How to Add Subtitles to Instagram Reels

Last year, Instagram launched its own answer to TikTok: Instagram Reels. And the new feature quickly gained popularity. Instagram users were obviously taking advantage of the ability to create TikTok-style videos without ever leaving the Instagram platform. But we also saw brands and businesses successfully incorporating Instagram Reels into their social media marketing strategy.

One of the best things about Reels is that they have far higher potential for organic reach and engagement than traditional Instagram videos. Brands like Louis Vuitton quickly started averaging about 7 million views per Reel.

Business owners and content creators are adding Reels more and more into their content strategy. And, like video content on pretty much every social media platform, Reels are more effective when they include subtitles. After all, studies have shown that 80% of people are browsing through social media with their volume turned off. Plus, adding subtitles to Instagram Reels is a great way to make your content stand out and get even more engagement.

So how can you quickly and easily add subtitles to Instagram Reels? We’re here to show you!

How to Add Subtitles to Instagram Reels

The best (and fastest) way to add high-quality subtitles to Instagram Reels is with Zubtitle. With Zubtitle’s state-of-the-art software, you can add subtitles to Instagram Reels (and any other social media videos) with just a few clicks. Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough:

1. Upload Your Video

Once you’ve recorded your Instagram Reels video on your phone, you can log into your existing Zubtitle account (or create a new one). Upload your video to your account by simply clicking the yellow Add a New Video button on the right-hand side of the screen.

2. Edit Your Subtitles

After your video is uploaded, Zubtitle handles all of the heavy lifting. In just a few seconds, Zubtitle will automatically transcribe the audio in your video and convert it to timed subtitles. All you have to do is review the subtitles and make any changes you want. By pointing and clicking directly in the editor, you can adjust the text, add emojis, and shift the timing.

3. Style Your Video

Now comes the fun part! It's time to style your captions and video. You’re welcome to customize everything by choosing the font and colors for your captions, adjusting the background color, adding a logo & progress bar, manually resizing, etc. Or you can style your entire video with one click by selecting a pre-made template (you’ll find them in the Templates menu).

When you’re optimizing an Instagram Reels video for social media, the most important feature to take advantage of is the subtitle position fine-tune option. Remember, your Instagram Reels caption or description will always be overlaid right at the bottom of your video. To ensure that your subtitles don’t interfere or overlap with your description text, just check the box next to the Fine-tune option (found in the Text Styles menu under the "Captions" section) and adjust the position of your subtitles about a third of the way up the screen.

Once you’re done styling, it’s time to render and download your newly optimized Instagram Reels video!

Do you want to add subtitles to Instagram Reels?

Sign up for a free Zubtitle account and start creating today!