How to Add Subtitles to a Video Including Youtube

Adding subtitles to a video is essential for viewers to grasp the key information you want to convey in a video.

It is a must-have to get higher viewer engagement, esp. helpful to audiences with a foreign language, etc. Chances are when used properly, subtitles, and captions of your video can even help you get a higher click-through rate for SEO.

In this blog, you will learn how to add subtitles to your video in 3 best ways, including adding subtitles to a Youtube video. It’s 100% work and super easy.

Contents:

Add Subtitles to a Video Automatically with Srt File

Of all the means to add subtitles to a video, inserting an Srt file to your video is the easiest and quickest way to do so.

An Srt file (or SubRip Subtitle File) is a text-based raw file that contains the words of your subtitle and the exact timeframe when a subtitle is shown and disappeared.

A sample of Srt file for a movie’s subtitles

Make an Srt File for Your Video Subtitles

To add the subtitle to your own video, you need to make an Srt file.

It’s very easy and you may use text editors like Notepad, Wordpad, TextEdit, etc. to edit it. Check the top 3 movie subtitles websites.

Step 1 Open the text editor.

Step 2 Edit the No. of subtitles + the subtitles’ timeline (e.g. “hours: minutes:second: milliseconds”) + the subtitle itself

The main content of a subtitle in Srt.file

Step 3 Save subtitles as “video name”.Srt format

Then, all you need to do is play your video with a media player like VLC to and right-click the video and add the Srt file to it.

Download Srt File Online and Add It to a Movie

If you just want to add the missing subtitles for a movie, you can simply google “movie name + language + subtitles” and download the Srt file. For example, search for “Inception, English, subtitles”.

Then open the movie by a media player and load the corresponding Srt file into it. Just as simple as that. Check the top 13 sites to download subtitles for movies.

Tips

• Only when the name of the movie file and that of the Srt file are the same can the media player load it and play it.

However, there are two drawbacks to Srt files:

• Firstly, you can’t add preview the video alive while adding the subtitles, which can be extremely inconvenient for editing.
• Secondly, not all the media players support Srt files.

In this case, if it doesn’t work, then using a free online video editor like FlexClip can be a great alternative, and its intuitive editing panel can free you from the mundane work.

Add Subtitles to a Video with Online Video Editor

In fact, using online video editors to add subtitles to videos has been on the market for years. And its popularity is gaining ground globally.

We tested and handpicked two of the full-featured online editors and recommended them for you.

Use FlexClip to Add Subtitles to a Video

Featuring 100+fonts, animated texts, and special video effects like dynamic widgets, smooth video transition, plus 10,000 text templates, etc. FlexClip is a popular and versatile online video editor for you to add subtitles to videos.

Step 1 Add Your Footage

Upload the local videos, movies, or pictures you want to add subtitles.

Add local footage with FlexClip video editor

FlexClip’s media library provides you with thousands of video clips and photos plus 100,000+royalty-free music, etc. You can edit the subtitles while considering if it is necessary to add the extra highlights to make your video pop.

Use thousands of video clips and photos in FlexClip's media library

Step 2 Add (Animated) Subtitle Text

Transcribe the text in each footage, and choose which animation you want to add to the subtitle text.

add subtitle text to a video with FlexClip

Step 3 Edit and Trim Your Subtitles

More than 100 expertly-designed fonts are available. You can easily drag and drag the words to resize and align your subtitles and match your video content with animated words, even playful widgets to highlight the theme.

Edit subtitle and trim subtitles with FlexClip

Besides, you may also trim the timeline of your subtitles and make the right words show at the right time. The intuitive editing panel makes all the tedious editing easy and fun.

Step 4 Share Your Video

After the editing is done, preview the video and download it in the blink of an eye. FlexClip also offers you a free download for video with 3 resolutions: 1080p,720p, and 480p.

Export and share subtitled video to social media

Besides, you can use pre-made templates to easily add intro and outro effect to your video. And then share directly to your social media account like Youtube, etc. It is just icing on the cake.

Use Kapwing to Add Subtitles to Video

Kapwing offers a basic editing panel to add subtitles to the video.

You may either choose to upload your video to the website or paste the URL of your published video to add subtitles.

Step 1 Paste a Link or Upload the Video

Add subtitles to video by KAPWING, paste the URL of your online video.

Kapwing's online subtitle tool

Step 2 Type and Time the Subtitles

Type the subtitle text you want to upload and trim the subtitles on the timeline.

Add subtitles by Kapwing (source from Kapwing)

Step 3 Download and Share

Export the subtitled video and share it with your friends.

Add Subtitles to Youtube Video

If you plan to expand the presence of your products and services to more potential clients through social media like youtube, adding subtitles to Youtube videos is also a viable way.

Well, there are 3 ways to add subtitles to Youtube videos Here, we will focus on using the Youtube tool, e.g. Youtube Studio to add subtitles.

Step 1 Sign in to YouTube Studio

Step 2 Go to the video manager to select the video you wanna edit

Step 3 Advanced > Subtitles and CC > Select language > Edit on Classic Studio

Step 4 Type subtitle text, and tab “+” to add the subtitle. The subtitle will show on the video and the timeline.

Step 5 Trim the length of subtitles

First, trim the subtitle to the time when the subtitle should be played by dragging the red bar on either opening side or ending points to change the playing length of subtitles.

Step 6 Save your changes and publish your subtitles by updating the video

Follow Youtuber’s Tips to Add Subtitles to Youtube Video:

Add subtitles to Youtube video fast

The Bottom Line

Adding subtitles to your video is a great way to connect audiences and have your ideas conveyed clearly.

Whether to create a new Srt file to add subtitles to your video or use online video editor FlexClip or even Youtube Studio, it all depends on your needs and preferences.

Yet, in terms of user experiences and the versatility for editing, FlexClip enjoys the edge over others. Please feel feel to have a try and you will love it.

Molly /

Member of PearlMountain Limited., specialized in Media. I'm very into film short videos and love to analyze different editing software. Wish my articles can help more users solve various types of videography issues.