Captions people can keep up with.
Turn your script into readable captions, tap along to your video to sync them, and fix any that are too fast, too long or under the app’s buttons. Then export SRT, VTT or plain text.
1. Your words
Check captions you already have, like an app’s auto-captions: speed, length and safe zones.
2. Tap to sync
Press start, then tap (or press the space bar) the moment each caption should appear. No video? It runs a stopwatch while you read your script out loud.
3. Look and position
4. Fine-tune
Drag a caption to move it, or drag its edges to change when it starts and ends. Tap the timeline to jump there.
Your captions
5. Export
- YouTube and Facebook take an SRT or VTT file when you upload or edit the video.
- TikTok and Reels: import the SRT into your editing app (most can) to put the captions on the video, or use the app’s captions and fix every wrong word.
- Read it through with the sound on before you post, then check it on your phone in the app’s preview.
Captions that work
- Caption every spoken word, not just the hook. Someone who can’t hear needs every line.
- Big, bold and high contrast: white with a black outline, or on a solid box.
- One or two short lines, around 30 to 40 characters each.
- Long enough to read about three times.
Easy to miss
- Sounds that matter, in brackets: [door slams], [laughter], [music stops].
- Names, numbers and slang: where auto-captions go wrong most.
- Caption last, after the edit is locked. Trimming later makes captions drift.
- Check three spots: the start, the middle and the end.
How it works
Start from your Script Timer script, paste your words, or open a caption file you already have. Your words are split into captions that fit the style you pick, breaking at natural pauses and never stranding a little word like “the” at the end of a line. Each caption gets a first-guess time from your speaking pace.
Then tap along: play your video and tap as each caption should appear. Fine-tune on the timeline, and the checks flag anything too fast to read, too long, or sitting where the app’s buttons would cover it.
Common questions
What’s an SRT file?
A plain text file of numbered captions with start and end times. YouTube and Facebook take it directly, and most editing apps can import it to put the captions on your video. VTT is the same idea for the web.
How fast is too fast?
TV subtitle guides cap reading speed at around 17 to 20 characters a second. Social captions compete with a busy picture, so this tool flags anything over 17 and aims for under 15. A handy check: can you read it about three times while it’s up?
Do I need captions if the app makes them?
Auto-captions save time, but they botch names, slang, numbers and key terms. Wrong captions are worse than none, because they mislead. Fix them, or make your own from your script.
Should I caption sounds?
Yes, when they carry meaning: [door slams], [laughter], [music stops]. Put them in square brackets on their own line.
Is my video uploaded?
No. Your video opens in your browser, and your captions are saved only on your device, in My Studio.
Chapter 47 of Worth Watching covers captions, on-screen text and how long text should stay up. The Accessibility Guide gathers everything that makes a video work for more people.
Read the free sample →