How do I add captions to a course video?

Transcribe the lesson in ReelCaption and fix any wrong terms. Then download an .srt or .vtt to upload with the video on your course platform, or export an MP4 with the captions burned in.

Should I use a subtitle file or burned-in captions for a course?

A subtitle file for full lessons, because students can turn it off. Burned-in captions for short promo clips you share on social.

Will it handle technical terms?

Mostly. OpenAI's Whisper large-v3 model handles common technical words but can mishear rare terms, product names and acronyms. Click any word to fix it before you export.

For short clips, yes. A free account covers 5 minutes a month, and a single free clip can be up to 5 minutes long. Longer recordings need Pro ($5 a month for 100 minutes) or Creator ($15 a month for 600 minutes).

Captions for · Online courses

Add captions to online course and training videos

Captions let students follow a lesson in a noisy room, a quiet library or without hearing the audio at all. ReelCaption transcribes your lesson and gives you a subtitle file for your course platform, burned-in captions, or both.

Caption a video free

Step by step

1Drop in your lesson video. A wide 16:9 lecture stays 16:9, and files up to 1 GB work.
2Fix technical terms, product names and acronyms in the transcript.
3Download an .srt or .vtt and upload it with the video on Udemy, Teachable, Thinkific or your LMS. Check which of the 2 formats your platform asks for.
4For promo clips and trailers you post on social, export a burned-in MP4 instead.

Tips for Online courses

A caption file helps you meet accessibility rules such as WCAG 2.2, which asks for captions on prerecorded video with sound.
Read the transcript for acronyms and product names before you export. They are where transcription most often slips.
Very long lessons can go over the 1 GB file limit. Export them at a lower bitrate or split them first.
Pro covers 100 minutes of lessons a month. For a full course, Creator covers 600.

Why ReelCaption

Both outputs from one transcript: .srt or .vtt for the course platform, a burned-in MP4 for promos.
A timeline editor to fix terms and retime lines before export.
Your lesson files stay on your computer. Only the audio is sent for transcription.
Creator is $15 a month for 600 minutes of audio.

FAQ

How do I add captions to a course video?: Transcribe the lesson in ReelCaption and fix any wrong terms. Then download an .srt or .vtt to upload with the video on your course platform, or export an MP4 with the captions burned in.
Should I use a subtitle file or burned-in captions for a course?: A subtitle file for full lessons, because students can turn it off. Burned-in captions for short promo clips you share on social.
Will it handle technical terms?: Mostly. OpenAI's Whisper large-v3 model handles common technical words but can mishear rare terms, product names and acronyms. Click any word to fix it before you export.
Is it free?: For short clips, yes. A free account covers 5 minutes a month, and a single free clip can be up to 5 minutes long. Longer recordings need Pro ($5 a month for 100 minutes) or Creator ($15 a month for 600 minutes).

Guides for other platforms

Caption your next clip in a couple of minutes.