Beginner’s Guide: Adding Text Overlays on YouTube

How To Add Captions to YouTube Videos

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

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Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

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Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

By captioning your YouTube videos you help to make them accessible to more potential viewers. Subtitles are useful to viewers who have hearing impairments, whose first language is different from yours, or who are unable to watch your video with sound. Closed captioning can also be useful for you as a YouTuber because it helps with your SEO, or search engine optimization. Practicing better SEO can get your videos ranked higher in search results. Google and YouTube both index subtitles and transcripts much like they do your video’s description, unless you use automated captions.

This article will first explain how you can turn on subtitles for the videos you watch and then walk you through adding captions to your own videos.

How To Turn On Captions on YouTube

In order for you to be able to view subtitles for a YouTube video the uploader of the video will need to have added them, unless you change your account settings to display automatic captions.

To toggle subtitles on and off click on the Closed Captioning icon in the bottom right of your video player.

If the creator of the video has not added captions then you can enable automatic captions by going into your Account Settings and selecting Playback. Check the box next to Always Show Captions, and then check Show Automatic Captions by Speech Recognition. These captions may be flawed, but you will still be able to see the more accurate user submitted captions on videos that have them. The Always Show Captions feature may be useful not only to the hearing impaired, but to users who do not speak the same language as the video producer.

If you want to change the language of the subtitles click on the settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) next to the closed captioning icon and choose your language next to Subtitles/CC . If the language you want is not there select Auto-Translate and then pick a language. Google Translate will be used to generate subtitles in your chosen language.

Adding YouTube Captions in 4 Steps

1. Go to Video Manager in your Creator Studio and then look at your videos. Decide which one you want to add captions to.

2. Click on the drop-down menu next to the video you want to add captions to and choose Subtitles and CC.

3. Select Add New Subtitles or CC.

4. Choose whether to create your captions, upload a file that has them, transcribe your video, use automatic captioning, or use captioning software.

Create Subtitles or Closed Captions will allow you to create your subtitles on YouTube.

Upload A File allows you to upload a pre-made subtitle file from your computer. Supported file types include SubRip (.srt) and SubViewer (.sbv). You cannot use a word or PDF document for your subtitles.

Transcribe and Set Timings is where you can type a transcript of your video and set timings to sync it to your video. This differs from Create Subtitles or Closed Captions in that your transcript is all typed in to one text field.

Use Automatic Captioning will automatically use speech recognition technology to create captions. You can edit these auto-generated captions later if there are mistakes.

Use Captioning Software or Services is what you choose if you want to use a program or service to create the subtitles for your video.

The easiest way to add subtitles to your videos is to use Automatic Captioning. However, Automatic Captioning is imperfect and may result in your viewers getting a sloppy, skewed, interpretation of your video. Automatic captions are also not indexed by YouTube and Google the way subtitles you create or upload are. This means that they will not have any value to your SEO strategy. If you do not input your own captions or transcript you are missing out on an opportunity for better search engine rankings. Automatic Captions are great if you do not have time to input subtitles and need a temporary solution, though.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

From Idea to Screen: Smartphone Video Creation Tips

How To Make YouTube Videos on Your Smartphone

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is fun to be able to record a vlog entry whenever inspiration strikes you, and your smartphone is a great choice for recording on the go. Smartphones have really great cameras, and you probably always have your phone with you. You can even post directly from your phone to YouTube!

How To Make YouTube Videos on Your Smartphone

Making a video on your smartphone is similar to making a video with any other camera in a lot of ways. There are also a lot of ways in which it is different. You always have to watch out for camera shake, for example, but it can be even harder to control when you’re walking around shooting on your mobile device. Here are three things to keep in mind when vlogging with your smartphone.

Part 1. Keep It Steady

For a nice, smooth, shot consider resting your hand up on a railing, table, or anything else that will keep it steady while you film. Camera shake is always distracting to viewers, and smartphone videos are notoriously unstable because you are almost always holding your phone in your hand.

There is equipment you can use to cut out camera shake. You can get a smartphone mount for your tripod, or you can even stabilize your phone using a selfie stick. Many of the very newest smartphones have built in hardware called ‘OIS’ – optical image stabilization – that helps reduce shakiness.

Part 2. Be Heard

You have a lot to say, so make sure people can hear you say it! Smartphones do not tend to have very good microphones built in (neither do most cameras), so try to vlog from somewhere without a lot of background noise. It will help a lot if your voice has nothing to compete with.

Ideally, you should get an external mic to record your voice while you vlog on your phone. There are shotgun mics you can plug directly into the audio jack on your phone which will record great audio, or you can get a high quality MP3 recorder and carry it around in your pocket.

Part 3. Tilt Your Phone

When recording on the spur of the moment with your smartphone it is easy to automatically hold it the same way you would while texting or taking a selfie. If you record a video with your phone held so that it is tall – a ‘portrait’ shot – then your video will have thick black bars on either side when you post it to YouTube. If you tilt your phone so that it is wide you will record a ‘landscape’ shot, which will match the dimensions YouTube plays videos in.

