Unwinding Watchlists: YouTube’s Route for Playback in Opposite Direction

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

Expert Tips on Inserting Captions Into YouTube Videos

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.

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.

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

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