The Ultimate Guide to Subtitling Videos Online in 2024

Did you know that more than 80% of social media videos are watched on mute? In our busy, fast-paced world, viewers often prefer to watch videos without sound. To ensure you don't lose out on a significant portion of your audience, subtitling your videos is essential. Whether you're new to video content or a seasoned creator, subtitling can seem daunting. This comprehensive guide simplifies the process, making it easy for you to subtitle your videos online.

The Ultimate Guide to Subtitling Videos Online in 2024

Manual Subtitling vs. Automated Subtitling

When it comes to adding subtitles to your videos, you have two main options: manual and automated subtitling.

Manual Subtitling

Manual subtitling involves transcribing your audio and creating subtitles yourself or hiring someone to do it for you. This method, though accurate, is time-consuming and can be costly. If you prefer outsourcing, platforms like Fiverr offer freelancers specializing in subtitles and transcripts.

Automated Subtitling

Automated subtitling saves you time and money by using software to generate subtitles. This is ideal if you have better things to do than spend hours transcribing. Let's explore some automated subtitling options.

Options for Automated Subtitling 

Automated subtitling tools can be divided into on-premise and online options.

On-Premise Software

On-premise software, like Adobe Premiere and Descript, is housed within your physical device rather than in the cloud. These tools are powerful but often require a steep learning curve.

Online Tools

Online tools like Zubtitle, Kapwing, and Veed.io offer convenience and ease of use. Among these, Zubtitle stands out for its extensive features (including AI tools), user-friendly interface, speed, and competitive pricing (including a free plan!). Zubtitle's software automatically transcribes your video's speech and converts it into subtitles, optimizing your video for social media in just a few clicks. You can also download .TXT and .SRT transcription files for added flexibility.

Closed Captions vs. Burned Captions

When it comes to subtitling your videos, understanding the difference between closed and burned captions is crucial.

Closed Captions

Closed captions can be turned on or off by the viewer, similar to YouTube's caption settings. They are ideal for accessibility, allowing viewers with hearing impairments to toggle captions as needed.

Burned (Open) Captions

Burned captions are hard-coded into your video, always visible and cannot be turned off. This ensures all viewers see the subtitles, making your content accessible to everyone. Zubtitle always creates burned captions, ensuring your message reaches the widest audience.

Automatic Captions vs. Customized Captions

While platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram offer auto-captioning features, they often lack reliability and customization options. Using a dedicated tool like Zubtitle not only ensures accuracy but also allows for dynamic and fully customizable captions. This flexibility is vital for maintaining your brand's visual identity and optimizing viewer engagement.

Styling Subtitles

In today's crowded social media landscape, merely adding subtitles isn't enough. Styled, eye-catching subtitles can significantly enhance your video's appeal. With Zubtitle, you can customize fonts and colors, apply word-by-word styling to match your branding, and even animate your subtitles (more on that in just a sec). Zubtitle Templates allow you to style your entire video with one click, ensuring consistency and professional quality.

Animated Subtitles

Animated subtitles are a powerful way to grab attention and enhance viewer engagement. With the average person scrolling through 300 feet of social media content daily, standing out is crucial. Animated subtitles make your videos more engaging, easier to follow, and can increase watch times. Zubtitle offers easy-to-use features for adding animated subtitles, helping your content shine without requiring a professional editing team.

For a detailed walkthrough on adding animated subtitles, check out this guide.

Basic Video Guidelines

Subtitles are just one aspect of a successful video strategy. Here are some additional tips to optimize your videos.

Headlines

Adding an eye-catching headline at the top of your video can instantly grab attention and convey the video's topic. When you’re crafting a headline, try to focus on your target audience, create a sense of urgency, and avoid clickbait. And if you want to save a ton of time and effort, let Zubtitle’s AI title generator come up with your headline for you! 

For a tutorial on adding headlines with Zubtitle, refer to this walkthrough.

Repurposing Videos

Each social media platform has different requirements, but you don't need to create entirely new content for each one. Use Zubtitle's online video editor to trim, resize, and duplicate your videos with just a few clicks, transforming one video into multiple pieces of content optimized for various platforms.

Ready to start subtitling videos online? 

Log in to Zubtitle to begin subtitling your videos. If you don't have an account, sign up for free and start creating instantly. Enhance your video content with accurate, styled, and engaging subtitles, ensuring you reach and captivate your audience across all social media platforms.