How to Add Subtitles to YouTube Videos

Video creators, editors, and producers know how time-consuming it can be to add subtitles to YouTube videos, when the videos are long. But the benefits of subtitles in making your videos engaging and helpful are numerous.

Your videos can reach a wider audience that speaks different languages with subtitles, and also be accessible to the hearing challenge, apart from those that like to watch their video content on mute.

Subtitles can help you convey your message in the most effective way possible.

How to Add Subtitles to Videos while Uploading on YouTube?

You cannot add subtitles to your videos using the YouTube Studio app on mobile, so you will have to do it on your desktop.

Follow These Steps :

1. Open YouTube Studio or click HERE.
2. Log into your channel.
3. Click the Upload Videos icon.
4. Start uploading your video.
5. During the upload process, you will be taken through various sections like Details, Rights Management, etc.
6. When you come to Video Elements, you will see the option of Add Subtitles.
7. Click Add under that, and you will get three options, Upload File, Auto-Sync, and Type Manually.
8. Upload File : If you have a file that has the exact script used in the video, you can choose the With timing option.
9. But, if you have text that needs to be sync with what you are saying in the video, then you can choose the Without timing option, YouTube will automatically sync the subtitles according to your video.
10. Auto-Sync : You can copy your captions and paste them and YouTube will auto-sync them according to your video.
11. Type Manually : You can manually type the subtitles as you watch the video.
12. When you’re done, check the subtitles and match them with your video.
13. You can also change the timing by editing the timestamps.
14. Then preview the final video with subtitles and edit the text once again if there is any mistake that you can spot.
15. Your video will now have subtitles, and when it will be publish on YouTube, you will be able to see subtitles written right below it, and your viewers can choose to enable subtitles, according to their preference.

How to Add Subtitles to an Already Uploaded YouTube Video?

Follow These Steps :

1. Log into your YouTube channel.
2. Click on the profile picture icon on the top right.
3. Visit Your channel.
4. Click on Manage videos.
5. Open the video you want to add subtitles to.
6. Scroll below and click on Subtitles on the right side.
7. If YouTube has automatically transcribe your video, you can edit these captions.
8. But, the biggest drawback here is that this text takes a lot of time to edit.
9. You will need to add punctuations, break the paragraphs, and even add full stops after every sentence, which will consume a lot of your time.
10. This text is more or less useless to you.
11. Click on three dots right beside Edit Timings.
12. Choose the Clear text option.
13. You will now have two options, either manually type subtitles of the video or upload the file by clicking on three dots and choosing the Upload File option.
14. You can choose any option you like.
15. But, if you don’t see automatic captions when clicking the Subtitles option then you will get three options, Upload File, Auto-Sync, and Type Manually.
16. You can follow Step 7 to 11 of the above guide, on how to use these options.
17. When you’re done, check the subtitles and match them with your video.
18. You can also change the timing by editing the timestamps.
19. Then preview the final video with subtitles and edit the text once again if there is any mistake that you can spot.
20. Your video will now have subtitles, and when it will be publish on YouTube, you will be able to see subtitles written right below it, and your viewers can choose to enable subtitles, according to their preference.