Add Captions to Your Video in Minutes with AI

Add captions to your video without typing a single word. Upload your video or generate one from a script, and HeyGen transcribes each line, syncs it with the audio, and then lets you restyle and translate your video captions for any platform.

16,22,09,404Videos generated
13,87,75,606Avatars generated
2,31,65,989Videos translated
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Trusted by millions worldwide to bring their stories to life.
Stylised white car icon on a blue background.Key Features

Features of the Caption Generator

Automatic Subtitles From Your Video

HeyGen's AI subtitle generator transcribes your audio to create subtitles, timing every caption line to the exact moment it is spoken. The subtitle generator automatically flags names, jargon, and low-confidence words so you can correct them quickly, then export accurate subtitles that read clearly on any screen.

HeyGen's AI subtitle generator adding time-synced captions to a video, with an editable transcript panel flagging low-confidence words.

Animated, Word-by-Word Subtitles

Start with a caption template, then set the subtitle font, colour, size, and spacing, and choose a style: clean single lines, word‑by‑word pop, or karaoke highlight. Add animated effects, an AI face swap, and your brand colours for a personal touch, and position the text clearly above the bottom third on vertical clips.

A video with animated word-by-word captions where one word is highlighted, next to a style panel for font, color, and caption presets.

Translate subtitles into 175+ languages

One caption track becomes many. The AI video translator converts your subtitles into 175+ languages and can dub the audio with the AI lip sync voice, so one video reaches viewers across the world without re-recording, re-timing, or hiring a separate translation vendor for each market.

A caption track being translated into 175+ languages, with a language list and creator cards showing subtitles in Spanish, French, and Hindi.

Burn captions in or export an SRT

Choose how captions are delivered. Burn subtitles into the frames for AI video ads on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts as burned-in text that always shows during silent autoplay, or download a separate SRT, VTT, or TXT file for platforms that allow viewers to switch captions on and off.

An export panel offering burned-in MP4 captions or a separate SRT, VTT, or TXT subtitle file, beside a vertical clip with burned-in text.

Create and Caption in One Place

Most caption tools stop at video editing on footage you have already shot. HeyGen is all-in-one: the AI video generator turns a script into a finished clip, even a faceless video, then captions it in the same workspace, so writing, recording, and subtitling all happen under one roof.

A script turning into a finished captioned video in one workspace, with a Script, Generate, and Caption workflow strip.
Green gift box icon.Use cases

Use cases

A vertical Reels, TikTok, and Shorts clip with bold animated captions burnt in for silent autoplay.

Captions for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts

Most feeds autoplay on mute, so social media videos without captions lose viewers within seconds. Burn bold, animated captions into vertical clips to keep viewers engaged till the end, even without sound.

An accessible training video with subtitles playing on a laptop, with an accessibility tick mark and module list.

Accessible Training and Onboarding

Employees often skip content they cannot easily follow at their desks. Add subtitles to every training video to make your content accessible, so staff can watch on mute, review technical terms in text, and meet accessibility guidelines without needing a reshoot.

A YouTube video player with subtitles and a search panel showing indexed subtitle text results.

Searchable captions for YouTube

On platforms like YouTube, the player reads your caption text, so a subtitled video gives search more content to index and can improve how often you appear for additional queries. Upload an SRT track or burn in captions for Shorts that always display.

A captioned product demo video with a step callout, showing an instruction line embedded into the frame.

Captioned demos and how-to videos

Captions make your video content easier to follow: they help viewers read each instruction and keep your message clear, which makes a product demo video easier to understand and reduces repeat support questions.

A long podcast recording split into several short captioned clips, with a show-notes transcript panel.

Podcast and Long-Form Repurposing

Turn one long recording into multiple videos. Auto-caption each cut so your podcast and webinar highlights are easy to read and enhance the viewing experience on social platforms, and reuse the editable transcript as show notes or as a blog post.