The exception to this is videos you plan to post on Instagram. On Instagram everything is cropped into a square, and it is easier to imagine what your footage will look like as a square when you hold your phone strait up. Simply focus on the top of your screen and treat a portion of the bottom of your screen as if it is not there. When you hold your phone horizontally you need to try and estimate how much of the middle of your screen will make it in to your Instagram video, which can be awkward.

Those are the three main things to keep in mind, but if you are planning on posting directly to YouTube from your phone then you should also make sure you have a mobile app you can use to edit it first.

Filmora is a full-feature video editing app available for both Android and iPhone operating systems. With Filmora you can make awesome YouTube videos quickly using Filmora’s one-touch themes, or take a little bit more time personalizing your creation. One-touch themes are sets of related features, like filters and animated titles, which you can apply to your videos all at once. Filmora’s simple interface also makes it easy to apply filters, titles, overlays, transitions, and even royalty free music to your project one at a time.

After you’ve edited your video in Filmora you can post it directly to YouTube or other social media sites right from the app.

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Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is fun to be able to record a vlog entry whenever inspiration strikes you, and your smartphone is a great choice for recording on the go. Smartphones have really great cameras, and you probably always have your phone with you. You can even post directly from your phone to YouTube!

How To Make YouTube Videos on Your Smartphone

Making a video on your smartphone is similar to making a video with any other camera in a lot of ways. There are also a lot of ways in which it is different. You always have to watch out for camera shake, for example, but it can be even harder to control when you’re walking around shooting on your mobile device. Here are three things to keep in mind when vlogging with your smartphone.

Part 1. Keep It Steady

For a nice, smooth, shot consider resting your hand up on a railing, table, or anything else that will keep it steady while you film. Camera shake is always distracting to viewers, and smartphone videos are notoriously unstable because you are almost always holding your phone in your hand.

There is equipment you can use to cut out camera shake. You can get a smartphone mount for your tripod, or you can even stabilize your phone using a selfie stick. Many of the very newest smartphones have built in hardware called ‘OIS’ – optical image stabilization – that helps reduce shakiness.

Part 2. Be Heard

You have a lot to say, so make sure people can hear you say it! Smartphones do not tend to have very good microphones built in (neither do most cameras), so try to vlog from somewhere without a lot of background noise. It will help a lot if your voice has nothing to compete with.

Ideally, you should get an external mic to record your voice while you vlog on your phone. There are shotgun mics you can plug directly into the audio jack on your phone which will record great audio, or you can get a high quality MP3 recorder and carry it around in your pocket.

Part 3. Tilt Your Phone

When recording on the spur of the moment with your smartphone it is easy to automatically hold it the same way you would while texting or taking a selfie. If you record a video with your phone held so that it is tall – a ‘portrait’ shot – then your video will have thick black bars on either side when you post it to YouTube. If you tilt your phone so that it is wide you will record a ‘landscape’ shot, which will match the dimensions YouTube plays videos in.

The exception to this is videos you plan to post on Instagram. On Instagram everything is cropped into a square, and it is easier to imagine what your footage will look like as a square when you hold your phone strait up. Simply focus on the top of your screen and treat a portion of the bottom of your screen as if it is not there. When you hold your phone horizontally you need to try and estimate how much of the middle of your screen will make it in to your Instagram video, which can be awkward.

Those are the three main things to keep in mind, but if you are planning on posting directly to YouTube from your phone then you should also make sure you have a mobile app you can use to edit it first.

Filmora is a full-feature video editing app available for both Android and iPhone operating systems. With Filmora you can make awesome YouTube videos quickly using Filmora’s one-touch themes, or take a little bit more time personalizing your creation. One-touch themes are sets of related features, like filters and animated titles, which you can apply to your videos all at once. Filmora’s simple interface also makes it easy to apply filters, titles, overlays, transitions, and even royalty free music to your project one at a time.

After you’ve edited your video in Filmora you can post it directly to YouTube or other social media sites right from the app.

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Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is fun to be able to record a vlog entry whenever inspiration strikes you, and your smartphone is a great choice for recording on the go. Smartphones have really great cameras, and you probably always have your phone with you. You can even post directly from your phone to YouTube!

How To Make YouTube Videos on Your Smartphone

Making a video on your smartphone is similar to making a video with any other camera in a lot of ways. There are also a lot of ways in which it is different. You always have to watch out for camera shake, for example, but it can be even harder to control when you’re walking around shooting on your mobile device. Here are three things to keep in mind when vlogging with your smartphone.

Part 1. Keep It Steady

For a nice, smooth, shot consider resting your hand up on a railing, table, or anything else that will keep it steady while you film. Camera shake is always distracting to viewers, and smartphone videos are notoriously unstable because you are almost always holding your phone in your hand.

