Captions for · YouTube Shorts
Add captions to your YouTube Shorts
Shorts are watched fast and often muted, so burned-in captions help viewers follow along and watch to the end. ReelCaption transcribes your Short and adds animated captions you control, right in your browser.
How to add captions to YouTube Shorts
- 1Open ReelCaption and drop in your Short (vertical 9:16).
- 2It transcribes the speech into word-perfect captions with per-word timing.
- 3Tidy up the wording and pick a bold, high-contrast style.
- 4Position the captions clear of the Shorts UI, then export a burned-in MP4.
- 5Upload to YouTube as a Short — captions show even when viewers watch on mute.
Tips for YouTube Shorts
- Shorts are vertical 9:16; keep captions clear of the title, channel, and the like/comment buttons on the right and bottom.
- Burned-in captions show even when a viewer has subtitles off — useful since Shorts autoplay muted.
- You can also download a .srt to upload as a separate subtitle track on a regular YouTube video.
- Big, high-contrast text reads well on small phone screens.
Why ReelCaption
- Animated, word-by-word captions that hold attention to the end.
- Your video stays on your device — only the audio is sent to transcribe.
- Free to start with no card; $5/mo for more minutes.
- No install — it runs in your browser.
FAQ
- How do I add captions to a YouTube Short?
- Drop your Short into ReelCaption, let it transcribe the audio, style the captions, position them clear of the Shorts UI, and export a burned-in MP4 to upload.
- Do burned-in captions show if the viewer has subtitles off?
- Yes. Burned-in captions are part of the video, so they show no matter the viewer’s subtitle settings — which matters because Shorts autoplay muted.
- Can I also get an .srt file?
- Yes. Alongside the burned-in MP4, you can download clean .srt and .vtt subtitle files to use on a regular YouTube upload.
- Is it free?
- Yes — 5 minutes of captions a month with no card, then $5/mo for Pro.
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