A creator video with multilingual captions and a dubbed-audio toggle, flanked by flag chips for several languages.

Multilingual captions for wider reach across regions

Earlier, entering new markets usually meant working with different vendors for each language. Now you can use subtitles in 175+ languages, and combine them with AI dubbing so international audiences hear a natural, matching voice instead of only having to read on-screen text.

Blurred white document icon with a play button on a light blue background.How it works

How to add captions to a video

As an online subtitling tool, HeyGen can add subtitles to your video in four simple steps, from upload or script to a captioned file ready for every platform.

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Step 1: Upload or generate

Drop in common video formats like MP4, MOV, or AVI from your device or Google Drive, or generate a clip from a script.

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Step 2: Auto-generate captions

Click auto-subtitle and the automatic subtitle generator will create subtitles from the video in seconds, with each line timed to the audio.

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Step 3: Edit and style

Tidy up the wording while editing subtitles, adjust the timing of each line, then set the font, colour, size, and animation to match your brand.

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Step 4: Export or download

Once you have finished editing, burn captions into an MP4 or download an SRT, VTT, or TXT file, and then publish it anywhere.

Add Captions to Video – FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What does it mean to add captions to a video?

To add captions to a video means placing time-synchronised on-screen text of the spoken audio over the footage. You can create subtitles by letting HeyGen transcribe the audio, or add subtitles to your video from a script, then style the text and export it burned in or as a separate file. Producing a show, not just captioning one? Generate the episodes with HeyGen's AI podcast generator.

What is the difference between subtitles and captions?

Video subtitles transcribe the dialogue for viewers who can hear but may not understand the language. Captions also add sound cues like [music] or [laughter] for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. HeyGen can generate either option, so you can edit the text according to what your audience needs.

What is the difference between hardcoded and soft captions?

Hardcoded (burned-in, open) captions are baked into the video frames and always show, which works well for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. Soft (closed) captions are stored in a separate SRT or VTT file that viewers can turn on or off. HeyGen exports both from the same project.

Will auto-captions correctly pick up names, jargon, and different accents?

HeyGen uses advanced speech recognition to generate accurate captions and time-code each line, then flags names, jargon, and low-confidence words so you can correct them before export. You review everything in the editor, so nothing is published until the captions match what was actually said.

How can I add subtitles to a video I have already recorded?

Upload your video as an MP4, MOV, or AVI, or turn a PPT to video first, then click auto-subtitle, and the AI writes timed caption lines for you. Edit any wording, restyle the text, then export a captioned MP4 or an SRT file. No re-recording and no separate transcription step.

Can I edit the subtitle text, font, and timing?

Yes. The easy-to-use AI video editor also works as a subtitle editor that lets you edit the font, colour, size, and animation. Fine-tune the timing of each subtitle, or manually adjust the timing line by line, then match the styling to your brand.

Why should I use HeyGen to add captions to videos instead of other tools?

Most caption tools only add text to footage you have already shot. HeyGen also generates the video from a script with an AI spokesperson, then lets you add subtitles to a video and translate it into 175+ languages in one place, which is more than the roughly 100 languages most caption tools support.

Can captions and translation scale across multiple languages?

Yes. Würth Group converted a 65-minute presentation into eight languages in four days, reducing translation costs by 80% and production time by 50%, as shown in the Würth Group story. The same workflow adds captions and localises video at scale.

Which video formats and caption files do you support?

You can caption a video using common video formats like MP4, MOV, and AVI, or first convert a PDF to video . Export a captioned MP4 with the text burned in, or download subtitle files as SRT, VTT, or TXT. An SRT file works across most platforms, and VTT is the web standard for HTML5 players.

Is it free to add subtitles to a video?

You can start for free and add captions without a credit card. A free video plan helps you get started, while paid plans unlock higher volumes, more export options, and translation into 175+ languages for creators of all skill levels and teams that localise regularly.

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