<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>YouTube crawlers cannot watch your videos, but they can crawl text-based elements like <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.veefly.com\/youtube\/how-to-write-better-youtube-titles-with-ai-suggestions\/\">engaging titles<\/a> and descriptions to know more details about your video. Adding closed captions to your YouTube videos provides search engines with a written version of your video&#8217;s context, which helps them rank your videos higher in search results.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Open_Vs_Closed_Captions_Which_is_the_ideal_choice_for_your_videos\"><\/span>Open Vs Closed Captions: Which is the ideal choice for your videos?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know why you must add captions to your videos on YouTube, let&#8217;s uncover the key differences between the two types of YouTube captions and which one you should choose based on your needs.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Open_Captions\"><\/span>Open Captions:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>These captions are permanently embedded in your YouTube video and always visible to viewers, regardless of the platform they use to watch it. However, YouTube crawlers won&#8217;t be able to read them because they are not uploaded as a separate SRT file. You can go with open captions when you simply want to upload your video without stressing over creating a separate captions file for the search engine to read.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Closed_Captions\"><\/span>Closed Captions:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Closed Captions are significantly better than open captions since they are added as separate files that the search engine can read and crawl. Besides, closed captions include features like multilingual settings and can be customized to suit your viewers&#8217; needs. However, which one should you choose?<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a clever solution. I suggest you use open captions for visibility and style since they are always visible. Also, add closed captions in parallel\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">to improve SEO and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.veefly.com\/youtube-marketing\/top-6-ways-to-improve-yt-ranking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rankings<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_To_Add_Captions_to_YouTube_Videos_Simple_Steps\"><\/span>How To Add Captions to YouTube Videos? Simple Steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Let&#8217;s go in-depth with the specific steps you must know about how to add captions to your YouTube videos. These steps can vary based on whether you are adding captions to a new video or an already uploaded video.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps_to_Add_Captions_when_uploading_a_New_YT_Video\"><\/span>Steps to Add Captions when uploading a New YT Video<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Log in to your YouTube Studio.<\/li>\n<li>Click on the &#8216;Create&#8217; option and click on &#8216;Upload videos&#8217; in the top right.<\/li>\n<li>Drag and drop your video file to upload.<\/li>\n<li>Enter the details as required and click on &#8216;Next.&#8217;<\/li>\n<li>Under the video elements tab, click on &#8216;Add Subtitles&#8217;.<\/li>\n<li>Now, you can click &#8216;Upload file&#8217; to add captions to the YT video.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Don&#8217;t worry if you are confused about the last step to upload a captions file to YouTube. I have covered that in detail below.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps_to_Add_Captions_for_Existing_YouTube_Videos\"><\/span>Steps to Add Captions for Existing YouTube Videos<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Log in to your YouTube Studio Dashboard.<\/li>\n<li>Select the &#8216;Subtitles&#8217; menu in the left menu.<\/li>\n<li>Select the video that you want to add captions to.<\/li>\n<li>Click on &#8216;Add language&#8217;.<\/li>\n<li>Select the option to &#8216;Add Language&#8217;.<\/li>\n<li>Go to the &#8216;Subtitles&#8217; column and click on the pencil icon that appears.<\/li>\n<li>Click on &#8216;Upload file&#8217; to add the captions file.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Upload_a_Captions_file_to_YouTube\"><\/span>How to Upload a Captions file to YouTube?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A caption file consists of the text and the timestamp at which the respective text should be displayed. The most common caption file type is SRT.<\/p>\n<p>The following formats are compatible with YouTube; you can upload any of these caption files to your YouTube studio dashboard:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SRT (.srt)<\/li>\n<li>SBV (.sbv or .sub)<\/li>\n<li>WebVTT (.vtt)<\/li>\n<li>TTML ( .ttml)<\/li>\n<li>DFXP (.dfxp)<\/li>\n<li>SCC (.scc)<\/li>\n<li>EBU-STL (.stl)<\/li>\n<li>Videotron Lambda (.cap)<\/li>\n<li>Cheetah (.cap or .asc)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to add captions to your new YT video or to an existing one.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Upload a new video or hover over an existing video to which you want to add captions, using the methods above.<\/li>\n<li>After clicking on &#8216;Upload file&#8217;, select &#8216;With Timing&#8217; and &#8216;Continue.&#8217;<\/li>\n<li>Select the SRT file from your computer or laptop&#8217;s local file browser.<\/li>\n<li>Review the captions and their timings. Click on &#8216;Done&#8217; if everything seems right.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Add_Captions_using_Auto_Sync\"><\/span>How to Add Captions using Auto Sync<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>YouTube&#8217;s auto-sync feature is ideal if you already have a transcript of your video narration. However, this method to add captions will only work if your transcript and narration are in the same language. Also, I won&#8217;t recommend this step for creators who create longer videos with low-quality audio.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Upload a new video or navigate to the subtitles option of an existing video, following the steps suggested above.<\/li>\n<li>Select &#8216;Auto Sync&#8217;<\/li>\n<li>Copy and paste the transcript text into the text field visible. Review the captions for accuracy.<\/li>\n<li>If everything looks good to go, you can select &#8216;Done&#8217;. It may take some time for the platform to auto-sync the text to video. The video is automatically published once the captions are ready.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Typing_Manually_to_Add_Captions_to_YT_Videos\"><\/span>Typing Manually to Add Captions to YT Videos<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This option is beneficial if you don&#8217;t have the video transcript. YouTube&#8217;s built-in options make the manual typing task easier. Here&#8217;s how to use this option.