There is equipment you can use to cut out camera shake. You can get a smartphone mount for your tripod, or you can even stabilize your phone using a selfie stick. Many of the very newest smartphones have built in hardware called ‘OIS’ – optical image stabilization – that helps reduce shakiness.

Part 2. Be Heard

You have a lot to say, so make sure people can hear you say it! Smartphones do not tend to have very good microphones built in (neither do most cameras), so try to vlog from somewhere without a lot of background noise. It will help a lot if your voice has nothing to compete with.

Ideally, you should get an external mic to record your voice while you vlog on your phone. There are shotgun mics you can plug directly into the audio jack on your phone which will record great audio, or you can get a high quality MP3 recorder and carry it around in your pocket.

Part 3. Tilt Your Phone

When recording on the spur of the moment with your smartphone it is easy to automatically hold it the same way you would while texting or taking a selfie. If you record a video with your phone held so that it is tall – a ‘portrait’ shot – then your video will have thick black bars on either side when you post it to YouTube. If you tilt your phone so that it is wide you will record a ‘landscape’ shot, which will match the dimensions YouTube plays videos in.

The exception to this is videos you plan to post on Instagram. On Instagram everything is cropped into a square, and it is easier to imagine what your footage will look like as a square when you hold your phone strait up. Simply focus on the top of your screen and treat a portion of the bottom of your screen as if it is not there. When you hold your phone horizontally you need to try and estimate how much of the middle of your screen will make it in to your Instagram video, which can be awkward.

Those are the three main things to keep in mind, but if you are planning on posting directly to YouTube from your phone then you should also make sure you have a mobile app you can use to edit it first.

Filmora is a full-feature video editing app available for both Android and iPhone operating systems. With Filmora you can make awesome YouTube videos quickly using Filmora’s one-touch themes, or take a little bit more time personalizing your creation. One-touch themes are sets of related features, like filters and animated titles, which you can apply to your videos all at once. Filmora’s simple interface also makes it easy to apply filters, titles, overlays, transitions, and even royalty free music to your project one at a time.

After you’ve edited your video in Filmora you can post it directly to YouTube or other social media sites right from the app.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is fun to be able to record a vlog entry whenever inspiration strikes you, and your smartphone is a great choice for recording on the go. Smartphones have really great cameras, and you probably always have your phone with you. You can even post directly from your phone to YouTube!

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How To Make YouTube Videos on Your Smartphone

Making a video on your smartphone is similar to making a video with any other camera in a lot of ways. There are also a lot of ways in which it is different. You always have to watch out for camera shake, for example, but it can be even harder to control when you’re walking around shooting on your mobile device. Here are three things to keep in mind when vlogging with your smartphone.

Part 1. Keep It Steady

For a nice, smooth, shot consider resting your hand up on a railing, table, or anything else that will keep it steady while you film. Camera shake is always distracting to viewers, and smartphone videos are notoriously unstable because you are almost always holding your phone in your hand.

There is equipment you can use to cut out camera shake. You can get a smartphone mount for your tripod, or you can even stabilize your phone using a selfie stick. Many of the very newest smartphones have built in hardware called ‘OIS’ – optical image stabilization – that helps reduce shakiness.

Part 2. Be Heard

You have a lot to say, so make sure people can hear you say it! Smartphones do not tend to have very good microphones built in (neither do most cameras), so try to vlog from somewhere without a lot of background noise. It will help a lot if your voice has nothing to compete with.

Ideally, you should get an external mic to record your voice while you vlog on your phone. There are shotgun mics you can plug directly into the audio jack on your phone which will record great audio, or you can get a high quality MP3 recorder and carry it around in your pocket.

Part 3. Tilt Your Phone

When recording on the spur of the moment with your smartphone it is easy to automatically hold it the same way you would while texting or taking a selfie. If you record a video with your phone held so that it is tall – a ‘portrait’ shot – then your video will have thick black bars on either side when you post it to YouTube. If you tilt your phone so that it is wide you will record a ‘landscape’ shot, which will match the dimensions YouTube plays videos in.

The exception to this is videos you plan to post on Instagram. On Instagram everything is cropped into a square, and it is easier to imagine what your footage will look like as a square when you hold your phone strait up. Simply focus on the top of your screen and treat a portion of the bottom of your screen as if it is not there. When you hold your phone horizontally you need to try and estimate how much of the middle of your screen will make it in to your Instagram video, which can be awkward.

Those are the three main things to keep in mind, but if you are planning on posting directly to YouTube from your phone then you should also make sure you have a mobile app you can use to edit it first.

Filmora is a full-feature video editing app available for both Android and iPhone operating systems. With Filmora you can make awesome YouTube videos quickly using Filmora’s one-touch themes, or take a little bit more time personalizing your creation. One-touch themes are sets of related features, like filters and animated titles, which you can apply to your videos all at once. Filmora’s simple interface also makes it easy to apply filters, titles, overlays, transitions, and even royalty free music to your project one at a time.

After you’ve edited your video in Filmora you can post it directly to YouTube or other social media sites right from the app.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett