YouTube Shorts
Captions for YouTube Shorts. A clear voice, on screen.
Create styled subtitles for your Short and download a separate subtitle file from the same reviewed transcript.
Free plan · no credit card
Try a look for your Short
Styles shown: Reel, House, Stack Caps, Impact, Karaoke, Box, Subtitle, Punch. Tap any style to open it in the editor with that look already applied.
How it works
Add your Short
Choose the spoken language and transcribe the finished cut.
Check the key details
Review names, measurements and the opening hook, then style the captions.
Export your deliverables
Save the captioned video and, if you need one, a separate subtitle file.
A Short’s visible captions and its YouTube subtitle track do different jobs. The visible captions are part of your edit. The subtitle track is text the player can show separately. You can prepare both from one transcript.
Review the words before deciding how they should move. An accurately timed price, name or instruction matters more than a dramatic reveal.
- A designed video layer
- Choose the font and emphasis that become part of the exported image.
- A separate text track
- Download SRT or VTT when your publishing workflow needs a subtitle file.
- A reusable original
- Keep the uncaptioned source for future edits and platform-specific versions.
YouTube automatic captions are a useful starting point
YouTube’s documentation covers automatic captions for Shorts as well as longer videos, and recommends reviewing the output. You can edit text and timing in YouTube Studio.
If you only need a player-controlled caption track, start there. Choose LumaCaption when the look of the text is part of the video itself.
Keep the Short legible in motion
A caption can look balanced on a paused frame and become hard to follow at full speed. Play the whole hook through to its last word. Shorten crowded lines and keep the text away from the buttons and the description.
In a tutorial, keep each number with its unit, so “180°C” and “20 minutes” read as complete instructions. Check the Short again after upload. The editor has no control over YouTube’s player interface.
Choose the output you need
| Output | Useful for | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Captioned video | A consistent visual style | Text cannot be switched off |
| SRT / VTT | A separate subtitle track | Player styling differs from your video style |
| TXT | A readable transcript | No subtitle timestamps |
Common questions
Does YouTube already caption Shorts?
Yes. YouTube supports automatic captions on Shorts. Availability and processing can vary, so review the generated text in YouTube Studio.
Does an SRT preserve animated words?
No. A subtitle file carries only text and timing. Export a captioned video to keep LumaCaption’s animation.
Will captions guarantee more Shorts views?
No. Captions put the spoken information on screen. That does not guarantee a better ranking or more views.
