Question 1

How do I add captions to a video?

Accepted Answer

Generate or write timed captions, correct them, then either burn them into the picture or attach a separate caption file. Burned-in captions are always visible, while a file can be switched on or off. Rushilo makes word-level transcripts on your computer with Whisper, or with your own OpenAI, Groq or Google Gemini key.

Question 2

Is there a difference between subtitles and captions?

Accepted Answer

Yes. W3C uses captions for text in the same language as the spoken audio and subtitles for spoken audio translated into another language. The two terms are used for the same thing in different regions, so check how a platform uses them before choosing a file.

Question 3

What is the difference between burned-in and closed captions?

Accepted Answer

Closed captions can be shown or hidden by the viewer. Open captions, which are burned into the picture, are always displayed and cannot be turned off. W3C describes both. Keep a clean master video in case you need a version without the words.

Question 4

Can viewers turn off burned-in captions?

Accepted Answer

No. Burned-in words are part of the video image, so they stay on screen. W3C describes this type as open captions that cannot be turned off. Use a separate caption file when the platform supports viewer controls, and export a clean master if you may need a version without them.

Question 5

Does exporting an SRT burn captions into an MP4?

Accepted Answer

No. An SRT is only timed text for a player to display. To put captions into the picture itself, render the video with text drawn over it, which is a separate export from the caption file.

Question 6

What is the difference between SRT and VTT?

Accepted Answer

Both carry timed caption text. SRT uses numbered cues and comma milliseconds, as in 00:00:02,500. WebVTT begins with a WEBVTT line and uses periods, as in 00:00:02.500. Neither alters the picture or improves recognition accuracy.

Question 7

Does YouTube use SRT or VTT for subtitles?

Accepted Answer

YouTube's caption file list supports SubRip (.srt) and WebVTT (.vtt), so either can work. YouTube says only basic versions of SubRip are supported, with no style markup recognised and plain UTF-8 required. Do not assume editor colours or animated words survive the upload.

Question 8

Can I upload a VTT file to YouTube?

Accepted Answer

Yes. YouTube's supported caption formats include WebVTT (.vtt). Check that the timestamps match your final cut, because a file made for an earlier edit drifts out of sync. In YouTube Studio, open Subtitles, choose the video, add a language, then pick Upload file.

Question 9

How do I add subtitles to a YouTube video?

Accepted Answer

In YouTube Studio, choose Subtitles from the left menu, select the video, click Add language, then click Add under Subtitles. You can upload a file, use Auto-sync with a typed transcript, or type captions manually. Timing for typed text is set automatically.

Question 10

Can SRT be converted to VTT?

Accepted Answer

Yes: put WEBVTT on the first line and swap each timestamp comma for a period, so 00:00:01,000 becomes 00:00:01.000. Then check line breaks and styling. Merely renaming the file extension does not count as converting.

Question 11

How can I open a VTT or SRT file?

Accepted Answer

Both are plain text, so any text editor opens them. Video players and web players load them as caption tracks, and most editors import them. Avoid word processors that add formatting, because that can corrupt the file. YouTube asks for plain UTF-8 text.

Question 12

Which subtitle format should I use for an HTML video?

Accepted Answer

Use WebVTT. The HTML track element takes a WebVTT file, and the track's kind, language and label tell the player what it contains. Test caption selection and keyboard controls on your actual page, and serve the files from a location the video can load.

Question 13

Does converting SRT to VTT fix out-of-sync subtitles?

Accepted Answer

No. Both formats carry cue times, so conversion changes the format, not the relationship between the words and the video. Fix the timing first with an offset or two-point correction, then convert only if your destination needs VTT. Renaming a file does not convert it.

Question 14

How do I fix subtitles that are out of sync?

Accepted Answer

Check timing near the start, middle and end. If the error is constant, shift every cue by one offset. If it grows, use a correction based on two reference points. If it changes after a cut, the subtitles may belong to a different edit of the video.

