Instagram Reels
Add subtitles to Instagram Reels. Make every word readable.
Turn your speech into editable on-screen captions, choose a look and place the text clear of the action before you export.
Free plan · no credit card
Caption styles for your next Reel
Styles shown: Reel, Viral, Stack Caps, Hormozi, Sticker, Lime Pop, Karaoke, Punch. Tap any style to open it in the editor with that look already applied.
How it works
Add the finished Reel
Choose the language you speak in the Reel and generate the transcript.
Read, style and position
Correct names and numbers, choose a caption style, and move the block clear of the action.
Export and check in Instagram
Save the captioned video, open it in the Reel composer and inspect placement before posting.
One Reel can hold a spoken explanation, a product demonstration and a busy background at once. The subtitles need a spot where they can be read without covering the thing you want viewers to see.
Start with your final cut. Captioning before you finish trimming can leave you correcting words and placement twice.
- Keep the demonstration visible
- Move the caption block away from hands, products and faces. Check more than the opening shot.
- Match your series
- Use one typeface and accent colour for every Reel in a series. Change the emphasis when the subject calls for it.
- Keep control after reposting
- The subtitles are burned into the exported picture, so they stay put when you post the same file on another app.
A practical placement test for Reels
Pause on three frames: the opening hook, the busiest action and the final call to action. On each one, keep the text off the face and away from the controls on the right.
No single pixel margin keeps text safe in every player view and on every device. Keep essential words toward the centre, and check the cover and the feed preview on their own.
Use subtitles for speech and a title for context
A spoken line such as “Here is how I clean this lens” belongs in the subtitles. A separate title such as “Lens cleaning: three mistakes” introduces the subject. If both are on screen, put them in different places so viewers can tell them apart.
Watch once with the sound off to check readability, then with the sound on to check that the words match. Neither pass proves the Reel will earn more views. Together they catch typos, mistimed words and covered text before you publish.
Common questions
Does this write the caption below my Instagram post?
No. LumaCaption only makes the subtitles shown over the video. Write the post caption in Instagram when you share the Reel.
Can I use the same file for Shorts?
Yes. Upload the same exported file. Preview it on YouTube first, because the Shorts buttons and crop differ from Instagram’s.
Is there a free option?
Yes. Each month the free plan gives you 20 minutes of Candy Lite and 5 minutes of Candy Ultra transcription, for Reels up to 2 minutes long. Exports are 1080p and carry no watermark.
