Two kinds of captions
- Closed captions: a separate track viewers can turn on or off. YouTube can generate these automatically, and you can upload or edit them in YouTube Studio (YouTube Help).
- Burned-in (open) captions: text that's part of the video image. These are the bold, animated captions you see on most Shorts. They always show, even on mute.
Most short-form creators use burned-in captions; many long-form creators rely on closed captions or both.
Caption tools compared
| Tool | Caption type | Strength | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube automatic captions | Closed | Free, built in | Accuracy varies; edit in Studio |
| CapCut | Burned-in | Fast auto captions, many styles | Some features on paid plan |
| Submagic | Burned-in | Caption-first, animated styles | Separate subscription |
| Descript | Both | Captions from your edited transcript | You're editing in Descript |
| Premiere Pro | Both | Speech-to-text inside a pro editor | Learning curve |
| Opus Clip | Burned-in | Captions on auto-generated clips | Tied to clipping workflow |
| Done-for-you editing (e.g. DoneEdit) | Burned-in | Captions styled and checked for you | Service limits |
What makes captions good
- Accuracy: wrong words undermine trust. Always check names, brands and numbers.
- Readability: high contrast, large enough on a phone, a few words at a time.
- Placement: keep captions out of the areas covered by YouTube's Shorts interface.
- Emphasis: highlighting key words helps, but don't animate everything.
- Consistency: one style across your channel.
Quick workflow for Shorts
- Edit the clip first so captions match the final audio.
- Generate captions in your tool of choice.
- Read through the whole transcript once and fix errors.
- Apply your saved caption style.
- Preview on a phone before posting.
For long-form videos
Burned-in captions on long videos are common for talking-head content, because they help people following along on mute. Also make sure your closed captions are accurate in YouTube Studio; viewers who need captions rely on them.
If you'd rather not caption at all
DoneEdit, our own service, adds bold, readable captions to every talking-head video, and a person checks them before delivery. It's one option if captions are the most tedious part of your week.
Step by step: captioning a Short in 10 minutes
- Export or open your Short at 9:16.
- Generate auto captions in your editor or caption tool.
- Read the full transcript once and fix names, numbers, brand words and anything said quickly.
- Set the style: one readable font, high contrast against your footage, and a size that's readable on a phone.
- Keep lines short: two or three words per caption line usually reads better on Shorts than full sentences.
- Move captions away from the bottom edge, where the platform's own buttons and text can cover them.
- Highlight sparingly: colour one key word per line at most.
- Watch it on your phone with the sound off before posting.
Checklist: choosing a caption tool
- How accurate are auto captions for your accent and topic?
- How quickly can you correct a wrong word?
- Can you save a style preset and reuse it?
- Does the free plan add a watermark?
- Can it export both burned-in video and a caption file (like SRT) for YouTube?
- Does it work where you edit, on phone or desktop?
Common caption mistakes
- Captions covering your face. Place them in the lower-middle area, clear of your chin and the app's interface.
- Too much animation. Bouncing every word can be tiring to watch.
- Uncorrected errors. One wrong word in a key sentence can change its meaning.
- Inconsistent style. Using a different look on every Short makes a channel feel less recognisable.
Burned-in plus a caption file
For Shorts, burned-in captions are what most viewers see. For long videos, uploading a caption file in YouTube Studio as well means viewers can turn captions on or off and choose a size that suits them. Doing both covers more people.
Accessibility
Captions help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing and anyone watching without sound. Accurate captions are worth the few minutes they take to check.
Key takeaways
- Burned-in captions suit Shorts; closed captions suit long videos. Many creators use both.
- Test tools on your own audio; accuracy varies by accent and topic.
- Short lines, high contrast and safe placement matter more than animation.