YouTube
Subtitle a full YouTube video, not just the clip.
A subtitle track viewers can turn on, plus a transcript you can keep and revise.
Free plan · no credit card
How it works
Add and transcribe
Add your media and choose its spoken language. Sign in to generate captions; extracted audio is sent for transcription while the video stays on your device.
Review the result
Play the clip and correct names, numbers and any misheard phrases before choosing the final appearance.
Export and check
Download the captioned video, then play the saved file at its intended viewing size. Keep the editable project for later corrections.
A full lesson or interview needs consistent wording more than constant animation. Correct terminology, keep complete phrases together and verify the timing through the last minute.
The subtitle file must match the final edit. Adding an intro after generating captions shifts every cue; export the final cut first, or regenerate the file after editing.
- Download SRT
- Take a separate file of corrected text and cue timings for YouTube Studio.
- Retain a transcript
- Download plain text as a starting point for notes; review quotations against the recording.
- Longer inputs on paid plans
- Creator allows 30-minute videos; Pro allows 90-minute videos.
- Keep viewer choice
- A separate track can be enabled or disabled in the player; burned-in text cannot.
Add the file in YouTube Studio
Open Subtitles in YouTube Studio, select the video and language, and choose Upload file. Choose With timing for an SRT generated from the matching video. Review the result before publishing.
YouTube also supports entering text and automatic caption workflows. Whichever method you use, inspect names, meaningful sounds and sections with overlapping speakers.
Check the beginning, middle and end
If captions are wrong by the same amount everywhere, check whether an intro or trim changed the start time. If the offset grows, inspect whether you are using the same recording and export.
Do not insert keywords people did not say. Captions should represent the actual audio; adding a subtitle track is not a promise of higher search rankings.
Common questions
Should I burn subtitles into a full YouTube video?
Use a separate track when viewer control matters. Burned-in styling can suit a short excerpt, but viewers cannot remove or resize it independently.
Can I download subtitles from somebody else’s YouTube link?
This workflow starts with a media file you add. It is not a YouTube transcript downloader.
Will the captions be perfect automatically?
No. Review speech recognition and timing, especially names, accents, music and overlapping voices.
