Add Captions to Video in 2025: A Complete Guide

How to add captions to video in three simple steps

01
Upload and transcribe your video
Begin by creating a new project and importing your video file. When prompted, let the tool analyze your audio to generate a written transcript. Once the transcript is ready, you can skim through it word by word—this ensures that you have a text version to match up with your video.
02
Add captions to video automatically
Next, enable the feature that turns your transcript into synced captions. You can choose to apply captions to the entire video or to specific segments—ideal for adding subtitles to certain scenes. Tweak the captions' appearance, like text size or font style, to ensure they stay on-brand.
03
Customize and export your captioned video
Give your captions a personal touch by shifting their placement, altering background color, or resizing for different formats. Once you’re happy, export your video. Whether you prefer a local export or a link-based share, your captions are locked in and good to go.

Why add captions to video today?

Better Accessibility
Millions watch content with the sound off. Adding captions ensures your message lands even if viewers aren’t listening.
Longer Watch Time
Captions lock in curiosity—people stick around when they can follow a video’s message word-for-word, even in a noisy space.
Multilingual & Customizable
If your audience spans borders, you can cater to them by easily switching languages and customizing how captions appear on screen.

More ways to power up your videos

Tools that go beyond generating captions

Speaker Labeling
Automatically label who’s speaking—no more manual guesswork when multiple voices appear in a single clip.
One-Click Filler Word Removal
Kick out the ‘uh’ and ‘um’ extras instantly without losing sync between captions and audio.
Green Screen Effect
Easily remove backgrounds from videos (or GIFs) and add fresh visuals that match your brand or story.
Instant Translation
Conquer borders by converting captions into 20+ languages—perfect for international audiences.

Don’t just take our word for it

With a 4.6-out-of-5-star rating and a bunch of distinctions on G2, Descript’s users have declared it an industry standard in the video and podcasting world.

2025

Best Software

Video Editing

AI Video Generators

Screen and Video Capture

Text to Speech

“With Descript I'll be able to at least double my content output since editing is taking one-quarter the time it used to.”

Donna B. |

“With Descript we can create videos for our YouTube channel and our LinkedIn page much faster and with high quality.”

Balázs N.

“Descript has made cleaning up and creating my educational videos into professional presentations [possible] without needing extensive technical computer skills.”

Barbara C.

“Descript makes recording and editing audio and video a breeze. It's advanced features have streamlined my workflows, saving me a lot of time usually spent editing.”

Roderick F.

“The collaborative tools streamline teamwork, allowing my team and me to work efficiently together on projects. Overall, Descript enhances productivity and simplifies the editing process.”

Aldrich M.

“Transcription-based editing makes the process much faster…All in all, a must have editor for most audiences, especially in SaaS marketing.”

Nidhin M.

Surely there’s one for you

Free

no credit card required

Start your journey with text-based editing

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1 transcription hour / month

Export 720p, with watermarks

Limited trial of Basic AI Actions

Limited trial of AI Speech

Hobbyist

$16

per person / month, billed annually

Elevate your projects, watermark-free

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10 transcription hours / month

Export 1080p, watermark-free

20 uses / month of Basic AI Actions suite including Filler word removal, Studio sound, Draft show notes, Create clips, and more

30 minutes / month of AI speech with stock AI speakers and custom voice clones

5 minutes / month of avatars

Frequently asked questions

How do I style captions with my brand fonts and colors?
Choose the font and color palette that matches your brand, then save those settings to apply them at any time. By keeping a consistent style, your audience stays visually engaged while recognizing your brand’s look.
What if I only want captions on specific parts of my video?
No problem. Simply apply captions to those portions you want. It’s your choice whether the entire video gets captioned or if it’s just one scene or speaker.
Will the captions remain synced if I trim my footage?
Yes. Individuals or teams can trim audio or video, and the captions automatically adjust. You won’t have to chase down each segment or re-sync back to the original.