Subtitles and captions
Also known as: captions, subtitles, closed captions, burned-in captions
On-screen text of spoken words or sounds. Subtitles translate or transcribe dialogue; captions also describe sounds. Most social videos are watched muted.
Updated
What it means
Subtitles show spoken dialogue as text, often translated into another language. Captions transcribe speech and also describe important sounds, such as music or laughter, which helps deaf and hard of hearing viewers. In everyday use, the two words are often used interchangeably, and most viewers do not care about the distinction as long as the text is accurate.
Captions can be closed, meaning viewers turn them on or off in the player, or burned in, meaning they are part of the video image. Social platforms often play videos muted by default, so burned-in captions have become standard for talking content.
Modern tools generate them automatically with speech-to-text, as covered under auto captions.
How it works in practice
For vlogs and talking shots, add captions so viewers understand without sound. Keep lines short and simple, two lines at most, and time them so each line stays on screen long enough to read.
Place captions inside the safe zones of the platform, away from buttons and descriptions. High contrast, a slight background or outline, and a clear font make them readable over bright snow or sky.
For long-form videos on platforms with caption support, upload a separate caption file so viewers can choose. It also helps search engines understand the content.
What to watch out for
Automatic captions make mistakes with names, slang and noisy audio. Always proofread them, especially in loud outdoor environments where wind noise confuses the software.
Burned-in captions cannot be turned off, restyled or translated later. Keep a clean version of the video without them for other uses, such as different platforms or languages.
Captions that cover the action or flash by too fast frustrate viewers. Pure action edits with only music usually need no captions at all. Add a short text hook instead if you want to give context without sound.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip creates action highlights cut to music and does not add captions. If you add talking clips afterwards in your own editor, caption them there, starting from the clean 4K or 1080p file of your highlight.