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Follow the steps as stated above to upload a new video or add captions to an existing one.<\/li>\n<li>During the &#8216;Upload file&#8217; option, select &#8216;Type Manually.&#8217;<\/li>\n<li>Go to the text editor, and select &#8216;Pause while typing checkbox&#8217; beneath the video player.<\/li>\n<li>Play the video at a speed that suits you.<\/li>\n<li>Start manually typing the captions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_You_Use_Automatic_Captioning_by_YouTube\"><\/span>Should You Use Automatic Captioning by YouTube?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Although YT provides an automatic captioning option, it is better to add human-edited captions, as automatically generated captions can contain errors for various reasons. The reasons could be different dialects, mispronunciation, or different accents. These minor issues can make the captions inaccessible while viewing the video and spoil the experience for your potential viewers. So, if you are using them, be sure to review them thoroughly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"zippy-overflow\">\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span>Final Thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>YouTube makes it easy to add captions to your videos using various options. Choosing the right caption type can make the video accessible to a larger audience base and potentially increase your channel&#8217;s subscribers. For an even better reach of your videos, consider the choice to <a href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/\">promote video on YouTube<\/a>. Try adding captions to your videos using the steps highlighted in this article, and see the difference in engagement rates and watch time.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"exacc_6sxJYdyqD7v7z7sP9-COoAQ45\" class=\"iDjcJe IX9Lgd wwB5gf\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q1_How_can_I_add_subtitles_to_a_video_for_free\"><\/span>Q1. How can I add subtitles to a video for free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This is how you can add subtitles to a video for free:<\/p>\n<p>You can\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">upload the video to\u00a0<strong>YT Studio and use Google&#8217;s free speech recognition tool<\/strong> to add subtitles to your video<\/span>. You don&#8217;t have to upload the video to YouTube; you can just use the YouTube editor to add subtitles.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q2_How_do_I_get_captions_on_YouTube_if_captions_are_not_available\"><\/span>Q2. How do I get captions on YouTube if captions are not available?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Turn on the auto-generated captions feature in YouTube settings to automatically generate captions based on the audio.<\/p>\n<div>\n<h3 id=\"exacc_zAXUYZn8CYXWz7sPsMO0kA05\" class=\"iDjcJe IX9Lgd wwB5gf\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q3_How_can_I_add_translated_subtitles_to_a_video\"><\/span>Q3. How can I add translated subtitles to a video?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div>You can add translated subtitles to a YouTube video using multiple tools, such as Google Translate, Smartcat, and Invideo AI. You can also go through the following process:<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<ul class=\"X5LH0c\">\n<li class=\"TrT0Xe\">Sign in to YouTube Studio.<\/li>\n<li class=\"TrT0Xe\">From the left menu, select Subtitles.<\/li>\n<li class=\"TrT0Xe\">Click the video that you\u2019d like to edit.<\/li>\n<li class=\"TrT0Xe\">Click ADD LANGUAGE and select your language.<\/li>\n<li class=\"TrT0Xe\">Under subtitles, click ADD.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q4_Why_are_captions_unavailable_on_YouTube\"><\/span>Q4. Why are captions unavailable on YouTube?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The key reasons for captions being unavailable on video include;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Poor audio Quality<\/li>\n<li>The creator disabled captions for the particular video<\/li>\n<li>The creator hasn&#8217;t manually added captions<\/li>\n<li>YouTube Settings changed to disallow captions from appearing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Q5_What_is_the_difference_between_Subtitles_and_Captions\"><\/span>Q5. What is the difference between Subtitles and Captions?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a style=\"text-transform: initial;\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.veefly.com\/youtube\/captions-vs-subtitles-how-to-choose-the-best-option\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Subtitles and captions<\/a><span style=\"text-transform: initial;\"> may seem similar, but they are radically different.<\/span>\u00a0Subtitles just include the spoken dialogue or words, often translated into different languages. Whereas captions include spoken words, sound effects, background music, and many other aspects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 80% of viewers are more likely to watch a video to completion if captions are available.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":29807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[125],"tags":[1117,65,70],"class_list":["post-8090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guide","tag-captions-vs-subtitles","tag-youtube","tag-youtube-video-marketing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3.1 (Yoast SEO v25.3.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Add Subtitles to YouTube Videos in Easy Steps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Easily add subtitles to your YouTube videos with this guide. Boost your YouTube video, enhance viewer experience, and expand your reach with accurate captions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to add captions to YouTube videos: A Step by Step Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Over 80% of viewers are more likely to watch a video to completion if captions are available.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/veefly.com\/blog\/guide\/how-to-add-subtitles-to-a-video-on-youtube\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Veefly Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-09-22T05:50:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-08T07:10:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.veefly.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Add-captions-on-YouTube-Video.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Deshna Jain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Deshna Jain\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Add Subtitles to YouTube Videos in Easy Steps","description":"Easily add subtitles to your YouTube videos with this guide. 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