Adding captions to YouTube videos is essential for increasing accessibility, engagement, and comprehension. Captions make your content more accessible to viewers who are hard of hearing or prefer to watch videos without sound. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to add captions to YouTube videos, including YouTube Shorts and live streams, using various methods and tools.
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Why is Adding Captions to YouTube Videos Important?

1. Increased Accessibility

Captions make your videos accessible to a broader audience, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

2. Enhanced Engagement

Research has shown that videos with captions are watched longer and engage viewers better. For example, Facebook found that captioned video ads were watched 12% longer than non-captioned ones.

3. Improved SEO

Captions help search engines understand the content of your videos, which can reportedly boost your SEO rankings and increase video traffic by about 7%.

💡Related read: How 2024 YouTube Algorithm Works & 25 Tips for Optimization
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How to Add Captions to a YouTube Video?

Adding Captions to YouTube Shorts

Step 1: Open YouTube Studio

1. Open YouTube Studio and navigate to Content.
2. Select the YouTube Short you want to caption.

Step 2: Add Subtitles

1. Click on Subtitles in the left-hand menu.
2. Follow the same steps as for regular videos to add and edit captions.

💡Related read: YouTube Shorts vs TikTok: What’s Best for Short-Form Videos?
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Using vidyo.ai for Adding Captions to YouTube Shorts
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Step 1: Upload Your Video

Start by uploading your video file in MP4, M4V, MOV, or WEBM format, or paste a YouTube link. vidyo.ai’s video AI subtitle generator online ensures a seamless upload process. The platform supports large files and offers quick upload speeds, minimizing downtime.

Step 2: Customize Your Subtitle

vidyo.ai’s subtitle generator allows full customization without restrictions. Preview your subtitles in real-time to ensure they meet your expectations before finalizing.

Step 3: Download and Share

Export your video with embedded captions or download the subtitle file in SRT format. Share your video on social media with ease using vidyo.ai, the best online subtitle generator. The export options are designed to be compatible with various platforms, ensuring your videos maintain high quality wherever they are viewed.

💡Related read: How to Make a YouTube Short That Skyrockets Your Engagement
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Adding Captions to YouTube Videos

Step 1: Upload Your Video

1. Log in to your YouTube account and upload your video.
2. Click on your profile picture and go to YouTube Studio.
3. Select Videos from the left-hand menu.

Step 2: Add Captions

1. Click on the video you want to add captions to.
2. Select Subtitles from the left-hand menu.
3. Click Add to upload a file or Auto-Sync to type manually and auto-sync.

Step 3: Review and Edit

1. After YouTube auto-generated captions, review them for accuracy.
2. Edit any mistakes directly in the subtitle editor.

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Using vidyo.ai for Automatic Subtitles

Step 1: Log in to vidyo.ai

1. Log in to your vidyo.ai account.
2. Click Create Project and upload your video from your desktop or use its live link.

Step 2: Generate Auto Subtitles

1. Click Subtitles from the dashboard’s left side.
2. Select Auto Subtitle and choose the language for the captions.

Step 3: Customize Subtitles

1. Edit the auto-generated text for better readability.
2. Adjust the subtitle size, color, and alignment. Enhance engagement by adding text highlights, background colors, or emojis. 

💡Related read: 10 Best Peer-Tested and Reviewed YouTube Video Editors in 2024
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Adding Captions to YouTube Live

Step 1: Enable Captions in Live Control Room

1. Go to the Live Control Room.
2. Under Stream Settings, enable Closed Captions.

Step 2: Use Captioning Software

1. Use third-party captioning software that integrates with YouTube Live to provide real-time captions.

💡Related read: How to Increase Live Stream Viewers on YouTube: 8 Top Tips
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Adding Captions to YouTube TV

YouTube TV supports closed captions directly from the video player settings. Viewers can enable captions by clicking the CC button on their remote or in the app.
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Adding Captions on Mobile Devices

Step 1: Use the YouTube App

1. Open the YouTube app on your phone.
2. Upload your video and navigate to the Subtitles option.

Step 2: Add Captions

1. Use the same methods as described for the desktop version to add and edit captions.

💡Related read: How to Build a Community on Youtube in 10 Easy Steps
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What Sets Subtitles Apart From Closed Captions?

💡Related read: YouTube Channel Ideas That Can Make you Millions in 2024
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Why Use Vidyo to Caption YouTube Videos?

Accurate Transcriptions

vidyo.ai’s technology provides precise transcriptions for your videos, complete with speaker identification and timecodes. Our AI subtitle generator ensures every word is captured accurately, minimizing the need for manual corrections. The generated transcriptions are easily editable, allowing for quick adjustments if necessary.

Multilingual Support

Generate subtitles in multiple languages, including English (Global, Australia, US, UK), French, Spanish, and German. The future roadmap shows support for 95 additional languages, including Vietnamese, Slovenian, Somali etc. vidyo.ai’s multilingual capabilities ensure your content reaches a broader audience, breaking language barriers and enhancing accessibility.