Question 15

How do I calculate a subtitle offset?

Accepted Answer

Take the spoken time minus the subtitle time. A line spoken at 12.400 seconds but subtitled at 14.900 needs minus 2.500 seconds. Tools differ on sign convention, so test it, then confirm against a later line before shifting everything.

Question 16

Why do my subtitles get further out of sync as the video plays?

Accepted Answer

A mismatch that grows is drift, so one fixed delay cannot fix it. Note one early and one late reference time and apply a linear correction with a tool that supports two-point sync, then check a sentence in the middle.

Question 17

Are auto captions accurate?

Accepted Answer

Treat them as a first draft. YouTube warns that accents, dialects, mispronunciations and background noise can distort automatic captions, and asks creators to review them. Fix names, numbers and negatives first, then check timing and line breaks.

Question 18

Are Whisper subtitles accurate?

Accepted Answer

Expect a draft. Whisper's model card cautions that output can include words nobody said and that quality differs by language and accent. Proof names, numbers and negations by listening, then check cue timing and readability.

Question 19

Do auto captions use AI?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Speech recognition is a machine-learning task that converts audio into timed text, and Whisper is a well-known model. Per its notes, Rushilo can run Whisper on your computer or use your own OpenAI, Groq or Google Gemini key.

Question 20

How do I generate subtitles offline with Whisper?

Accepted Answer

Install a local Whisper app or the Whisper command line, fetch the model while online, transcribe, correct text and timing, and save a caption file. The command line also wants Python packages and a media tool. Do one test run before going offline.

Question 21

Can I make captions without uploading my video?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Local Whisper tools run on your machine, and Rushilo's release notes say its word-level transcripts are made on your computer with Whisper unless you add your own OpenAI, Groq or Gemini key. Local tools avoid an upload but can be slower and need setup.

Question 22

Is there a free auto caption generator?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Clipchamp's subtitle generator page says the autocaptions feature is free for all users and that there is no limit on generating subtitles for a video. Other tools cap length or add a watermark on free plans, so read each plan's limits before relying on one.

Question 23

Where can I get subtitles for free?

Accepted Answer

YouTube lets you add subtitles to your own videos in YouTube Studio, including by uploading a file or typing them, and Clipchamp says its autocaptions are free for all users. Review any automatic result, because speech recognition can mishear names and accents.

Question 24

Can ChatGPT add subtitles to a video?

Accepted Answer

Not by editing the video itself. OpenAI's upload page, checked in the linked guide, lists documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images and audio but no video type. ChatGPT can write or correct caption text, and a connected editor can place it on the timeline.

Question 25

Why are my CapCut auto captions not working?

Accepted Answer

CapCut's help page names five causes: noisy audio, the wrong language setting, a weak connection (captioning uses cloud processing), a muted track and an outdated app. Work through those first. No CapCut page we found blames a paywall.

Question 26

Are CapCut auto captions free?

Accepted Answer

CapCut's own pages disagree. Its Standard versus Pro article lists the auto caption generator as exclusive to Pro, while its caption tool page says captions are converted free of charge. Check inside your own app before paying.

Question 27

How do I make captions show one word at a time?

Accepted Answer

Pick a word-by-word caption style. Rushilo's release notes list word highlight, pop, karaoke and bold box styles, plus slam, outline and minimal in 1.3.0, and per word styling that lets you change one word's colour, size or weight after generating captions.

Question 28

Do I need styled word captions or is an SRT enough?

Accepted Answer

An SRT or VTT holds plain timed text that players style themselves. Animated word captions are drawn into the video itself. Choose burned-in styling for short social clips, and a caption file when viewers should be able to toggle captions.

Question 29

Can I reuse the same caption file for a shorter edit?

Accepted Answer

Only when the text and timings still fit the new cut. Trimming an intro or reordering sections shifts every cue, so regenerate or retime captions from the final edit and spot-check the start, middle and end in the player.