AI-Powered Subtitling

You create transcribe video to text for a 30-minute YT video in less than 5 minutes. This feature is perfect for entrepreneurs, creators, and podcasters seeking efficient solutions. vidyo.ai’s speed and efficiency make it an indispensable tool for busy professionals who need fast results without compromising quality.

Customizable Captions
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Personalize your subtitles by adjusting the font, color, size, layout, and background highlights to match your brand’s style. vidyo.ai’s subtitle generator for YouTube videos lets you create a unique look for your content by playing with captions. You can also experiment with our dynamic animated captions or Hormozi-style captions to enhance the viewer experience and reinforce your brand’s consistency across various platforms.

Optimized for Engagement
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You can add emojis to your subtitles automatically to increase viewer engagement and expressiveness. This feature is especially useful for YouTube videos where visual appeal and quick viewer connection are crucial. You can also add keywords which you want to optimize the subtitles for in the vidyo.ai editor to boost the SEO of your YouTube video. By incorporating emojis and keywords, you create a more engaging viewing experience, encouraging 2x audience retention.

Share Subtitled YouTube Video in 1 Click

Easily share your subtitled videos on YouTube and YouTube Shorts instantly. vidyo.ai’s auto subtitle generator simplifies the sharing process, making it the best free subtitle generator for social media content. The built-in social media integration tools allow you to schedule posts and directly publish subtitled videos, streamlining your content distribution strategy.

💡Related read: CEO Grows YouTube Subscribers by 83% In Weeks With vidyo.ai
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Overview of vidyo.ai’s AI Captions Plan

vidyo.ai's AI Captions Plan is a powerful tool for anyone looking to add accurate and customizable captions to their videos. With flexible billing options and support for multiple languages, it's perfect for enhancing the accessibility and engagement of your video content. 
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Key Features

The primary focus of this plan is to caption your videos. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get started:

1. Create a New Project: Click on "New Project" and import your video.
2. Select Language: Choose the language of your video from the supported 99 languages.
3. Choose Caption Type: Select the type of captions you prefer. For this demonstration, we'll choose to highlight the background and generate captions in English.

This process will consume 10 minutes of your credit. You can monitor the remaining time as the captions are generated.

Included Features

You can access and edit your projects and individual clips:

• Edit Clips: Open the edit menu and click on "Edit" to access the editor.
• Download Video: After editing, download your video in up to 1080p resolution.
• Customize Subtitles: Edit your subtitles or change the template as needed.
• Add Elements: Search for and add various media elements to your video.

Downloading Captions

If you need to download captions in an SRT file, follow these steps:
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1. Navigate to the Subtitle Tab.
2. Click the Download Button adjacent to the toggle button.
3. Your captions will be downloaded in an SRT file, ready for use.

Limitations of the Captions Plan

While the Captions Plan offers robust features for captioning, it does have certain limitations:

• No Clip Generation: You cannot generate clips for different social media platforms.
• No Posting to Social Media: Direct posting to social media is not available.
• No Access to Advanced Features: Features like Cut Magic or access to Viddy are not included.

Billing Options

The Captions Plan offers three flexible billing options to suit your needs:

• Monthly Billing: Ideal for those who need consistent, short-term access.
• Every 6 Months: A middle-ground option for users looking for semi-annual billing.
• Annual Billing: The most cost-effective option for long-term users.

No matter which billing cycle you choose, you will receive 30 minutes of service on the captions platform every month.

This plan is exclusively designed for captioning your videos. To access additional features, you will need to upgrade to the Essential or Growth Plan.

💡Related read: Get 4x Engagement on YouTube using vidyo.ai

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Takeaway

But you don’t have to take our word for it. Hear from people who are already using Vidyo.

“Subtitles improve video views and engagement. They also help viewers focus more on your content and even remember it better.” – Alessandro Cecere, Marketing Manager at Luxor

“Creating subtitles for videos doesn’t have to be a time-consuming, energy-sucking step in your workflow. With vidyo.ai, you can quickly and easily add on-brand subtitles to your videos with a click of a button.” – Akil Wade, Founder of Black Kids Travel

By incorporating these steps and tools, you can effortlessly add captions to your YouTube videos. Try vidyo.ai today to enhance the accessibility and engagement of your YouTube videos while improving your SEO. Happy captioning!
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FAQs

1. How do you add captions to YouTube videos?

You can add captions to YouTube videos using YouTube Studio’s subtitle editor or third-party tools like vidyo.ai.

2. How to add captions to a YouTube video on mobile?

Open the YouTube app, upload your video, and use the subtitles option to add captions manually or upload a subtitle file.

3. How do you put subtitles on YouTube videos?

Use the YouTube Studio to add subtitles by clicking on the video, selecting subtitles, and either auto-generating or manually typing them.

4. How to add captions to someone else's YouTube video?

YouTube does not officially support adding captions to videos you do not own. However, you can download the video, add captions using software like vidyo.ai, and re-upload it with proper permissions.

5. How to add subtitles to a video automatically?

Use vidyo.ai to automatically generate subtitles by uploading your video and selecting the auto subtitle option for quick and accurate captioning.

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